SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1919, Page 7

SPORTING

AUCKLAND WINTER MEETING. SECOND DAY ACCEPTANCES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, June 2. The following acceptances have 'been received for the second day:— REMUERA HURDLES—SIeight of Hand, Thrace 11.8, Euripos 11.5, Paraoa 10.11, Ditto 10.2. RANFURLY WELTER.—Cadet 10.7, Canzonet 10.2, Pierrot 10.1, Independence 10,0, Step, Mountain Gold 9.13, Woody Glen 9.12, Don't, Glucian, General Stephen 9.10, Rangi Aroha 9.0, Admiral Advance 9.2, Golden Petal, Te Miro, Temaroa, Slowcoach, Miramar 9.0.

KINGi GEORGE HANDlCAP.—Parisian Diamond 12.0, Tinopai II.G, Bedford 11.0, Taiamai, Mangamalioe 10.10, Simonides 10.5, Detroit 10.1, Hurry Up, Hyllus 9.13, All Talk 9.10, White Blaze 0.7, Escaped 9.4, Paddington Green 9.3. Housewife 9.2, Rock field, Post Haste, Meltchikoff, Fabriquette 9.0. JUMPERS' FLAT HANDICAP.—Orpheum, Otara 10.4, Notability 10.2, Reformation 9.9, Signature 9.2, Keystone, Gunwale, Totara Jack, Entente Cordiale 9.0. HUNT CLUB CUP.-Swaytika 11.9, Jacantnda 11.5, Grey Star 10.11, Heather Boy 10.9, No Surrender, Master Bijou 10.7.

GREAT NORTHERN - STEEPLES.— Waimai 12.7, Master Lupin 10.10, Troublesome 10.7, Arlington 10.3, Tenacious 10.3, Bore 9.12, Te Onga 9.7. CARBINE PLATE.—Benzine, Cynic, Gatherer, Idra, Lady Paula, Multiplane, Omatu, Silver Lode, Torchlight 11.0, No Bother, Te Oro, Hinemaru 10.10. CHRISTCHURCH PARK TROTTING CLUB. ACCEPTANCES FOR SECOND DAY. Christchurch, June 2. The following acceptances have been received for the second day of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club's meeting:— AMATEUR HANDICAP, one and a half miles.—Diameter scr., Maori Princess ssec., Sandy Bell, Energetic, Rothino, Proud Nell, Proud Imperial, Gentleman Wood, Maria Lloyd, Kirtesy, Forest Girl 6, Generalissimo, Peter the First, Blanche, Arran, Royal Irvington, and Tinkle Bells 7. PROGRESSIVE HANDICAP, two miles.—Craibwood 12sec., Billy Parole 13, Theseus, Mirietta 15, Bluewood, Miss Lorna, Bonetti 16, To-night 18, Peter Zimmerman, Jessie's Dream, Rose McKinney 19. ICING GEORGE HANDICAP, two miles.—Author Dillon scr., Admiral Wood, Matchlight 3sec., Erin's Queen, John Dillon, Trix Pointer 8, Agathos 9, Cello Sydney Wilkes, Vice Admiral 11. MATURITY HANDICAP, one and a half miles.—Locanda Dillon ser„ Embracer lsec., Vilo 2, All Bell, Lochnagar 3, Orange Pippin, Petrova 5. ADVANCE HANDICAP, one and a half miles.—Cora Dillon sctr., Hannah M., Sympathy 2s.ee., Hectorata, Irvar, Star Queen, Captain Stanley 3, Pax, Makomako 4, AJf McKinney 5, Jack Arral 0, Birdwood, Tatsy Dillon 7. ELEVATION HANDICAP, two miles. —Whispering Willie scr., Rita Peter 4sec., Red Heather 5, Olive L. 7, Electrocute 8, Imperial Crown 9, Paul Huon 11. Whist, Lady Patricia, Gay Wilkes 12, Beeswing 14. TELEGRAPH HANDICAP, one mile.— John Dillon, Sathwood, Rorke's Drift, Bunsong, Frank Tracey, General Link Scr., Vice Admiral 2sec., Wulham. Silver Quick 3, Bundura, Pitaroa, Dean Dillon, Joan of Arc, Pax;, Nancy Stair 4. FINAL HANDICAP, one mile.—Huon Patch, Lord Minto scr., General Wilkes lsec., Cora Dillon 2, Tamarisk 3, Rorke's Drift, Cello Sydney Wilkes, Lorna Dillon 4, Harold Direct, Captain Stanley 5, Locanda Dillon 6, Perfect Day, Lady Superior, Mahinga, Breadalbane 7.

PROSPECTS FOR TO-DAY.

(By "Moturoa."j Wanganui, Last Night. Goq4 acceptances have been received for the second day of the Auckland winter meeting. Swastika should start favorite in the Hunt Club Cup. General Stephen, who ran third in the Jervois Handicap, should be better suited by the distance in the Ranfurly Welter, though Cadet may prove troublesome. There will be only one dividend in the Remuera Hurdles, but whether Euripos or Sleight-of-Hand will be the fortunate one remains to be seen.

Only seven have been paid up for in the Great Northern Steeples, but Waimai will be kept busy by Arlington and Master Lupin.

, A bis field will face the starter in the King George Handicap, but Simonides and ' Taiamai are sure to be solidly backed ! Otnra and Reformation may strip fittest in the Jumpers' Flat race, and Cynic | and Gatherer' should too speedy for tho poor lot engaged in the Carbine Plate;. Paul Modre has gone lame and will not be a starter in the Steeples at) Otaki. The weather has improved and promises to be fine for Dtakf races, though the track is likely to be holding after the receni rain. ' > • -.

"" V ,, v . TC«F/.TOPICS. " ' (By "Mtitoroa''} . ;<$ Northern Stee'ples to-day. Wa'imai looks like an-* even money chance. "'V.:.c. -ti.'s Tlte.Dunedin and Otaki'meetings open> to-day. , ■■■ y: i Oynio was a, "love bird" for the ' double-layers. - Alteration Vltily arrived (yn Saturday; Thank you, Hector. > n: and Rarke's 'Drift look good for . winning brackets at the Etoedin meet' In?. ■ ■ ; ■ Knmor has. it. thtyt fern JReve is,going great guns at Wrings, Por the Grand < National? Black Mark is very well now, and is seen at his*' 'best on ,spft tracks. Should .show up at Otaki. The Wanganui Jockey Club will instal an up-to-date Julius electric tote before next meetiflg, and the Manawatu R.C, will probably follow suit. The selling windows at Wanganui are quite numerous enough, but more payout windows are required, and the commission and £5 windows should be screened off, as at Ellerslie. Saturday, on the whole, was a good day for the layers- There were no startling dividends, and the double was a good "turn up" for the much-buffeted Bar Vons. "Motnroa" had a glimpse at one penciller's book, and a turnover of £4OO, from about 100 clients, showed ft credit of 75 per cent, to the laver. Not one single punter showed a profit.

Prior to Saturday Cynic and Gfirryowen were doing the best track work of the hurdlers Been out at Ellerslie. and both won. The Cynic-Alteration double .wujptotod ftt a vtcr tall prtafe. hew*

ever; in fact nearly six times as great as that lifted eff the tote per medium of the all-n> principle.

American Beauty was said to be very unlucky at Carterton, and Messrs Dwan'a prad looks like "taking out" next start. Waimai's most dangerous opponents in the Great Northern Steeples may be Troublesome, Tenacious, and Master Lupin. If the last-named gets round he may trouble the top-weight. Comedy Prince showed some promise in the Spring, but his recent efforts have not been attractive enough to suggest that he would win at Ellerslie. However, lie won rather handsomely from. Hineamaru and a big field on Saturday, and paid well over the limit. The consistent Hineamaru also paid a good price.

It might be just as well to overlook Hallow's defeat on Saturday, If the tracks are drier on the second and third days the Nexv Plymouth horse should make amends for Saturday's failure. The state of the going at Ellerslie upset calculations as to the sorting out of favorites for the Great Northern Hurdles, and although Sleight-of-Hand retained liis position as first favorite, Kauri King, Art, Euripos, and Master Lupin all went out, of fayor. Kauri King could hardly have been ready, as he is a good mud horse, but Art cannot act in slush, and Master Lupin and Euripos are both partial to a firm track. Master Lupin appears to be the most likely one to reinstate himself in public favor before the meeting closes. On paper Pretty Bobby appears to have rrood prospects at Otaki, and Master Webster and Kurapai should show up in the steeplechase events. El Gallo is the only horse that has won the Great Northern Hurdle Race more than once. Tn 1595 Liberator won both Great Northern Hurdles and Steeples, a feat which El Gallo capped in 1915 and 1916. The Raukawa Cup looks very open, but Volo and Marqueteur will be galloping as fast as anything at the finish. Mr. W. R. Kemball recently purchased the Australian 'chaser Negambo. The price paid was £SOO. St. Simon (12.12) holds the weiahtcarrying record for the Great Northern Hurdles, but old Liberator followed him closely with 12.9.

Kiatere won the Great Northern Steeples with 12.13 up. Next best from a weight point of view were Levanter 12.1 and Macaroni 12.0. The only double winners of Great Northern Steeplechases are: Levanter ISH6-7. Kiatere 1905-7, and El Gallo 19V5-10. Will Waimai achieve the same honor to-day?

•Toekster F. MaNamara's winning' percentage* at the A.J.C. autumn meeting were: Sydney Cup £2OO 19s, and Doncaster Handicap £lO6 7s. A tidy win-1 Percy Johnson has a great record in the Great Northerns. He won the Steeples on Jennv (1890), Muscatel (1898), Dummy (1899), and Kiatere (1905); and the Hurdles on Mutiny (]B!>3). Cavalier (1900), and Battle Axe (1993). "Pero" had no equal in his dayThe Southland trainer P. TTopan took a big team to the Dunedin winter meeting. Thirteen horses claiming 62 engagements in three days reads like a good, steady job.

It is wonderful how some people pick winners. At Wanganui the other day I asked one of Hushman'r? backers how he got on to the good thing. "Well." he replied, ns he went through Ilia roll of notes, "he used to he a good liorse, and inv motto is. 'once a good horse, always a good horse,' so I put a couple of quid on him!" It was beyond me!

BLIND BETTING. The suggestion of a valued Opunake correspondent that a screen be drawn across the numbers registered on individual horses on the totalisator, the respective figures not being exhibited until the totalisator closed on the race, is a novel, but, I fear, impracticable one. There is too much "betting on the blind" connected with racing at present without adding to the uncertainty, and it is hard to see how this new scheme will tend to purify horse racing or stimulate speculation. While admitting that all owners like to handle big dividends, the fact remains that few are deterred from trying because their hors.es are paying a short price. It is just as well to admit at once that big betting owners do not patronise the totalisator to any great extent, leaving the machine to set the odds which regulate their winnings (if any) from the pencillery all over the Dominion. The average winning dividend is a very small one, and experience teaches that, heavily backed horses, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, run better than neglected ones. Money talks louder than anything on a racecourse! Then, again, how many racegoers have an idea what they are going to back before they go on a course? And how many wait for a "lead" from the face of the totalisator? The majority "follow the money," while others bet quietly on "rough ttuff" and without guidance from the tote figures all would be confusion, and delay in wagering increased rather than minimised. No, I cannot see any advantage in "blind betting," and I am sure that any club that was foolish enough to try it would get smaller totalisator returns and nothing but wholesale condemnation from all branches of the sporting public,