SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1921, Page 3

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES, Jan. 20. 22, 24—-Wellington R.C. Summer Jan. 22, 24—(Foxton R.C. Annual. Jan. 26, 29—Takapunar J.C. Summer Jan. 29 —Pahiatua R.C. Annual. Jan. 29—Canterbury J. C. Summer. Feb. 2, 3—Taranaki J.C. Autumn. Feb. s—Taranaki5 —Taranaki Trotting Club Annual, TURF TOPICS, (By “Moturoa”.) Foxton weights are due on Monday. Taranaki and Egmont nominations on Friday. Weights for the Wellington sumrfler meeting should appear on Monday. Mattock won the Bracelet at Marton in a common canter. What were the sports doing to allow Marqueteur to pay sueh a price at Stratford? After racing at Awapuni, Sweet Tipperary bid* adieu to the turf, and American Beauty follows shortly. Rational won at Marton like a champion, but his task was made easier by Tamatete losing his rider at the etart. Tamatete is a big bay gelding by Absurd —Tahua, and races in Mr. W. Duncan’s colors. He can go like the wind. After his brilliant showing at Awapuni Hautawa looked a moral for the Hack? Hurdles at Marton, but paid quite a nice price. Little Bopeep, she lost her “donkeys” in the Summer Handicap at Marton. Little wonder when she was pitchforked.in at 7.9. Voluble ran miles below his true form" in the Marton Cup. possibly owing to being stabled on the course. He may do better next month. The veteran Xoblenfan is standing up to a lot of hard racing, but he is not the Nobleman of JB'o or three seasons back. It was a crime to see Blackmail beaten by a moderate like Admyra at Mar ton. Over-confidence on the part of L. Morris cost Warplanes conqueror the

race. Active, who is now trained at Waverley, rewarded “Billy” Dwyer with a good win at Marton. McCarten made every post a winning one, and just got home in front of th© unlucky Milttaire. It is stated that Molyneaux’s withdrawal from the Manawatu Cup was owing to the stewards’ disapproval of the shoes worn by the Danube gelding. Despite all his fine gallops, Molyneaux was outclassed at Ellerslie. Waimatao is rapidly getting into racing condition, but the hard tracks are against him. Possibly he will show up in the sand at Foxton this month. Gloaming is still champion, but Gasbag made him gallop in the Auckland Plate. What a draw a Gloaming— Arrowsmith contest over a mile would

be. Ngata made a promising debut over fences at Marton, and but for slipping and coming down on his nose at the last jump would have won the First Hack Hurdles. Keep him in mind. Racing conditions were anything but pleasant at Marton. The weather was hot and windy; the dust awful: attendances uncomfortably large; horsemanship shocking. • Esthonia was responsible for a great gallop when he won the Good wood Handicap at Ellerslie in easj’ style in 1.38, Scally should have put him in the dis- ■ tance handicaps at New Plymouth. George Clarke, who recently returned ' to the game, appears to be riding bet- 1 ter than ever, and won quite a number of races during the holidays. This devil-may-care horseman is equally at home on the flat or over fences. Fred Tilley has tired of the disappointing Coolpan, and the horse was disposed of'for £4O to Mr. J. McDonnell, owner of Papatere and Silver Spur, after racing unsuccessfully at Marton. The brothers, W. H. and J. B. Gaisford collected all the “ironmongery” at Marton. W. H. collected the handsome cup with Punka, while old Mattock easily secured the bracelet lor J. B. The Wellington sportsman, K. D. Duncan, had a big team running at Marton, and with Bo Peep, Flight Commander, Blackmail, Vindictive and Militaire won £9OO in stakes. Mr. Duncan Fraser, who died in Palmerston on Wednesday, was the sole remaining son of the late Donald Fraser, of Bulls, and raced Square Deal with some success a few seasons ago. “Dune” served as a vet. in the Boer War, and his brother, Alec, was killed in the late war.

Foxton nominations are very fair, and include Piro Piro, Crucelle, Simon, Velociform, and Egmont Park. Mr. Henry’s weights are due on Monday. Hector Gray was riding in fipe form at Ellerslie, particularly in sprints. His tally for the meeting was eight firsts and a dead-heat. Nightraider changed hands after racing at Ellerslie, and will in future carry Mr. Hugo jcolors. The son of Martian has gone into J Williamson’s stable. Gloaming has won each of the five races he has contested since November, and* his stakes winnings to date are £19,328. A nice return for an outlay of 250 guineas! Although Mr. J. J. Corry lost the services, temporarily, of Tmaribbon during the holiday season. Barleycorn and Dick did good services for him, returning fine dividends in the three races that fell to them. Owing to inability to get “set” with the bookmakers, one big punter put £225 on the tote on one horse at Awapuni. It paid the limit, too! Inah was probably never better than during the past cot pie of weeks, and ran splendidly at Awapuni and at Marton, but without winning a race. Mr. H. Spratt had hard luck in bumping against horses like Warplane, Solfanello and Co., and might have done better if he had elected to do the Taranaki meetings. Black Mark, by All Black—Culprit, ran prominently at Marton, and Jim Coyle will be unlucky if he fails to catch a heat with the black gelding very soon. Queer racehorse nomenclature noticed lately: Nota-Wede, Stream of Gold, In-the-Pink, Pretty Mickey, Comic, Slanter, Bill Brown, Proudspring, Cup Day, Grab, Hard Cash and Lloyd George.

The over-raced Esperance is still running great races, but seconds were her share during the holidays. Fresh and well, she would have been a tough proposition at the small meetings. Karo’s sister, Pente, was one of the most promising horses the writer saw at Awapuni. She is a good, game filly, and should go far up the scale later on. When she won on the third day

at Palmerston she carried 41bs overweight, and made hacks of her opponents in the straight. Top Dog (Projectile—Green Leaf) goes fast for about four furlongs, but that is the length of his tether. He races in the same ownership as the uncertain Kipling. Bacchante, by Hymettus—Woodhey, is nicely bred, and can go very fast, but unfortunately she is very excitable at present., When she settles down her opponents will know all about it. One or two hard races cracked up Lord Usk (Biankney ll—Lady Usk) at Awapuni, but he is a fair sprinter, and after a short respite should be worth a pound. Isabel sweated freely each day at Palmerston, but Tilley’s followers would not hear of her defeat. A third in the President’s Handicap gave promise of better things on the concluding day, but she cracked up badly. Moutoa Ivanova is in good form, and provided Mr. Henrys is not too severe on her slie will again run well on her home track—Foxton. The Marton Jockey Club had a record gathering at New Year, but Arthur Way and his confreres had everything running smoothly, and things went off without a hitch. Visitors to the meeting came away with happy recollections of Marton hospitality, and the Press had

much to be thankful for. Mermin, with £4290 in stake earnings, has hoisted record figures for a two-fear-old in the Dominion. Taranaki sports are not alone in their opinion that Rational is equally good, and it is hard luck for Mr. Curtis that his fine sprinter did not claim the same classic engagements as Mermin. Arthur Olliver was fortunate in getting Parisian Diamond, Statuette and Asterina, all with condition on them, but no onq will begrudge him his success. Olliver occupies the house and stables formerly owned by Tommy Wilson, at the rear of the Awapuni course. A queer par from a southern paper: “At the recent Wyndham Racing Club’s meeting, a sporting reporter was called before the stewards to explain his action in calling out to the rider of Effie Adair to hurry back to the judge’s box and salpte the official. The explanation given accepted as satisfactory, and afterwards the president of the club informed the reporter that the action was not taken by the club, and expressing the wish that he would not take any fiotice of the affair.” Minor race meetings taking place today are those of the Reef ton and Vincent Clubs. Wairoa races on Tuesday, and Cheviot and Northern Wairoa on Saturday next. The chief forthcoming excitement is the Wellington Rating Club’s summer meeting, which opens on Thursday week.

, TARANAKI TROTTING CLUB. Owners and trainers are reminded that nominations for the Taranaki Trotting Club’s second annual meeting close on Thursday next. January 13. with the secretary, Mr. D. Le C.* Morgan, Devon Street, New Plymouth, at 9 p.m. This year the club is giving in stakes for the six events the sum of £270. Four events are for harness horses and two for saddle horses. Included in the programme is the Farmers’ Plate, of 30 sovs., for horses the bona fide property of farmers and trained by farmers. The Taranaki Jockey Club has again generously placed the use of its course at the disposal of the club. This year the track is in better order than it has ever been. The full programme appears in this issue. Owners and trainers of trotting horses wishing to register horses dr colors can obtain full information from Mr. D. Le C. Morgan, secretary of the Taranaki 1 rotting Club. lie will be pleased to render owners any help in his power in connection with nominations, etc., for the forthcoming meeting of the Club.