SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1921, Page 3

SPORTING.

TARANAKI JOCKEY CLUB. . A meeting of the Taranaki Jockey Club District Committee was held last night. Present: Messrs L. A. Nolan (chairman), G. Fraser, J. W. Morrison, J. Gray, H. Washer, J. McLeod. An apology for absence was received from Mr. 0. W. SoleA trainer’s license was granted to J. W. Clarebut, and a jockey’s license to P. R. Healy. Other applications for licenses were held over till the next meeting of the committee. Permission to train their own horses was granted to M. C. Aagaard, W. Hayward, and 11. Rama. Advice of the cancellation of several trainers’ and jockeys’ licenses was received by the committee, and also a report by the stipendiary steward on the conduct of a trainer-jockey, which wa.s forwarded to the club interested for consideration.

THE TARANAKI RACING CARNIVAL (Notes by “Mature a”.) The splendid entries received for the Taranaki Jockey Club’s autumn meeting/ and for the Egmont Racing Club’s summer meeting give promise of a record racing carnival next month. ’ The entries for the Taranaki Trotting Club’s annual meeting might have been better, but the majority of events should be interesting enough, and when the club obtains its totalisator permit greater success will be attained. On the whole, the five days’ racing and trotting set down for the early part of February offer fine sport, and should attract a good number of the outsiders to Taranaki. events have justified their inclusion on Taranaki programmes, and have been the means of introducing to the greater part of Taranaki sports the leading weight-for-age performers of the Dominion. With such great horses as Gloaming, Vespucci Rossini, Silver Link. Warplane, Hymestra and Right and Left engaged this year, the classics have quite maintained -their popularity, though it is time that the stakes offered in this class of event were raised in the same proportion as the stakes in handicap races. Included in this year’s entries are Gloaming (a previous winner of the Egmont Stakes and Hawera -Stakes), Silver Link (Taranaki Stakes), Surveyor (Egmont Stakes), and Hymestra (Hawera Stakes); If started, these horses should again take a big hand, in the settlement of the events.

The open distance handicaps at both New Plymouth and Hawera have filled well. Included amongst the entries arc Starland, First Salute. Volo, Marqueteur. Vespucci, Surveyor, Affectation. Nobleman, Tenterfield. Ponte, Landslide, etc., whilst notable entries in the open sprints are: Silver Link. Surveyor, Rossini, Solfanello, Warplane, Hymestra. Blackmail, Golden Bubble, Acre, and Dunedin. The hurdlers engaged are only a moderate lot. but many good horses are either feeling the effects of recent racing on hard tracks, or are better catered for in jumpers’ flat races, so common now. However, fields should be sufficiently large to ensure spectacular racing. Needless to say, the minor events havfc filled to overflowing, the hack flat sprints in particular being very formidable* Mr. H. Coyle’s weights for the Taranaki autumn meeting are due on January 24, and acceptances close on January 28. Mr. F. W. Edwards’s adjustments for the Taranaki Trotting Club meeting are due to-day, and acceptances close on January 23. Egmont weights do not appear until after the Taranaki Jockey Club meeting—Febru-

TURF TOPICS. Considerable interest is being taken in the Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting, which opens on Thursday. Fourteen remain in the Cup, including Ma ioha, Vespucci, Lovematch, First Salute and Punka, all of which have shown fine form recently. The Telegraph Handicap has closed with a great acceptance, seventeen high-class sprinters holding their ground. They include recent winners in Warplane, Statuette, Silver Peak, Solfanello, Blackmail, etc., and the race is most open. Maniahera, Falstaff and Paddington Green are early favorites paid up for in the Jumpers* Flat Handicap, and the top-weights appear to be in a much higher class than their opponents in the Nursery Handicap. The improving Pente, and 80-peep, are much discussed candidates in the Anniversary Handicap, but -the position in the Ruapehu Handicap is more open. Militaire, Automoana and Strategy can all run five furlongs fast, and the last-named may start favorite. Rational should be favorite in the Wellington Stakes. An Empire City paper reports that H. Gray will probably be on First Salute in Ithe Wellington Cup. Warplane is said to have improved a lot since he won at Awapuni, and he should go well in whatever races he is stepped out in at Trentham. W. Bowden who rode Paddington Green to victory twice at Ellerslie, and appears to be able to get the local “champion” to do his best, will ride him in his Trentham engagements. Recent showers have improved the going at Foxton, and there should be some first-class racing there on Saturday and Monday. Flight Commander is whispered as a possibility for the Cup, and Hautawa, Celmisia, Admiration, Rouen, Minsk, Amberine and Lord Ashlea should show up in the minor races, Tinohoro (8.0) appears to be given a royal show in the Takapuna Cup. The writer dropped in at Mr. H. McManaway’s farm at Rata last week, and saw* there Rill, winner of the First Hawera Stakes. The old mare has grown into a fine, roomy matron, and though her stock has not been brilliant so far, hopes are expressed that her recent additions to the thoroughbred class will be more successful. Rill, at present in foal to Kilbroney, has a nice bay colt foal to the same horse at foot, and in the same paddock a beautiful chestnut yearling filly by Boniform —Rill took the eye. The two-year-old filly Bonny Rill (Boniform —Rill) was given a run at Marton, and although only recently taken in hand, ran a close fourth. Hallowell (Hallowmas—Rill) is at present at Hunterville, where, with Thea (Demosthenes —Te Hou Hou), he is being fed, and will be tried again in the autumn. Other thoroughbreds owned by Mr. McManaway include a fine, upstanding Maniapoto horse, who is said to be a natural jumper, and a mare by All Red —Te Hou Hou. The writer was warmly welcomed by Mr. Steve Smith, one of Mr. McManaway’a

managers, and a very pleasant afternoon was spent in inspecting the th<> roughbreds, and the various Maori houses, carvings and vault on the farm. “Old Mac” is back again in the Argyle Hotel at Hunterville, and is said to be doing great business. Although his luck in racing has waned in recent years, he still has hopes of producing more winners like Nvth'East, Mahuta and Rill.