SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1921, Page 3

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. Jone IT, IS—Napier Park R.C. Winter. June 2«. 23. 25—Hawke’s Bay J.C. and H.B. Emit. June 29—Dannevirke Bunt Club. EIGHTH TARANAKI STAKES. BIG LIST OF ENTRIES. All the leading performers in classic events and the season’s best two and. three-year-o’ds are included in the entries for the Eighth Taranaki Stakes, which closed last night. The event is run at the Taranaki Jockey Club’s autumn meeting,- 1922. The entries total about 100, and included are such well-known performers at Rational, The Hawk, Gloaming, Silver Link. Mermin, Absurdum. Statuette, Dunedin. Raceful, Mockery, and Listowel. Among the others two of Mr. T. H. Lowry’s colts by Bonlform, and one by Kilbroney. and Sir George Clifford’s two-year-olds Giant Killer and Trierma’ji. First forfeits are due cn the general entry day for the autumn (meeting. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.”) The Napier Park winter meeting opens on Friday. Super Six goes fast, but juickly gets the stitch. Lady liima ran three good races at Otaki, and may score at Marton. Jinquil, by Soloferinc—Belladonna, looks like turning out a smart celt.

If Haliowvonoia had got a decent start on the second day at Otaki ste would have been in and dried.

The' mare by Advance—Mysterina in Ted Penman’s stable, will make her debut at the Rangitikei Hunt meeting. She lias been named "Adrina.”

From Marton jve hear that "Sammy” Gibbons has definitely decided to retire Oratress, and Amberine, both going to the stud next season.

The Bar Vons turned away hundreds of quidlets for Nursing Sister on Wednesday, and the good thing missed She is only a handful, and not up to welter weights. It is alleged that some person, unknown to the owner, took a loan of Wapplng the other day and rode him to hounds. The horse blundered at a wire fence, and was considerably knocked about in consequence.

Visitors to the Auckland meeting say that Pure Laziness was unlucky to get beaten on the opening day, but he made amends by winning the Fitzroy Welter on Wednesday like a really

Coolpan has qualified with the liangitike! Hunt, and will be a runner at the forthcoming meeting. Twenty-seven horses were out foliowing the tyunds on Wednesday, and amongst the number the writer noticed Onipoto, wto looks very fit at present.

Dick Mason was booked to leave for Sydney yesterday with Gloaming, the two-year-olds Coniston (Sunny Lake—Prank), and Cilpidon (Martian—Bebe), and the yearling filly Veil (Absurd —Cowi). Cup'don figures in the Melbourne. Caulfield, Moonee Valley and Williamstown Cups, and Coniston has been nominated for the Caulfield Cun. George Young will ride them on the other side when the weights allow.

A Wellington scribe states that Johnny Walker’s breakdown was so serious that it was thought best to shoot him. He was a good but unlucky torse, and with decent handling would have won a New Zealand Cup, instead of running second to his stablemate Menelaus.

Goolwa was produced in splendid nick at Otaki, but she' appeared to turn it up when the stick was drawn on her. Probably she will be "Iren a run in the minor hurdle events at Napier next week. Coroglen had the Great Northern Steeplechase practically won when he fell half a mile from home. Manson smartly remounted, and though handicanaped by the loss of a whip, got his mount into third place. Corogien made no mistakes in the Winter Steeples on Wednesday, and his Ellerslie form stamps him as a promising sori, if not « turning cbaunpion.

The representative of a Manawatu paper looked like a bird fancier at Otaki on the King’s Birthday. Owing to the telegraph office being closed on that day racing results were forwarded per pigeon. Hence the homers.

Talking of homing pigeons reminds me of a fancier who made himself a pest in -an Auckland boarding-louse. His pigeons could fly fastest and farthest, he swore, and we got nothing but records and distances at every meal. One of the boarders was leaving for Wellington, and our friend pressed upon him a pigeon which was to be released at a certain time in the Empire City. In secret we counselled the departing boarder to clip the pigeon's wings before releasing it, and this he promised to do. On the day that the pigeon commenced , on its journey we got an extra dose of flying. records, but, when after a couple of days the. bird failed to show up, the fancier's anxiety only equalled our glee. But a month later we were startled by the pest emitting a hoarse shout and rushing down the front steps. Tenderly he lifted a very dilapidated pigeon, and then turned to us with a howl of rage. "Some cow has cut his wings,” he roared, "but the poor little beggar has nearly worn his feet off walking home!” Mr. Eric Riddiford was present at Ellerslie to see his horse. Coalition, win the Great Northern Steeplechase, and though tlm win was a little flukey, he was warmly edgratulated on winning such a fine stake under meritorious circumstances, Coalition being burdened with 12.5, and covering the course in fast time considering the heavy going. Only once in the history of the race has such a weight been carried to victory. This was when Klatere won with 12.13 in 190<. Marconi (1895) scored under 12.0; Levanter (1897) with 12.1; The Guard (1902) with 12.2; and Waimai (1918) with 12.0. Mr. W. H. Gaisford took Bindle and Festivity to the Great Northern meeting, and both horses won races. Festivity is a three-year-old bay gelding by Hallowmas —Rosie Desmond, and was one of the favorites for the Cornwall Handicap, for which he was scratched. Sea De’U, by Seaton Delaval— Serita, won a couple of good hurdle races at Ellerslie through sheer gameness. In the Reniuera Hurdle Race on the second day he had a particularly hard task with Kauri King, challenging the Grand National winner several times in the last half-mile, and finally beating him in the run home.

Although beaten at Ellerslie, Paddington Green ran remarkably well, and it will not be safe to overlook him in forthcoming hurdle events. In his present condition he could hardly, fail to pay his way in 'Stralia. Weights for the Napier Steeplechase appeared yesterday, and the outstanding ones appear to be Luke. Old Mungindi and Mattock. Mr. W. R. Kemball holds a strong hand in tho Ahuriri Hurdles, and the stable’s elect, together with Hyginas. .should run well. Sir Agnes reads well in the Moteo Hack Hurdles, and Te Tea should take some heading off in the Petane Steeples, though possibly Mr. p. Johnson will prefer to Start his horse in the big event. Admiral Codrington should run out the ten furlongs in the Stewards’ Handicap, and Gold Kip and Molyneaux are also very fit at present. Gambooia is well treated In the Ladies' Necklace, and Makere and Strategy have recent form to recommend them in the Settlers’ Handicap.

Coalition has won the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, the Great Northern Steeplechase, and the Wanganui Steeplechase. He is a wonderful performer for a gift horse I Coalition, Levanter, Dummy, The Guard, Hayden, Bercola, Waimai and Lochella have won both the Grand National and Great Northern Steeplechases. Totara Jack was offered at auction in Auckland, but at 130 guineas was passZl In. Tills was fortunate for Mn J. Bell, as the big son of Spalpe’en won the Tamaki Steeples on Wednesday.

The Mountain King gelding Unahi had lo be destroyed last week. A post mortem examination disclosed the fact that one lung was absolutely rotten. The brood mare, Our Lady, carrying a foal to Absurd, died at Koatanui recently. The yearling colt of the same breeding brought 1250 guineas at the last sales, so that Mr. Geo. Currie’s financial loss is a heavy one. All Otaki, it is said, was on Fisher when he cakewalkcd the v Great Northern Hurdles, and the price he returned gave the of the fast dying bookmaking brigade a severe jolt. Owner, trainer, jockey and horse will from Otaki r -and the local punterr arc intensely loyal io their own horses. Fisher has won £2215 in stake money this season, and it is singularly strange that bis crowning winning effort was accomplished at Ellerslie, where in past years ho had sent hundreds of big punters back to work! The following is from a London exchange: "A well-known bookmaker declares that he has no less than 123 dressmakers among his clients. It may interest him to know that many dressmakers are themselves bookmakers, in the sense that they back horses in their names for their customers, deducting a commission of from 5 per cent, to 10 per cent, when the animal wins, and charging their, customers from 5 per cent, to 10 per cent, for "services rendered” when the horses lose. It sounds a profitable side-line, but as these dressmakers are often kppt waiting a year or two before their customers pay them the money they invested which the dressmakers themselves had to pay to the bookmakers on the nail—there can't be very much in it beyond the hold it gives them over customers, who might otherwise go elsewhere for their gowns.”