SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1921, Page 3

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa”.) Rain set in at Ashhurst on Monday evening, and continued all day yesterday, so that the track is likely to be holding for to-day's races. The acceptances, which dosed an unnecessarily long time before the meeting, are. voluminous, but, owing to mishaps at Levin, the wet weather and the close proximity of the Feilding J.C. spring meeting, scratchings are. likely to materially reduce the fields all through. The first race is set down for 11.45 • According to report Bonnetter, Festivity and j Tari arc most fancied for the Ashhurst Cup, j and the trio have been coupled to some extent j with Asterina. Nursing Sister, Birkie and Tom•my Rot in the Pohanglna Handicap. To say the least of it, anyone who accepts the Odds quoted about any of the above combinations is easily satisfied. ! The slippery going may upset some of the j new chums in the Hurdles at Ashhurst, and j the public may he well advised to limit their ' investments to tried hdrdlers like War Loan, j Gay Boy and Gnid Problem. • | The Pohangina Handicap should give "mud ' larks” like Birkie, Nursing Sister and Amber I Tips a chance to distinguish themselves. <!sjmisia will not be a runner in the Flying j Handicap, but Kildni will not want for back- ! ers if started. Morzonia may be the best of the lightweights. j Detroit will be an absentee from the Cup ' race, and the* issue appears to be between I Bonnetter, who ran well at Riccarton, Esperance and Festivity, though one or more of the number may be reserved for Feilding. Esperance won the race last year with 7.9, and a couple of pounds extra may not stop her to-day. Hallowroz and Malingerer are not overweighted In the Komako Hack Handicap, ■ though Kalt, who ran well at Levin, may I prove troublesome with 7.8. ' The Maiden Stakes candidates are a poor ! lot -on public showing. Lady Jliina, Solstice ' and Demoness have shown fair form this Automoana goes well in the wet, and with Amber Tips (if reserved) should be well backed in the Raumal Welter. Scratchings may reduce the field in the Gorge Welter, but Notawede, Royal Gift and Rebuff are considered likely starters. Woodville noininatfons are very numerous, most races having attracted between thirty and forty horses. They probably constitute a record for the club. A Manawatu writer states that R. .1. Mason has engaged accommodation for two horses at Feilding. It is io be hoped that Gloaming will be one of the number, as a meeting between that gelding and Rational would cause a lot of excitement. It will be remembered that when the pair met in the Kelburn Plate at Trenthani last summer Gloaming just beat the Hawera crack by a head, running the four furlongs In 45sec. It transpires that the Indian buyer of Mermin is Mr. Avasia. Mermin is now in Melbourne, where,,he is being trained by R. Bradfield. Jockster E. O'Sullivan, who rode the Melbourne Cup winner, Sister Oltye, received. In addition to his winning percentage, many handsome presents, one of which was the owner’s cheque for £l9OO.

Cupidon’s defeat in the New Zealand Derby has set 'Strallan writers guessing how he managed to beat their own Furious In the A.J.C. Derby. The fact of the matter is that Mason better understood the art of getting a horse ready for a distance early in the season than his Australian confreres, and it looks as if Furious was a stone better filly at Flemington in November. As a two-year-old Furious started six times, winning four races, and being placed second twice. Her stake earnings were £7943. This season she has been saddled up ten times, and has scored four firsts, one second and two thirds, and has won £7519 in stakes, making a grand total of £15,462. Arthur Olliver Is not seen in the saddle nowadays as often as his admirers would wish, but he still rides as well as ever, and has few superiors over short courses. His recent success on Solfanello in the C.J.C. Stewards' Handicap reminds one that he has previously won the race on I‘enates (190 SJ Nyland (1911) and Croesus (1915). In fact, for a visiting horseman, his record of wins at Riccarton is one that will take some beating. He won the Welcome Stakes on Simonides in 1915 ; the Metropolitan Handicap on Armistice (1900) and Apa (1908) : the Members’ Handicap on Idea (1903) ; the New Zealand Derby on Bon ,Reve (1912) : the Great Autumn Handicap on Bronze (1914 T and he has three Winter Cups to his credit, those of Penates (1908), North East (1909) and Nylund (1910). Oliver has done very little riding in the north, but be won the Great Northern Guineas on Soltano His other notable victories were spread over most courses in the Dominion, and include the following: Dunedin Cup, Gfioorka (1905) ; Egmont Cup, Milan (1910), Bronze (1912) and Undecided (1913) ; Hawke’s Bay Stakes, Porcelain (1906), Royal Scotch (1911), and dead heat on Pariform (1914) ; Hawke’s Bay Cup, Tangimoana (1909) ; Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes. Maori King (1908), Peirene (1911) and Ermengarde (1912) ; Napier Cup. Bronze (1914) ; Rangitikel Cup’. Apa (1909) : Wanganui Cup, Truce (1907), Milan (1910), Merrlvonia (1911) and Bronze (1912) ; Wellesley Stakes, Ermengarde (1911) ; North Island Challenge Stakes, Bronze (1912) ; New Zealand St. Leger Stakes, Bon Ton (1913) and Eligible (1916) ; Thompson Handicap Aborigine (1909). According to a northern scribe, Uncle Ned and Insurrection are ruling favorites for the Alison Cup, to be run at Takapuna on Saturday What is wrong with Stork on Mitchelson Cup running?