SPORTING NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 16 October 1913, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

THE OPAKI MEETING. .(By "Also Started.") Opaki will bo tho rendezvous for spdrtenlen to-day, when the spring meeting of the Masterton Club will be held, and as it is the only meeting this week sportsmen and the general public will no doubt be present in large numbers. In fact indications point to the gathering, being a record from every point/ of view. The club's secretary (Mr A. H. Hathaway) has .all atTattg&tttents welt ir. hand, and an this score .the'-frit*re lacks nothing. The club has arranged for six members of the St. John Airibulance Brigade, including three ladies, to be in' attendance, and this step will be greatly appreciated, as where there is a large gathering of people, apart from probable accidents to jockeys, minoir mishaps very often occur. A number of important improvements have been effected at the course since last meeting, and the sporting public should find, tho ent ; re appointments very up-to-date and satisfactory. There are eight events set down for decision, good fields having paid up in each. A number of New Zealand Gup candidates will face tho starter, and this alone should tend to making the meeting especially interesting. A big field will contest the Trial Stokes in which Guiding Way, Ngarua and Trojan should be heavily supported. Several two-year-olds are also engaged, but not having raced, their form is an unknown quantity. Should The Great Mogul start in the Telephone Hack Handicap he must be treated with great res-pect, the fisld being rather a weak one. Lady Louisa is not at her best or would be worthy of consideration. The Flying Handicap bears a very open appearance ali hough on her Wangaiui form Immer would appear to have a royal ohance. Mt. Victoria,. Black Lupin, Secret Link and Suratura can all go fast, and are reported very well at present. • Th& race should be full of interest, Leouta promises to staft a very warm favourite in ton Spring Handicap, consequent on his forward running at the recent Wanganui. Sinapis is very well, and having the services of the clever light-weight, W. Bell, will be found in the fighting Hue |at the finish. Byron and Otahu are also likely to run well.. Master Lupin would appear to have the Bracelet event at his mercy, asnothing else in the race can have any pretensions to quality. Lubriline, if started in thLs event, may run prominently. A good field has accepted in the Masterton Hack. Papamarama won this event last year with a pound less weight, and should again run well. Record, from the Fordell stables, has a reputation, and will no doubt start favourite. Borsil looks better than she has ever done, and with 7.3, should be well up at finish. Awahou (8.6) reads exceptionally well, and if Oliver, who arrived from Sydney yesterday, has the,mount, the black gelding is sure to see a short price. Imagination is doing great track workj and may be relied upon to run a good race. The "day's sport concludes with the Dash Hack, a five furlong flutter. The Great Mogul, if reserved for this event, and ,that speedy mare Astral, should again fill the places. In this event last year these two fought out. the,finish, the Hawke's Bay mare prevailing, On recent form Astral would appear to have the best of matters. There 'are, however, a number, of fast ones lower down who may trouble the top weights. The eventshould prove a very fitting tenniriEation to the day's racing; TRACK NOTES. A large number of horses worked at Opaki yesterday morning, but nothing of a sensational order resulted. Sinapis, Expect and Sir Solo covered a mile, in company, the former clearing out from the others, and finishing very yell in 1.46. Although the St. Ambrose mare did not carry a big weight, the gallop was very attractive. Expect, carrying a good weight, was several lengths off, while Sir Solo's performance was disappointing, and does not make his New Zealand cup prospects at all bright. Lubriline finished in front of Guiding Way and Te Hou Hou over four furlongs, which wore covered in 52sec Otahu and Sunrose, a maiden candidate, compassed four furlongs nicely in 52sec } finishing together.; ,• Awahou ran along five furlongs, but did not appear to be doing his best at the end of it. The Groat Mogul covered four furlongs nicely in 52sec, going well within hhaself. The big Royal Fusilier horse is very well. Kingi Hotri ran a similar distance in fair time. Overrate and Miss Trumps ran half a mile in 54sec. . Master Lupin moved well in an exercise gallop once round, finishing fast over the last four furlongs. Chatsil and Borsil covered four furlongs in a shade o(rer 52sec. Rexer covei-ed a similar distance, moving very, freely. A number of others were'allotted useful tasks. Wahiahaki ha? been scratched for for the Telephone Hack, Heather for the Flying, Master Kura for the Trial Stakes and Miss Chamberlain fotr the Ladies' Bracelet. The field and riders in the Spring Handicap will probably be as follows —Sir Solo 9.0 (E. Ldwe), Expect 3.8 (W. Young), Byron 8.7 (W. Price), Leonta (C. Price), Sinapis 8.5 (W. Be"), Lady Moutoa 8.0 (J. O'Shea), Otahu 7.12 (K. Lambess), Ceylon 7.8 (T. Pritchard), Bonnie Boy 7.3 (H. Watson), Matlow 6.10 (J. Ke-np). FIXTURES: October 16.—Masterton R.C Spring.. October 25, 27—Wellington R.C. Spring. Oct. 27.—Waverley-Waitotara R.C. Annual. Oct. 27 and 28—Gore R.C.'s Spring Oct. 28 and 29.—Greymouth J.C. Spring. November 8, 10, 12, 15—C.J.C. Spring, 'i DATES OF COMING EVENTS. NEW ZEALAND November s—Great Northern Guineas. November B—New Zealand Oup. December 26-rAuckland Cup. December 27—Auckland Trotting Oup. January I—Great1 —Great Northern Derby.

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