Turf Topics

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 870, 9 March 1917, Page 21

Turf Topics

By Torpedo.

A HORSE that ran well kit Wanganiii, without a degree of luck, was Blaekall,. who has the handy . -weight at Napier Park of 7.6. He has no Client to beat this trip. ' There is another horse in the same race that is coming into favour, and will probably' start favourite on the day ; that is the imported-: horse Lanishaii. I hear, by the way, that Lanislian is a rod in pickle for the next Now Zealand Cup, but there -may be many a slip between now and the Cup. Do you like Chortle, with. 9.9, in the six-furlong event at Napier Park? He looks, well in, ; doesn't lie? and -so do many others, and Bert Coyle is meeting with congratulations upon having framed a very-open handicap. I, notice thaVZeus is nicely treated with 7.5. If Hyginas were caught in a. galloping humour, he should have a royal chance .• with 8:3. But time and space "will not permit of my mentioning the whole field, otherwise I might succeed in naming tlie winner, which is against the laws of this wowser-ridden land. Margarine looks to be well placed in the Waimate Cup. The Martian mare has been galloping well of late, and has been awarded 8.6, . whilst Oxenhope has been allotted 9.13, an adjustment "that gives Margarine a good margin. Robert Bell is not overburdened in the President's Handicap at the saine meeting with 8.9. Samieson, in the same event, is a slick galloper, and 9.13 won't stop a good 'uri oyer six furlongs. What a spell. it- seems since Zeus gave. a, taste of a sweet dividend ! A third in the Kaitoke Welter at Dannevirke on the second day "wasn't bad. All you Kaitoke blackberry gatherers might take the chat; Something should be ■doing soon. Was talking to an old Southland sort t'other day who, although for many years an active citizen of Wellington, still- retains a "warm spot,in his heart Tor Invercargill, where he was for many years in business. I refer to. Mr. A..L. Wilson; the local Knight of the Hammer. He's as full of reminiscences of -the early sporting days of Southland as an egg is full of meat, but not an , Easter egg. mind, you—nothing -stale About A.L.'s little jokes. He has promised to give me a few of them in the .near future, with permission to reta'.l--•them to my readers.

Perohilla actually won a. hurdle race at Akaroa! Three horses .started,iho winner being third favourite, and won by 10 lengths! Didn't, the "blioys" pop it on to Comely in. the Akaroa Cup? But Joannot started first favourite and justified the confidence reposed. Winter Cherry got third at Akaroa. She should be nice and ripe when the jam season is over. And British Rose may yet he the last* rose of summer. She should shed her petals soon —-in the meantime her followers are shedding tears. Additional income tax is payable this year, assessed at the rate of sixpence in the pound upon incomes not exceeding £900, and one shilling in the pound over that. The latter presses heavily on most, p unters—metliinks not. At a*-meeting of the Punters' Protection Society held on Saturday-afternoon -last'-there was a big attendance present. It was unanimously resolved, that a vote of condolence be passed to the layers in tho loss of several of their • member's through being, drawn in the ballot and a deputation, consisting of the Chairman and the Rev.— — (censored) was appointed to wait upon them (the layers) with a request that they should shorten their prices with a view to economy until the war is over. The deputation lias since been informed by. the President of the Layers' Club: that, whilst agreeing with the suggestion of the Punters' Protection Society, he couldn't see how it could be done unless, the'-layers wiped the prices out altogether., - 'Tis rumoured that one. of the .city's best-dressed "books" has gone to Sydney for a change of clothes. Rather a reflection on the local Knights of -the Goose, eh ? But Jack becomes more fastidious as the years roll on, and his ■waistcoat takes niore cloth. Don't '.'did-' the other day and beat a,field of 19 horses. What about someone being game enough to call qne of his mokes "Joe Henrys" .or*. "Bert Coyle"?, Guess they'd get- a poultice first time out, because "Joe" reckons "Bert" is always at-the top of his form, and "Bert" thinks ditto of "Joe." Mr. E. J. Watt was always referred to by sporting writers as "the New Zealand owner,'' says Melbourne "Table Talk," when they were recounting the doings of Mountain Knight, Sea Pink (the recent Hobart Cup winner), and others of his houses. _ As far as _is known,- Mr. Watt- raised no objection , to the title, .but when before the Court in the Dominion last week for failing - to comply with the Compulsory Military Service Act, lie claimed to be an Australian.: The Court decided in his favour. Henceforth the New -Zealand writers will take particular care to see that Mr. Watt is referred to as "an Australian sportsman."