TURF TOPICS.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 920, 1 March 1918, Page 29

TURF TOPICS.

By Torpedo.

AS was anticipated. by the majority of planters, Client won the Wanganui Cup for : Mr. "Bill" : Duncan, the vitctory* being a most popular one. Fred Tilley had put the ' finishing touches 6n to the ' norse in, his best style, which enaibled "the Cup winner to repeat'Ms'performance in the principal handicap on. the second day. Punteirs, hit 'the mark fairly well on both 'consequently there has not been a big. local demand for poultry and champagne. Sweet Tipperary is said to have been in one of :her wayward moods at Wanganui. on the first day whilst in the capable: hands, of '.'Mag" Young,, with, the result fhat she got left nearly a chain. : $hV black filly .soon gathered the field, but; .the effort took. ail of the steam out of her, and she finished well out of a place. On the second day in young Garment's hands she got out well and set the pace a . cracker for three-quarters of a mile, when she again, lost her breatih and finished out of a place. Methinks a seven-furlong go is about her limit. Ben Deeley lodged a, novel complaint against Starter *CConnor on the second day in that he did shoot the barrier when the field was not in line in the Petre Handicap, .but the stewards were satisfied, and that was. l the end of the matter. The surprise of the.meeting was the downing of Biplane in the Guineas by Estland. In my last week's notes I stated that in-all probability Desert Gold had left a power of attorney for Estland, and it must be said that Mr. Lowry's colt faithfully carried out the trust bestowed on him. The reception the colt got on return to scale was the most enthusiastic heard on a racecourse for many years. The 'contrary isi generally the result when a piping hot favourite goes down. He is then generally received in silence. Wonder what was the cause. There is some money up Wanganui way, the land of butter-fat and wool kings. The machine during the • two days (handled £80,915, figures that must make Australian sports wonder, as at a recent meeting on the other side £3000 was the tote total for a day's meeting. Three and four times that amount of centimes goes on one race in Masseyland.

Waaiganui provided an extra exciting act to the fii-st day's programme by a nuge lire which, destroyed a- popular nostiery m Foster's Hotel, one ox its most aristocratic houses, where wool kings and. tiieir womenfolk stay when they go to see the Cup.. There, was jt-auuU worth of the guests', jewellery locJsed away in the sate. 1 understand tliat wlien the safe was opened the articles were • little the worse for the heat. Tiie iiews of Desert Gold's defeat, in the D'utu'rity Stakes on, fcjaturday by a necii was read with, feelings of disappointment, .but, as Australian papers remark, tne mare, though defeated, was not disgraced. A neck beating in record. time for the- race might ■ represent just one. Jittle error, of judgment on the jockey's, part, and it is.reported tiiat iVioLaicUiian didn't appear to ride as vigorous a .finish as previously. But sne'll come again; there is no doubt i * i There were only five,acceptors in. the Wanganui Stakes on the second day, therefore those who backed, the second horse, Toa Tere, got nothing back. Many reckoned Toa Tere was in front of Client a-t the finish. 'If asked to pick out one of the'most consistent quit-ahd-come-again" horses in the Dominion , I would name Croesus. On the first day at Wanganui he went out backed as if he Wouldn't lose, but he did. uMext: with little apparent advantage in the weights, hei won and paid a, tair; price. He is a hard horse to follow. ''■".■ ' The two stable companions, Zola and Zela (what a confusing resemblance), won a race each at Wanganui and paid good prices. One of the disappointments at Wanganui was Robur, but her connections are consistent admirers and will be with the mare when she next comes out. : V , The fact of Biplane being started in the Guineas on the second day after showing signs of soreness after winning the Jackson Stakes on the first day is unfavourably commented on, as it iscontended that those who were not aware <jf the colt's temporary lameness, and couldn't see him beaten, didn't get a fair spin for their money. Fairly good acceptances have been received for the Nelson Meeting. It will not be surprising that, owing to horses having dual engagements on the first day, the fields will in. some cases be reduced to the one dividend limit. The Nelson Cup, of 340 sovs, is run over one mile and a-quarter. Seven horses have been left in, Sir George Clifford's Good Hope being top-weight with 8.11 —a bit more , weight than he deserves when horses with moi'e recent victories are beneath him. Mascot, with 8.5, should make a big ibid for the stake, but Rose Pink, with 8.4, should also take a power of beating. Mr. Whitney's mare will be in the hands of a powerful rider, who will probably

keep her up to the barrier and stand no nonsense from her on the journey. With Mascot in the race the pace will probably prove a cracker from hop-off. The Hope Hack Welter contains some good seven-furlong horses, among them being Imaribbon 8.8. and Arihia 8.12, The Stewards' Handicap, of 200 sovs, is over six furlongs, the second leg of the double, and as weight as a rule doesn't stop a v good one over that distance, Waimatoa with. 9.8 is to be reckoned with. Lady Middleton can gallop fast, and so can Trentham Rose (8.6), albeit that a course of five furlongs is more to. the liking of "Mr. Whitney's" mare. If Trickery were really well Electric's mare might make a bold bid in the Telegraph. Handicap, of five furlongs. But did you ever notice how well Excitement runs over there and sometimes lands a double? Prince Delaware and Pariform look nicely weighted in the Welter with 9.9 and. 9.2 respectively.