SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 24, 22 July 1911, Page 7

SPORTING

I RACING FIXTURE-. July 22—Wellington Racing Club. August 8, 10, 12—Canterbury J.C. Grand | National. COMING EVENTS. New Zealand. | Aug. B—Grand National Steeplechase. Aug. B—Winter8 —Winter Cup. Aug. 10 —Grand National Hurdle Race. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Concluding day at Trentham. Undecided is decidedly smart. Kilosteri paid a good price on Wednesday. Punters are rushing Provocation for the Winter Cup. When St. Bill starts over hurdles ha will pay a short price. ' Fort William is unsound, and Cheddar is now quoted New Zealand Cup favorite. That disappointing pnul Ilereward was shipped to Sydney last week. Undecided will lie required to put up a 51b. (penalty in the Winter Cup next month.

The question of the hour! Will Gray 'beat Whittaker for the riding premierI'ship to-day? Kremlin cost punters a lot of money when toippled over the fallen Jim on Wednesday. Bad luck! North-East is a "smasher" all right. He ruined a beautiful set of hurdles in the Winter Hurdle Race last Saturday.

Pariitutu jumped patchy and covered too much ground in the Wellington Steeple. lie may have better luck at Riecarton next month.

The New Zealand Cup candidate, Soimcrsault, showed a turn of speed for a few furlongs on Wednesday, but shaped like a non-stayer at the finish. Sandy Paul ran decently each day at Trenitham, and it was just sheer bad luck to get beaten by a head after a neok-and-neck struggle up the straight with Undecided in the Ivarori Handicap. The steeplechase course is admitted to be very easy at Trentham, >nd the whole field got round without a spill in the Wellington Steeple. The bigger fences imay trouble Hoanga at Riecarton.

It may be a hard thing to pick the treble at Riecarton, but it would be a dashed site harder to "collect" after one had backed it!

With Gray in the saddle, Varna was reckoned a sweet bet for the Thonndon Handicap, but the favorite burst a blood-vessel and finished well down the course.

The greatest weight that has been carried to victorj' in the Wellington Steeple is 12st,, under which that good horse Plain Bill triumphed in 1900.

The Taranaki mare, Lady Mildred, was paying a hatful when she finished third in the Thorndon Handicap, and there is little doubt that she will prove a good stake-carrier when more seasoned. The public plumped heavily on WaHohope each day at Trentham, but even the services of IT. Gray could not land the Aucklander a winner. The holding nature of the track settled his chances. Auckland-trained horses have woin four out of the last five contests for the ■Wellington Steeple, and on recent form Hoanga is likely to prove a worthy 'chaseT to follow in the footsteps of Te Arai, Haydn, Capitol and Co. in future big country events.

The defendant in a debt case at Palmerston on Tuesday stated that he had been a bookmaker, and that he had £ISOO on his book* owed by punters who—on the nod —had endeavored to pick the elusive winner. And yet most people reckon the bookmaker is the greatest rogue in betting affairs! Provocation is now a pronounced favorite 'for the Winter Cup, Gold Thread. ElectrakoiT and Nyla'.id finding most favor of the others. Corazon, Hoanga and Antarctic are well liked for the Grand National Steeplechase, and Continuance still holds his position at the head of the National Hurdle Ra<* horses. The big events at Riecarton promise to supply great sport this year.

Sir Frisco had the services of C. Jenkins each day at Trentham and performed creditably each start. The Levin horse is improving with every gallop, and may do better shortly. x The July Steeplechase, run over 2 x f> miles this 'afternoon, should prove a splendid race. Hoanga hus had thragß pretty well his own way the last week, but with Corazon in the field the Auckland horse will be called upon to put his best foot forward if his number is to be hoisted again. Sandy Paul has paid up for the Kia Ora Handicap, in which a verv even field is engaged. The Taranaki horse shares the distinction of top-weisrht with Oold Circle, and if Gray and Whittakcr have, the mounts there is sure to be great wagering on the result. After a long spell of bad luck, Mr. A. Jackson had the pleasure of seeing Taft do his best on Wednesdav ami the Wanganui horse fairly bolted. On the tracks Taft has always been a clockbreaker for four furlongs, but the way he finished in the Thorndon Handicap gives, promise that the bay son of Freedom could get six furlongs with comfort. The Final Hurdle Race promises to bring out a smart crowd, including The Rover, North-East, Te Ru ami Napper.

'ihu top-weight will probably start favorite.

Taft ajid St, Bill will be given a run in the Corunna Hurdles and both jump smartly. Taft may be troubled by the distance, but most people will be prepared to see St. Bill going strongly at the finish.

It is a matter to be regretted that though a, majority were in favor of stipendiary stewards at the recent meeting of the Racing Conference, the number was not sufficient to carry the proposal. Each year the cause gains further supporters, and it is only a matter of time till the paid men are introduced. A Sydney .paper states that the system is now past the experimental stage in 'Stralia, and it is generally commended. A proposed change would meet with crushing disapproval. It is pleasing to note that the Taranaki Jockey Club's delegate did all in his power to further the proposal, and all sportsmen will recognise that the Taranaki Jockey Club is doing all in its power to provide clean sport. Next year the proposal may bo Mrned, . Anti-everytliing crusaders, and suchlike harmless odditias move in cycles. | They harm no one, and apparently give joy to some people, so the vast majority bear with these outbursts and say nuffin.' Lately (his town has l>een enjoying a spasm of an anti-gambling; ebullition. It is only right that the people of New Plymouth should be taken bv the ear and spoken seriously to. We gamble too much, we must admit. And gambling is a terrible sin—in the other fellow! Of course a chip may have a flutter in oil shares, Waihi's, bonds, and such-like, or he may buy up stockin hopes of a rise; or grab .land at £3O this week and 1 quit it to a fool at £4O the next. That's not gambling. Oh, no! That's investment, business, or whatever you like to call it. One does it for the good of the country, to push on industries, to develop the resources of the place; not foT personal gain. Oh, no! All this goes without saving. And all this "investment" goes on all the time. To denounce this respectable form of philanthropy would be to bring a thunder-cla.p of righteous indignation about one's head. One must—to be on ,the sale side—attack a less respectable branch of "investment." Let jne see

. . . There's betting on horse-rac-ing. That's the evil to jump upon! Sportsmen are proverbially an easygoing, de'il-may-care crowd. They mind their own business, and don't worry muoh what others rave about. And f-o racing comes under the lash. Investment, when applied to racing is gambling! See the difference? You do? Well, you have mv congratulations. You may back your opinion that Waihi's -will jump to £lO next month; that oil will, be struck at 3000 ft,• that the present land boom will send farm country up to £BO ,an, acre.. You are investing. You are respectable. But some of us go to races twice or thrice, or ofbener in ; the .year. We study the weights; -we note past performances of horses; 1 the ability of their riders comes into estimation; ike apparent fit-Tims or otherwise of tfiif quadruped; and, taking all. consider that to the best of our judgment "Buster can carry 7-st to the qndf-of .six furlomr-s in lmin lfiaec." "Bjigter". r well—better than the others to all •app.eaj'ances. Jenkins is riding, and lhe.,iirm (,or heavy) going suits him to aT. -.We Wk our judgment again in . this./-icase. "Buster" should win. - Whether he does or not is behind the question. ~We have rimbled; The horror ,of to all this there is a moral. Yovi -may gamble in coin or mines in hopeof a rise, but you may not stake a similar siim .on ? the merits.and speed of »: horse. ~ lij : either case the wrong turn may puin -.you—to put it at its worst—and. one transaction is moral and the.Qthe.fi js wicked!