SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1921, Page 3

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS.

(By

“Moturoa.”)

Dannevirke races to-day and to-morrow. Nelson on Thursday and Saturday. Opunake weights should appear on Thursday. Idle Talk, Pente, and Railand should run well in distance handicaps at Dannevirke. Alf. Shearsby has Sunbath galloping well in view of Dannevirke engagements. The double-winner. Soldier’s Love, will be properly tested by Fulsome, Amorel, and Co. in two-year-old handicaps at Dannevirke, but good judges reckon she will come out on top. Duo, Gasbag and Rouen are a high-class trio of sprinters engaged at. Dannevirke, and it remains to be seen whether they can give away ho much weight to the greatly improved Murihiku. -.s•s The fields in the hurdle races at Dannevirke are not likely to be large, and public favor will probably be divided between Transmission and Slgnyslan. The Manawatu Standard reports that Maniahera is looking fresh and fit, ant) that Demos is standing up to his work well. The latter is to be schooled over sticks this winter. Nominations for the Waimate Plains Trotting Club’s annual meeting close on Friday at 8 p.m. This year’s Cup Is worth 500 sovs., and the minor events are all well endowed. The meeting should attract the best korses from all parts of the Dominion. Gloaming put up a wonderful gallop in the Jackson Stakes, reducing Ermengarde’s record (1.13) by three-fifths of a second. Silver Link set a warm pace, but the champion gathered her dp nearing the home turn, and won without apparent effort. “Sammy” Gibbons supplied a surprise packet in the shape of Equitable (Hallowmas — Equitas) in the Harrison Hack Handicap on Saturday, though the favorite (Vindictive) must have won with a decent run.

Tilley’s luck was right out on- Saturday! Client broke a leg and had to be Kinsezn suffered a head defeat in his race; and the stable’s jockeys, M. McCaften and J. Burry, both struck trouble. MeCarten was seriously hurt through Cruceile falling with him. and Barry was suspended for three months for being the alleged cause of the mishap. Close observers consider that the wrong man “got it in the neck.”

Quite a gloom was cast over proceedings at Wanganui on Saturday when it was found that the old favorite, Client, had met with 'such injuries that |iis dispatch was rendered necessary. To make matters worse it took two shots to kill the old horse, the reports being heard all over the course. At Riccartoh they manage things better, the gun used being a silent one. Gray rode the race of Lis life when he lifted Sfarqueteur past Maioha at the conclusion of the Wanganui Stakes on Saturday. In fact, it is doubtful If any other horseman in New Zealand could have won on the King Mark gelding. The Indian Sign was on Harold Young last week. He rode Punka in the Wanganui Cup, and Client in the Stakes, both jhorses coming to grief. Fortunately Punka’s injury, a cut a ligament, is not, serious. Amorel was unlucky to lose the Okoia Two-year-old Handicap on Saturday. She was badly placed in the run to the distance, but simply flew over the last furlong, and a stride past the post had her head in front. However, she will keep. Secretary E. P. Webster and a quartette of T.J.C. committeemen visited the Awapuni course on Friday, and inspected the improvements there. Probably some of the hints picked up will be embodied In the New Plymouth scheme of course improvement. Souvenir hunters were much in evidence at Wanganui after Client Fad been given “the friendly bullet.” Main, tail and hoofs quickly disappeared, and the scene reminded the writer of u similar happening in the north some years ago, when a popular local crack, Rex, was shot. The principal winning owners at Wanganui were: H. H. Pharazyn £llOO, estate late W. J. Douglas £7llO, F. Besley £6OO, K. D. Duncan £585, G, D. Greenwood £4OO, T. A. Duncan £340, E. Riddiforcl £3OO, G. D. Beatson £3OO, and R. A. McKenzie £3OO. Half-yearly racing statistics for Australia show that the imported horse The Welkin leads the winning sires with £lB,OOO, won by 18 winners of 35 races. Linacre is only a ifose away with £17,539, his 32 winners having placed 53 races df their credit. Then follow Eudorus (Imp.), whose figures read: £13,968—24—46; St. Alwyne (imp), £13,182 —8—11%; Comedy King, £11,993 —19—42; and St. Anton (imp.) £10,802—32—59. Of interest to New Zealanders are the following: Charlemagne 11. (imp.), £6091—29—43; All Black (imp.), £5754 —I—3;1 —3; Demosthenes (imp.), £4472—2—4; Beau Soult, £2106—1 —3; Royal Artillery, £2047—>12—10; and Wolawa, £2041—3—4. The South Australian stallion, Wee Gun, which a Sydney paper describes as “a “-regular rat,” is still capable of winning good races, and recently carried 9.8 and beat the State’s best over a mile and a half. Foaled In 1911, Wee Gun proved a failure at two years, but has won every year since, and is now nine. He has won 29 races of the aggregate value of £6198, and in addition has done stud duty for the last three seasons.