SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1921, Page 3

SPORTING.

NEW ZEALAND CUP. • THE NOMINATIONS. The following nominations have been received for the New Zealand Cup, of 2600 sovs, 2 miles:—Rouen. Big Chief. Athens 11., Maungarango, The Speaker, Lord Martian, Flight Commander, Imaribbon, Moutoa Ivanova, Gasbag, Penitent, Jock, Eleus, Bonnie Maid, Quest, Wheatfield, Royal Star, Cave Rock, Trespass, Vagabond, Foo Chow, Halifax, Battle Song, Affectation, Strategy. Prince Martian, Lord Desmond, Toa Taua, Maioha, The Hawk, Starland, Royal Box, Saeanof, Anomaly, Isabel, Truthful,'■Tame Fox, Orange Mart, Clean Sweep, Callaghan. Lovematch, Esperance, Sunart, Kilgour, Quarrelsome. Rente, Warlove, Rebuff, Admiral Codrington, Rdckfiekl, Five-Eighths, Prince Ferouz, Egotism and Pluto,

TURF TOPICS. (By Moturoa.) Dannevirke Hunt races to-day. North Taranaki Hunt acceptances close on Friday. Birkenvale has been sorted out to win a race at Dannevirke.

Whatever beats Waimahoe and Miss Elva in the Trial Stakes will have io travel fast.

It is a sad commentary on our horses that Taranaki does not contain a worthy New Zealand Cup candidate.

A northern scribe states that there is a possibility of Coroglen being sent to Australia to contest steeplechase events. If Coolpan is taken to the front in the Dannevirke Hunt Steeples lie will take some catching, but he quickly turns it up if challenged. Contradictory reports come to hand of the condition of Demos. If landed at the post fit and well the son of Demosthenes would keep tLem busy at Dannevirke.

Previous winners, Sasonof and Vagabond, figure in this year's New Zealand Cup, but Amythas is a notable absentee. Also, where are Marqueteur and Volo? Lady Dima has been galloping nicely of late, and Vhe best has not been seen of her yet. Tornea is freely engaged at Dannevirke, and with ordinary luck should be in the money.

Regard can muster up a lot of pace, and Marton sports will be on her to a man the Firing to-day. If all they say about Black Art is correct the six-year-old son of All Biack and Gossip wil show up at Dannevirke. He has been placed in his last, four races.

Alf Tricklebank will ride Mannikin and Scimitar at Dannevirke to-day. The former ran two seconds last year, but Scimitar appears to have, only a jumper's chance.

Martian horses have recently had most to do with the Settlement of the New Zealand Cup, and of 55 entrips this year no loss than 16 are by the Martagon horse. Demosthenes comes next with eight representatives. Epistle, a 12-yoar-old gelding by Pistol, won a race at Ballarat recently. He has been racing continuously since he was a two-year-old: has started on If)' s : occasions, and has silenced the opposition

31 times. \n English writer has formed the opinion that H. Gray is not a brilliant , finisher. We. who know Gray better, know that finishing is. Grays strong point. The Welkin has once again headed the winning sires in ’Srralia. progeny have raced since 19.14. and. have won £165.000 The Welkin’s total this year, £32.112. has only been topped twice, by Mals.ter in 1910 and 1912. Eudorus. who was responsible for i Eurythmie, is a good second 'with £3O.- . 015/ Linacro £29.019, and Comedy: King £23,370 have also done well. Lower on (he ]*tt we strike familiar names like Charlemagne IT. £11,702, All Black £6,874, Royal Artillery £5,292, and ■ Demosthenes £5,247. Salitros, who won the A.J.C. Derby, Victoria Derby, and A.J.C. St. Leger. and £10,610 in stakes, was the principal winning Ihree-year-old in ’Stralia last year. Duo, who won seven races during the. season, and was first in his class in New Zealand, only amassed £4.550. That Australia is a better country for a crackerjaek racehorse may be further illustrated by comparing the leading t wo-yedr-olds of ’Stralia and New Zealand. Last season Furious started in six races, winning four, and being second twice, and her stake winnings amounted to £7,9-13. In the Aame, year Morinin won eight of the nine races ho started in, and his total was ,only £4,570. As a matter of fact .Salitros won nearly twice as much as Gloaming (our best winner), arid more, than Mermin and Duo put together. Concerning Gloaming the Sydney Referee reports: —Gloaming has done a Jot of sprint work since his arrival in Sydney, and his best effort was on Saturday last on the middle grass track. He had at least 8.10 in sight, and, conceding Cupidon several lengths start, beat him rwo lengths in 1.1’5’2 for six furlongs. At least half-a-dozen timed him, and the worst shown by any watch was 1.16. My own returned 1.152, and Gloaming’s trainer also took him about that. As the hurdles were out about 19ft from the inner rail, it was a smart bit of galloping, and, with ordinary luck. R. J. Mason will have Gloaming at. his best for the Chelmsford Stakes. Cupidon had a much lighter weight than Gloaming, but did not acquit himself badly, hanging on gamely after the latter passed him at the straight entrance. H. Donovan’s team have not impressed Sydney touts greatly. Duo is considered to be rather above himself. Athens IT. has the. appearance of a hurdler, while there is nothing striking about Big Chief or Kick Off, the latter being con-

sidered the better looking. Hula Girl is on the small side, but looks like being able to travel fast. Jack Symons, who broke down hope- . le-ssly (it is said) recently, has been a . good winner for Air. F. Shaw since the | southern sportsman secured him in 1920. I Since then Jack Symons has run in 37 races,-of which he won 9, was second 9 times, and third twice. Stakes won, £lBBl. Mr. J. R. Corrigan was considered very • game"’ when he paid £l5OO for Man o War, but the imported horse 'has since won 2300 sovs. in stakes, and appears to have a royal chance of adding considerably to that score this season. In fact jit, is doubtful if the horse has «in equal | in the Dominion at the present time. | Under the heading, ‘ A Great Pacer, ’the Referee thus refers to Alan o’ Wars {fine win in the National Cup:—Thirteen {high-class horses faced the starter m the : National Cup. fur horses that had done -tmin. 33sees. or better. From siart to finish the race was most interesting, and I it resulted in a win for the Australian • |ged pacer, Man q‘ War. who covered a

lot of extra ground over the firet part of the race. Going down the back straight the last time Bryce improved his position, and was in charge at the tanks, and Man o’ War won without being extended. J. Bryce had a most successful time at the meeting, turning out four winners, Alan o’ War, Moneymaker, Wild Briar and Emiliue, the three, first-named also being driven to victory by him.

The. following sales of trotting horses have been recently registered: —Jimmy Richmond—(?. Arden, Stratford, to J. R. Corrigan; Kingsland—W. A. MacFarlane, Hastings/ to J. R. Corrigan; and Meritorious—C. Arden, Stratford, to J. R. Corrigan. The Hawera sport is collecting a great team this year.

Po&itano, just dead in his 28th year, was a stallion who promised great things in his younger days. The imported son of St. Simon and Ppnza, he ran about half-a-dozen races in Australia as a four and five-year-old, and won twice. The win that deceived all the shrewd heads of his tame was scored at an A.J.C. Spring meeting, when lie took a w.f.a. race on the Derby Day. This form gave him a real dead-bird appearance for the Metropolitan on the Monday. There never was a better thing on paper. It caught the eye of every old eport who, having suffered from the glorious uncertainty of the turf, was hardened against all temptations save the very strongest. Positano was one of the strongest. Hie weight for t’ ■ Met. was something under Sst., his breeding was extra first-class, he had beaten a good w.f.a. field brilliantly. Telegrams poured into the betting clubs in Sydney and Melbourne—-wires from clients who hadn’t, risked “50” on a questionable moral for five years. But Positano proved no good in the Metropolitan, and when the Melbourne Cup came the handsome nag was no good again. Then it became evident that Positano could not. be trusted to do his beet except at the stud. In his second year of matrimony he begat Lord Cardigan, winner of one Melbourne Cup. and run-ner-up the following year with 9st. 61b. Two years later Poseidon confirmed his father’s 'claim to be a champion at the i stud. After which the old sired : two more Cup winners—Lord Nolan, a ; more pony, and Piastre, as late as 19J2 Gentlemen riders and “horses that look lonely without their carts” appear to be the 'butt of the sporting public all the world over, and the following clipping from a South African paper, describing the running of a so-called ‘ hack” event at Mitcnhage makes amusing reading: —“The hack race attracted six starters and plenty of amusement. The field were a “fine” lot, the cause of their fineness being hard work between the shafts of vehicles, or on the farm. The jockeys were conspicuous. Two were arrayed in full jockey's outfit, three in riding" pants and leggings, and one in a hybrid outfit made up of jockey cap and colors, long trousers tucked into his socks, and a pair of shoes •They’re off'.' The crowd strained their eyes to see whether -it was the riders that were off, or whether the race had started. At the turn it looked a sperm whale to sardine on the favorite, which ! compounded. At the distance it was I seen that, the race rested between Strijker and Ruble. Out came the whips, down -sat the. riders, and it was apparent that unless the riders fell off the pair would finish first and second. What appeared Io be worrying the spectators was whether the race (?) would be finished before rhe runners in the next event, were going to the post. ’ However, to cut n. long story short, Strijker j won, and “a huge sigh of relief went up {from the spectators; r. bigger one still j from the 'horses; but. the biggest of the lot from the riders." Then the scribe, after complaining about. £l5 being given for ranch a. race, when it only merited “cigars ail round." adds sarcastically.

“There is no truth in the rumor that certain of the riders have been offered retaining feas for the forthcoming big meeting locally.”