TURF TOPICS, BY "TARANAKI."

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11822, 20 November 1901, Page 2

TURF TOPICS , BY "TARANAKI."

" 'At* tlie recent Melbourne Gun Clut } Meeting, the Cup Handicap, of £350,: was' divided between Messrs Lawsor and Campbell (NtS.W.) and " Mafeiiing '! (Victoria). -Concerning contest the. writer, in tb,e Sportsmax" says :~Yqung "Fawkes" C" 1 Mafeking^/ 'of* Kyhet6n,' has blossomed" into i' wing -'shot of uiiadubted aMily: iV^c is but 16 years of age,' and I ;dout)i! tfery much if there is.i his • equal ii 1 the world off the > 26£ yds' mark. Hi.s excellent , , performances this lasi' 12, months have "brought . ; him rap-, idly to the" frdnt; still I "was hall inclined to think that he had about, reached the- end of his tether' ai| -26iyds, rise. He- was- beaten-- twict' n his, first eight (birds -on , Friday,' 'Jut once he got going on his t^epQnci nomination he-gaye a,- grand exliibi-i Lion of skill for such a youngster.-a-nd -was' in" J aY the finish .with" l^3} kills. The New Zealand" Champion.! ftlr C' H. i-Gh&^arines> on %Jiom • ihti .fligSht 6f tiwte-appears'to-Test lightly' had no excuses to make, for his.' de-; feat. He was one of the belated passengers of the Monbwai wha weri brought on to^ Melbourne by''ttie Mokoia, and was still feeling itho effect*of the protracto,d-,vOyagQ v-when hf, 'tpok.his place before ,she traps. " The AuckJ'afid wfitpr .".Phaeton " says l— During" i^e „ I'Unhing . , of tin. Steeplechase Rt , Elferslie -Ah" Saturday -last - . an -Incidertt" tb'ofk" 1 place which' .is^raSely 1 witnessed .'-" In' charge ing>the'^to»e>.wail!appoHit'e ,the stewards' stand- Stray bird made- asfaulty,Jump, antl" his, rider, <R. ..|IalL) war yl-uot forward. • "H&ll would ~ in all probability ■ have fallen from the horse had not Frank "Burns, who was riding alongside of him on VoX tigeur 11.,. with quick- presence ol uiind, extended a friendly hand and hauled his comrade back to the saddle. Burns' plucky act drew forth a round of applause from the stewards' sjtand; and one of the first to recognise Burns' quickness in taking In 'the situation was Sir Hector Mac;ionald, who was following the exciting contest with a keennessi that showed him to, b^ greatly., interested. -Shortly after acting' the part of rescuer to the rider of Straybird, Frank Burns' own little trdubles commenc;>d. Voltigeur's saddle cloth (heavily charged with lead) worked loose, and Burns had to hold it on with his left hand. Npthing daunted, the i .plucky littlbi fellow continued peg-\ ! sing away, aqd hi^ ga.lla.nt old steed, j i popping over various obstacles with the utmost proficiency, he finished close up fourth. But for the mishap to Voltigeur's gear I don't know that he wouldn't have troubled l ho- winner,, for- the old follow was in capital condition, and he finished up his task very solidly.