TURF TOPICS.—BY "TARANAKI."

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 12810, 18 March 1905, Page 3

TURF TOPICS.— BY "TARANAKI."

The Wellington correspondent of Truth writes : — Subsequent to tho Otaki Jilaori R.C. Spring Meeting, there was some comment on the running of the defeated horses in thie Demonstration Handicap, non by Tirole. The. weatEer, it will be remembered, vas very inclement, and the course heavy, a factor that is usually the cause of horses displaying] inconsistent form. The stewards of the Otaki R.C. apparently did not observe anything during the race that called for their intervention. A section of the bet- i tors, who were interested in the race in question, were, however, most persistent fn insinuating that the result of tho rare had been prearranged. This rumour reached the Metropolitan Club by whom some of the riders had been i^runlod their jockey's licenses. At their >-f(jUost, an enqluiry was held on February 28th. The riders of Sea Lion (Jenkins), Tomairangi (S. Lindsay), and Position (G. Price) were oxaminod a.s lo their riding- in the race. The stewards, after carefully considering the evidence before them, unanimously c;itii" to the conclusion that, taking into consideration the extraordinary weather conditions prevailing during the race, there was no need for further action, as the riders' explanations fully justified any apparent A inconsistency. A copy of the evidence 1 will be pjaced at the disp >sal of the clubK from whom the riders in question received their licenses. After a long succession of Hefeats. Heroism managed to get his head in front'at the finish of St. Patrick's Handicap at Stratford on Friday. The Graf ton horse was ridden by A. Stevens, a lad who rides vsork in Mr j O'Brien's stable. It was Stevens' first mount in a race, und consequent- ! ly his first win. Heroism tvas lying j badly i!n the rear when tho field swung nound the bend into the straight. The horses in front ran wPde out from the rails, 'and Stevens cut in on the rails and in a good finish landed Heroism a winner hy three-parts of a length. After Heroism's display m the Cup on the previous day Mr O'Brien could not see his way to back this horse on' the seccrnl tlay, and the win therefore did not enrich him a penny in the wiay of bets. Several local punters backed tho winner, and drew a substantial dividend. A suan 0? £5612 was machined' at Straiford on the first and about a similar amount on the second day.

Bank shares aro firm- Insurance shares are weak; South British have changed hands at £3 17s 6d. New Plyjmjouth Gas shares arc in fair demand, but sellers are scarce. This stock is now regarded as a safe investment, as the electric light scare has vanished and the incandescent \ mantle has placed the gas industry in ! a superior position for lighting pur- j poses. New Plymouth, March 18, 1905.

STOCK A> [D g IHA ,15 MARKET. » J. 0. DAVIi :a'Si ;ock >nii Share report: — Company. a> 3 •s •s as § i <S S3 ! 1 C 9 |{3 A. 11 f-l > 8/3 led i Price, fj gs 'D-t *• I £. £. £ s. l. Banks— Zealand ... National 6§ 74 2* 5 12 5 16 5 -6 i 0 ° 22 5| iNStTBANCBS>Iew Zealand ...' iouth British... National ifcandard iccidcni 10 19 10 10 ! i 2 1 n 15 26 15 10 10 4 8 3 17 1 1 0 17 4 10 6J 6 I 0 6* H 6| 24 NBOUH~I.'/*, L. & Mercantile Mai, Mortgage & Agency, «c... V.% R Piate& { L. M'rfcgage \ A.'/j. Shipping... Jjiion St'm Ship Northern Scaain Kaiapoi Wooll'n iT.Z. Drug ... ( 9 34 10 10 ' 3i 2 1 8 10 7/5 2 82 7 5 8 7 7 7 2 7 1 6 ; 6 0 13 10 0 8 6 3 2 6 0 6 0 0 6 6 6 n 6 8 10 14/6 5 2 ! Shurland& C 0... 1 1 7 1 2 0 61 Local — «f.l\ Gas ... ( sr.f. Sash &( Ooor Factory < Uratford Bacon Curing Co. ... Stratford Electric Supply Co. < I • 5 5 6 3 7 5 4 15 0 0 7 64 5 5 6 2J 5 ! 5 5 0 2 5 0 0 5 6 ' 100 100 1 1 S