OUR TARANAKI LETTER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 86, 17 March 1892, Page 3

OUR TARANAKI LETTER.

(from our own correspondent.)

New Plymouth, March u. The Egmont Racing Club have issued the programme for their Winter Meeting, on May u, with commendable promptitude. There are seven events, comprising Handicap Hurdles, yosovs ; Hack Hurdles, 35SOVS > Handicap Trial Steeplechase, sosovs; First Handicap Hack Flat, 40S0VS ; Egmont Steeplechase, 150S0VS ; Second Hack Flat, 35SOVS > and Final Handicap Steeplechase, 6osoys. The programme appears in your advertising columns. ° Many express surprise that the Taranaki Jockey Club do not go in for a winter meeting. If a suitable date were chosen I think this club would make a success of a winter tryst. Mr. F. Stohr has purchased the trotter Ike from Mr. J. West for, I believe, £2O. I wish his new owner every success, as he deserves it for his speculation. There was a great outcry over the weight allotted Stranger in the first Hack Flat Race at the Wanganui Meeting. He was given yst gib. and won easily, and the second day he carried Bst 131 b, and again won easily. Full particulars of his performances could not have been supplied the handicapper (Mr. Evett) when he treated the horse so leniently in the first race. An Auckland horseowner and trainer has, I hear, been threatening to play “ old Harry” with a well-known Taranaki sport. Why, I cannot find out. The action of the Wanganui Jockey Club in “warning off” three prominent bookmakers for laying totalisator odds at the recent Autumn Meeting will, it is understood, be endorsed by other metropolitan clubs in the North Island. If this is done it will greatly affect those concerned. The local holders of The Harbour Light in Tattersail’s Sweep on the Newmarket Handicap have been advised by cable that they will receive £'1123 nett. Not a bad div. for ss. each.

My conferere the Wanganui correspondent in the last issue of the Review takes me to task for criticising Mr. J. E. Henry’s handicap for the First Hack Flat Race at the recent Egmont Meeting. He says that I “ loudly condemned the handicap, and especially pointed out that Sheila was badly treated.” Now, I never do things “ loudly,” nor did I condemn the handicap. I certainly criticised the production, and pointed out what I thought were mistakes. Mr. Henry is a public man, and his work is open to criticism, but I don’t think, he is so thin-skinned as to feel aggrieved at the mild way I pointed out what I considered blots in the handicap. Sheila included. Sheila’s running at Marton dn March 10 is proof that she was not handicapped on her merits at Egmont. She certainly ran third at Egmont when the others behind Dingo and Ngatioma were easing up, seeing that pursuit abreast on the post was useless. Mr. J. George’s five-year old gelding Armoury, Armourer —Awatea by Day Dawn, carried 6st gib to victory in the Flying Handicap at Marton yesterday. He paid the acceptable dividend of £To 6s. Charlie Riley had the mount. Armoury competed unsuccessfully in the York Farm Handicap, won by Rangipuhi. Sheila, the other Taranaki com-

petitor, was unsuccessful in the same events, with yst 31b and 7st Ilb respectively. A meeting of the Taranaki Jockey C’ub Committee will be held to-night to consider t e question of endorsing the disqualification imposed by the Wanganui Club on Messrs. Ymlle, Nathan and May, for laying totatisator odds at the recent Wanganui meeting. I shall forward the result. It is understood that an endorsement will affect the horse St. Malo, nominated for the Taranaki Meeting by Messrs. Yuille and Nathan. Several of our local hacks will have a cut in at Waverley-Waitotara on Thursday next, March 10. Flukem, Sheila, and Armoury will have a go there, and Sirius will run at Sandon the same day. Tonic and Armour, two other local hacks, will, most likely also compete at Waverley. The Inglewood athletic sports were held yesterday. The 100, 220, and 440 yards handicaps fell to Brierly, an Aucklander, whose father has a metalling contract on the East Road, near Stratford. Brierly had Byds, 12yds and 18yds start respectively. The half-mile fell to H. Ford ; the hop-step-and-jump to W. Webster, the handicap hurdles to Jonas ; the mile to Paul, and the maiden race to Jonas. There were two wrestling events (Cumberland style), one for list and under men, and the other tor all-comers. Goonan won the former and Twohy the latter. There were about 1400 persons on the ground during the afternoon.

[By Wire."]

New Plymouth, March 16.

The Taranaki Jockey Club Committee have agreed with the action taken by the Wanganui J.C. in warning certain bookmakers off their course for laying totalisator odds. Crown Jewel is favourite here for the Hawke’s Bay Cup, with Retina and Morion in favour.