TARANAKI.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 107, 11 August 1892, Page 6

TARANAKI.

August Sth. Favourable reports have reached me about another New Zealand Cup candidate, Prestige, who is being trained at Wanganui by McCormick. The halfbrother to Dudu does not come from staying stock, taking the past as a guide. We have never had a St. Leger stayer yet, and Dudu (who is out of Fame, the dam of Prestige) was never able to gallop a fast 2 miles. The most meritorious wins placed to Prestige’s credit are the Taranaki Jockey Club Handicap (i£ miles, done in 2.39 and a couple of ticks), the Autumn Handicap (i| miles, done in 2.13 and a couple of ticks), and the Flying Handicap at the same meeting.

However, with 7st 71b on his back in the New Zealand Cup, I don’t fancy him, but I expect to hear of him flopping up in some of the shorter events next season. The local candidate for the Wanganui Derby, to wit, Snapcap (Foul Shot— Bombshell), is being daily worked by Percy Johnston. If the gelding trains along all right, which I think he will, there is every reason to suppose that Mr. F. Watson will have a dart for the blue riband at Wanganui in November next. As a two-year-old Snapcap gave ample evidence that he could gallop, and there is no reason why he should not have a “ chip in ” for the Wanganui Derby. Mr. Ambridge has a yearling bay colt, Australina, nominated for the Egmont Hack Sires’ Produce Stakes of 1895. The youngster is by Australian out of Ina (the dam of lonic). The youngster is a very nice cut of animal, and with judicious training and plenty of good feed there is every reason to believe that he will figure in the field (and what a field it will be !) that will face Sam Powell in February, 1895. The three - year - old Vogengang Is greatly fancied here for the New Zealand Cup, but as he will probably compete in Australia in the spring, people don’t like to touch him. If his owner considers him good goods for the Melbourne Cup, then he must have a sort of a mortgage over the New Zealand big prize ; at any rate that is one way of looking at the matter.

On breeding the yearling filly Evening Star ought to have a say in the Egmont Sires’ Produce Stakes. She is by Australian out of Torpedo’s dam, and is therefore full-sister to that most useful horse Torpedo. The filly is owned by Glassford Bros., of the White Cliffs, but I can’t say if she is being fed and bandied preparatory to being put in training. The Stratford Racing Club is pretty languid at present, and there does not seem any prospect of its holding a hack meeting in the spring. If the Club has an idea of having a tryst it is about time a move is made in fixing up the preliminaries. The meeting of the Waitara Racing dub has for years past been held on New Year’s Day, butowingto clashing with the Opunake Club’s meeting on that date the Waitara Club have wiselyTeci3e3HßT hold their meeting earlier, and by choosing the first week in December I don’t think they will have cause to regret the change. There is very little stirring in sporting matters on this coast at present. The Dauphin —Sissie colt, Fraternite, is doing good work at Momahaki, in view of the New Zealand Cup.- If Billy Butler can get him fit at the post, Fraternite will make some of them sit up for the rich prize in November next. I also hear good accounts of another New Zealand Cup candidate doing well, namely Boulanger, who is being prepared at Wanganui by Jack Belcher. I hear that “ Bully ” will miss the Hawke’s Bay Spring Meeting, and that it is intended to take him down to Canterbury a couple of weeks before the Cup, in order to thoroughly finish his toilet. The son of Grand Prix —Fleurette has hitherto liked a shorter journey, say up to i£ miles, but with another year on him and special distance training I am sure he will be able to put a fast 2 miles behind him. We shall see. Another New Zealand Cup candidate is being prepared at Waitotara by Verney Collelo, brother of George Collelo. This candidate is Musket (what price about his emulating the deeds of the great departed ?), who is a strongly-built son of Armament, dam Leta. Armament is by Musket out ot Sissie, dam of Fraternite. Musket has the minimum in the Cup, and the Waitotara sports are very sweet on his chance, but I can't stand his show on paper, that is on previous performances. If Crackshot can be brought back to anything like his three-year-old form the Cup would be something like a “ dead bird ” for him. I am pretty confident that, bar accidents, Fraternite and Boulanger will both see the post for the Cup.