SPORT AND PASTIME.

The Turf. [By Ckackshot."! RACING FIXTURES. 1903. August 11, 13, and 15 — New Zealand Grand National THURSDAY'S RACING AT THE HUTT. It would be foolish to attach too much importance to the form displayed at the Hutt on Thursday, as the state of the ground so materially affected the chances of many of the competitors. Those competitors who got out in front in tflie early stages of the race, especially in the flat races, had a great pull over their opponents, and in- nearly every case either supplied the winner or ran second. Ostiak at last gave his connections a long-overdue win. He perhaps never looked better, and, , getting to the front shortly after the start of the Stewards' Handicap, easily stayed there, being nursed kindly by Jenkins. He started again in the Parliamentary Handicap with 11.6, and although he ran about fourth all the way, failed to come on at the end. St. Olga, who won at the Hutt this time last year, again ran consistently, finishing second in both tbrS Stewards' and Parliamentary Handicaps. St. Paul's sister acts as well as Ostiak in the heavy going. Goldspur got tangled up in the tapes and was last to leave the mark. He then ran up to the leaders, but was done witii at the home turn. Rangitata, Maro, and Livonia, were all doing better at the right end than in the early part of the race. Reclaimer was sent out equal favourite wi*' Ostiak on the strength of a good private gallop, but he was never sighted. .There were only two in the Miramar Hack Handicap after a furlong had bsen traversed — Royal Blue and Position. They left the field, and it looked at the home turn as though Position would gat up to Royal Blue. Both were being ridden hard, and they- were both very tired. Royal Blue, however, showing r.eal grit and determination, was not to 8e denied, and 'ie almost had daylight between hiin&elf and Mr. Prosser's representative on passing the post. The winner was well supported by money wired to the Secretary from Masterton, one investor alone having £44 on 'him. He is a neat three-year-old gelding by Merrie England from One Eye, a mare owned in Blenheim, where she was winning hack races. • Trained and owned by R-. Knox, of Masterton, he was brought doT\n here in the autumn as a good thing for a hack race, but unfortunately lost his rider at the start when well backed by outside money. Thurs- j day's running proved that the trainer's ! judgment was not astray. Knox has sprung several surprises at the Hutt, getting a £30 dividend off La Marquise and a £40 dividend off Waireki. Lady Field, who ran. third, is a fair sort by Trickster from The Field, who has thrown a couple of decent ones. Roseshoot was anchored in the going, and returned home the next morning, as also did Tradewind, his stable companion. Interest in the Wellington Steeplechase was in a measure spoiled by the mishaps to Sultana, Gobo, The Gryphon, Straybird,' and Marine. Of Course, every one was pleased to see the old battler Nor'west win, especially when his victory was so decisive. He jumped really well, the 1 only slight .mistake being when he almost unseated his rider at the second fence through a faulty land. Wright rode a capital race on him, saving his riiount ; right through- the race, and when he I called on linn two furlongs from home i he left Pullack as though he was standing I still. There is much division of opinion | ,as to whether The Gryphon would have ] beaten the winner had he continued on the right course. Both The Gryphon and Nor'-west were going well within themselves, and it is contended that The Gryphon's, great staying powers would have stood him in stead. But watching the race right thrqugh I <am inclined to think that The Gryphon would have finished a good second to Nor'-wesc, and 1 am influenced in my opinion by the manner in which Nor'-w,est fairly bolted in. Pipi ran a good race, but struck several fences very hard. The Pullack fenced splendidly, but tired dreadfully in the last halfmile. Sultana pulled very hard until sha got to the sod wall, and then toppled over, Gobo and Straybird getting tangled up in the prostrate horse also came to grief. Gobo and Sultana were each remounted and negotiated the country, Gobo being ultimately pulled up. lMarine fell at the sod wall the second time round when leading. Shrapnel Shell, although on the email side for big weights in heavy ground, made an exhibition of his rather good field in the Parliamentary Handicap, and landed a good stake for his party. He got 'to the front* just after the start, and stayed- there. St. Olga had no difficulty in gaining second place, Sanfoin crying ago in the last bit. Menura, Tupara, and Ostiak all finished close up. Kiatere and Counterbine appeared to be having the best of matters in the Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase fhiee-quarters of a mile from home, but they died away in the next three furlongs, and Kalooand King Lear then came to the front. Kaloo showing most pace easily shook his partner off in the straight. They were the absolute outsiders of the party. Testator fell at the sod wall when going well, but Fishery poppled over at the second fence. Haydn was a-- strong favourite for the Winter Hurdles, and although defeated his supporters had a good run for their money, the Sou-wester gelding straining every nerve to win them their dividend. He was under pressure practically all the way, and was the only competitor to go out in an attempt to catch Slow Tom. The latter, aided by his lightweight, sailed Slong in front, and made an exhibition of everything, winning a good stake for his connections. Mourner, Rags, and Tradewind performed creditably, but the ground stopped Waiwera. There were only two that had any chance at all in the Te Aro Hack, Silver Star and Repulse getting right clear of everything,, and Repulse passed Silver Star when lie wanted to in the run home. Black Squall, Notos, Parkshot, Recoil, and Lady Field .were doing fairly well at the end. ' Westerly must have improved wonderfully in his jumping since he left these shores, as " Terlinga " in the Australasian describes him as a lovely jumper. Unfortunately, the writer &ays, Westerly got into the last hurdle but one, and cut himself badly. The London Sportsman published its winning stallions'- list for the fii&t time on Ist June. Sainfoin was easily fiisl, with £11,250, all won by Rock Sand. St. Frusquin was second with £8954, won by six hoise«, and then came Ayrshire £6924. Juggler £4785. Gallinule £3411, Royal Hampton £2675, and Carbine £261 i Geo. Redfearn, who rode Mulvolio ■when he Mon the Melbourne Cup in 1891, has been engaged by the Sultan of Johoie to act as his private tiainer. American jockeys have yon the EngWu Derby three years in .mcvws-ion. i<. Reiff was the firat rider from the Slates _to score, when ha had the. mount on Volodyovbki in 1901, J. H. Martin copied hie example on Ard Patrick last year,

and it has been left for Maliei to com-t plete a notable treble for the Americans by winning on Rock Sind. The following was the official findiii? of the stewards of the Auckland Racing Club : " That the disqualification be removed from the hor.^e Romeo ; tl.at P. Jones (trainer) be disqualified for two years from the date ot disqualification, and that Edwards (jockey) be disqualified for twelve months ; that T. Quiniivan, sen. (owner) be disqualified for life, and T. M'Xamara (jockey) for twelve months from date of disqualification, and that the pony The Imp be disqualified for twelve months from date of disqualification : that the disqualification of Georgs Tuck (owner) be for life, and that the horse Landlock be disqualified for two years from 29th May, 1903, and that J. Ellisdon be disqualified for two years from the date of disqualification. Mrs. Lennard's horses, m training, were sold at Auckland last week. The following were the prices and the names of their purchasers : — Maroon and Gold, W. Thomson, QOgs ; Lavadel, J. D. Maxman, 31gs; Idasa, T. Armitage, 50 gs ; Val Rosa, J. Davidson, 175gs ; Alba Rose, W. Moberley, 62gs. J. , M'Cracken, the New Plymouth trainer, has been called on by the Wanganui committee to refund the stake won by Moturoa in the Second Hack Hurdles at the Wanganui Cup Meeting. In this race Sunmos finished second and Old Gun third. The ground on which the committee have called on M'Cracken to refund is that the mare won an open race on the fiat of £70, at the Egmont Wihter Meeting in 1902. Under rule 44 of the Rules of Racing it would appear that the mare, after winning the maximum amount on the flat as a "hack," could then be put over sticks and win a similar amount in " hack " hurdles, but the committee of the Wanganui Club evidently does not read the rule in that manner. I understand, however, that the Chairman of the Racing Conference, when appealed to by a local owner, read the rule at variance to that adopted by the Wanganui Jockey Club. As Mr. McCracken intends to appeal to the conference on the matter, the decision of the judgea will settle th»j question for the future. Great Shot injured his back on Thursday morning, and could not compete in the Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase. Tikirawa went amiss previous to the Hutt Meeting, and his stable mate Cure has also gone wrong, and has had to be blistered. Vallance went slightly amiss last week, and could not be gone on with for her Hutt engagements. Osborne fell into a ditch at the Hutt last Monday, and his injuries prevented his completing his engagements this week. "Milroy" says that in the V.R.C. National Hurdle Race .about £6000 was booked about the New Zealander Westerly, of whose ability over the battens most people were in ignorance as he had not appeared in public over the light timber since his arrival in the southern State. He usually worked alone, but occasionally the son of Westmere galloped with Bellamy's team at Caulfield. He is a fine-looking dark chesutffc horse, showing substance and quality, and commanded general admiration when stripped for the fray. He was slightly on the big side, and, an the result proved, wanted a couple of gallops to be gilt-edged. Following the lead of his party the public gave sound support to the New Zealander, who started a strong second favourite. In the race for the big Flemington Hurdle Race, Marmont, the favourite, ■was the first to break the line, with. Steelrail at his throat fitrap, while West* erly, on the extreme outside, was quickly on his legs, and escorted Marmont out of the straight and past the bridge, but as they raced along the back of the course Fielder, who had the mount on the New Zealander, sent the son of Westmere to the front, and sailing along in grand style the handsome chestnut piloted his field past the stand, his nearest attendante being My Mistake, Marmont, Ma.tong, and Conquest. As they swept along the river side for the second time Nansen and Steelrail began to improve their positions, and at the back of the course the latter ran up within a couple of lengths of the leader, hut he began to show signals of distress after' passing the abattoirs, and drifting back the hopes of New South Wales went with him. * Meantime Cosgrove had been riding a patient race on the favourite, whom he always kept within striking distance, never being further back than third from the leader. The retirement of Steelrail left the Ballarat horse My Mistake, just behind Westerly, who was still going strongly at the sheds, the favourite being close up third. Here Nansen appeared upon the scene, and further back could be seen the colours of Lowland Chief emerging from the ruck. As they swung into the straight the favourite cut down My Mistake, and threw out a bold challenge to the New Zealander, with, whom he got on terms as they crossed the last obstacle, and the son of Wellington taking command after a few strides finished like a tradesman and repaid the confidence of his large army of backers. Lowland Chief came with a brilliant run after crossing the last hurdle, and catching the fast-tiring Westerly inside the half-distance beat him out of second place, while the plodding Nameri escorted the trio past the judge's box. The victory of Marmont was decidedly popular, and the colours were vigorously cheered as he passed the post, the demonstration being renewed as the gelding returned to scale. English scribes appear to think that loyal British plungers who lajld 6 to 4 on Rock Sand for the Derby were lucky to win their money, as the French colt Vinicius was severely handicapped by indifferent horsemanship. The principal writer for the London Sportsman held that if M. Cannon had been on Vinicius it would have only meant an extra effort on the part of Rock Sand. The chief contributor to the London Sporting Life writes :— "Rock Sand scored a lucky win. A neat, game-looking colt, he is distinctly short-shouldered, and not in it at all in comparison with Vinicius, who frames out what a thoroughbred should- be, capable of carrying heavy weights, and excelling in other lines than flat-racing, just as Bendigo or Minting could have done. Why the French colt's jockey should have elected »to wait so long instead of trusting to the pluck and pace which Vinicius unquestionably possessed beats Banagher. My belief is that if M. E. Blanc's hardy bay had been ridden freely along the high level, just as Constable rode Sefton many years ago, Vinicius would have trodden in the footsteps of Gladiateur." As the Derby field came to Tattenham Corner, Vinicius looked like being tailed off, aud Thompson appeared to be helpless on him, but, once in a line for home, on the comparatively level going, the colt got into his swing and, coining along with a great rum, he challenged Rock Sand inside the distance, but the latter stalled him off and won by two length;-, a similar distance dividing the Frenchman and Flotsam, the second best thiee-year-old in England.