Cap and Jacket
Observer, Volume XV, Issue 844, 2 March 1895, Page 15
About this newspaper
Cap and Jacket
RACING FIXTURES. Mar. 7& B— Wanganui J.C. Autumn. Mar. 18 -Papakura Racing Club. Mar. 19 & 20— Hawke's Bay J.C. Autumn. Mar. 23 -Dunedin J.C. Anniversary. Mar. 26 & 27— Napier Park B.C. Autumn. April 15 & 16— Auckland R.C. Autumn. April 15 & 16— Canterbury J.C. Autumn. May 18 & 24— Takapuna J.C. Winter. June 8 & 10 -Auckland R.C. Winter. Australian. Mar. 2— Newmarket Handicap. Mar. s— Australian Cup. OTAHUHCT TROTTING CLUB. Saturday's sport at Potter's was very interesting. The Otahuhu Club deserved the success meted oat to it, the Club managing its fixture with spirit and energy The public rolled up in good form too, and the machine workers were kept busy ringing in the shekels. The racing itself was good, and bar one or two of the smaller trotting events, the contests were fought out in exciting finishes. Mr Halstead wielded the flag with success in each instance, no complaints in this direction being heard. Schoolgirl won the big trot in fine style. The pony events were well contested, and Disappointment wound up a good afternoon's sport, by an easy victory in the Selling.
NEWMARKET HANDICAP AND AUSTRALIAN CUP. On " Saturday next, 2nd inst., the big sprint race of the Victorians takes place at Flemington, and on the following Tuesday, ;">th inst., the Australian Cup, 2£ miles, is run. Between the time of writing and the day on which the meeting commences there is plenty of time for developments in connection with those events to occur which may cause me to alter my present impressions. But as I will not have the opportunity of doing so on paper, I needs must stand to what I now think. Of the great number still left in these two events, tonight (Thursday) will more than likely see a considerable thinning out ; and even then though the long race may dwindle down- to a few, the sprint is almost certain to attract a big field to the post. At the present time it is even hard to say what will start first favourite, a.a they have already commenced knocking them about on the other side. Vanitas promised to be very hot, but racing at the Caulfield caused him to recede a point or two. The Sydney men still swear by the Martini Henry colt, whose performance in the Carrington Stakes seems certainly good enough In Bessie McCarthy Mr Gollan has a real good mare. She downed Carnage, when that colt was apparently well, at a difference of slb in the third Biennial Stakes at Randwick. * * * A Newmarket Handicap winner must be a stayer, and Bessie McCarthy ran the li m in the V.R.C. Veteran Stakes, beating that . good mare Lady Trenton and others in 2m. 37sec. Mostyn is an imported f> year old horse by Claivaux — Miss Mostyn. His performances in South Australia, and also Sydney, point to him being a good horse, and as he is doing well, I wait only to hear < of his being backed to bracket him as a very likely one. Gaillardia ran third last year to Hova and Bruin, and she too is going well, and as she has not been knocked about, I expect to see her run a good race this year. Whakawatea has such a big impost or I should have spoken of him earlier. Still the Apremont gelding is a great weight carrier, and I expect he will be hard to beat. But the list is too long to analyse more than a few. Suffice it to say, those I have mentioned are the horses I hink most likely to get first past the post on Saturday next. To bracket a couple, I like best Bessie McCarthy and Vanitas. ** " # The Australian Cup does not look such difficult picking though it may be more so, for all that ; and I can't helpthinking, as I have said all along, that Harvester will win. Certainly he is the public fancy and there is not much credit in choosing him, but the fact remains, that I cannot pick x one to beat him. Next to Harvester [ like Straightfire and Donation.
Bessie McCarthy, Whakawatea, Vanitas, Eriaaforde, and Barbarian, all ahowed good form at the recent V.A.T.C. Meeting at Caulfield.
D. O'Brien is expactsd over hsre this month. The Admiral is in training again at Flemington. The Newmarket Handicap is run next Saturday, 2nd inst. The Australian Cup is run on Tuesday next, the sth inst. The Wanganui Cup is run on the 7th inst. to-day (Thursday) week. Skirmisher started favourite for the Dunedin Cup, and finished last. Casket is the first one of the Castors so far to show staying power in public. The Auckland Trotting Club's Autumn Meeting has been fixed for April 13 th and 20th. That good filly Doris is strangely depreciated. She goes on winning, and always pays a good price. Katie M. can trot. . She can also gallop. When Katie M. can be persuaded not to mix it, she may win a race. Fauntleroy is a much improved pony. Fauntleroy came here with a reputation, but for a long time showed no form and was pronounced a duffer. It "wou : d be interesting to learn what price Mr S. G. Cook would entertain for his colt, The Harvester. 2000 guineas have been offered and refused. Ida's career on the flat has been disappointing. Mr Lennard intends trying her over hurdles shortly. Dorothy has already started her schooling for the jumping business. At the Johannesburg (S. Africa) Summer Meeting £4575 was given away in stakes; the totaiisator investments totted up to £33,2(52 ; and £45,150 was the amount invested in public sweepstakes. St. Clements' coastal trip was not so successful as was to be expected from so brilliant a sprinter. He ran good races each time, and seemed to improve after each race. His single victory would hardly recompense his party for the trip. Hippomenes has regained his old brilliancy, as witness his performances at the recent Dunedin Meeting. A hack could have beaten Hippomenes a few months back, showing how badly a horse will fall away when unwell. A hostile demonstration occurred at Dunedin, when Barmby, who has been running in R. Derrett's name, beat Rancour, Bloodshot, and others in the Hopeful Stakes. Bloodshot, who was ridden by R. Derrett, ran third behind Barmby and Rancour. I Mr E. D. Halstead's starting at Potter's last Saturday gave general satisfaction, and that gentleman was evidently in his best form. We are quick to growl at indifferent starting when it occurs, and we should therefore not forget to notice efficiency when displayed. Direct is another pony which came to Auckland with a big reputation, which for a long time he failed to sustain in the least. The punters of the district from which he came have long since tired of sending coin to back his efforts. However, he has proved not at all a bad one. It was time Casket won a good race. His private reputation caused many a loose fiver to go oa him in the early spring. His performance was a good one, for a pair of good performers were behind him in the places, and both strung up and well. No doubt Casket would have won many a decent race if he had learnt to run straight earlier. ' Everyone ' has been talking of Waiuku, his win, and the dividend. The point of the running gossip being Mr Evetts's ' egregioui mistake ' in letting Waiuku in so lightly. But, seeing that ' everyone ' lighted on that mistake ' first pop ' it seems to be a most extraordinary thing that those people should allow the ' thrown in ' one to pay £25 13s. Schoolgirl was in great form on Saturday. Her trotting in the big saddle event was excellent. In the Harness Trot Sandall was unfortunate. The fateel support of the seat of the sulky snapped, and Sandall must have had an unpleasant drive throughout. This was the cause of the indifferent form shown by Schoolgirl in that race, and the hasty expressions used by some through ignorance of the accident, will be regretted by those who used them when they learu this. The Wanganui Cup is run on the 7th, and with three representatives Auckland has a fair chance of annexing the stake. If Lottie goes down, she wiH take some beating if in anything like her old food nick, and both Ben Godfrey and 'orme are likely to run well. Lady Zetland will, no doubt, be the hot Southern pot, but with continual travelling and racing there is a chance she may not be quite so fresh. Monte Carlo must run well, and I expect to see him placed. Next week I will try and pick it.
Merganser goes to the stud next season. Culloden is to be put into work again shortly. New game at Motutapu on Saturday next. — The Odd men'out. Harvester has done a tremendous lot of work, and is reported very fit. Paris was shipped for. England last week by the steamer Thermopylae. Vanitasis not a free worker, and requires the whip sometimes to prevent loafing. Caulfield way they like Malolo, Jo, and Bessie McCarthy for the Newmarket Handicap. Bonnie Scotland's name does not appear amongst the general entries for the V.X.C. Autumn Meeting. Nothing but Vanitas will go down with good judges at Flemington. 'He will run up that straight as fast as a train,' say the Sydney boys. The racehorse Tassy, was sold the other day at Melbourne to J. Gardner for 85 guineas. Tassy is engaged in the Newmarket Handicap, at Bst. 71b. Ben Godfrey had bad luck in the Autumn Handicap at Taranaki, which was won by Waiuku. Ben stumbled when making his rnn, and nearly came on his nose. Prioress has been very unlucky of late. The starting machine does not seem to be at all to this mare's idea. She is said to be devoloping into a jibber at the post. She can get through when once started, and it would be as well perhaps not to neglect her chance altogether in future events. Musket's first son in Maoriland was Snider, the most arrant of duffers. The writer was abusing him one day when he was pretending to race at Ellerslie, and Bennett, now owner of Euroka, but then a director of the L.M. Stud Co., chipped in with, ' Yes, curse him ; if that brute had never been foaled our company would be thousands richer to-day.' And there was truth in the remark. Snider depreciated the first crop to an inestimable extent. They were all Muskets right enough, but till James White bought Martini-Henry they wouldn't go off t— Bulletin.
