HUNT CLUB MEETINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 13, 15 July 1937, Page 13

HUNT CLUB MEETINGS

HOW THEY BEGAN

SATURDAY'S TWO FIXTURES

Though the Wellington Meeting last week closed the more important racing of the present season, there are still a number of hunt fixtures to be decided, and among the point-to-point enthusiasts especially these gatherings create a lot of interest. Two hunt meetings, the Hawke's Bay and the Waimate, hold-the racing stage to themselves on Saturday. Both fixtures have attracted good fields, and it is always possible that a horse destined to go on to better things will be disclosed in the results. It is only necessary to recall that last year the Amateur Cup Steeples at Waimate was won by the then novice Burglar, who went on to win a minor steeples at Riccar--lon, and is now one of the best-fancied horses for this year's Grand National Steeplechase.

These hunt meetings are something different from ordinary race meetings. They are conducted by the hunt clubs on the racing club's course in their locality, and they cater for the qualified hunter, as well as for the amateur horseman. Two events at least are set aside for the hunters, and in one of these the horsemen are gentlemen riders. At some hunt meetings horses in the stables of licensed trainers are not allowed to start in the event reserved for amateur riders. The rest o£ the programme is for the ordinary horse, sometinies only hack class, and at meetings in the South Island trotting events are also generally included. The hunt clubs were first enabled to conduct meetings under a totalisator permit by the 1914 Racing Commission, which provided eight, such days in each racing season to be shared by sixteen hunt clubs in alternate years. The 1920 Racing Commission increased the number of days for the hunt clubs to fifteen in each season, so that such clubs could in future hold annual meetings. The fourteen clubs that now use the permits are the Birchwood, Christchurch, Dannevirke, Egmont-Wanganui, Hawke's Bay, Otago, Pakuranga, Poverty Bay, Rahgitikei, South Canterbury, Taranaki, Waimate, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty-Rotorua. The Manawatu Hunt permit is at present being utilised by the Manawatu Racing Club, which includes hunters' races in the programme. HUNTING IN THE BAY. Hunting has always been a popular sport in Hawke's Bay, and the Hawke's Bay Hunt Club usually provides excellent fare with its meeting. On Saturday's card there are two events purely for the hunter, the Hawke's Bay. Hunt Club Steeples and "the'Soutra Hunters' Flat Handicap (for amateur riders); and hunters are also eligible on that qualification alone to run in the Otane Hack and Hunters' Hurdles. With the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's conducting the third race for the Duke of Gloucester Cup on October 9 next, the gentlemen riders will be particularly keen, to test their prowess on Saturday. The Hawke's Bay Hunt Club Steeples is Saturday's feature item, this, being a race in which the professional horsemen generally take the mounts, because of the weight scale. The distance is about 2J miles, and the race is run over the same country as the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase. The country now is not'difficult, though two or three of the fences are tricky. The Hawke's Bay Hunt Club early took advantage of the opportunity afforded by the 1914 Racing Commission to hold totalisator meetings, and the first Hunt Club Steeplechase was run in 1915, when J. Cameron's black gelding Tarero. was a very easy winner in a field of eight. The stake on that occasion was £150, half as large again as this year's, but the hunt clubs generally were hard hit by the depression a few years ago .and they are only now beginning to make small, increases in their stake-offerings. The club did not race again till 1920, and then not on its own account till two years later. In 1920 and 1921 the hunt club fixture was combined with the Hawke's Bay .Jockey Club's Winter Meeting, a three-day affair being staged in 1920, and the Hunt Club Steeples on those occasions were-won by the late Mr. C. F. Vallance's Sturdee and by Mr. W. Eobson's Merry Owan. respectively. The hunt club separated its meeting in 1922, and the sequence of the club's own annual fixture since has been broken only in 1933, when no meeting was held. Up till 1928 the club always raced in the winter,1 but from 1928, when two meetings were conducted, though in different racing seasons, the fixtures were in the spring. A reversion to the winter was made in 1932, and since then the racing has been staged at the back end of ■ the season,. usually the week after the Wellington Meeting. OWNER'S GOOD RECORD. The record of the Hunt Club Steeples is most interesting, as it shows how keen have been certain owners to win this race. One of the keenest has been the Greenmeadows sportsman Mr. C. E. Twist, who looks after his own small team himself. In 1922 Mr. Twist's Powder King was second to Fred .Davis's Seadqwn. The next year, when Ramanuwhiri beat Kovno, there .were only two starters, and Kovno was aftei'wards acquired by Mr. Twist from Mr. A. Syme. In the following two years Kovno was again second, but his turn came at last in 1926 at his fourth attempt. . Five contests later., in 1930, Kovno, then 14 years old, was again second, to Risk. In 1927 Mr. Twist supplied another runner-up in Woden, who was also second in 1929. A further second came when Dozie was beaten by Cotsfield three, years ago; but the following year Mr. Twist won the race for the second time with Prosy Boy. No other owner has yet. succeeded in winning the Hunt Club Steeples more than once. Among those who have enjoyed single victories are Messrs. F. W. Walls (Ethiopian), E. Riddiford (Banjuke), W. A. Tod (Hollycombe), O. Nelson (Ponjola), K. McK. Duncan (Risk), G. D. Beatson (Luna Lux), J. M. Reedy (Cotsfield), and Dr. C. Raymond (Royal Songster). Only Mr. Twist among owners of former winners has a horse engaged on Saturday, thisbeing Dozie, but Cotsfield, now being raced by the estate of.his late owner, is also in the field again. The list of eleven acceptors for this year's race is one of the most numerous that has yet been carded, and the quality is excellent for the hunters' grade. As a winner on the second day at Napier Park last month Dozie will be among the better fancies, but she has not developed into the good mare over country it was once expected she might, and this field may again be a little too solid for her. Miss Pango, Cotsfield, and The Ranger should all be improved horses after their recent racing, particularly Miss Pango, who loniks like being made the favourite; and Wykernist, winner of the Napier Steeplechase last month, is another who will have a'confident following if he has fully recovered from his setback. Count Willonyx. second to Sleepy in the recent Dannevirke Hunt Cup and ■who paid first dividend last year through being bracketed with Royal Songster, i* also assured of good support. '-he bott^n half erf the list may find the experience of such as Miss Fanso. Wykemist. Cotsfield. and Count Willonyx rather too much at present to cope with, but one o£ this group who might make a showing is the recent, noint-to-point winner Phrenology. Phrenology is a five-year-old sliding by Psychology from the Cynic—Shepherd's Bush mare Hipparchia, and he carries the same colours as the double Trentham winner John Charles, who is by Cynic. Mr. N. E. F. Loisel has been racing hhn■ roijnri the smaller meetings lately, and if he is goint: to follow | in the steps of his now redoubtable