RACING NOTES.—THE NEW YEAR'S MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1497, 27 November 1874, Page 2

RACING NOTES.—THE NEW YEAR'S MEETING.

BY BLAIR ATHOL,

The real racing season has now commenced ; our Christchurch friends opened the ball with three good days sports commencing on the 10th ult., and the absence of such cracks as Lurline, Calumny, Papapa, and Kakapo, increased rather then diminished the excitement, as the fact of their absence seemed to leave the races of a more open character, and productive of more speculation. The horses engaged at the meeting are described on the whole as much inferior to those of la3t and preceding years. Since last year, the Club have obtained from the Provincial Council the right to charge admission to the course, on a similar scale to that collected by the A.X.C., the Club only having a lease from the Government, as trustees for the public, were not entitled to charge any toll. On the first day of the races only 1150 travelled by rail, not nearJy so many as were carried to Ellerslie at our Spring Meeting. Remnant, half-sister to Calumny, opened the ball by winning the Free Handicap, with five others behind her, including old Yatterina, who was so fidgetty at the post that the starter had some difficulty in getting them off, and when the flag dropped, it was some few seconds before she got on her leg 3 and ran away. For the Derby, seven only out of forty-two subscribers faced the starter, including Rangi and Wainui, two horses engaged in our Derby on New Year's Day. Rangi ran Tadmor a dead heat, but was afterwards beaten in the deciding heat; time, 2 mm. 53 sees. This is not by any means a good performance, but as Rangi has only been a short time at work she is likely to improve considerably by our races. This is the fifteenth Derby since the establishment in 1860, and it has been won eight times by a filly, while in England the Epsom Derby has only beea won about twice since its inauguration in 17S0, Tambouriiu, 9it. 9 lbs., won the C. J. C. Handicap, beating three other 3 ; distance two miles, beating three others, distance two miles, the Canterbury Oup, weight for age, 9st lllbs., beating four others ; distance two miles, therefore proving himself to be a good honest weightcarrier. Mr. Walters won the Lottery Plate with old Yatteriua, and Mr. Redwood the Christchurch Plate, with Ngaro, 3 yrs , carrying 6 st. 8 lbs. ; distance two miles, beating Tambourini, lOat. lllbs. (outpaced from the tirst), and Traitor, Bst. Gibs. Templeton, 4 yrs., Sst. Gibs., won the Grand Stand Handicap, one mile, beating five others, including Ya'.terina, S st. 10 lbs., and Parawhenua 8 st. 4 lbs. ; the Metropolitan Handicap, li miles, carrying 9 st. 3 lbs., with seven behind him, including Parawhenua, 8 st., and Yatterina, 9at. 31bs.

Mr. Redwood, with his Btring, has been particularly unfortunate thig year, as he has only won one race, and has had the misfortune to lo3e that valuable mare Batter (well known to Aucklanders), she having injured herself in the Free Handicap so severely, that she died the same night. Theodore, 10 st. 7 lbs., by Sled mere, won the Hurdle Race, beating Alice Grey, 10 Bt. 7 lbs. He is described by one of our Southern contemporaries as a perfect weight-carrier, and a good sample of Sledmere's produce ; and speaking of his sire, our Southern friends say it is much to be regretted that he was ever sent out of the country. It does not matter what sort of a mare you put to him a good horse of his class would be the result, either a racehorse or a hackney. I need hardly say that this horse is now and has been for two seasons standing at Captain Walmsley's, Mangare. He took the first prize for thoroughbred horses at our show in 1873. His foals this year are proi nonnced as being first-class, and in a year or two I hope will make their mark on the Elleralie racecourse. The following amounts were paid by the secretary of the Club on the Saturday after the races :—Mr Barker, £74; Mr Redwood, £150 15s; Mr Delamaine, £399 ; Mr O'Brien, £577 10s ; Mr Hedge, £95; Mr McKinnon, £47; Mr Lnnn, £20 ;C. Campbell, £281; Mr Walters, £70. Grand total of 1714sovs. I hope the time m aot far distant when our Auckland races will be as well patronised by the public, and that we shall be able to ask our Southern friends to come and compete against horses owned by gentlemen of this province. The Melbourne races are now over. Our New Zealand horses have done no good yet, but I hope to hear, as the season advances, of their having better luck. It would have been a grand thing for Lurline to have broken the spell by being the first mare that had ever won the Cup. The Victorians certainly have not held them very lightly, as they have been handicapped almost at the top weight in almosb every handicap they have been entered for. At Wagga Wagga, Lurline has accepted for the Cup with Sst. 61bs., Grand Stand Handicap Bst. 41bs., top weight, and the Town Plate :Bst 41bs., also top weight. Haricot, the winner of the Melbourne Cup, carries in each of these 6st. 41bs., and as there is no penalty for winning I am afraid that Haricot will again have it all his own way. There were 18 started for the Cup—the smallest field since 1863 -when Banker won; the race was run in 3min. 37sec, or one second longer than Don Juan took last year. The betting at starting was 2 to 1 against Goldsborough, and 100 to 6 against the winner ; Goldsborough, the favourite, run seventh. Papapa did not start for anything ; his brother Manuka i 3 making a name for himself at the stud ; one of his sonß, a two-year-old, out of Spring Blossom, won the Flying Stakes, three-quarters of a mile, carrying sst. lllbs., beating nine others, including Haricot and Speculation. I see Mr Hutcheson, of Otago, has parchased King Philip, 3 yrß., by Camden, dam Lady Darling. This horse ran second to Scarunage for the Maiden Plate, beating eight others. The Wellington entries have closed with fair entries, and I see several Southern horses have been nominated, including Tambourine, Remnant, Ngaro, &c. j so we shall have a chance of seeing them up here at Christmas. The privileges of the racecourse have been sold for 410 aovs., and as they only give 805 soys. added money in the two day. I think the promoters ought to be well satisfied. The Dunedin people hava just sold their, gates, booths, &c, for St. Andrew's Day,

and realised £286, or 36 soys. more «, they advertise to be run for, which nmirt v very satisfactory to the promoters T glad to hear we have a good string o f W* at work fcr our next meeting, including I»i man, Discord, Never Miss, Creeping fJ^ Muruwenter (by Derby out of Molly B aW n\ Bandara, Rarey, and some half-dozen oth others ; and as Rangi has been purchased X* an Auckland man, we may yet be able Zk retain a few' of our excellent prizes in tyj *>! province. °6 |

Blair Athol,