"HIPPONA'S" NOTE HOOK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 199, 22 August 1900, Page 3

"HIPPONA'S" NOTE HOOK.

The two brilliant deeds achieved by Record Reign over hurdles at Riccarton must convince most turfites that the Auckland gelding has uncommonly good

prospects in the New Zealand Cup. After

the big imposts he was required to carry in the hurdle events his impost of 8.11

!n the big handicap of the spring will be a luxury to him. It is worthy of mention that during -the period of the last

A.R.C. Summer Meetingl Record Reign

was troubled with a cold, but despite this he made the running for a mile and three-quarters In the Auckland Cup under his 8.12 and finished up a close third to Coronet, the second horse, while he carried his 9.8 in the Summer Cup behind Explosion, and also 9.7 behind the same horse in the A.R.C. Handicap. Probably

Record Reign was never In better condi-

tion that he is at present, and If he con- , tinues to go on in his training satisfactorily he should make a bold bid for the N.Z. Cup on 3rd November next.

I am sorry to chronicle that Explosion has probably run his last race, and on the advice of his mentor, George Wright, he has been thrown out of training. On Monday he was taken to Sylvia Park and also withdrawn from his N.Z. Cup engagement.

Seahorse is looking in the pink of condition, and he has grown and rounded up into a fine-looking- horse. On Saturday morning he proved himself much too good for The Labourer in a strongly run mile and a-half on the tan. Yesterday morning he strode around the tan track at three-quarter pace in company with Zealous, who is looking really well. The sister to Seahorse promises to be a very useful sort for the new season.

Coeur de Lion recorded a good performance in the Sydenham Hurdle Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday last, when he got to the end of a'mile and threequarters in the record time of 3.17 1-5. This just beats the time put up by Black Dust at Hastings last March, when he compassed the same distance in 3.17 4-5. : Torpina, it appears, gave Coeur de Lion r>4 great race on Saturday, and Captain Russell's representative is stated to have jnly won by half a neck. Cavaliero cvi- , lently has not got over his Wellington "ulshap, and he had been on ■ the walking list for something like a fortnight before ihe meeting, or else he would have made a better showing even with 12.9 on his back. A pleasing feature of the day's racing was the win of Straybird in the ■i-.Lincoln Steeplechase.

I have to thank Mr R. P. Hurren, of Little Collins-street, Melbourne, for sending me a copy of "Centaur's Index." This welcome little work has stood the vest of turfites for yeara, and as usual is well complied. The performances of all horses engaged in the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups and entries for coming avents and past winners of Australian , races are fully given.

St. Paul .and Bluejacket are not being jpared in their work. On Saturday aiorning the pair were sent once round on the tan track at Ellerslle at their very best pace, whips being out at the finish. Bluejacket, who had the best cjt the weights, beat the old racecourse' favourite by a heck. . Yesterday morning the pair were again galloped strongly.

While strolling around the Ellerslie racecourse on Saturday afternoon I noMeed Major George on horseback watching his trainer spurt three of the Wapiti Juveniles, viz:, Rattler (a sister to Seahorse), Shellback (by Nelson—Hestia), and St. Margare'tte (by Nelson—Sister Agnes). The trio were spurted at their best pace on the course proper over three furlongs, Rattler having the best of her stable mates.

I gather from the account of the racing on N.Z. Grand National day, published in the daily "Press," that the N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase race was one in which more than ordinary Interest was maintained throughout, and the light weights made the pace a cracker, with the result that it was run within a fifth of a second of as ?ast as the best previous record. Naylor, who rode The Guard, is the youngest and lightest horseman who has piloted a winner in the cross-country event. His bodily weight was 7st 91b, so that The Guard carried some dead weight. Naylor had arrayed against him such old practitioners as P. Johnstone and A. Hall, but he rode a good race for- a youngster, while Johnstone saved a lot af ground with The Friar. Mr Prosser, «vho owns The Guard and Black Dust, was not present to see his horses run, but the win was received with .hearty sheers.

Lancaster, who has been well backed for the Melbourne Cup (says the "Age") put up a taking performance at Caulfield when he beat Ingliston in the Malakoff Stages, one mile and.three furlongs. Lancaster, skilfully ridden by R. Lewis, tackled Ingliston with great' resolution, and the Malua horse quite failed to display his sire's dash when the emergency demanded it. Ingliston will, however, do better when ;he has been raced more. Lancaster gave a glimpse of the brilliancy he would naturally be expected, according to his aristocratic breeding lines, to possess, and he seems certain to have plenty of admirers when he again carries silk, None of the other Cup horses who ran in the Malakoff Stakes shaped out of the common. Walt-a-Blt displayed none of , his characteristic dash, and Town Clock, whom a section of the spectators sanguinely declared to be a certainty, was never dangerous.

Referring to the debut of Record Reign in the Handicap Maiden Hurdle Race at Riccarton, the daily "Press" says:—One of the finest horses that has graced the Riccarton racecourse in a jumping contest is Record Reign, and ■when he made his appearance the impression created was most favourable, and many thought .he would, notwithstanding his impost of 12.12, go out first favourite, but this was not to be, for the tough-looking Hawke's Bay representative, 'Joeur de Lion, owned by Captain Russell, and who stripped in very good form, had such a strong- following that he carried a little more money than the Aucklander. Record Reign, who was ■ridden a patient race by W. Clarke, and ■who jumped evenly throughout, came on and won" at his leisure.

A writer on the Melbourne press supplies the following interesting paragraph in reference to Chelsea's win in the V.A.T.C. Steeplechase at Caulfleld:— The victory was immensely popular and Chelsea was accorded a warm ovation on returning to scale. It was Col. Campbell's first important victory, and, being one of thermost exemplary sportsmen associated with the Australian turf, he became the recipient of all-round congratulations. It was a very clean and one-sided performance on the part of Chelsea, who won by force of sheer superiority. His jumping throughout was marked by great accuracy and precision, and his splendid stamin,a quite annihilated the field opposed to him. Chelsea was the youngest and heaviest weighted of the entire party, but he soared above the combined opposition in point of class. It was a great performance on the part of Mr R. H. Frew to train the winner and runner-up of such an influential contest. It was his third victory in the same race, having won with Domino last year and Daimio in 1595. It is worthy of remark that all three winners graduated in the hunting field. It is a feather in Portsea's cap to have got such a stout-hearted steeplechaser as Chelsea so early in his stud career, more particularly as the gallant grey is the offspring of a cart mare devoid of breeding, beyond being by a son of King Cole from an obscure dam. Chelsea owes his education as a steeplechaser entirely to Mr Frew, who bought him for 29 soys before he was broken in.

Several horses for Australian spring honours sported silk at Randwick at the August meeting of the Australian Jockey Club. Dandy won the Hampden Stakes from Vocalist in good style, and Haut Boy was third. This colt has evidently wintered well, and his appearance at Randwick next month, in the Derby, will be awaited with interest. Blue Metal won the Spring Handicap, li mile, well. He is engaged in the Caulfleld and Melbourne Cups.

The Christchurch "Press" thus refers to the race for the Grand National Hurdle Race:—The day will long be remembered by racegoers, chiefly because of the notable victory of Record Reign, winner of the leading event, who put up a record achievement for the race, and a record performance for the colonies by carrying his big burden of, 12.12 to the front in time never previously equalled by any winner over hurdles under any impost, however light. And how did he win! To the last hurdle he was racing pretty well up to the top of his speed to catch Coeur de Lion, who was being sent along for all he was worth, but once he got there and landed over the obstacle it was all over bar the cheering. He simply romped home. Nor was Coeur de Lion's effort a bad one. On the contrary, he ran a splendid race, and being within half a length of the Auckland champion his time also was better than any previously accomplished in New Zealand; and so was that of Torpina, the third horse, who took a tick over 3min 49sec to run the two miles. To this gelding it may be said was due the credit of making the pace a cracker, for Wooley took him to the front and kept him there as long as he lasted. He ran the race of his life, and though the Taranaki gelding Kaimate showed a bold front as long as his.condition lasted, it may be said that the three leaders demoralised the field, which lacked the pace. Ilex made the mistake of jumping into the course, and of the ten that lined up was the only one whose form could not be gauged.

The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Company, Durham-street, announce for private sale in this impression Favona. Firearm, Donneraile, Salvandan, the trotting stallion Pleasanton, Lindus (a roadster stallion) and Swordfish 11., by' Hotchkiss—Fishgirl, also a number of Clydesdale stallions, including Welcome Willie and Young Herd Laddie.