SPORTING NOTES.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4287, 26 April 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

SPORTING NOTES.

BySinbau. The Auckland Autumn Meeting, which came off on, Easter Monday and Tuesday, appears to have passed off welL The attendance on the first day was good, but on the second the weather was unfavorable, and visitors to the course were few. Business, commenced with* the Tradesmen's Plate, for which a field of ten accompanied the starter to the post. Of these, Peep o' Day was made a. strong .favorite at even money>-ta confidence on the part of backers which was riot misplaced, as, after a close finish with Isaac Walton and Yattapa, he got home in front of tbe former" by a neck; Old Parawheriuawas aihongatthe starteraj but never appears to have, been formidable. The field for the Hurdle Race numbered some very fair cross-country performers; arid Mr Mclvor, whose, luck appears to have been in, cariied-off tbe stake with the assistance of Uira, who, conceding eleven pounds to Loafer, beat him easily. Ten saddled up for the Easter Handicap, fi which Yattapa gave the metallicians a turn by winning easily from Lallaßookh. Peep-o'-day, who had the call in the betting, was only able to secure a place, while Resolution, who looked a moral on paper, never" showed prominently in the race. - The steel having been taken out of all the.other contestants by a bad false start, the Novel Raco, which wouni up the first day's sport, was a gift to Golden Crown. For the Flying Stakes, which Was the first event on the second; day's programme, seyeri went to the post," and here Slanderer, who I presume is the animal hitherto known as the Slander colt, beat his sire, Isaac Walton, by a length' Mr Waiters' ! other string, the Yatterina colt, running into a place. Sportsmen beat a field of old performers in the Steeplechase, amongst wham were Don Juan and Auckland Kate, who finished second and third respectively, and Loch Lomond, Tamatea, Perfume, and Uira, who from various causes were oat of it. Eleven saddled up for the Autumn Handicap, which Malvern won comfortably from Peep-o'-day,' Little Wonder being third. There was a very close finish in the Selling Race, which followed, between Little Wonder and Magician, but the judge gave the former a head verdict. The meeting wound np with the Shorts, where Malvern, who was saddled up again for this event, easily disposed of Gillie Callum, who was conceding, him three pound-. The North Canterbury meeting, whioh came off at Rangiora on April 17th, was a great success. Of the action of the stewards iv postponing their date so as not to clash with the Canterbury Autumn Meeting, it may be said that virtue was its own reward; for bad the meetmgbeeu held oil Easter Monday, aa: originally intended, not only would the fixture have clashed with the C. J. C., but the bad weather which militated so much against the success of the first day in Christchurch woirld have told much more against pur friends : at Bangiora. The open. Hurdle Race, which commenced the proceedings of the day, was aVgift to Miss Brizzles, who held old Lad-ie safe all the distance, Mickey Free, the only other contestant, refusing nearly every fence. ;Te Kooti, who must be improving in his old age, won the District Hurdle Race easily enough, though amongst his opponents Were several yery fair, performers. Hairy Goodman had a turn in tbe North Canterbury Cup, which followed, in which ChanceHor easily defeated the two representatives of the Yaldhurst stable who were saddled up to oppose him. The Two-year s old Race produced a' very close finish between Miss Council and Blink Bonny, the*;i-tter getting home first by a head; Queen of Cyprus, the only other starter, being quite outpaced. Huntingdon placed the Publicans* and Ladies' Purses to thß credit of Mr H. Vallance, arid Little Lady won the Maiden Plate, beating four others. Manuka beat old.Mefry Monarch very easily in the Consolation, which wound up a very pleasant meeting. r Small fields appear to have been the order of the day at tbe HoMtika Banter Meeting, and, as usual, the. racing was confined to local horses, I observe that ai new candidate has appeared for West: Coast racing honours in the shape of Doctor, who', brithe occasion under notice, carried off the Goldfields and Hokitika Handicaps, Native and Blazing Star running second and third on both occasions, and in the Diatrict Handicap old Bat defeated Kensington. j' Tho. nominations far the Canterbury ChampagriiStakes of received last not so numerous as I should; have expected for such a valuable stake; I nriss the names of Mr:.; Walters, and Mr Kitehiug .from the lisi* 'and considering the high class youngsters possessed by >Doth gentlemeri,;-it ! ia a pity they should be absent from one of the best, races of the year. Glancing down the list of nominations, we come across not a few who, from -their' breeding at any iratey should be able to go fast, notably Mr Eraser's Lure (sister to Lurlihe) and Zulu, by Daniel O'Roufke from Wainui; Mr Seabright's Romeo,' by Castaway out of the speedy Lace-feed; Mr Webb's Anteros-Revoke colt j Mr Wilkin's Traducer-Idalia colt, and another belonging tq the same gentleman by Castaway out of Opera ; arid Mr Delamain's colt,by Castaway out of Belle of the Isle. The sales of racing stock held last week call for little comment. None of the Middle Park youngsters were sold, though a good long price was offered for the beautiful colt by Traducer out oi Idalia, own brother to the winner of the recent Champagne. Mr Ray purchased Jangler for, £200, which will be a very cheap buy it the big colt stand in bis preparation.' At Mrrßedwood's sale the ©nly f __imal sold Tvaa Mata, who was purchased by Messrs Prince arid Cutte for 700 guineas. Mr Redwood's mares; will; I understand, he taken back to their old quarters at Spring Greet shortly. • _. The nominations for the Queen s Birthday Meeting are fair, but,; with the exception of Vampire arid IJversley, the animals engaged are all Southern „ones, I see .that Oberon and Atlantic'are* again toappeair on this occasion- The weights for the Handicap will appear to-day, and acceptances areidue on Saturday, May 17th. ! ; : Owners '- of cross-country horses aijp re-, minded that nominations for' the New Zealand Grand National Handicap are due, thia evening (Saturday, April :26th) with Mr Frank Egan, the secretary, in Christchurch.; Apropos of the Grand National, at a; recent meeting of the Club held in Christchurch, ; the actfob|of the D. J;C. in disqu-lifyibg the rider of Eversley (A Xyfcrd) was endorsed, i and after a long discussion l it was decided by six: votes to five that 12at 71bs is not necessarily the highest weight that can Joe I put by the handicapper on a horse. . ; From the telegraphic reports of the AJ. C. Autumn Meeting, it would appear that Mr Power's luck was dead in, for he carried off the Sydney Cup with Savanaka, and Bosworth, formerly owned by him, won the Ljeger. Le Loup,, though running, a grand horse, was again unfortunate, .-as he ran? second in three revents, -In the first, the Autumn Maiden Stakes of a mile and a quarter, he ran second to the speedy Petrea, and in the Cumberland Plate on the third day he succumbed to Chester. . ■; The Dunedin Jockey Club have endorsed the action'of the Palmerston Racing Club in disqualifyingßlue BelL her owner (Mr A McDonald) and her rider (Nichols). I observe that the V.-LG. have made an alteration in their programme, by which the second and third horses in the Melbourne Cup receive 20Q soys. respectively of added money,„wbile the stakes of the Champion Race are reduced from £1500 to £1000.' A Steeplechase Meeting will be held at the Kaikonras on May 24th.' : Mr Vallance has purchased Ydlnnteer, who ran such a good second in:the recent Champagne Stakes, from Mr John Lunn, and will undergo his Derby preparation under Mason, care at Yaldhurst.

The Australian jockeys Power and Nolan have returned to Victoria. They are both good horsemen, and it is mere than probable one, if not both, will return here in time for the Metropolitan Meeting.

Sellenick, the celebrated bandmaster of the French Republican Guard, has been dismissed by General Borel for, it is said, no other crime than that of causing the Marwillaise to be played several times during the |ExbibitaoD. -■■-•"■■' --