RACING NOTES.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 6902, 7 November 1887, Page 6

RACING NOTES.

[By " Senex".]

The progress payments received on Saturday for the principal event of our Metropolitan Meeting were slightly larger than I anticipated, for I mentioned last week a likely fourteen for the New Zealand Cup and a quartette for the Derby, and in each of these events there is one horse in excess of my estimate. In the Cup ■ list I regret to the names of only two visitors, namely, Regina from Marlborough and St. Clair *the sole representative of Otago. The North Island is altogether : unrepresented, the blame for which—if blame there is — attaches itself to Mr Stead, for there is no doubt that it was Maxim's Hawke's Bay performances that | frightened the northerners out of the meeting. A second acceptance of fifteen horses, although somewhat less t__n were left in at this time. last year, is in itself far from unsatisfactory, but <,-much as I dislike croaking I cannot divest "myself of the idea that there are a number of these whose only show of winning is oh the off chance of the best' half dozen horses tumbling down in the race or cracking up on the training ground. What show for instance! can -Ruby or Moana or Cruchfield or Beresford have of beating Gipsy King on their running at North Canterbury ? It is true that the distance was only a mile and a half and the weights ona considerably higher scale, bat-till they ran on comparatively the same-terms as they will meet at Riccarton on Tuesday, and what difference there is in weight., and distance 3 should consider all in favour of Mr O'Brien's colt. Gipsy King got as much the worst of a straggling start at Rangiora as Ruby had the best of it, and judging by the manner in which the'race' was won, I consider that neck victory was worth fully 51b.- or bib. at that scale of weights, and a good deal more than that the more the weights are reduced. Therefore in looking for the winner df the Cup, I must ignore the chances of those four, and as Regina : appears to-be more fitted for a four mile steeplechase than tbe task she' has undertaken here, I pass her by also. And so too, Lorraine, but owing to an accident, and not through inability on his part, for up to the last few days the colt was galloping as strong and well as anything on the course. Next as regards the champion two-year-olds of last season, Maxim and Sextant. For whatever races they start they cannot fail to be exceedingly dangerous, but then the question arises are they likely to start in the New Zealand Cup. The Metropolitan meeting is held on three consecutive days this year. There is no bye day as has usually been the case between Cup and Derby day, and as the owner of one of these colts has a Lochiel, and the owner of the other a Gipsy King, and a Hermitage to represent him in the big handicap, I cannot think that either owner would risk his chance of the blue ribbon by running him* a stale horse as against the other's fresh 'one. Good as both those colts are, they could neither of them win the New Zealand Cup without a lot being taken out of them, and if one started and not the other,he would meet that other at a considerable disadvantage next day in the Derby. To neither owner would the difference in the value of the two stakes be a matter of any importance as compared with the prestige which attaches to the winning of a Derby as compared to a mere handicap, and then there is a challenge stakes defeat to be avenged by one owner and a Champagne failure by the other. So in trying to spot the Cup winner I shall leave those two warriors out of my calculations, and as Torrent was never a favourite of mine, for other reasons than his diabolical temper, I shall drop him also, which leaves mc with the following half dozen:—

stlb stlb Nelsbn... ... 910 Hermitage ..*. 7* 7 Artillery ... 8 4 St. Clair ... 7 0 Lochiel ... 7 12 Gipsy King ... 7 0 Up till Friday last there was no horse on the course looking or doing' better than Artillery, and he has grown into a magnificent four-year-old, standing well on to Sixteen hands and a half, but so evenly shaped that he does not look the giant that he is until you stand beside him; but on that morning he overreached himself, and bruised his hoof so severely that he had to be relieved of all work for some days. The injury is only of quite a temporary nature, and there is every prospect of a speedy recovery, but the accident happening as it has just now, it cannot but materially affect his preparation. Except for this unfortunate accident I should have plumped straight out for Mr Butler's horse, and even now I think it would be unsafe to have him on the wrong side of one's book, but, under the circumstances, he must be left alone until viewed in the paddock. When the weights first appeared I mentioned St. Clair's name amongst the most likely dozen to furnish the winner. By Musket, from Pulchra, he must be admitted to be one of the most fashionably bred animals in New Zealand, and although on the small side, and anything but taking to the eye, he is a bad one to pull to pieces, in regard to his galloping powers. His only victory was when carrying a very light weight he romped home in front of a moderate field in the D.J.C. Handicap; but the way in which he did romp over his field was a caution to see. He has not yet arrived from Dunedin, and Until he puts in an appearance it is absurd to hazard an opinion on his chance of winning, but should he strip quite pink I think him a dangerous horse. I saw Lochiel in the stable one afternoon, last week and found him looking as well as his best friends could desire. Last year he carried 41b more than he is allotted now into third place behind Spade Guinea and. Nelson, but then White raced him in front from'the fall of the flag for something cy£r a mile, and as speed is credited as his forte rather than his staying powers, such tactics could not but be antagonistic to his chances. This yearhe has the advantage of M ason **V training, an advantage which cannot be too highly prized by his backers, and it is only reasonable to expect that he will be ridden with more judgment on this occasion. But it must not be forgotten that although Lochiel was third, still it was a =yery indifferent third, some ten lengths or so behind Nelson, and although his credentials are sufficiently good to warrant a plunge onhim for a place, I don't fancy him worth backing at tho very short odds on offer for a win. Hermitage has undergone a better and more careful preparation than he has ever been subjected to before, and if in the humour on the day, I shall look for him to surpass any of his previous performances. A sound five-year-old in first-class nick, who has occasionally shown really good form, cannot "be ignored with such a nwe racing weight as 7st 71b- Still for all t_at, his stable companion, 'Gipsy King, proved himself such a very high class horse as atwo-'year-old, and at North Canterbury showed himself so far superior to any horse he there met, that I prefer his chantee to that of Hermitage-: Nelson, although more or less lame, has been putting in some capital work lately, and seeing what a warrior he proved himself under a similar weight last year/arid under somewhat similar conditions as to unsoundness, I am inclined to tip him to win the Cup straight out, but shall content myself for the present with prophesying that whatever beats him will win it. Peradventure Gipsy King is the one that will execute that feat, and the other places may be fought out between Lochiel and Hermitage. Such are my present anticipations, but I shall indulge in some final tips in our daily issue on the morning of the race.

With the exception of tho two Selling races, for which there are only five and three horses entered respectively, the other nominations for the Metropolitan meeting are satisfactory.

The weights for the Hurdle race Rie™™. ton Welter, Selling Plate anT_rSo_ Stakes handicaps were Issued on Wedne. day morning and wIM be found in anot___ column. The acceptances for these «__ due on Saturday evening. ._ T _ ,e ,_ aC i ng at ** orfch Canterbury showed that Mr Gresson's judgment was not in fault when adjusting the weights for th* handicaps. The Open Hurdle R_ce resulted In a dead heat between Mammoo and Isaac, and the District Hui_l_g ia the favourite going down before a rank outsider.. The Cup, in spite of a some, what straggling start, proved a very in. teresting race, tho two first favourites being beaten by Gipsy King, who, it fa quite on on the cards, may prove" as good a three-year-old) ;as either Maxim or Sextant, i .?

Amongst other" items from the "other side " I might mention that A. Drake baa lost his pony Nap-a-Nap, who died after a hard drive one afternoon lately.

1 hear that Vanguard changed haudg during the past week, and the buyer had_rare bargain in the handsome N.Z. Cup winner at -OOgs. It is to be hoped Van* guard will remain in Canterbury, but Anitralian gold is a strong incentive to owners here to part with their best horses.

My Napier correspondent writes :—" Thj Napier Park Racing Club drew up the, programme for their New Year's meeting last night, and although the value of the stakes shows a slight falling off as compared with previous occasions, there are one or two plums worthy of the considers, tion at 'our racing men. The programme consists of seven events, and the money given* will be £8)0. For the New Yea. Handicap, £175wUl_etheprtee,£75isgiv__ for a hurdle, £70 for a flying, £50 for a mile anda quarter even, and £40 each for a selling and a consolation. The Petanc R.C. have secured a sufficient number of nominations to render their meeting a success, if the various owners are at aU satisfied with the weights allotted by Mr Danvers. For the Valley Stakes, there are seven entered, nine are nominated for the Ladies Gift Handicap, while eleven are attracted by the value of the Beach Hand", cap. ■