BY "Hermit."

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7260, 21 January 1889, Page 2

BY "Hermit."

x This has been a very dull week amongst racing men. P. Butler and D. O'Brien returned on Tuesday from their northern trip. Butler's colt Manton is recovering from the combined ill effects of a cold and his fall in the Auckland Cup race. With the exception of a small sear on his head the brown son of Musket appears but little the worse. He will not, I understand, be taken to Wellington bat will be reserved for the Danedin meeting. My Danedin correspondent telegraphs as ftjllows on Wednesday night >—The mairiro Jockey Club have arranged for an Autumn Race Meeting on March 18th, with something over J&0O to be given away in stakes. Very good nominations have been received for the Tuapeka Races, over 100 entries being sent in for the principal and among the names are Victory, Crossbow. Monloag. La Rose, Mazurka, Trapper, Garibaldi, Moss Rose, Dunluce, and Porget-me-noL Mr Stead's yearlings appear to rain admirers every time they are seen. The Locket colt towers above his companions, and perhaps looks more like speed than staying. Tbe Roearina young one should make a useful «m»m^.

There is very little work doing in the morning at Ricearton; Dan O'Brien's team, are going along steadily, bot the Hob. W. Robinson's lot are not extended, with the exception of Merrte England, who is doing a fair share of galloping. Cutts* bases look fairly well, Dudu having come on rapidly, and the mare mnstbe dangerous either: at Wellington or at Dunedin, in whichever place she may be shipped to. Ravenswing is also in good heart, but Cynisea is hardly herself. , Ravenswing is scratched , for the Xtanedin Cup, , ; -• Beresford has been scratched lor the Cap* Basateysod fortes Pnblicans' Handicap.

Son-of-»-Gun.is scratched for all engagements at the Dunedin Meeting. Little Scrub and British Lion were scratched on January 15th for all engagements at the Wellington Summer Meet-

ll> Southland correspondent writes :— •♦The Southland Amateur Turf Club hold their annual races on the 13th February. The programme has been issued, and comprises seven events altogether; the Birchwood steeplechase of 25 soys, and the Hunt Club Cup of the same amount being the principal, items. I notice also that the acceptances for the Gore races on the 22nd inst. are advertised, and given fine ■weather the public should have a splendid afternoon's sport—that is if the number of entries is any thing to go by. Chic has arrived safely in Sydney. Surely she will not go under the 14.2 standard. *■ ' .

My Napier correspondent writes as follows i— " It is reported that several purchases were made at the late sale of the New Zealand Stud Company's yearlingson behalf of Mr J.D. Ormond,M. H.R., who. intends taking an active interest in turf matters. Should tbe rumour prove to be founded ou fact, this new, and I may say, unexpected accession to the ranks of our local horse-owners will be hailed with delight by sporting men throughout the colony, for backers can rest assured that when Mr Ormond's colours are seen ou the course they will have a straight run for their money. "The nominations received by the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club for the Cup and Railway Stakes are pretty well up to the average of former years, while the quality of tbe animals engaged is excellent. For the Cup, 30 nominations have been received, 13 of which belong to the district, and for the Handicap, 26 have entered, the outsiders totalling 15. "Silence has been scratched for the Dunedin Cup, which is not to be wondered at considering the crashing weights, Bst 71b, at which he was handicapped. This horse appears to have been unfairly treated ror some time past, for handicappers have formed a higher opinion of his merits than his performances justify, and I have no doubt but bis owner would willingly dispose of him at a good deal lower figure than the estimate formed of him by Messrs J. O. Evett and Dowse. "The Napier Park Racing Club has decided to hold its Autumn Meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday the 26th and 27th March, and the Winter Meeting on Wednesday 26th June. The total amount of stakes offered for the Autumn meeting is £1135, the big event being the Napier Cup of £260. There is on the first day a Hurdle race of £100, Flying Handicap £100, Sapling Stakes (6 furlongs) £50, Hack race £30, Selling race £40, Pony race £25. On the secondday the City Stakes Handicap, distance one-and-a-quarter miles is the most valuable stake, being worth £200, while the Waverley Stakes Handicapof six furlongs is worth £100. A Pony race £25, Selling race £40, Hack race £40, and a Two-year-old Stakes of £50 complete the bill of fare. The Winter programme is as follows:—June Handicap, one-and-a-half miles, £70, Napier Steeplechase, 3 miles, £200, Hack Pony race £25, Winter Oats Handicap,- 7 furlongs, £60, Handicap Hurdles, 2 miles, £80/* Tbe yearling colt by St. Leger—Raupb< purchased at the recent Sylvia Park, sole on behalf of Mr H. Haines, was shipped td Melbourne from Auckland by the Waararapa on January 9th. Exchange is scratched for all engagements at the Dunedin Autumn Meeting, A meeting of the Kowai Pass Jockey Club was held at Mr Keane's Hotel on Monday last week. Mr Hugh Cassidy took the chair. The delay in laying the Club's! matters before the Committee was satisfactorily explained. The balance-sheet shows a credit of over £9, and about =£6 of realisable assets, and was adopted, Some very strong remarks were made, re-r garding the non-payment by several owners of their fees, and a unanimous opinion was expressed that if the out) standing amounts were not paid before January 31st the names should' be published as defaulters. The meeting was ot opinion that races should be held early in March, but no date was definitely fixed open pending the result of a general meeting to be held on the 21st inst. A vote ox thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings. "Augur "says:—That owners of horses can win more money in America than in Australia has more than once been demonstrated. Because Mr J. B. Haggin purchased from us two such, splendid specimens of the thoroughbred as Sir Modred and Darebin, the sporting men o{ Australia take some interest in his dolngg on the American turf. They will <b«* pleased to hear that during the past season his horses, won in stakes the hand* some sum of 125,666 doL, or over £25,000; yet it is questioned if it was a profitable year for hira, as he had nearly 70 horses in training, and his forfeits were enormous, amounting to over 22,000d0L at one meeting. This year he will reduce his stable considerably, and aS he will probably run the first of the SirModreds, Australians will watch the doings of the great New Zeai lander's stack with considerable interest. The biggest winner amongst Mr Haggin'S year was Firenzi, by Glenf elg from Florida, who won nearly £7,000 in stakes.