SPORTING ITEMS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9128, 12 June 1895, Page 2

SPORTING ITEMS.

" Weekly Press and Referee."

THE .RACING SEASON OF 1894-5.

RETROSPECTIVE GLANCES.

(By Spectator.

in. The Kurow Jockey Club's Annual Meetlog was not remarkable for big fields, and only one decent dividend was paid out, and that was in the District Hack Selling Race, when old Windsor went down before Sailor Boy and Qaamby. Exile won the chief race from Le Roi 11., bat was later on beaten by Molly Darling in the Jockey Club Handicap, Van Buren, who had previously won the Counties' Handicap, being third. Le Roi 11. won the Consolation, paying the small dividend of £1 Iβ. The Alexandra (Otago) J.C. Meeting followed, The Last winning the principal event from Melton and two others. Emperor and Derby competed there unsuccessfully. At the Plumpton Park Meeting the disappointing Scrath Braan won the Maiden very easily from Rangefinder, Pepka, St. Louis, Bowshot, and Miss Madge. His half brother, Magazine, beat Goodwood, his solitary opponent, in the Spring Handicap, who afterwards beat Lady Lear, Reflector, Lord of Misrule, Abel Tasmau, Amlleur, and Strath Braan in the Flying Handicap. Alcestis ran away from Pop'em, Flying Artillery, Cannon Ball, and St. John in the Kindergarten Stakes, and Chaos, Wedlock, and Frenchy filled the places, beating seven others, in the Hack Race. The meeting was fairly well attended, and resulted in a small profit to the Club.

At the Napier Park R.C.'e Spring Meet ine Hopeful showed that hie Rangitikei running was true by bsating ten others in the Trial Hurdle Race, The Barbarian and Austral being hia nearest attendants. Focus, a iiehtly-weighted one, was the greatest outsider in the Criterion Handicap, and by putting down Prairie Grass and Goosander, who were about equally backed. Cyru», Ua, Poinaettia, Meteoro and Waitress, effected a surprise, backers receiving £21 4s for each £1 invested. Weatmere was made first favourite for the Pμrk Stakes Handicap, and next in demand came Purepo, but Golden Plover, who was receiving 141b from Westmere and lib from Purepo, beat this pair, who ran a dead heat for second place, cleverly. North Atlantic, who carried 7st 121b, Monte Carlo, Scot Free, Leontine, Marino, and Planet also ran. Melinite beat T Rose, Rosclus, Kapua, Chatterbox, Dainty, Trickey Jack and Worth in the Hurdle Race, and Orion's Belt easily won the Sapling Stakes from Wikitoria, Film and Dissenter. The Railway Handicap fell to Mabakl, who put down The Shrew, Orion, Zaneila, Allan-a-dale, Tartan and Aphony. In this race he carried 7«st 6lb and was made first favourite. Prairie Grase had Prlnee Charlie, Spindrift, Lorelei, Rayfeldt, Vasco, Rainbow and Moiena behind him in the Ahuriri Handicap, in which he was favourite.

Hopeful again scored over the little •ticks, winning the Second Trial Hurdle Race, The Barbarian, as on the first day, following him home. North Atlantic had a weak and small field to oppose him in the Corinthian Handicap, for which he was favourite, and he won comfortably. After a good race with Mahaki. who was a biff favourite, Golden Plover just squeezed home in the Racing Club Handicap, giving 71b to the Gisborne representative. Leontine was third. Wettmere wm handicapped to give weight to everything in the race, 01b to Golden Plover, and 151b to Mahaki, and he, Scot Free, Purepo, Blarney, Nixie, Brigand, Princess May and Marino were the other runners. Mahaki later in the day won the Grand Stand Handicap from Princess May, Scot Free and others. Melinite won the Second Handicap Hurdle Race, T Rose again being second. Film appropriated the Juvenile Stakes, and Prince Charlie in a measure compensated hie native owner for previous defeats by winning the Telephone Handicap, in which Spindrift was runner up.

The North Otago Jockey Club's Spring Meeting was one of the most successful that clob has held for some time. Tht weather was fine, the attendance good, and speculation during the two days fell only a little short of the previous year. Rebel beat Freeborn, Sweep, Invader, Moonlight and Nenthorn in the Hurdle Race, but Nenthorn and Moonlight, who met with mishaps, ueib day finished in front of Rebel in the order named. Sunrise won for his new owner, Mr M. Hobbs, the Maiden Plate, beating Claremont, Kaiser and Lady Spencer. The Spring Handicap was won by Captive, Lidy Zetland, Dilemma, Aqualate, Casket and Victim finishing behind him, the two former making a slashing race. Speculator landed the ftedcastle Handicap, beatlog Brin, Maribyrnong, Mariner and Paramo, and next day bad behind him in the Welter Handicap Sunrise, Reflection, Brin, Hydroline, Claremont and Macduff. ▲ldershot also won a double, for after running second in the Flying Handicap to Victim he won the President's and Farewell Handicaps. In the Flying Handicap Rangiatea finished third, Lord Zetland, Paranau, Jess, Langley and Rancour being the starters. In the President's Handicap Casket and Victim were Aldershot'e nearest attendants, Rangiatea and Lord Zetland being the beaten off ones. In the Farewell Handicap The Changeling, Mariner and Maribyrnong were those defeated by Foui Shot's eon, and of these The Changeling had previously won the Novel Handicap. Mount Royal polled off the Waitakl Plate, beating Victim, Reflection, Jeas, Paramu, I<angley, Brin, Rmcor and Lady Spencer. The Hack Selling Race fell to Trixie, Langley and Count d' Orsay filling the placea.

There was nothing very striking about the Cromwell Tradesmen's Meeting, at which Caliph won the Hack Selling, Emmason the District Race, Kiwi the Stewards' Purse, which was the chief event, Kildare the five furlon flutter and Pnnluce the Shorts Handle p. The two days' Spring Meeting of the Poverty Bay Turf Club resulted well, the fields being good and the totalisator investments satisfactory. Mabaki was onl> seen out on the first day, and won the two ltariing •vents, the Spring Handjcap, -of lOOsovs, in which St. Kilda; giving him 231bs, was second, and the Flying Handicap, in which Ths,shjtrper, in receipt of 33Jbs. tee fiftH to a head. Virago won the Maiden, Hoptnarket, who afterwards won the Hack Handicap from a field of nine, running second. The Turk, who had previously won the Hack Hurdle Race, was second in that race, Virago, who was made a- big favourite, being unplaced. Orizaba beat twelve others in the Maiden Scurry. Porirua got home first in The Shorts, and New Year created a surprise by winning the Hurdle Race from Beauiy, Dainty, and four others, including Disturbance and Worth, who were unplaced, but who next day finished in tbe order named in front of New Year. Wool Queen pulled off the Post Stakes, beating six other runners, and Samoa, receiving no less than 351b from St. Kilda, beat that horse Jβ the Makaraka Handicap, of lOOaovs, Hopmarket, Poinsettia, Pekapu, and Avis finishing behind the pair. Bacchus put down Success, Duncan Grey, and Freeny in the Disposal Handicap, and St. Eilda got a well deserved win in the Waikanae Handicap, but The Sharper, who had oolb pull in the weights, would have received the stake but for crossing the Auckland flyer. Lord Raven finished up by winning the Forced Handicap from Disturbance, Samoa, Hopmarker, and A vie. The Mm of £3811 was pasted through the

totalisators, and good dividends were returned on most of the winners. The Ohoka and Eyreton J.C. Annual Meeting was held in good weather, Goodwood, after a capital race, baatinje Gaorgie Sharp in the Cup, Lard of Misrule being third. Foresight, War Dance and Report beaten off. Minerva beat Thorpe, Black Hawk and Solano in the Hurdle Race, and Minnie 11,, with only a solitary investor on her, landed the District Rice cleverly, her backer receiving: the pool, £W 12s. Mainitay, Contractor. Silver Spec and three others started. Home Rule won the Selling Race; Georgie Sharp put down Reflector, Foresight, Lord of Misrule, and six others in the Flying, and Silver Spec won her first race by pulling off the District Welter. £127510 a wa3 passed through the totalisator. The Wanganui J. C. Spring Meeting opened with a most interesting contest, Golden Plover running a dead beat with Johnny Faa in the Spring Handicap, Pihanga finishing third, Reynard. Lebel, King John (who was second favourite), Cyrus and Kalmea making up the field. Blarney was sent to the poss a decided favourite for the long established Derby, and Mr Rattibone's gelding beat Mr Douglas , Marino, Sir George Clifford's Teredina, The Friar and King's Bowman, winning by a length from the Maorinamed one. Oakland* was the favourite in the first Handicap Hurdle Race, but he could only gat third to Melinite and Bonovoree, Kapua, Sunbeam and Nanakia being the other starters. Strike beat Rangipai (seeoad favourite), Lady Clare, Tramore the favourite),Lisetta,The Dean and Result in the First Handicap Hack Hurdle Race. Sedcion, in receipt of 37ib from Awarua, finished in front of that gelding. Te Ari, and Perjurer in the Hunters' Hurdle Race, and Irish Twist easily settled the pretensions of Roll Call, Buckler (who was a more heavily-backed one) and nine other fair hack performers, in the Hack Race; and Sylvia Park, who was making his first appearance outside the hack ranks, beat Rosefeldt, Purepo, St. Laura, Prestige, Stranger, Epilogue and Chatterbox, all previous winners, in the Flying Handicap.

Johnny Faa was again to the fore, winning the Owen Stakes on the second day from Lebel, Plhanga, Reynard, King John and Cyrus, and though he only got home by a neck his victory was generally anticipated, as also was chat of Melinite, who easily defeated Kapua, giving that gelding 141b in the Second Open Hurdle Race. Sunbeam, Oiklands, Bonovoree, Nanakia, and Sultan's and Prime Warden's full brother, Murat, started, the lastnamed at odds of 200 to 1. Rangipai made amende for her defeat on the first day by beating Tramore Lady Clare, Strike and Result in the Second Hack Hurdle Rice. PureDo was less fancied than Rosefeldt, Golden Plover and Musket ia the Wanganui Stakes, the last names being the actual favourite. Monte Carlo and Marino also started, but Purepo won comfortably from Rosefaldt. Oα the strength of his easy win on the first day, Irish Twist was made an odds on favourite for the Second Hack Flatßuce, but he and half the others got away and ran over the course, the popular selection coming in first. The starter, however, declared it "no start, , ' and on the next attempt all got off, Dummy beating Roll Call, who was well backed, and Nile, who was an outeider, Irish Twiet, with nine others, being amongst the unplaced division. Karamea put down Epilogue. St. Laura, Reynard and Prestige in the Mirangai Stakes, and Monte Carlo, the least backed, finished in front of Pihanga, Musket, Lebel and King's Bevrman in the Consolation. £7200 was passed through the tot alia* tor a during the two days.

The Pakurang* Hunt Club's Annual Race Meeting, like many that preceded it, was a success, though some of the fields, particularly so in the members' races, were smalL Warrior beet Belmont, Derry and Magpie in the Opta Hurdle Race. Master Pat beat Lady Marion, Annaballe, Ida, First Nelson, Grenadier, Lieutenant and Cleopatra in the Open Flat Handicap; and Malabar, ridden by Mr T. Halstead, who has won the race several times, had an easy win in the Pakuranga Hunt Club Cup from Clarine and Molly Hawk. The latter fell, but afterwards easily defeated Nap and Rabelais in the Members' Handicap Hurdle Race. Cupid beat a field of eight in the Pony Rice. Linstock had behind him Grenadier, Master Pat, and nine others in the Open Flying Handicap. Plateh landed the Tally-ho Steeplechase from five opponents; and D;coy scored in the Ladies' Bracelet. £2693 was passed through the totalisators.

The first meeting held by the Eitham Hack Racing Club drew together a lot of horses, and the gathering passed off fairly well. The chief race, of lOOsovs, saw Irish Twist go out a strong favourite, but Itch and Pyroxylin (who had previously won the Flying from Goldenlock and Dummy) both lowered his colours, and the good dividend of £13 163 fell to backers of the former, who won. The other starters were Jacobite, Docility and Buckley. Kiora won. the Hack Hurdle Race from Karewa, Snapcap, Clayton and Rex. Storm King, Australian and Juanita were placed In order in the Maiden Plate, a weight-for-age event, tn which thirteen others ran. Conscript beat four othera in the Farmers' Plate. Golecn bad seventeen followers at the finish of the Scurry, and Clayton won the Forced Handicap from a field of seyen. £2059 wa* passed through the totalisator.

This brings mc down to the Spring Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, which will be3t be left for discussion till next week.