WELLINGTON

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9160, 18 July 1895, Page 2

WELLINGTON

July 8. Mr Yuile having returned from Napier, reports that several horses have been backed for the New Zealand Cup. Irish Twist was backed by his owner for £1200 at 7s. North Atlantic was backed for all the money obtainable by the stable at 109 to 6. He afterwards received stable support at 100 to 8 and 9, and Skirmisher and Magazine both received support at 100 to 7. Pending the appearance of the weights for the Grand National Meeting there is little doing, the favourite picks being Kulnine and Bernardo and Norton and Barnardo. The United Hunt Club shonld have a

capital meeting en Saturday next (13th), the last of the season. Tiie nominations received are very satisfactory. Mr Henry's handicap*, appeared o.i Thursday last (.th), aad having seen the ravjoricy of the horsas perform at diff.re.'ic meeting? r-c*_rly should be able io satisfy most of the owners. Acceptances are not due till Wednesday next (10th). Taking the events in their order on the card I fancy the following will run prominently :— Maiden Stet-pl-chase—Wangamoana or M.zel; Open Hurdles—Hopeful or Sedition; Hunt Cub Cup—Cyrus or Lascar ; Open Steeplechase—Austral or Dromedary; Ladies' Bracelet — Fly wheel or M-iliuecr ; Hic_ Handicap — Slaiden or Voltaire; Hunter's' Hurdles—Mutineer or Tally-Ho. Booties has failed to win a race this season, but i<* top weight at the Hutt, giving away weight to a number of winners. He has ruu consistently bat uulueljilr all through, and Mr Henry's opiuion, that he is the best of the horses entered, may be a correct one, and so I think.- He finished third at Hastings and Napier Park and second at Wanganui and Egmont. Hf will be ridden by Mr W. J. Taggart, who knows the country well and will have to carry no dead weight. Still, I do not believe in amateur horsemen competing against professionals, and there will be more of the latter class on the ground than will find employment. Gillett, who generally rides Booties, willhavethe mount on Conscript, a five year old gelding by Volunteer, owned by Mr R. E. M'Rae, who won the Hurdles at Otaki on Queen's Birthday. Volunteer has sired some good jumpers, Whalebone, Booties, Rambler and Conscript among them. There will probably be more than one amateur horseman riding in the race.

Mr P. Butler ia very popular in Hawke's Bay, and previous to last week he had not been present with a jumper since ISS6, when he journeyed up with Faugh-a-Bal-lagb, and Denbigh won. He was also present the previous year with Silver Bang, a grey gelding, who competed unsuccessfully in the Maiden aud Consolation Steeplechases and Ladies' Bracelet. There was a trotting event on the programme in those days, which Mr Butler won with Daisy, riding her himself and DUttingdown the Wanganui and Hawke's bay rep_, D„rkin and Nellie. Since then Mr Butler has visited Hawke's Bay occasionally with some coed Hat racers, including Mauton, Crackshot and Crown Jewel.

It. is thought some ot ihe " portmanteau " jockeys will experience considerable diffieilty in getting their licenses renewed on August Ist.

A number of horses are entered for both the Hurdle and S.eeplecho.se events at the Hutt, between which there is only one race. At Napier recently the flrat and second horses in one event were those who had failed over a longer distance earlier in the day. At the last Wellington R.C. Meeting; Dromedary ran in the Hurdles and then came oub and ran third in the S eeplechase. In ISS9 Panic ran second in the Hurdles and third ia the Steeplechase.