SPORTING ITEMS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9361, 10 March 1896, Page 3

SPORTING ITEMS.

" Weekly Press and Referee." „ " SPECTATOR " IN THE NORTH. I would take Le Grand to make one of the most useful hurdle horses I have seen on the coast. He has more pace than most of the hack hurdlers, and is gaining confidence at his jumps. On the second day of the Manawatu Meeting he showed to better advantage than on the first, and perhaps the shorter course was in his favour. The increased weight told a tale on Barman, who, however, is rather a useful sort. Electress is not a big one, but, like her sire, Ahua, she can jump. Leander may make a fair horse. He is by Nabator from the dam of Marquis of Tewkesbary—Queen Margaret. Electress's dam must have been twentj'-three years old, at the very least, when she produced to Ahua, as Peter Mat; her sire, has been dead nearly thirty years. I wonder if there are any Peter Flat mares still alive.

Amongst the hack flat racers at Manawatu there was nothing really first class. First Result, who carried top weight on the first day, was made favourite, but was too aore for ! such hard going. Slumber, who was not supported for any money to speak of, and who ran unplaced, was backed up in rather a surprising manner for her second engagement. She is a rather fine sort. She showed much improvement on previous running by fighting out a finish with Disraeli '■ and Bona Fide. An enquiry, instituted at the instance of the owner of Disraeli, with whom Slumber ran a dead heat, resulted in the objection being disallowed. Disraeli was put up to auction after the race and bought in by Mr Livingstone on behalf of the owner, but was afterwards sold privately to J. Taggart, who rode Gladstone, and Taggart thinks that he can make a jumper of Disraeli. He is the right cut for hmdle racing. Opai, who won the first Hack Race, is by Somnus from the dam of Strephon, Uranus and other jumping performers, and should make a fair one over obstacles when put at that game. Two hoises that have improved a good deal of late are Lotion and Acone. Lotion shows more quality than he did last year and must not be underrated. He is fast and can stay well enough, too. Acone has always been looked upon as a sprinter, and short courses may be most to his liking. Indeed the first mile race he ran in was the Farewell Handicap at New Plymouth, which he won, and the Autumn Handicap at Manawatu was his first run over a mile and a quarter. This fie won. some people think, easily, and perhaps he did win with a little to spare, but he had to be ridden hard down the straight, and might have had to be punished all the way down the running had not Connop's stirrup leather given way. Those who have seen Lotion race thought it was all over when the son of Sou' Wester got on terms -with the Aucklander, and I thought so myself. It was a pity that Connop's stirrup leather gave way and that Davis' saddle got twisted slightly, otherwise I fancy that there would have been a more brilliant struggle. I may add that Swift and Lotion, runners up in the chief handicaps at Manawatn, are bred from half sisters to the grand national hero and hurdle horse Chemist; and no wonder they are composed of good stuff. Flying Shot surprised many by the way he struggled to the end of the mile and a quarter; indeed he shaped so well that he has in a measure dispelled the idea that he cannot stay. I fancy that his condition can be improved yet, and with judicious racing he will run into form. D. Chapman shewed good judgment in notsending Pom Pom out a second time at the meeting. The going was very hard for a good way down the straight, and rough as welL

The returns over the Manawatu Club's meeting were not completed when I left Palmerston North, but it is thought that there will be a fair profit over the two days , racing, though the totalisator turnover was less than last year. % 9Rm ewaw of Strath Sraan was asked to,

put a price on that horse and did so, stipulating to give delivery after the Autumn Handicap on the second day, in which the son ox Apremont was beaten out of a place. No business was done. Ngatuere was backed in the right quarter for the Autumn Handicap and also for the Wanganui Cup. The going really settled his chance in the former, and he was one of the first beaten in that race, but he subsequently won the Consolation, beating three moderates, to whom he was conceding a lot of weight and a year. He did not win without a struggle, but had to be ridden hard to within the distance. Whether Acone was backed by his connections I did not hear. He was not with the bookmakers on the course I know. The pencilleis considered discretion the better part of valour, and obeyed the mandate of the club by refraining from laying totalisator odds. Some of the Stewards of the club departed from their old-established rule b} r having small investments in some of the events. ' First Sight, by Tim WhitHer from Flying Shot's dam, has plenty of pace and jumps hurdles well. Hurdle racing should be his game. Epsom will be retired from racing after the Wanganui Meeting. Cleave, who ran in the First Hack Hurdle Race at the Manawatu Meeting, is by the expatriated Clieveden, brother to Chester and St. George, and was bred in New South Wales. He has been long enough in the colony to become acclimatised, but wants building up a good deal, when he may make a fair horse, but he is not nearly what he can be made. Mr A. Tatham some time ago purchased Mr Hunter's grey Nordenfeldt filly Tartan, who last week succumbed to injuries received from a stake running into the fleshy part of her thigh. After the wood had been removed from her leg, it was thought that she would recover, but she must have died in great agony, as during the night she got her box door open and struggled about outside, where she was found dead. A fortnight since I stated that Irish Twist was to be put into work. It has since been reported that the gelding has been working on the tracks hereabout, but as a matter of fact, he has not yet been taken out of the paddock. The Wellington R.C.s Secretary, Mr H. M. Lyon, and Mr Ames are doing a trip up the Wanganui river.