SPORTING NOTES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4455, 7 November 1885, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

(By llii'vo.) Should next Monday be fine, thero should be a good gathering of tho sporting public at tho Petane races. Tho distance is only a short one from town, and the place is a favorite resort for holiday makers, irrospectivo of racing, but with this extra excitement wo may expect to sec a goodly crowd on host Villiers' estate on Monday. The acceptances for the handicaps havo been poor, with tho exception of the Hurdles, for which only threo horses havo dropped out. For trio Petane Cup, 100 soys., only four have accepted out of ten nominated. For the Prince of Wales' Stakes, f mile, of 50 soys., only two have accepted out of nine nominated, and for tho Breakwater Handicap five havo paid up out of eight. The Maiden Plato has received eight entries, and this should bo the best race of tho meeting. Besides these events thero uro two hack races on the programme. When will thoso who draw up racing programmes take my advice and do away with hack races, and adopt Scurry Selling Races open to all horses, and so do away with disputes, protests, and swindles ? To givo one instance of the folly of having hack races as at present carried out, I may mention that I was assured by a reliable authority tho other day that tho horse who has been running under the name of Alma is really a horse of the name of Novice, who has run for races that disqualify him from running as a hack. If this bo true, other horses may havo done, or might do, the same thing again. I have for some time past hoard that thero was a mystery about this Ahua, who was at one timo represented as being the Wanganui Derby candidate of that name who ran iv 1884, but his age proved that to bo a mistake.

I have been requested to call attention to the daugerous obstacles placed on the training trick. These obstructions are put there for tho purpose of keeping horses off tho trial gallop, which has recently been mado. Thero is no doubt but what they are dangerous. It was only the other morning that Mr Dennett's young horse Silcnco ran off tho training truck and on to one of these obstructions, and there was neatly being a serious accident to both rider and horse.

Next, week tho great racing carnival of Canterbury takes placo. On Tuesday tho chief event will be the New Zealand Cup, On Thursday the Derby Stakes will be run, and the Canterbury Cup on Friday. Pearl Soudan, Bonny Blink, Director, and Macaroni will bo the only horses running there that will'represent "this place. The final payments for the N.Z. Cup and Derby are duo this evening. Up to the present time seventeen horses remain in tho N.Z. Cup, ten in tho Derby, and ten in tho Canterbury Cup. For tlio N.Z. Cup I like nothing better than Administrator, at Bsfc lib, a weight, he is well muster of. For the Derby 1 should pick Stoneyhurst orFusilado, and for the Canterbury Cup, Tubman and Black Rose.

My tips far the Petano races are .-—For the Maiden Plate, Silence (the Mute-Mario Antoinette gelding) 1, The Anew 2, Rifleman 3 ; for tho Hurdles, Denbigh 1, Fuugh-a-ballugb 2, Assegai 3 ; Petane Cup, Waitiri 1, Hcreulaneum 2. Flemington 3 ; Prince of Wales .Stakes, Christina 1, New York 2 ; Napier Breakwater Handicap, Salisbury 1, Christina 2, The Arrow 3. By tho N.Z. Referee I see that tho N.Z. Stud Company cabled to Messrs AVuatherby in Englund to endeavor to purchase Musket's full brother Bay Archer, who is located in France. They received a reply to tho effect that tho French government, whose property ho is, did not wish to part with him. Thero is a good deal of speculation about tho Hack Flat Raco to be run at Petane, when iv all probability Curlew and Orwell will meet with lOst up. Curlew bent Orwell, but at catch weights tho opinion is that Orwell will have his revenge. I sue that for tho Breakwater Handicap Aimeo did not appear when the lists of weights were published, but she is in tho lists'of acceptances. I have since seen a card of the races, and she is thero with 6st Hubs.

Herculancum and Gipsy arrived from Gisborno this morning. Tho first race at Petano on Monday starts at 12 o'clock.