SPORT AND PASTIME The Turf.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 98, 22 October 1904, Page 14

SPORT AND PASTIME The Turf.

[By Lochiel.] RACING FIXTURES.. October 26 and 27— Gore Spring Meeting. October 27 and 28— Poverty Bay Turf Club's meeting. October 28 and 29 — Masterton Spring Meeting. November 5, 7, 9, and 12—Canterbury Jubilee Meeting. November 5, 9, and 12 — Auckland Spring Meeting. Despite the fact that. there was a falling off of £1451 in the totalisator investments at the first day's races of the Wellington Spring Meeting, compared with the corresponding day last year; the general results obtained were satisfactory. The elements were exceptionally kind in providing glorious weather, and the atendance was well up to the standard. The racing, taking it throughout, was interesting. In the big event Submarine was the only withdrawal^ leaving eleven to dispute the prize, these tho much-t.alked-of Mahutonga was looked upon as "the correct thing" by the majority of speculators, Madrigal, Convoy, and Heroism being next on ..he list. But that uncertainty which is peculiar to racing happened, and furnished the surprise of the day. Tercelet was the rock on which a confident public became stranded. The gelding, who is by Clanranald out of Teredina, had not been heard of since the Marlborough Meeting, prior to which he annexed the Nelson Cup, and when he started on Thursday he was only supported tp the extent of 47 tickets out of 1367.! At the start of the race he quickly jumped into first place. There he remained. Loch time showed an affection for his company, followed him closely for a couple of furlongs, and then subsided. Shrapnel Shell, Ghoorka, and Madrigal also in turn essayed to wear him down, with, no better result. It was just at this time that the public, or that portion of it not interested in the forty-seven tickets, began to look troubled, and its anxiety increased when Mahutonga's challenge towards the end of the journey failed to lessen the lead. His victory was acclaimed in many quarters, mingled with cries of "Mahutonga." But the sturdy Tercelet was in winning -vein, and encouraged by his rider (A. Oliver), he passed the post with a little over a length in hand. It was a fine race, pluckily run. Mahutonga's performance was also a game one. The Quilt gelding, who looked to be in first-class form, was in a handy position in the early Eart of the* race, and when called upon c answered well. Either the going, " which is a trifle holding in places, troubled him at the latter end, or he held .Tercelet < too easily. Of the other New Zealand Cup horses engaged, Convoy made the best display. He finished third, after • running a good race. Ghoorka, Full Cry, and Madrigal were among the last division to finsh. Loch Erne stood out prominently in the first stages of the journey, and was fifth past the post. Previous winners of the race include Cruciform, Cannie Chief, Tor tulla, Explosion, Cour de Lion, Target, Armilla 1 , The Miser, Senator, and Dreamland.

Miss King and Westguard were withdrawn from the October Hurdle Handicap, leaving Killarney, Defoe, and Jeanne D'Albret to contest the race. The top weight managed to score without being seriously inconvenienced. Defoe fenced well, but the vanguard horse had too much pace. In the Wainui Handicap nine were sent out, Lass o* Gorwie being the only absentee. Kaharoa carried the most money, Bounce and Blazer being the next on the list. Bounce showed the greatest celerity in getting away, but his possession of the position was soon dispute dby Quickfire, who led the field for some distance at a merry pace. Blazer asserted himself in the straight, and won an excellent race by just under a length. The performance was ful lof merit. Kaharoa seemed to lose ground at an important stage of the proceedings, and was apparently full of running when he pulled up. Regulation finished fourm. The scratching of Canticle and Kiauku left nine to contest the Nursery Handicap. The three horses that impressed the onlooker as they did their preliminary were Boomerang, Mtritifid, and Medallist. The first-named is a particularly nice looking colt, and he appeared to be in splendid fettle. Out of 924 tickets on the machine he carried 251, Medallist being entrusted with 150, and Marguerite, who seemed to have a good deal of condition, 147. Olivette was the last to get away from the tapes, and she never made up the lost ground. Boomerang quickly took charge of affairs, and he won in a comparatively easy manner. There were several lengths between Medallist and Multrfid, the second and third horses, Mr. Prosser's filly Margue- • rite finishing fourth. Ballarat, Matuku, Gold Crown, and The Stake did not start in the Shorts Handicap, in which ...race there was a field of seven. Mr. . Patterson's filly Solution, by Soult out • of Problem, impressed the public most, ' and the confidence placed in her was rewarded. She is a capital starter, and on Thursday she got away with a great rush. Starshoot did not impress spectators with his performance, and was not proraiaent at the conclusion of tho race. The second and third places were filled by Bounce and Gold Dredge.

The hack events furnished' some of the most interesting racing during the day. In the Rimutaka Handicap there were fifteen starters, including Joe Chamberlain and Flamen, both of whom should be seen in another class shortly. The latter was a particularly strong order for the race on Thursday. He was ridden by C. Jenkins, and at the business end of the journey the colt responded to the call with great dash, finishing a good race with something in hand. St. Winifred, who secured second money, also came out of the ordeal well, but Joe Chamberlain was not conspicuous. In the last race speculators voted pretty solidly for Chivalry, the top weight, and _he never left the result in doubt, winning from end to end. Laertes ran a good second, and Coxswain third.

The Caulfield Cup invariably results in a surprise, and this year's event was no exception to the rule. True, Murmur, the winner, was not a long priced horse 8 to 1 he was quoted at before the race started — but with Gladsome and Demaa in the contest, it seemed to be generally accepted tbafc their chances of Becuring the prize were, decidedly robust. Neither of them, however, succeeded in getting a place, though the New Zealand bred mare apparently ran an excellent race. As a three-year-old Murmur won a mile and a half event in Tasmania, but as the time was slow the Arsenal gelding was regarded as a mere sprinter. Just before last Saturday's Cup he was heavily backed, and his connections evidently regarded the journey as being one to his liking — a confidence that has been •well rewarded. The horse comes of fairly good stock. His sire was a stayer, and included in his achievements a Melbourne Cup. Murmur won the Entally Stakes as a two-year-old* and nest season

scored in the following events:—Scottsdale Cup, 7.7, one mile and a half ; Longford Flying Stakes, 7.10, five furlongs; Tasmanian Turf Club Flying Stakes, 8.4, six furlongs ; Tasmanian Turf Club Farewell Handicap, 8.11, five furlongs ; Tasmanian Turf Club Autumn Handicap, 8.13, six furlongs, and Oaklands H. C. Dunhelen Handicap, 8.1, five furlongs. Last season he was purchased by his present owner (Mr. J. \Vren), and immediately won the V. A. T.C. Moonga Handicap, 7.2, five furlongs. In the present season he scored in the Balaclava Stakes, 7.7, one mile, defeating Blinker and MacDonovan, to whom he ran third on the concluding day of the meeting. One the 3rd September he defeated Billali, Rescued, and Sojourner in the Heatherlie Handicap, one mile and a furlong, over which distance he carried 8.6. He carried 6.12 in the Caulfield Cup, and has been allotted a similar weight (exclusive of penalties) in the Melbourne Cup.

At first blush, remarks "Terlinga" in the Australasian, Canteen looks like a fair thing for the Melbourne Cup, but his New Zealand form doe? not make him out a bib better than Wairiki at the weights, and as a rule, horses do not improve from five to six years. Canteen is a beautiful horse, with the most perfect action, and he looks Hire staying for ever. Whether his gallop last week was a record for once round "the sand" does not matter. Times are deceptive. Twenty years ago old-timers at Flemington used to tell me Timothy held the record with 2min 26sec. He was a nice little horse, who ran the third with a light weight to Briseis and Sybil in the Melbourne Cup of 1876, bub he was a long way from a good one. Probably he kept close to the edge of the track, and it may have been the same with Canteen. Then, again, these records are deceptive for another reason. The watchers do not see all the gallops. .Before she went up to Sydney for the Sydney Cup she won, Wakeful knocked seconds off the record for a mile and a half on the. tan, but no one saw it. And a gallop done by Diffidence at Flemington before she won the Sydney Cup never gob into the papers. Even if the ■ gallops are seen, the onlookers know nothing about weights and shoes. If Canteen did not carry more on his feet than Mr. Stead's horses do in their gallops at Randwick, there would be nothing extraordinary in his getting round the sand track in 2min 26£ sec, or even 2min 25£ sec, as some people made it. One second, by the bye, makes a decided difference. Canteen, on his public form, however, must be given a great show for the Melbourne Cup, now that it is •evident he is well. He is always, I am told, a nasty, "muley" horse at the post, and on Saturday he losb a lot of ground.

The payments made last night for the New Zealand Cup have resulted in the wnudrawal of twenty -three horses, leaving at the present time a field of thirteen to contest the two thousand pound prize. Included in those who have dropped out are the three top weights— Achilles, Nonette, and Martian — and this fact naturally narrows interest in the race. Mr. Stead will be represented by Grand Rapids and Nightfall. Of these the chances point to Nightfall as being the likely one to carry the Yaldhurst first colours, and the filly will certainly have to be seriously reckoned with. The defection of Achilles came as a surprise — an unpleasant one to many, for a good deal of money had been taken about the Porirua horse. Ghoorka is also missing from the list, but, judging from the form he has shown of late, his withdrawal did not occasion much ment. Two other candidates that will require serious attention are Coavoy and Mahutonga. The latter has got a handy weight, and he has proved that he is in splendid condition. Convoy is" also lookin? well, and is able to negotiate two miies. To aum up, the winner should come from the following :— Mr. Stead's elect, Mahutonga, Convoy, and Melodeon.