WELLINGTON AUTUMN MEETING

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 82, 8 April 1910, Page 2

WELLINGTON AUTUMN MEETING

THE SECOND DAYS CARD. j (By Sir Bedivere.) The acceptances for the concluding day of the autumn meeting were published yesterday. An average of approximately [ nine horses per race is not to be despised, and as several fresh ones are engaged another good day's sport may be. confidently anticipated. Audax's withdrawal from the Hurdle Race came as something in the nature of a surprise, for, being in gross condition, h)6 exertions on Wednesday should have benefited him considerably, and under 10.3 (the weight he was allotted) he must have been a hard one to beat. Longner, who has received an additional 141b in respect to his success on the opening day, will be better suited by a mile and a half than a mile and three-quarter course, and he should- givei a good account, of himself. He however, meet with strong opposition m Gold Bird, for the latter won easily at Feilding, and is evidently useful. Moose, too, is very nicely in, for, though he had nothing much to beat, he won easily under 12.2 at Awapuni last Christmas, and when last ecen out (at Rangitikei) he was attempting to concede llaku 131b. The latter, however, who wah not nearly the horse- he is at present, won easily. The Huft- Handicap should be well fought out, as at the weights it is difficult to choose between the anlurky Tru ganini, Bollin, Hilai-ian, and Mataan. At Tauherenikau Truganini cave Hilanau 21b, and beat him by half a, head over a mile and v distance, whilst Mataaii, who split the pair in the matter of weight, was unplaced. Now Truganini hub to ullow ililarian 71b and Mataari 91b. Then, take Bollin. He finished only a length behind Truganini on Wednesday over tv seven furlong course, when their respective weights were 9.5 and 9.7, and over an extra furlong he will meet the mare on 31b better terms. St. Felix has been raised 131b for his victory in the Silverstream Handiaap, and in consideration of the easy manner in which it was achieved, he may be «>aid to have got off luckily. The more ro in view of the fact that 131b on the top of 6.7 is not nearly so great a hind ranee as if in addition to a previously earned steadier of 8.7. He will only be meeting Explosive on 91b worse terms, nnd may find more difficulty in beating Ukraine, whom he now has to allow 41b. The chief attraction of the card, so far as the handicap events are concerned, will, of course, be the Autumn Handicap, in which Equitat, Diabolo, and Bridge may be seen out. Effort seems to be ratnei harshly used in being asked to meet Equitau on even terms, and on form several other of her opponents appear to be more favourably placed. Diabolo, for instance, who was beaten a head under 8.1 in the Wellington Cup, and subsequently ran third in tho [ Wanganm Cup under 8.6, and fourth lin the Great Autumn Handicap with 8.8 on his back, reads attractively with no more than 8.0 opposite his namt.% He will meet Bridge on 141b better terms than he did at Riccarton. Lady Medallist is another of , tho daintily dealt with ones, for she was finishing at a great ratt in the Thompson Handicap, in which she carried 7.13 — so fast, in fact, as to suggest th?it had the race been over two furlongs more ground sht must have been very handy at the finish. In many respects the Pacific Handicap promises to be an interesting event, and a meeting between Tenterhook, Emblem, Golden Loop, and King Soult will be well worth witnessing. At present it is impossible to judge just how fast Emblem may Le, but when she measures strides with such a speedy two-year-old as Tenterhook we shall toon see what she is made of. North East will meet Tumut dn 21b bettei terms in tho Suburban than he dirt iit the Ihornpson Handicap, in which, however, Tumut, it may be as i well to remember, was always the closest of the pair to the leader. Hfich of theso ! horses will probably find a tough nut to crack in Perle d Or, for theM is no doubt he wbb unlucky on Wednesday »n - failing to beat Effort. Sharpshooter, [ too, may be dangerous under 7.8. 1 _ In the Belmont Handicap, Kina, who, by. the way, I hear, is to be operated upon on his return to Porirua, is set to meet Explosive on 51b better terms than he did in the Tinakori Handicap, and ithould, therefore, again finish in front of him. Magneto, wno should be all the better for having had a race on Wednesday, is nicely placed at 8.4. The fourth event 011 to-morrow's card is the North Island St. Leger, for which the, probable starters are Kilwinning, Milan, Marengo, and Ingoda. In view of the excellent race which the lastnamed ran in the Dunedin Cup, she should be capable of keeping Sir Geo. Clifford's colt busy, and if Milan should be at her best — she was a bit sore at Feilding— she will undoubtedly be hard to beat, for the hollow style in which she settled the .pretensions of her opponents in the Wanganui Cup made her out more than useful over a St. Leger course. G. Price took Polymorphous and Boanerges home to Awapuni by to-day's Auckland mail. The last-named, who is inclined to be delicate, had not been doing well at Trentham, and in the circumstances home was the proper place for him. Price has several other members of hi r team engaged at the Mana watu meeting, and naturally he waa anxious to get his eyes on them again. Mr. G. D. Greenwood has decided to race s«veral of his horses at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting. The strength of th* team will, of course, depend largely upon how Mason's various charges prosper in the interim. All being well, however, Armlet will make the trip, and possibly One or two of the present yearlings may be taken. Two-year-olds that have har l a trip to Australia and gained some experience there in such a rate as the Breeders' Plate, in which Boniform made it successful debut, meet their New Zealand contemporaries, on their return to this country, at an immense advantage. For educational purposes the) c i& nothing like a bit of travelling, and though few racing meu in this country can aSgrd to

ship their horses to and from the Commonwealth purply with this object in view, there is no doubt that, in connection with the class of youngster whose promise warrants the necessary expenditure, the game is well worth the candle. Older horses, too, can during tb© back end of the .vinter be got fitter for their spring engagements in Australia than if they remained at home, for in the first place it' is only on the rarest occasions, that good galloping ground is not available at Randwick, and, secondly, they can be raced as often as may be desirable.