The Wellington Meeting.

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 11, 14 January 1928, Page 21

The Wellington Meeting.

The acceptances received for the first day of the Wellington Meeting constitute a record numerically, while quality is also in decided evidence. The notable absentees are Rapier and Lady Desmond from the Cup, and Reremoana and Gascony from the Telegraph Handicap. Gascony is engaged in the Wellington Stakes, and will contest that event, for which he is unpenalised. Nothing is known about Reremoana and Lady Desmond, except that ■well-informed circles were aware before acceptance night that Reremoana would not be a runner. A smart field will be seen out in the Wellington Stakes, while the Apprentices' Plate field is of superior quality to that o£ the general run of. races of thia type. After acceptances have been taken there does not appear any reason to desert the original pick in the Cup—Mask, Set Sail, and Piuthair. In the Telegraph a likely three may be Eulalie, Paperchase, and Good as Gold. The Master to Attend. K. J. Mason is coming to Trentham to superintend the training of Eulalie, Golden Armour, and Goblin Market. With the senior member of the firm at headquarters, the running of Eulalie will be ■watched with interest: It will be surprising if she does not race a good deal better than she did at Ellerslie. Trainers' Bookings for Trentham. Bookings are heavy for the coming meet.ing at Trenthara. At the Trentham Private Hotel the following have secured accommodation, as follows: —W. D. Moroney, 5 horses; H. Wilton, 2; W. Hawthorne, 3; R. J. Mason, 3; H. Greene, 1; P. Tilley, 3; H. Neagle, 6; W. J. Donovan, 2; J. Coyle, i; W. Rayner, 3; H. Cuttg, 5; M. J. Carroll, 1; R. Emerson, 1; F. D. Jones, 3; A. Potter, 1; V. Colcllo, 4; H. Batten, 3; J. Fryer, 1; J. T. Jamieson, i; and F. Daviß, 2. A Change. S. Wilson has left the employ of H. Lorigan, with whom he served his apprenticeship. Wilson is at present undecided as to where he will follow his calling, and he may finish up in the South Island with an owner who races very extensively. Highweight Races. The conditions of the highweight races at Trentham are hardly in accordance with the spirit of these events. This type of race really replaces hurdle events, and so that jockeys who ride over fences will not have too lean a period 1n the summer months, these races were introduced to give them their chance. The Wellington Club's events, however, are open to riders who have completed a hurdle **ace or steeplechase three times in the last two years in New Zealand. This ia very elastic, and thus L. G. Morris and R. S. Bagby are both available still for these races, although Morris himself admits freely that he should be debarred from riding in them. At the recent Manawatu Meeting a decision in quite the opposite direction was made when A.-E. Ellis,' who had ridden over fences all through the winter and to within three months of the Manawatu Meeting, was debarred from riding. The rules of racing still leave to the stewards of any race meeting the right of approving who are and who are not hurdle race or steeplechase jockeys, so that these anomalies are likely to con.tinue. A Watchful Eye. At the last meeting of the committee of the A.J.C. it was resolved to amend clause (a) of Regulation 29 to read as follows: "No bookmaker's license or registration will be granted except on the express condition that the person to whom it is granted: "(a) Does not bet at an unregistered race meeting or mechanical hare meeting held on the same^day ag a registered meeting within the metropolitan area, unless by permission of the committee of the registered club." Exit Rampion. Rampion looked one of the likely ones in the autumn to extend Limerick, but only if he stood up to racing, and now comes the news that his one race during the holidays found him out. His trainer stated last week that there was little chance of Rampion being seen again in public. Rampion defeated Limerick in the A.J.C. Derby of 1926, and a meeting between the pair in the autumn would have aroused great interest. Facts and Figures. Those who urge the'deterioration of the British-bred horse may find something to irupport their argument in the list of winning breeders for last season in Great Britain. Thirty-five French-bred horses won 67 races, of the total value of £33,495. Lord Derby's total was £40,257 10s, won by seventeen horses in thirty-five races. That racing is purely a rich man's hobby in England, and that of extremely rich men, is shown by the identity qf the leading owners. They are Lord Derby, £39,----634 10s; Lord Asrtor, £29,975; the Aga Khan, £21,979 10s; and Mr. J. B. Joel, £17,881 10s. The Epsom trainer Stanley Wootton is eighth on the list, although numerically his 50 races is easily the best. Financially they were worth £13,530 10s, against the almost £40,000 of Lord Derby's 35 races. Wootton, however, centred a good deal of his energy on selling plates.. Another Importation. Having concluded his term of quarantine, the Governor's horse, Fourth Hand, has joined the "Pytchley Lodge" team under the care of J. Scobie, at Melbourne (says an Australian writer). He is another of the many high-class horses who have been inmates of this stable. As he probably will not be asked to race until the spring, Fourth Hand is not likely to do much in the ly^ay of real work for some time, though we may see something of him on the tracks before long. The new arrival seems to have rapidly adapted himself to the change of climate, as he looks thoroughly healthy and well. Fourtli Hand is a three-year-old colt according to English time by Tetratema from Queen's Double. He won the Irish Two Thousand Guineas last year. Memsahlb Again. Since being attached to F. Stenning's stable at Ellerslie Memsahib has not been raced, but she is due to make an appearance in flat events at the approaching Takapuna Meeting. Her best performance last season was when she finished third to Pendavies and Beau Cavalier in the Hunters' Hurdles at the Pakuranga Hunt Club Meeting. 8. Waddell's Team. Beacon Light is at present having a spell in the paddock. It was thought better to spell him, as he showed signs of soreness, but there is nothing seriously wrong with him. Shirley is looking in capital buckle at the present time (says a Hawkes Bay writer), but she does not show quite the game dash in her work as she did last autumn, and she may not be quite so good as she was then. One of her stable companions, Flicker, is a perfect little picture. She is a beautifully proportioned filly, and is a ball of muscle. It is a pity she is not a couple of hands higher, for she has heaps of pace." She is just the eort for j pony racing. . Polyclcctes is also looking well, and may have a chance in some of the hack races at Trontham. Shirley, Flicker, and Polydectes will leave for Trentham next Thursday. In addition to the trio named, the veteran trainer Waddell has a fine, strapping two-year-old geldin-:, Last Mark, in the stable. This gelding is a full brother

to Anomaly, King's Folly, and Peneloph«n, and, though he has only recently been put in work, he looks like being a really good one later on. Peter Manning Not Coming. Writing to Mr. J. R. M'Kenzie, owner of Great Bingen, concerning a proposal to send Peter Manning to this country to race against the New Zealand trotter, Mr. L. B. Shepherd, of Hanover Shoe Farm, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., says:— "We appreciate your interest very much and quite agree with you that it would be a great thing to send a horse like Peter Manning to New Zealand, but on account of the. time involved and the distance we do not think we care to do so, as we have always tried to keep our horses as near home as possible, so that we may enjoy the pleasure of seeing them race. "We have heard many favourable things about the sportsmanship of the New Zealand clubs, and we know that they would do everything possible to promote an interesting thing of this sort, but it would mean that we would not see the horse for a year or two, and would be deprived of the great pleasure that we derive from close contact with him. "We appreciate your interest very much and trust that when you and Mrs. M'Kenzie come to America you will honour us with a visit. We are sure that you would be quite interested in our Farm, as we probably have more horses on it that are, , or were at one time, champions than any other place in the world, and it would give the writer great pleasure to show you around."