SPORTING.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 219, 21 September 1901, Page 3

SPORTING.

AVONDALE MEETING.

(Special to Times.) Auckland, last night. We are now, if not actually beyond the threshold, on the borderline of Spring. 1 To-morrow (Saturday) those who go j 1 a-racing will find Ellerslie racecourse and ' surrounding hills dressed in their greenest, freshest garb, and at the opening day of the Avondale Jockey Club's Spring Meeting the fields are likely to be good all through, and the horses that are to do battle, if not all of a high class, taking | them as a whole, are serviceable" and fairly j representative for this time of the year. | It is only at the metropolitan gatherings ! later in the season that the better class of j horses in the colony are attracted to the sunny North in anything like numbers. On such occasions Auckland invariably has to welcome back her productions taken away when yearlings by owners I from distant provinces. To-morrow will be the- first time that any Racing Club in | Auckland lias followed the plan of paying out dividends on the first and second horses in races, and the result will be watched with interest.

vvuLcneu wim interest. No less than eighteen are engaged in the Maiden Plate. Of seven performers Highlander, if well, must take no end of heating, but not having seen him I cannot say anything about his condition. I like Glasgow (with the Gisborne rider Jim Buchanan on his back), Jewellery and j Sparkling Water of those working at j headquarters, and Glasgow may win. j First Hurdle Race.—This race lias ail j open appearance. Cavalic-ro, with all his 1 weight, may run a good race, but I incline J to the chances of Princess of Thule and j Regalia 11., and Regalia 11. may be the j first to catch the judge's eye. All those engaged, in tho Avondale

Stakes I have seen working save Marshal j Soult, and I fancy Spalpeen will show ! superiority over the best of those engaged, j and the best of Messrs Nathan's pair, pro- | bably Northumberland, I take to be a likely runner up. I The next race is the Avondale Cup. i Nonette has undoubted speed, but just i whether he will prove solid enough to | run out the mile and quarter I have my doubts. Beddington and St. Ursula are i well seasoned, llosella is not far from I cherry, ripo. Voice is probably as well as j ever she was. Winsome’s ability to stay i has yet to be tested, but she looks well, i Bluejacket, though not quite strung up, has been galloping well. Formula has done several useful gallops. Zealous and Paul Seaton have also done plenty of galloping. Hesper looks light. Coronet may not run. To sum up, I think that | one or other of Messrs Nathan’s pair, j Rosella and Beddington, can win, and that j Beddington may bo tho best for astraightout selection, St. Ursula to boat all others. For the First Hack Handicap, Jewel- j

lory is the ono I would tako in preference to any other, hut failing her, Golden ltoso and Cnpford aro probables. Sudden and Dingo are those I prefer in the Handicap Steeplechase, as both appear well. I have most lilting for Orange and Bluo, First Whisper, and Mamoa in the First Pony Handicap, but there are several that I have not seen, and Lena and Stepaway may bo better for tho time. As Nonette is likely to compete in tho Cup, I take Val Rosa, St. Olga, and Lady Avon as tho most likely trio for places in the Flying Stakes. I would have lilted Val Rosa bettor had ho been ridden out in some of his gallops, but lie should about win.

HAWKE’S BAY SPRING MEETING.

[By Telegraph Press Association.]

Napier, last night,

The following weights have boon declared for tho Hawke's Bay Jockey Club’s spring meeting : Hack Handicap Hurdles, 50 sovs; II

First Handicap Hurdles, of lOOsovs ; 1] miles.

First Hack Handicap, BOsovs ; once round.

miles. Dcrringcotte 11 13 Tftlieke . 9 13 Watcrport 11 3 Wakolyn .. . 9 3 K. Jam 10 3 Moleskin .. 9 0 King Edward Handicap, 300 sovs 116 yards. 1 milei

Jabber 9 5 boyt Tigress 7 5 Ideal 8 11 7 2 Tortulla ... 8 11 Sirius 7 0 Mensekikoil 8 11 Kahuwai ... 7 0 Ilosolla 8 8 Somerled ... 6 12 Crusoe 8 7 Perfection ... 6 12 Ostiak ' 8 7 Ngaio 612 Okoari 8 2 Calceolario 6 10 Shannon ... 8 1 Menura 6 7 St l)enis ... 8 0 Destroyer ... 6 7 Nonette 7 13 Warwick ... 6 7 Tauhei 7 12 Tirea 6 7 St Mark ... 7 11 Tearl Diver 6 7 Windwhistle 7 7

Hotu 11 7 Scallywag . 10 0 Dartmoor ... 10 8 Water-port.. . 9 0 Dcrringcottc 10 5 Sylvanus .. . 9 0 Voltaire 10 0 Phantom .. . 9 0 Stockade ... 10 0

Welter Handicap, 60sovs ; 1 mile. Dnphno 9 13 Weaver 8 11 Rubin 9 13 Destroyer ... 8 11 Warwick ... 9 5 Duffer 8 5 Tirea 9 5 Andromeda 8 0 Paphos 9 5' Culcita 8 0 Passion Fruit 8 13

Cure 8 12 Comfort ... 7 7 Fleka 8 8 Te Ikaho’ng’ta 7 3 Robin Gray 8 7 Pearl Gun ... 6 11 Maro 8 5 Activity 6 11 Mongonui ... 8 4 Arrival 6 11 Katriona... 7 11 Culcita 6 7 Blackwing... 7 S Notoriety ... 6 7 Cobra 7 7 Stanley 6 7 Despatch ... 7 7 Flying Handicap, lOOsovs ; 6 furlongs. Jabber 9 13 Ngaio 7 8 Ostiak 9 2 Calceolaria 7 3 St. Denis ... 8 9 Murmur ... 7 2 Battleaxo ... S 8 Tooyai 7 2 Palaver 8 8 Aeneas 7 0 Xonettc 8 5 Warwick ... 6 10 l’auhei 8 2 Destroyer ... 6 9 Terror 7 13 Woodthorpe 6 7 Indian Queen 7 9 Pearl Diver 6 7 Ringlet 7 9 Ilowketi ... 6 7 Souierled ... 7 3