SPORTING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8926, 12 September 1905, Page 5

SPORTING.

A.J.C. SPRING MEETING. GREAT SUCCESS OF NEW ZEALAND HORSES. [press association.] , (Received September 11, 7.8 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 11. Glorious weather prevailed for the second day's racing and there was a large attendance. New Zealand horses swept all ' before them to-day. Results : — THE SHORTS. Machine Gun ... \ Lady Brockjfiigb. % I Airlock 3 I Betting : Bto 1 Machine Gun, who won | easily. Time ; 1.14£. SPRING MAIDEN 7 STAKES. Isolt 1 Grema. .-.• i. -,-,; .... 2 Cockney Boy ... 3 Betting ! ,Everi money Isolt, who won from end to eiid. Time. 2.9£. METROPOLITAN HANDICAPA handicap sweepstakes of 20 soys. eav" nhalf forfeit, or 2 soys. if declared before August 14, with 2000 soys. added; the owner of the second horse to receive 300 soys. and the owner of the third 150 soys. from the prize. One mile and a half. Mamapoto 1 Warroo 2 Famous ... ... ... ... 3 AH started but Canteen. Fashoda and Maniapoto were in front nearly the whole way. The former led the New Zealander by a couple of lengths until nearing the home turn, when the latter was on term's, and, drawing away without effort, won by six lengths in the fast time of 2min'32Jsec.' Betting : b to 1 P. K. and Tartan, 20 to 1 Maniapoto. STEEPLECHASE. Sultana i Dingo 9, Up-to-Date 3 Betting: 3 to 1 Sultana. Sultana led the whole way, but was challenged by Dingo in the straight and won by a length. Haydn was fourth. Time, 5.39£. NEW STAKES. Sun God ... ' i Lady Wallace 2 Graf ton Lad 3 Betting: 5 to 2 Sun God, who won easily. Time, 1.56. SQUATTERS' HANDICAP. Xightfall 1 Canteen 2 Heracles 3 A splendid race. Won by a head. Time, 2.9. Sleeper's starting price in the Epsom Handicap was 12 to 1. not 20 to 1, as stated yesterday. (Received September 12, 9.17 a.m.) SYDNEY, September 12. The phenomenal success of the New Zealand horses yesterday is the one topic of conversation in sporting circles. Machine Gun, despite his thumping impost, made light of the opposition, and acted up to his New Zealand reputation of being a sprinter of unusual excellence. The field for the Metropolitan was the smallest since 1897. Maniapoto allowed Faslioda to lead him on sufferance, andinstead of knocking up at a mile, as his Epsom Handicap running indicated, in a, twinkling, and with brilliancy hardly deemed possible at the tail end of a bitterly run race, he left his followers as though they were hobbled. To all but a comparative few Maniopoto's success was a prodigious surprise, culminating in groans as he entered the enclosure, but if inconsistent he proved himself a great galloper.

The Steeplechase was the best of its kind ever seen on the course. A peculiar feature, and one not complimentary to our 'chasers, is that the place-getters and Haydn, who finished fourth, were all bred in New Zealand. Haydn's running was challenged by the stewards, but the explanation was accepted^as satisfactory. /

Nightfall added a great victory to the day's triumphs. She Imd to be ridden hard to hold her place, and she was shut in in the straight, and all but went to her knees at the distance, and yet recovered and just beat Canteen.

"Withi Mr Stead," says the Telegraph, "rests the honors of yesterday's racing, and indeed the honors of the meeting to date. Each time his colors won there were rounds of applause. An effort will probably be made by some Australian sportsmen to keep at least one of the marvellous Multiform colts in the country."

Commenting in its leading columns, the same paper says : "The New Zealand triumph, although of a volcanic character, may perhaps be accounted for by the rather poor quality of the Australian horses and the exceptional excellence of the New Zealand horses this year, especially Mr Stead's. Victories of horses owned by a sportsman of Mr Stead's position and character, who can afford to race for the stake and honor, and who takes pride in having finely bred horses and running them fairly, is one of the very best things that can happen at races." The Herald says never in the history of the turf has such a series of successes been achieved. In future the day will probably be known as New Zealand's Day.