THE PAST PACING SEASON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8557, 10 August 1888, Page 2

THE PAST PACING SEASON .

A record of the past season’s, racing, the barest particulars of the two thousand odd events decided during the twelvemonths just ended, makes up quite a formidablelooking volume, and our summary of the year’s sport can only touch very lightly on the contents of its well-filled pages. The curtain, as usual, was rung up with a series of Hunt and Steeplechase meetings, the first legitimate fixture of any importance being the annual gathering at Geraldine, on Sept. 29 and 30, when Snapshot followed up his Otago Hunt Club euecesesa by appropriating the double from large but very moderate fields. At the same time northern racing men congregated at Napier Park, where Salisbury opened his account well by winning the Park Stakes from Strenuous and War am a, and five days later the Spring Meeting of tlie Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club engaged attention. With our present information, it is strange indeed to read of Lady Florin starting a better favourite than Maxim for the Hawke’s Bay Guineas, but such was the case, and the victories of Mr Stead’s colt in the Guineas, Plying, and Spring Handicaps were a very significant beginning to the phenomenal successes of the Yaldhuret stable. A. number of smaller fixtures followed in quick succession, but the meeting of the North Canterbury Jockey Club was the next of any importance, and it was here, in the race for the North Canterbury Cup, Gipsy King, Beresford, Cruchfield, and Moana gave us some insight into the positions they were to occupy a few days later at Riccarton in the big handicap of the year. Oamaru introduced us to a fair performer in Brewer; but between this and the C.J.C. Spring Meeting there is nothing to note. At least one of the races decided at Riccarton on the opening day of the Metropolitan Meeting will be impressed on the memory of sportsmen for some time to come. We shall nob soon forget the sight of Cruchfield coming into the straighc at the head of the New Zealand Cup field. For a moment it looked as if the outsider would get home and effect the biggest surprise of the decade; but it was only for a moment, and then Beresford and Gipsy King singled themselves out from the rest and struggled together to the rails, where Lochiel came to the rescue of his stable companion, and ran home an easy winner by three-quarters of a length. The events that followed, the objection to Lochiel and the collapse of the ring, are. familiar history, and having merely mentioned Maxim’s successes in the Derby and Canterbury Cup, we may leave this most sensational of race meetings. At Auckland, durirg tho same week, the speedy Pearl Shell made her public debut in the Welcome Stakes, and at Wanganui, Victoria occasioned a little surprise by winning the principal handicap. Passing a whole host of minor gatherings, and only touching on the two fixtures at Wellington® where Strenuous, Tongariro, and Laurel divided honours, we come to the Spring Meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club, and find Quibble defeating tho more fancied Beresford in the St Andrew’s Handicap. On Anniversary Day, Tattersall’s Club provided a day’s racing at Riccarton, and the Yaldhuret stable again secured all the good things on the card, but the meeting is chiefly remarkable-ss having introduced us to Carbine, the champion two-year-old of the season. Pages ot our record are occupied by accounts of the meetings held during Christmas week, but few of these fixtures demand even mention. Pearl won very easily at Hawke’s Bay, and The Orator and Smooth were the most prominent figures at the MastcrLon-opaki meeting. Tire Westland people were again content to give good stakes for inferior racing, while at Manawatn and Marl borough they seem to have received full value for their money. At the Auckland Summer Meeting Pearl Shell confirmed her Welcome triumph by securing the Great Northern Foal Stakes from a stronger field, and Sextant, who had just been purchased by Mr Stead, was good enough to beat Bangle, his solitary opponent, in tho Derby. Old Nelson had no difficulty in winning the Auckland Cup, and Uranus established a record by winning the three jumping races. The C.J.C. Summer Meeting was. this year limited to one day, but eight events were crowded into the card. Carbine, who had been reported lame, won the Middlepark Plate very easily from the smart little Eavenswingaud improving Manton, and Springs ton gave the backers of favourites a shock by winning the Midsummer Handicap and paying a sensational dividend. Tongariro and Strenuous were again in good form at Rangitikei, wbeie they took all that was best worth winning, and at Napier Park the big prize of the day once more fell to Pearl. A large proportion of the population must have devoted the best part of the fiist fortnight of the New Tear to racing, but the sport was of a very indifferent character until we reached the Poverty Bay Meeting, where Waratna took the Tauranga Stakes and Tradesmen’s Handicap, and Audacity and Bronte each scored twice. Mr Butler had a real good time with Marlborough at Island Bay, winning all the principal money, and ten days later Beresford secured the Wellington Cup, and Lady Norah the Racing Club Handicap at the W.R.C. Summer Meeting. Dudu gave us the first taste of her quality at the Bgmont Meeting, and on the same afternoon Gipsy King covered himself with glory by winning the Dunedin Cup. Carbine again asserted his superiority by winning the D.J.C. Champagne; and the other moat prominent features of the Southern carnival were the success of Gipsy King in the Jockey Club Handicap, and the starting fiasco and ultimate victory of Silvermark in the Pdrbury Handicap. While others were engaged with bigger game. Silence was taken across to Blenheim, where he won the double at the Marlborough Racing Club’s annual fixture. The South Canterbury Meeting showed Hermitage and La Rose in form, and this pair secured the two principal events, and at Wanganui Dudu won the Cup, Cruchfield the Derby, and Silence the second day’s Handicap. Journeying to Hawke’s Bay, Cruchfield won the Cup, Sextant the St Leger, and St Clair the Burke Memorial Stakes, and it was at this meeting Tree bee and Chemist fought out their two battles over hurdles. The Nelson Cup went to Mr P. F. Tancred by the agency of The Orator, and the other big handicap at the meeting within the delightful sleepy hollow was secured by Her Lidyship. St Clair and Silence were tho best winners at the Napier Park Meeting, and from this forward we find nothing of much moment until we reach the usual batch of Easter meetings. At Christchurch the Great Autumn Handicap was won by Springstou from the better backed Silvermark, and the Champage and Challenge fell to Carbine after two of the most exciting races of the year. In Auckland, Hilda secured the Northern Champage, Friendship the Easter Handicap, and Sextant the St Leger. Tamora and Silence were the. chief winners at the Taranaki Meeting, and then we have nothing but second rate gatherings until we reach the Winter fixture of the Dunedin Jockey Club, where St Clair and Sultan fairly divided the honours of a capital meeting. This brings us to the virtual end of the flat racing reason, and we may close our sketch of Che past years doings with an earnest hope thac the spurt may go on and prosper.