Garston Hack Racing Club.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2902, 17 January 1911, Page 4

Garston Hack Racing Club.

The fourteenth annual race-meeting of above club took place on Friday last. The weather was all that could be desired and permitted of a record number of people being present from far and near. This event appears to brt the principal one of the year for Garston and Athol folk for almost every one in the community seemed to be present. It affords the best opportunity for bringing people together and thus giving ample scope for social intercourse. It, of course, like other race meetings, also has its following of the speiler class who no doubt think that the country cousins are fair game for their machinations. On account of the first-named reason it will be a .great pity if this and other similar meetings are to be cut out through the coming into force of the Race Meetings Act. These little country races are, after all, perfectly harmless particularly when the bookie element will be shorn from them. However, such is the law and it must be adhered to.

Turning to the meeting, it may be said to have been a very interesting one and some exciting finishes were witnessed. This was so in relation to the Handicap Hack, the Shorts, which was a dead heat, and the Flying. W. Butson's Gation again came home in the big handicap. Meakas a lamb, this hack sUnds at the post, and although not quite so quickly away as some of the Hying starters lie gradually wears down his field and almost invariably comes in a winner. His win on Friday is the fourth or fifth time that he has annexed the big event of the meeting. Plucky Bill had two easy wins in the trots. The old stager, Abusive, was an entrant at the meeting and although he got two seconds he could not claim the stakes as the races were only open to horses that bad never won over £lO in any one race. The meeting was notable for the freedom of " cutting up," which is noticeable elsewhere. Every horse was a trier. The handicapping of J. Soper was very satisfactory, whilst the starting of Mr H. Soper left nothing to be desired. Mr E. Soper, as judge, had to decide some very close finishes, but bis judgments were rarely questioned and on the whole gave satisfaction. As secretary, Mr M. L. Egan of Athol, was most painstaking and cairi<d out his duties without a hitch, notwithstanding that the greater {.art of the work fell on his shoulders. The racing track was in good order, which was partly due to tho rain of the day before. One bookmaker and his secretary plied their calling on the ground and they appeared to do well. Mrs S. Butson and Mr T. Muirhead ran the refreshment booth and seemed to reap the nimble shillings and sixpences with comparative ease. The police was represented at the meeting by Constable Smart of Queenstown station. He arrived by the train that morning but left again that day by the express. His bhort stay was adversely commented on by the officials of the club and the general public. On such occasions as this where a hundred or so people have to stay overnight it is absolutely necessary that a police officer should be present to preserve order and prevent illegal games, etc. Fortunately there was no rowdyism, otherwise somebody would have had to suffer. The following are the results :

Handicap Hack Race of £o; second borse 20s. Six furlongs; 9st up. Mr John A die's Top Liner

—Casket 1 Mr J. Sutherland's Glenquoich ... 2 Mr J. Boyle's Matric ... ... 3 Also started : Off Color, Lucy Hinton. Top Liner showed out from the start and led the field to the last turn when Glenquoich, which was racing second, shot up and in a rattling good finish Top Liner came in a winner by only half a neck. Time, lmin 26secs. Handicap Time Trot of iisovs; second 20s. One and a-half miles. Mr Jas. Crosbie's Plucky Bill, 20secs 1 Mr W. Vent's Lintley Maid, 25secs 2 Mr J. Burke's P. Ashton, 25secs ... 3 Also started: Fairlight scr., Kentucky Babe 25secs. Plucky Bill assumed command when half the distance was traversed and won easily, Lintley Maid being four lengths behind, second. Garston Handicap of Bsovs; second horse 20s. One mile. Mr W. Butson's Gation, 10.7, Bride— Glenleg (A. Barnes) ... ... 1 Mr C. Maloney's Black King ... 2 Mr E. J. Cuckow's Abusive ... ... 3 Also started : Glowworm, 10.7. Black King led the field till the last round when the good old horse, Gation, closed up and got even with the leader coming into the straight. A great race ensued between the two and Gation passed the post first by a length—a popular winner. Time, lmin 54secs. Shorts Handicap of osovs; second horse 20s. Five furlongs. Mr J. Sutherland's Glenquoich) dead Mr J. Boyle's Matric ) heat Mr J. Adie's Top Liner ... ... 3 Matric and Glenquoich raced neck and neck all the way and the judge was unable to separate them at the post—an exciting event. Time Handicap Trot of 6sovs; second 20s. Two miles. Mr J. Crosbie's Plucky Bill scr., 1 Mr J. Price's Fanlight, ssecs ... 2 Mr J. Burke's F. Ashton, 30secs 3 Also started: Lintley Maid L'Osecs, Kentucky Babe 28secs. Plucky Bill caught Fanlight in the last round and won comfortably by about twenty lengths. Flying Handicap of fisovs; second horse 20s. Six furlongs. Mr S. O'Kane's Glowworm, 10st 1 Mr E. J. Cuckow's Abusive, lOst 2 Mr S. Butson's Battlemaid ... 3 Also started .- Black King lOst. Glowworm led almost all the way with Abusivein close attendance. Both wore even at the depression in the track but Abusive stumbled and so lost a little ground. An exciting tun in resulted in Glowworm winning by half a neck. .

Farewell Handicap of Ssovs; second horse 20s. Seven furlongs. Mr J. Sutherland's Glenquoich, Bst 1 Mr E. J. Cuckow's Abusive, 9st 2 Mr W. Butson'a Gation, 10.7 ... 3 Also started: Glowworm. Glenquoich led the field from the start and finished with a few lengths to snare from Abusive. 4