Sporting.

Manawatu Standard, Issue 7403, 19 September 1902, Page 2

Sporting.

Rangilikei Knees,

Fine weather prevailed for the secon! day of the Kangitikei Bacing Club's Spring meeting, but the bracing wiud that sprung up during Iho afternoon could easily have been dispensed wnli. The a'tendance was again mast satisfactory, and speculation extremely pood, a total of £1142 being pnt through during •he (by. milking a total of £9355 for ihc ihCCii:;L', £2380 in excess of I" y ear's meeting. The increa.-e in • ■ i~i".liiv's amtunt rompaied «i!h tl- ..'oud day last year was JfllSO. Tlit "ucing was again mo>< intcre=(m?, «everi;i very rcspee.uble dividends beiug paid, infludinp X"H 133 on Aratsnimabi ia the Kli-etric rlaclr, and £20 3s on Fakir iv the September Ilandii'ap. Procesdin^.coinmeneed with llie H-ick Hurdles!, in ,\ liic-ii hiehcape carried iho bulk of thepulilic li.onev. Old Gun being next in demand, Merry Boy, the previous day's winner, tilling third i-l'iee p public fancy. The latter won easily by a length at the fhii.-h from the favorite, Old Gun.fwlio had made the ruuning, falling back beaten in the straight. Kinglet had an easy win in the Telegraph Handicap, running home three lengths ahead of anj tiling else. Clias seur's form in the race caused considerable comment. In si field of lour he. got away last nndcoutinu- din thul uosition all the distance. The previous day, carrying only Rib more, and with n furlong further to go, he was in the If ad to the bind for home, and Gnished clo.se up with, the leaders. Zealous put iv a serviceable rare, while the inconsistent Mongonui. Carbine's daughter, filled third place. The Arataumahi Steeplechase was only an exercise gallop for The Swimmer who won by =en lengths hard held and pullr g up. The race was robbed of n ccit:uu amount of interest by iiuclnris running off at the sod wall and taking with him the favourite Jack-o'-Lsntern and Jung Lear. Ovcrtlie do'iole in front of the stand the fir.-t time round Shyhuk was in front and then followed The Swimmer, 'Ihe Phantom and Opaku. At theft-nee leading from the course to the adjacent pndduck the Cnptuin Webb gelding ha;i caught the leader and th<-y raced together to the big furze hedge to the course again. The Swimmer took the big jiiuip in excellent style but Shylock, who had persistently refused it the first day, blundered through it and was not prominent af'erwarda. The Swimmer h-id i:ow n strong lead and was followed by the Phantom and Sir Atlr-1, the r.-st of t::e field some distance in the rear. At the bru>-h fer.ee Upaku and Loelnd-:-came to grief, the latter putting his shoulder out. Sir Athol ar.d the Phantom continued their rinse cf The rinimmer and Sliylock, who had been running in the rear, ran off at the brush fence. He was pulled up and put over the ob-tacio ar.d continued hi= pursuit of the leaders. H.tH had ..1.-.wcdtlieS'.viiu-mer down to an ea>y gailnp whila the Phajstoruar.d S:r .-th.-l were soiue distance) behind him bitting for second place. The forme- tired vi>ib!y iv the straight and was p;:s--cd by Shyloi-k, Sir Athol finishing second. ilifigitis, who was riding Op.iku, received a severe shaking when the gelding fell, hut escaped injury. The Eieetric ilacli race proved one of the surprises of the meeting, the little-fancied Arataumubi ridden by C. Jenkins, running home an easy winner from a big fi Id, including ['error, Dodona, Dalky and Waireka. The winner is a bitr, rather clumsylooking, son of Vanguard ; br:t. like all the hitter's progeny, showed most unmistakeab y he knew how to gallop, coming at the business end with a run that settled all opposition. Waireka, a Taranaki owned mare, was greath fancied for the event and fiuished third, being beaten on the post by Merry Boy, who appeared in a new role most creditably. The Hack Steeplechase, like its predecessor, was a chapter of accidents There were only four starters and all caire to grief except the winner, Sir 1) G-. Hiddi ford's Juggler, who must be accounted extremely lucky to have prevailed. Oid Gun cut out ihe ruuning for a mile and three-quarters, when he fell at the sod wall, Clovis and Scabbard having previously passed out, the former falling at third jump and the latter refusing one of the paddock jumps. Old Gun had the race at his mercy when he fell, his honest opponent being unable to extend him. The Flintlock gelding was remounted and finished several lengths behind Juggler who was cantering the latter part of the journey. Clovis, after falling the first time was remounted but came a second cropper. TheKilleymoon hack race, for which eight saddled up including Noiti and Marianthus, the placed horses in the first day's race, resulted in a win f)r the latter by a head from Rmgrnan, Jenkins just getting up in time to defeat the Cup horse. Lifebelt ran a good mare, finishing third, a length away. JN'oiii did not run into a pace. The last race provided the big~o=t dividend of the day, Fakir, who was little lil ed, getting home with a strong n.n and paying the nice price of £2053. Me'!v.ood and Convoy were both well backed but were never prominent, the latter running practically last nearly all the way and finishing in the ruck. Leading into the straight"- the field were bunched, Halberdier and Coni-ov in the rear. Half way down the straight, Bowman and Eubin were prcminent, but at the distance post Fakir shot out of the field, and coming away, won by a ler.gth. Midia was fancied in some quarters for the event and ran well half way dovrn the straight where sbediedaway. Melwood, who led to the bend, had also cried enough. Halberdier nerer got away from the ruck and is evidently very backward.

The local knight of tbe pig skin, Mr G. "Walls, was very successful at the Rangitikei Spring meeting, riding Merry Boy in both his successful start.- in the Hurdle Race?, and the same horse in the Electric Hack Rice, in which be was ju.-t beaten by Arataumahi. His record of two wins and a second was as good as my put up at the meeting.