Sportjng.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 23, 22 February 1868, Page 3

Sportjng.

"WAIMEA-SOUTH STEEPLECHASE MEETING. Whatever moralists may say of the evils attending horse-racing, the love of the spurt is so much a part of an Englishman's nature, that if a race meeting is advertised, the majority of our countrymen, aye, and countrywomen, too, no matter in what part of the world they may be living, feel a desire to witness the sport, and will manage to be present if they can possibly do so. This fact accounts lor the very large number of persona who attended the steeplechase advertised to come ofF in Waimea-south, on Thursday last Every farm, every cottage in that populous district, appeared to have contributed to the great concourse of persons assembled in tho paddocks opposite the Wtikefleld Anna, while the road from Nelson was alive with vehicles and horsemen, showing that our city residents did not regard a distance of sixteen miles as too great to ride or drivo to witness their favourite sport, and still more ardent lovers of our national pastime found their way to tho ground from even such remote places as Motueka, and even thut Ultima Thule, Riwukn. Races got up in tlie heart of a country district have features very distinct from ihosc presented lit more old-established meetings. There is a freshness about such affairs which makes them peculiarly enjoyable, and the vices of the modern >ace-course — betting and intemperance — have scarcely a place there. I Instead of being the resort of those whose chief object is to make money out of the inexperienced, these meetings may be regarded rather as large social gatherings, where old friends and acquaintances who rarely meet, may take their friendly glass together, chat over old times, and recount the changes they have witnessed. From what we have said, it may be considered that the meeting at Lower Wakefield was a success. It was a success in every way. The company was numerous and respectable ; the racing afforded excellent sport j tho weather, though at one time it threatened to rain, and a slight shower fell, was on the whole fine and enjoyable; whilo every person on the ground appeared to be in the best of spirits, and as hilarious as boys just liberated from school. Although steeple-chase-riding on only half-trained horses is not the safest pastime in the world, and although at the meeting at Wakefield "spills" were rather moro numerous than is usual on such occasions, we are glad to say no accident of any soiious moment occurred. Tho course was laid oif through paddocks on either side of the road between Haddock's bush and Wakefield church. Starting about half-a-mile below the Wiikefifld Arms, on the Wai-iti side of the road, it ran up the valley as far as Hooper's store, where it crossed tho road, and, making a sweep, returned down the valley under th* bills till it came abreast of the Wakefield Arms, when by a short turn a good run in was obtained directly facing the said inn. Nearly the whole course of three miles wap, therefore, through enclosed fields, and the jumps were both numerous and bl iff. Being a timber district, the material for post-nnd-rail fences had not been used sparingly, and some of the jumps to be taken were as ugly of their kind as could be wished by the most conscientious of stewards. There were, in all, about twenty-four jumps; throe being water, one a gorso hedge, and the remainder post-and-rail fences. We shall now proceed to speak of the racing : — The Waimea-soutii Handicai? Steeplechase, of 4- soys each, with 40 sors added. Three miles of fair hunting country. Second horse to save his stake. Mr Gabb's b g Rustic, aged, list . (Hope) 1 Mr Richardson's br g Gamester, aged, list 4ibs (Spillert 2 Mr King's b m Chloe, -{ yvs, 9at -libs . (Cole) 3 Mr Devonport's br g Mazeppu, aged, lOst 2lbs (Gay) ,4 Mr Gabb's er g Moro, aged, lOst . (Owner) dis Mr Holder's eh g Sprightly, 6 yrs, lOsfc 711)8 (Owner) dis Grnmeater and Rustic wero the favourites. The former was known to have tho foot of all the other horses in the race, but he was an uncertain jumper, whilo Rustic, on the contrary, though possessed of no great speed, was regarded as a safe horse for the work beforo him, as he generally took his leaps in good style. The horses got away well together at the start, Rustic leading over the first fence, followed closely by Mazeppa, and the rest. Tho second fence Rustic and Moro cleared cleverly, but the other horses baulked ; Gamester, however, soon got over, as did the remaining three. The next jump was into a lane running from tho road towards tho Wai-iti, and perhaps tho worst of the lot. The rails were strong and high, and a bank on tho inside rendered them awkward to clear. Rustic was the first to attempt to reach the lane, but he brought Mr. Hope to grief, who, though esteemed a Grst-rute rider, lost his seat and his horse at the same time. By dint of 6trong persuasion, and not without disasters, all tho other horses got into tho lane at last, but while Mr. Hope, after some trouble, caught and remounted Rustic, the rider of Sprightly lost his horse altogether, and was not afterwards in the race. From this point the incidents of tho raco could be but imperfectly seen for some time from our position on the roofol'lhe "Enterprise," near the winning-post, which we had climbed as the highest available standing attainable. In returning,nftovcmevgiiig from low ground near the hills, the horses again came full in view, Rustic leading by 100 yards, Gameßter, Mazeppa, nnd Chloe being pretty well together, Moro having disposed of his rider in a ditch. Gamester, who had been nursed throughout the race, was now called upon to make use of his superior speed, and tho manner in which lie overhauled Rustic in every stride, notwithstanding the distance that had separated them, mude the race look like a certainty for Mr. Spillcr, provided his horse got well over the remaining fences. But in this he did not succeed. At tho last jump but one, when he had nearly caught the leading horse, he got hung up on a fence, aud did not disengage himself without rupturing a small vein in his belly. This sealed Gamester's chance of the race, and although Mr. Spiller tried hard to recover his ground, ho only succeeded in getting second place ; Chloe a good third. Hack Races.— To afford time to the horses which had run in the Steeplechase to recover themselves, an interval of nearly three hours was occupied with lint races for hacks, which afforded some capital sport. The prize in each case was a saddle and bridle. The first raco was won by Mr. Redwood's Holding, Snooks (ridden by Martin), beating Mr Bird's Wonga Wongii, and eight others. Tho second race was won by Mr. Blundell's Chance, nlso ridden by Martin, beating Mr. Lang's Tim Whifilcr, and eight others. A third race was won by Mr. Walker's Ramrod, beating Mr. Sutton's St. Aubyn, and six others. Some other races were run, of which wo took no account. The Wakefield Fuee Handicap, of 20 soys, acceptors 2 soys each. Two and a-lialf miles. Mr Holder's eh g Sprightly, aged, lOst 21bs (Owner) 1 Mr Gabb's er g Moro, aged, lOst . (Owner) 2 Mr Gabb's br g Rustic, aged, list 61bs, including lOlbs extra (Cook) 3 Mr Kny vet L's eh g Poncho, aged, lOst 71bs (Hope) 4 Mr King's br in Chloe, 4 yrs, 9st . (Cole) 5 Hope and Cole both declared over weight. Notwithstanding the penalty of lOlbs carried by Rustic for winning the first race, he was the favourite, from tho steady manner in which he generally took his leaps. Tho five horses kept pretty well together until they disappeared from view after crossing the road, Rustic generally leading. When, however, they re-nppeared, after passing through the bottom, Mr. Cook had a load which appeared to leave the race entirely in his hands, and it would have been a rash thing to Imvo betted against him at long odds. On reaching the same fence which lost Gamester the former race, Rustic baulked, and, in going at it the second time, got over, but fell upon his rider. Before Mr. Cook could disengage himself and recover his feet, Holder, on Sprightly, reached the fence, and having no time to pull his horso off, went right over Mr. Cook as he lay on his back, the latter receiving as a parting present a blow from Sprightly's heels. Of course Rustic's chance of the race was gone, and

Holder galloped in amidst great cheering, followed by Mr. G-abb, on Moro, distant four or five lengths behind. Tho rider of Rustic managed to remount and ride in, but eocne lifctlo time elapsed before he recovered from the effects of. the blow he had received. A third steeple-chase, post entries, figured in the programme, but thciM were no fresh horses on the ground, and those which had run had done enough for one day, so that the race did not come off. A Trotting Match wound up the day's sports, and was won by Mr. J. Baigent's b m Maggie. We cannot conclude our notice of tho meeting without, complimenting the gentlemen who got it up with the completeness of all their arrangements, and the entire success which attended them. We suppose a Wakeiield steeplechase may in future be looked forward to as ono of our sports of the year, and were it possible to erect a rough stand on the ground from which the running could be better seen, the course would be all that could be desired. To those who did not provide themselves with the means of satisfying the appetite which the rido had given them, it was a pleasure to find a really first-vato spread at the Wakefield Arms, whero the best of fare and moderate charges contributed in no small degree to tho feeling of siitisfuetion which all must have experienced who partook of the cheer. i