Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 96, 3 May 1902, Page 21

Turf Topics.

By Krect-Card.

Bo .uit if ul weathei was oxpeiiencod tor the first da\ of the Wellington Racing Club's autumn meeting, and theie was a Kin attendance of speculator Tlie laei.ig was not very exciting, a*, m several instances mnawav v letones usultcd, and this doos not tend to mciea&e the enthusiasm of spectatois, who piefor to see as many as possible of the contestants fighting ovciy inch of the ground to the winning post Speculation «as fairh brisk, the mn of over £9.)00 passing through the machines The suipnse of the 'ay was the detea,t of Cruciform, he Yaldhursit, flier, by Porirua in ha Challenge Stakes, and tins was the cause of such cheering and hurrahing as was never heard 011 the Hurt racecouise before. Perhaps, the st.ckv gomo- accounted for the filh s defeat, but "after having weighed in, her rider lodged a. complaint that his mount had been interfered with at the hands of McClusky, the rider of Goldenmere. After healing evidence, the stew aids disqualified McCluskv timing then pleasure. Ositiak surpiised his most aident admirers by his easy victory in tiie Thompson Handicap, which conclusively pro\ ed that his form in the Eastei Handicap at Auckland was not correct, lhc secretary (Mr. Clark) and the officers of the club did everything in then powei to make the meeting a success, and their efforts were well lewarded. For the first event on the caid— the Warwotu Handicap— there were nine contestants, Queen's Guard, Fleka, Trade Wind and Bowman declining then engagements. la and Abvdos, weie the popular fancies, the former coming into favour on the strength of a good o-aJlop executed on the traVk a da,v 01 Two previous and the latter owing -o his easy successes at the Marlborougli and Nelson meetings. Stepina was a quiet tip fiom some of the knowing ones and thcar prediction was not mucn astray, for she and Abydos had the lace to themselves. Making cverv post j> winning one, it was only in the straight that the latter managed to shake the hlly oft. la ran disappointingly, and the rest of the held were never in the hunt. Abydos returned his supporters -£3 7s bd, 'and backers of Stepina leceived £2 10s bd Wind, by Sou'-westei — Vellata, was a slightly better favourite than the Aus-tiaJian-bought gelding Exmoor in the Maaden Hack Race, for which a held of sixteen faced the barrier. lhe lepiesditative, of the Ponrua stable spread-eagled has held in a very short distance, and won m the easiest possible manner by half-a-dozen lengths. Ascension, by Gipsy Grand— Rainbow , <-ecmod second honours, while the favourite had to be content with thud place The winner was bought by Jlr. J. Prossei last vea,r at the Sydney sales, and is b\ imported Graf ton from La \ ivandiore. Now that he has struck form it should not be long before n.> bids farewell to hack company. For the big event of the day- -the Thompson Handicap— a field of fifteen faced the barnei, and HaJbeidier and Jabber carried most suppoit Ostiak, Okoan, Glenaladale, and Canteen were in good demand and tin 1 least fancied horse in the race— Shi apnell Shell— had thirty-three pounds opposite his name The race needs vciy httle description, as Ostisk, who was looking very lusty, took the lead from tho start, and, making u*e of his light weight, passKvd the winning post four lengths to the good of Canteen, who w is onJv a head in fiont of Hmetaura The favourite was fouith, but Jabber's display was a sore blow to has supporters The tune. — Imm 44 3-othsec — is pood, considering the state of the going. Ostiak who was ridden by C Jenkins etumod his sunporters tb 13s, while backers of Canteen received £4 bs "oi second money. Deningcotte easily accounted for tho opposition m the Hurdle Race, foi which there were ten starters Doctor Bill was indulged with the lead foi a mile and a-ha,lf but the winner and Mourner had his measure in the .Tin home Hotu, the favourite, was not m a galloping humour, and finished , last Waiwera ran well for a time hut his weight began to tell in the going, a.nd he could not pace it with the leaders ait. the business end of the loumev. The race was mn veiy solid, as the mile and three-quarters was cut out in 3min 23sec

Abydos, for his success in the opening e\ out, had to put up a 71b penalty in tho Weltei, but this did not detei backers from making him favourite. Hokio, with Jenkins m the saddle, was also well fcuppoited, and Cornea «wid Comioit came next in the public estimation. From a good stait, tho lightweighted Valkyrie made the pace ver\ mom foi halt the distance, with the hnounte as his nearest attendant Both were done before the stiaight. was 1 cached, and Cornea and Comfort had tho finish to themselves, the foimoi succeeding in landing the 1 stake bv <hu lengths The winner's backeis oacli locened £~) 10s, while Comfort's supporteis had to be content with £1 18s ()Cl Tliie next e\ent on the caid — the Challenge Stakes- -was a complete boalo\er Baokeis fell over themsehes o get oi to Crucifoim, who was generally supposed to have a veiy large mortgage o\er the stake, but there weie a r c\\ who, noting the improveme.it that had been effected m Porirua, thought that the YaJdhurst representative would not ha\ c the easy victory generally anticipated. That their judgment was cor root the result proved, foi Pomua, getting a good stait, made e-s erv post a winding one, and passed the judge's box thiee lengths to the- good.. A great demonstration ensued when Jenkins brought his mount back to the weighing enclosure, the public waving their hats and cheering vociferously The time occupied for tho seven fui longs w as lmin 30 1-othsec Cammo Clueil Goldenmerc, and Camelof were ne\er in the hunt The winnei paid a dividend of £5 2s. Eleven conte.bta.nts faced the barriei in the First Hack Race, for which North Star and Sandy woic most in demand The winner turned up in the, diminutive Wehenga, a daughter of The Artist, who won bv two lengths fiom Laureate. The well-bred Waitoa was third, but the favourites weio never piomanent. Wehenga paid the biggest dnidend of the day. her backers recening £10 Is. Red Gaunt Jet was made a hot fa\omlte for the Railway Handicap — the concluding event on the card --and the judgment of backers was not a,stra"s , F or lie .succeeded in landing the stake by a head aftea- a good tussle in the* straight with Faugh-a-ballagh. Te Taiaha was indulged with the lead until the bend wa,s readied where he was passed b\ Torowai Windw histJe. and Red Gauntlet The favourite passed ilio two formei befoie the distance was leached, where Faugh-a-ballagh appoaied on the scene, and asked him a question. The Dunechn-t rained colt was ridden Tod Sloan" style bv Hewitt and paid £2 8s while backeis oif the liishman received £-1 os foi cecond place. For the second day's lacmg, the w earth er was dull and thieatenmg, with i cold southerly blowing. Theie was again a, fair attendance The racing was a great improvement on the first da.y, seveial of the finishes being veiy close. Tortulla succeeded m landing the big handicap, while Crucifoim easily accounted foi tlie opposition in the St. Leger thus making some amends foi her first clay's defeat. All the acceptors, with the exception of Watorford kept their eagagements m the Hutt Handicap, foi which Abyclos and Cornea woie the populai fancies. The w inner turned up m Bowman, who hauls from Taranaki, and Oolongs to C E. Major. He is vei\ partial to a mile couisc and, when r he compann is not too select, can ahwus hold his own Fleka showed good improvement on his fiist efvsaA , but. Uthough he got second, he could make no impiessioii on the winnei The St. Legei was a gift to Ciucitmm Windwhistle was aJ lowed to maintain tho lead for a mile and a ouaiter but. it wa.s only on sufferance for the Yaildhurst lepresonta.tive easily passed her, and, although tackled n la at the tuin for the straight, slie drew away, and won m the hollow est fashion h\ ten lengths After her casj win in tho St. Legei , hei defeat m the Challenge Stakes looks a bit of a fluke and theiewere many who thought that had there been only Ciucifoim and Ponrua m the Challenge Stakes the foimer A\ould ha.ye won just as easiK as she did in the St. Legei. Noith Stai made some amends for ips inglonous ch'-plav on the fust cLn , bv annexing the Hack Welter \ cry cleverh fiom Raema and The Guesser. \Vehenea was the onh withdiawal "Waitoia was very strongly siippoi ted, but he got a bad start and could never make up the ground. The winner is bv defunot Dreadnought, and looked a mass of muscle, and gave his owner — Hon. J T). Onuqnd — Ins first and only wm at tho meeting The big e^ent on tho card — the Autumn Handicap— atti acted a field of <^even starters Halberdier, Ideal, and Toitulla being the favourites The ] ittoQ* was the best-conditioned horse in the race, and. although carrying the impost of 9st 131b, proved her superiority by annexing the stake aftei a good setto with Terrapin and GlenaJadale. The favourite finished fourth, and Ideal cKth. Halberdier cut out the running;

until heads were turned foi home, when Tortulla started to make lien way horn the re-aa, and, cutting down her opponents one after the other, passed the poftt a IJength to tlie good. ToituJla's lacing da,ys are now over, and certainly tliev ended gloriously Her performances are too well known forme to lepeat, but her victory on Saturday was the ciownuig one, for to cut down the held in the way 'he did was simply maii\ ollous. Doctor Bill on account of his display in the hurdles on the hist day, was hacked as if the second hurdle race w as all o^er, but the judgment of backers was at fault, for at th>e business end of the journey the race resolved itself into a duel between Pukana and Stockade, and they finished so close together that the judge was unable to separate them. The favouritei and Ruchans made the pace fon thiee-quarters of the distance, but when tackled by the placed hoises could noit respond. Hotu a'though ha^ ing the services of Higgins in tin saddle, again refused to gallop. A held of eight tried conclusions m the Pacific Handicap, foi which Porn ua a/nd Red Gauntlet weie most in demand. The latter, who was ndden bv Hewitt, (succeeded vi winning rather easily, but liad to he shaken up to> stall off a 'ate run bv Ringlet, who was ridden a a Tod Sloan" bv McKay, a new rider m these parts. The winner paid £2 12s, and backers of Mr. Patersons filly iCcen ed £'4 7s second money. The Porirud representative had a bad passage, a. id waist not persevered with whenpmsuit w as hopeless. Backers would stand nothing else but En Garde and Wehenga in the Hack Flying, but A. Peters produced a, suipiiso bv w mning w rth Aldinga, who after a good set-to' with En Garde was rwarded the race, w Inch v, as the occasion of a clemonstiaition on the part of a section of the public, who thought that the hor<iei placed second had won by quite ha.lf-a-length. Much groaning and hooting were indulged in, but that had no effect on the ludge's decision. I, myself, thought Ln Garde had won, but I was not altogether in, a favourable position to judge, so cannot say for certain. Backers of Aldinga received £8 7s, while En Garde's supporters leeeived 19s. A field of twelve faced the bariier foi the concluding event on the caid Ostiak, Okoari, and Canteen being most fancied A quiet tip was Hmetaura, but she never flattered her backeis Okoari jumped off with the lead from the start and was only overhauled i v "West Guard m the last few strides Ostiak and Canteen were never in <he hunt. The daughter of Vanguard, who was splendidly ndden bv Deirett, rewarded her supporteis with the best diMclend of the meeting — £11 19s.