Totalisator Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 101, 7 June 1902, Page 21

Totalisator Turf Topics.

By 'Krect-Card.

The wintei gathc-img of the Otaki Maoii Racing Club was inaugurated on Tuesday last in splendid weather 1 Infields were laige, and the lacing of mo.c than oidinan interest, the finishes in «evoial of the events being ten close, the winners were well concealed, and Mr Henrys came in for much con^iatulation foi 'his handicapping. The \ a,nous officials all woiked hard, and then efforts were rewarded in that the da-s <* lacing na*ved off without a hitch A surann' was effected in the ilack Hurdles the finish being fought out hv two outsiders The first e\ent on the caid drew out a field of thirteen, only three declining the contest The public sorted out Hardwoik, on his Wanganui success as the pick of the handicap, and made him favourite Mussel and En Garde aJso had their admirers, and they were next in demand. From a good start Kn Garde assumed the lead, attended by Discovery and Killaraev, the favourite bem°- slow to move. The positions were'not altered until the straight w as reached where Hardwork commenced to move up but, although he cut down Ins held in great style, lie was unable to make an impress-ion on En Garde, who passed the post a length and a half to the good. Robin Gray came with a late run and got third. The winner paid£.") Bs. and backers of Hardwork received their m one's back. A field oi fourteen contested the Hack Huidles foi which Old Gun, Plaanstone, and Red Shank were most in demand. A quiet tip inside was Osborne, who was making his first appeal ance. over the sticks. From a straggling start, Osborne rushed to the front, and led the field at a merry pace, his nearest attendants being Aitua and Old Gun. The leader began to tare l-ound the back, but came again a& the straight was, leached, wherePuntana came fiom the ruck and, gradually gaining on Osboine, just managed to get up and win bv a nose. Old Gun was thud a couple of lengths awa,v The winner paid the largest dividend of the day, £12 8s and backers of Osborne leceived £2 12s The mile and <i half was timed to be done in 2nnn -33 2-othsec, which shows that there was no loitering on the way. All the fourteen acceptors faced the barrier for the Raukawa Cvp — the big mentof the day. Convoy, looking m splendid buckle, was made favourite. Hmetaoira and Van being next in demand. The Vanguard — Squib gelding w as one of the leading division w hen the field got into their stride, closely attended by Boko and Van. Along the back stretch, Hinetaura and Loch Erin improved their positions Entering the straight, Convoy was still at the head of affairs, and, stalling off a challenge from Hmetaiira, passed the post a length to the good Loch Erin oame with a late run, and managed to beat Stockade for third place The winner paid £2 13s Ten horses lined up to contest the Otaki Hack Race, the public fastening on to Ntoiti and In the Van as the correct peas, while Wehenga and Ballistite were well supported. Kohunui was making his reappearance afer fifteen months' retirement, and, although not placed, was with hie field most of the journey. Fiom the rise of the barrier, Nioiti just w aited on the field until the straight was reached, when she shot out and won as she liked An outsidei in Manners, a gelding bv Lord Mandeville — Barbette, secured second honours. Ballistate nevei flattered his backeis, although well supported by his connections. The winner paid £3 12s. and backers of the second horse received £11 12s. Three horses declined the contest for the Maiden Flat leaving a field of eleven to do battle for the stake. Judging from the betting, the race lay between Durable and The Guesser, and so it proved, for, singling themselves out fiom the rest of the field when the straight was entered, they fought it out till the winning po*>t was 1 reached, the foimer gaining the' verdict hv a length. A good-looking three-year-old filly hv Gold Reef — Dreadnought mare, was amongst the contestants but will be hoard more of later on Getting a flvmg start, Chasseur made no race of the Rangiuru Handicap, ovei six furlongs which brousrht out a field of ten houses The winner and Convo-s were most, m demand on the machine, although Htmetaura. and Inspan had a lot of admirers. The daughter of Robinson Crusoe finished second, and would probably have i oversold positions with

the winnei but foi gottmg; t ho worst ot the start. Shiapnell Shell w .is not looking so bright as usual but was galloping at the right oncl Inspan was looking \cn fit. but huWd ught away out ot the contest when the straight was 1 cached Chassoui was timed to do the distance in limn 18soc , which, with ](kt 91b m tin- saddle is piett\ good going. \ held ot fourteen contested the Hack Flung — the last e\ cut on the card- for which Armadillo was made a nronounced huounte Kn Gaide and thofavouute trot .1.11 the best of a lathei stiagghng Ctart and thofonnei making ever\ post <i winning one, parsed the judge's box a length to the good. Robin Giav inst managed to get up and beat the fa\ourlte on the post for second money. The winner pa,id £4 12s. and tbo second horse £2 12^. The Vanguard gelding is voiv partial to short courses- and o^er any distance up to a mile is a haid hoi«-e to beat when well. Amongst the nominations for the next Melbourne Cup are Nonette and Royal Artilleiv. and a meeting between those two and Australia's cracks would be worth going a mile or two to see. Mr. J. Prasser scoiod another success with his 'chaser The Guard who apnropuated the Great Northern Steeplechase easily on Tue«dav last from a field of thirteen. His nearest attendants weie Frost and Princess of Thule. Cavaheroand Moifaa were beaten out of place. Formula, who was lecently pm chased by Mr. T. Mornn, for the Wellington Park stud, was not long in lepaMng some of hoi purchase money, as she appropriated the Britannia Handicap on the second day of the Takapuna winter meeting, and paid a dnidend of £3 11s fid. Tresham, who has always been lnghh .spoken of as a hoise likely to be successful over the small sticks, succeeded m turning the tables on the fiist da\ 's Huidles winner Haydn. The foimer, on the opening day, was backed to win the Hurdles as if there was only one horse in it, and that horse Tresham, but he toppled over aftei covenng about half the distance. Fiancee, the dam of Ghoorka, the w inner of the Maiden Hack at Wanganui, is a half-sister to Amiable, the Newmarket Handicap wanner of 1898. Scotty repeated l.is- first day's performance in the Victoria Handicap, and won just as easily. The sou of St Leger and Jaunt is veiy speedy over short courses, and will doubtless be heard of latei on. A son of Stiathmoie, m Ragabiash, succeeded in annexing the Weltei Handicap after <m exciting stiuggJe with St. Olga. After racing at the recent Manawatuw atu meeting, Pukana, by Voltigeur fiom Pukohe, was shipped to Sydney. He goes to the same people that purchased Venice, Mamaku and Korowai The Last-named paid her way, but the first two proved unremunerative Venice bolted, and sustained fatal injuries and Mamaku, who had a tough passage across in the Mokoia, broke down in the .second race Properly pLaced Pukana should pay his way, as good, lehable jumpers on the 'other side" a.\e none too common. Hohoro, thh Auckland fliei , wasaw ai clod 9st 81b in the P.oyal Stakes, to be run at Randwick. The New South Wales haindicapper is apparently not taking any liberties with Mr Lovett <s horse and it comes as no surprise to find Hohoio's name missing in the acceptance list to hand At the annual meeting ot the Nelson Jockey Club, notice of motion was given that a committee of three non-betting stewards be appointed to settle all disputes and protests ansmg out of the lace meetings. According to one w ntei in the Sydney Referee," a horse called Maori, said to hail from New Zealand, and owned by Sn Frederick Sad-good, has gone into G. P Brewer's hands, be tried over fences It is stated that Maon was doing carnage duty in New Zealand before crossing the pond Mr. L. Macdonald, the owner of that bnlhant mare Wakeful, has refused an offer of 3800 guineas, made by Mi Allison, on behalf of an English bujer. foi the daughter of Trenton and Insomnia According to a London exchange Polo-Caiew (Persimmon- — Laodamia) and Kcila (Persimmon — Meadow Chat) aae King Kdward's best throe-yeai-olds They aie being specialh piepaied foi Ascot. At a meeting of iocko-ss, held m Dunochn during the recent winter meeting of the D.J C , it was unanimously decided to form a Jockeys' Union, and register under the Workers' Industrial Act Commenting on this, a Southern w liter says — "The union has not been of hasty birth, and its probable formation has been discussed bv the pimcipal horsemen of the colony foi some time past Prior to the holding of the meetings already alluded to nearly all the leading jockeys in the North Island saciiifipd then- intention of loaning the union should it be bi ought into existence At least, it may be said that all

those with whom it has been discussed at onei> expressed then* readiness to join the union. Natuially, the union lias not been fOlf 01 mod without an object, and in good timei the union will ask the racing authorities that it be made compulsory that losing mounts be paid before the uder neighs out for the race, also, that a change be made in the present mode of admitting .jockeys to racecourses, and that the union shall have a voice in the distribution of the Jockeys' Provident Funds."