Late Sporting.

Free Lance, Volume XIV, Issue 720, 18 April 1914, Page 18

Late Sporting.

The Wellington Races, By Te Ngaio. THE handicaps for the opening day at Trentham (Thursday next) appeared on Wednesday morning. Kelp (11.0) and Waterworks (10.10) are •a cut above the others engaged in the Hack and Hunters' Steelpechase, and if the two top-weights go to the uost .should go near winning. **• * * Some smart two-year-olds are engaged in the Plunket Nursery, with Reoontre {9.5), the Champagne Stakes winner, at the head of the list. Wisebird put up fast time, at Riccarton over the same distance,. and on Wairarapa form Chakuana and Gold Stream are entitled to consideration. The Trentham course will suit the last named better than • Tauherenikau. The form there at New Year was good enough for Trentham. Ventura and Expect, the two best milers in the Dominion at the present timtt, head the list in the Thompson Handicap. Both stables have more than useful second strings in Bertrada, a double winner at Riccarton, and Red Book, who was successful at Ellerslie. ' Whichever Mr. Greenwood starts, Emperador or Valhalla, will have a good following. The latter has three, engagements. Merry Roe may be the best of the Auckland contingent. # * * If Valhalla is reserved for the Silverstream _ Handicap, he should run prominent in that race. If not, Chillies may prove his mettle. He was only started the second day at Wairarapa, but the distance was too short, although he ran «econd. The Tinakori Handicap contains the names of several winners during the Easter holidays. The best of them may be Sir Saracen and Listen (winners at Wairarapa) and Belasco, who beat a big field and put up fast time at Ellerslie. The Railway Handicap field will take some sorting out. Inueru (a double winner at Feildmg) looks well in with 8.5, the" same weight she won with on the second day of the meeting named. Sauci, if started in this race instead of the Thompson, should go out iavonrite. as he has 6lbs less than he carried in the Templeton Handicap at Riccarton, in which he was beaten by half a length in lmin 12 3-ssecs.