SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11541, 28 November 1900, Page 6

SPORTING.

TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB'S, SPRING MEETING. NOTES AND ANTICIPATIONS. " [BI PHAETON.] . The T. J.C. will inaugurate ' the I season at the North Shore to-day, and with every promise of the weather being fine, the prediction may be offered with safety that there will be a large influx of visitors to the marine suburb,- for the meetings held there have always been extremely popular with racegoers. The acceptances received for the various events are in every instance of a most satisfactory character, and a capital afternoon's sport seems to be in every way assured. The Devonport Ferry Company will bring their large fleet into commission for the conveyance of visitors to and from the Shore, and the company have scored so highly on all previous occasions in handling a large volume of traffic, that no fears need be entertained on that score. The opening event of the programme is the Trial Handicap, in which I take The i Frenchman and Tiki to be the two moat dangerous, and I will name them to finish in that order. The Cambria Handicap may be won by Kissaline. With 13 horses en gaped in the St. Andrew's Handicap, a capital field is promised for the big event of the afternoon. Coronet, St. Peter and Doctor road to me a likely trio to fight out the finish, and to name ?t in one I will take St. Peter to win. ! The issue in the Maiden Hurdle Race is decidedly open. Miss Drury and Princess of Thule are a pair that may have most to say in the finish. Takapuna and Ambition should fight out the finish in the Hack Handicap. ' s Drum-Major will, I fancy, prove the hardest to beat in the Hurdle Race, and he may find his most dangerous opponent in Hylas. Previous running may be , expected to throw some light on the probable result of the Cheltenham Handicap, but a pair of light-weights that may get .well up towards the front p.re Takapuna and Zealous. The following is a list of the acceptances for the various events: — TRIAL HANDICAP of 60sovs. One mile. St. lb. St. lb. Swiftfoot ... 8 7 Black Rose ... 7 7 Mata'harakiki... 8 4 Tiki 7 6 The Fr'nchm'n 8 4 Blaircarrig ... 7 4 Deadbeat ... 712 Volee ... ... 7 3 Regulus ... 7 10 Crescent ... 610 CAMBRIA HANDICAP of lOOsovs. Five furlongs (for two-year-olds). St..lb. St. lb. Kissaline ... 812 Hikipene ... 7 7 Sp'rkl'ng W'ter 8 2 Little Bess ... 7 5 Scotty ... 7 12 Gatelock ... 6 7 L'nce C'rp'ral 7 7 Gladys May... 6 7 Ragabrash ... 1 7 ST. ANDREW'S HANDICAP of 200sovs. One mile and a-quarter. St. lb. St. lb. Coronet ... 9 ODoctor ... 7 2 Rosella ... 8 6Kn'g't of Ath'l 7 0 Firefly ... 8 6Landlock> ... 612 St. Peter ... 8 0 Crusade ... 612 Dayntree ... 7 10 Motor ... 6 12 Honesty ... 7 8 Regulus ... 6 7 Toroa ... ... 7 4HANDICAP MAIDEN HURDLES of 60sovs. One mile and a-half. St. lb. St. lb. Miss Drury ... 11 2 Kowhai ... 9 0 Tip 10 12 Boxer 9 0 The Master ... 10 10 Linden ... 9 0 Evermore ... 10 4 Rapid Bey ... 9 0 Cronje ... 10 0 Pr'nc'ss of T'le 9 0 Tahaka . ... 9 8 Pungauhu ... 9 0 Perseverance... 9 8 Whangapi ... 9 0 Bedrock ... 9 7 Freewill ... 9 0 Romantic ... 9 7 FIRST HACK HANDICAP of 50sovs. Five furlongs. St. lb. et. lb. Takapuna ... 812 Golden Tress... 7 7 M'ta'harakiki... 8 9 Sunset ... 7 0 Ambition ... 8 5 Nereid ... 7 0 Athol Brose ... 8 0 Progeo ... 612 Bacchus ... 7 10 Jack Brown .- 6 10 Soultfish ... 7 9 Zuleika ... 610 Trumpeter ... 7 8 FIRST PONY HANDICAP of 60sovs. Six furlongs, st. lb. St. \lb. The Slave ... 9 5 Mara ... ... 7 4 Lena 8 12 First Whisper... 7 4 Pipiwharauroa 8 8 Myrene ... 7 4 Brookland ... 7 lO.Mamoa ... 7 0 Nora 7 10 Wee Tottie ... 7 0 Chief Miss ... 7 7 Rapit ... 6 7 Gaiety Girl ... 7 7 FIRST HANDICAP HURDLES of lOOsovs. Two miles. St. lb. St. lb. Tim 11 2 Hylas 10 4 Drum-Major... 10 10 Rufus ... 9 0 Volcano ... 10 6 Headford ... 9 0 Voltigeur 11. 10 6 Tahaka ... 9 0 CHELTENHAM HANDICAP of lOOsovs. Five furlongs. r st. lb. St. lb. St. Peter ... 9 8 Toroa ... 7 2 Telephone ... 9 5 St. Elyn ... 7 2 Kettledrum ... 8 6 Deadbeat ... 7 0 Winsome ... 8 1 Zealous ... 7 0 Lady Dash ... 712 Takapuna ... 7 0 St. Elmo ... 710 Lady Avon ... 610 Cuirasette ... 7 7 Rosiphele ... 610 Landlock ... 7 5 Tiki 6 7 The Frenchman 7 3 Brilliant ... 6 7 The first race is timed to start punctually at half-past one p.m. OTAHUHU TROTTING CLUB'S MEETING. Acceptances for the various events of the first day's programme close on Friday next at eight p.m. Ponies will be measured to-morrow at Potter's paddock between three and four p.m. The privileges in connection with the meeting are to be offered by auction on Friday next by Messrs. Churton and Co., at the Brunswick mart. SALE OF BLOODSTOCK. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company will offer the following thoroughbreds for sale on Friday next, at the Durham Yards:Porangi Potae, by Castor Madcap; Nikau, by Hotchkiss—Yattaghan; Belfast, by Seaton Delaval—Lady Antrim, and a bay filly, one year, by Lord Dunluce. __ THE VICTORIA RACING CLUB. The Victoria Racing Club is a great institution, and the wages bill they have to meet, at times runs into big figures. Commenting on the growth of Australasia's premier racing institution, and the perfection to which the management at Flemington has been raise!, a ■ writer says:—"The regular hands employed on the course, with its four and uhalf miles of tracks and two miles of running ground to be kept perpetually in order, number 30. Four men are kept at painting the buildings. Ii takes them three years to do them all, and when they have finished it is just time to begin all over again. Before and during Cup week the labour employed is largely increased, and the club has 300 or 400 hands working for it. A email army of charwomen scrub out the acres of floor space in the various stands, there are extra attendants for the course and lawn, and regiments of ticket-takers and other officials, who draw between 7s 6d and £1 a day during the week. On Cup Day itself the persons whom the club has to look after must be reckoned by battalions. Last year Mr. Moore had und'ir his supervision 2063 individuals, including police, detectives, waiters (600 of these), ticket-takers, jockeys, trainers, bookmakers, and others. With such a huge staff it might be expected that the grounds would be kept in the most spick and span condition. This is, indeed, the case. The course and every yard of accommodation for spectators is gone, over between each day's racing, and every fragment of paper and cigarette end is picked up, and the whole place tidied up. If a gaie or heavy rain destroys Mr. Moore's flowor beds, nis gardeners replenish them from cool houses, where flowers in pots, ready to be sunk into the beds and made to look as if they grew there, are all waiting. After wet weather, too, men are sent out on the course with drays on rollers instead of wheels, and every hole made by a horse's hoof is filled with sand and grass seed and then carefully rolled. In fact, everything that can be done to make the condition of. the grounds perfect, and to add to the pleasure and comfort of visitors, is done by this ■■ great club, and ill helps to add to the wages earned by Melbourne working men."