SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13450, 29 May 1907, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

THE GREAT NORTHERN MEETING.

[BT PHAETOS-3

On Saturday next the Auckland Racing Club will inaugurate' another Great Northem Meeting at Ellerslie, and circumstances are such as ;to invest the winter gathering '.with a strong interest, far beyond the provincial boundary. In the list of acceptances are to bo found the names of pretty well all the most noteworthy jumping horses owned in the colony, and it may bo taken as quite certain that tho list of visitors from the various centres .will be as numerous as in the most noteworthy preceding seasons when the flags have been hoisted on the A.R.C. convincing ground in celebration of the winter fixture. With anything like decent weather the gathering should bring about some first-class racing, and the aspect of matters favours tho conclusion that a fresh totalisator record will be entered upon the slate. '

At the time of writing the 26 horses that figured in the Great Northern Hurdle Race at the date of tho acceptance on tho 17th inst. aro still engaged; but it .is quite certain that there will be a good percentage of withdrawals between now and Saturday. Ma hoe, who has been installed a warm favourite as the result of the double win ho recorded last week at Wanganui, appears to be entitled to his position, for, with a 71b penalty added to his original impost, he has only to carry 9st 101b. It was no poor field that Mahoo silenced in the Century Hurdle 'Race at Wanganui, and as the son of Sou'-westor was out in front all the way, and ran home an easy winner, it is left to conjecture what ho : could havo accomplished had ho been required to do his best. Looked at from the standpoint of figures, Mahoe can ho adjudged to havo a great chance- in tho Great Northern Hurdle Race. . Still, it has to bo rememberer that jumping hurdles at Wanganui and jumping hurdles at Ellersio aro two very different matters, and the stiffness of the obstacles to be negotiated on the A.R.C. ground will, it is contended in some quarters, affect Mahoe. Of the locallyowned division, Cuiragno (lOst 131b) appears to have tho best prospects. The son of Cuirassier has demonstrated that he is back to farm, and as he stayed out the Grand National Hurdle Race course last August in a manner that suggested ho could havo traversed a longer distance had it been demanded of him, he is well entitled to be estimated as a decidedly dangerous candidate. ' Kiatcre has nothing to his credit over hurdles, but, as one of the seasoned horses, ho can be depended upon to stay out tho searching course of two and a-half miles, and that will probably find him going when most of his opponents are stopping.

The Great Northern Steeplechase has 2* horses still engaged, and that encourages tho belief that a record field will go into Mr. O'Connor's hands; but even should such not be brought about, it will probably bo found when the numbers go up that there is material to furnish one of the most interesting contests that have ever been associated with the Ellerslio steeplechase course. A couple of proved cross-country performers are found at tho head of the list, in the shape of Kiatoro and Haydn, and though on figures both veterans may bo said to havo tho worst of the deal, with 12st 131b. and list Ulb respectively, their fencing and staying capacity, and the knowledge that both are in first-class condition, will cause not a few to pin their faith to "the heroes} of many a hard-fought race." Irish having hurt himself at Wanganui, his starting is rendored oroblematical, and thus one of the most fancied . candidates has for tho nonce to be placed on one side. Maybe the ailment that has come to Irish has been exaggerated, and his reappearance on the training track will be awaited with considerable interest. Waitarero, who is i engaged in the Ellerslie race with lOst 41b, won a largo number of friends by the manner in which ho acquitted himself at Wanganui, and something approaching a strong opinion prevails that -the Torpedo gelding will;be, found quito equal to the task of jumping tho Ellerslie country without mishap. There is plenty of reason to" anticipate danger, from the light-weight: : di* vision, for,' there is, some promising material at the tail end of the handicap, Mahoe (9st 91b), Khama. (9st 91b), Rangitoto (9st 71b), Mooltan (9st 71b), and Cachuca (9at 71b) being amongst the number engaged. Mahoo has not yet contested across country, and, that being so, there; is no great inducement to sound his claims at ; present, especially as nothing appears to bo known as to his capacity for negotiating big fences. Khama and Rangitoto > havo each recent wins to their credit, and Mooitan and Cachuca both jumped satisfactorily, last week in negotiating the Takapuria course. Altogether it can be said that the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1907 is one of -tho" most oDcn cross-country races that has ever come up for decision at Ellerslie. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. The Pakuranga Hounds meet to-day at Orakei. .;/.'. '■■■.' -•'•.• ■'" , ' Mr. C. Mooney's chestnut pony Imprimus was taken over to Waiuku on Saturday. Scotty is reported to be amiss, and he may not be a starter at the Great Northern Meeting. A. McConnon brought up tho Foriruatrained jumper, Waitarero yesterday, but left Pawa behind. - On each day of the Groat Northern meeting the first race is timed to bo started punctually at noon. - The Freedom gelding Freemount is to.be offered by auction' on Friday next at the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's yards. ,: '-■:■'■< ': Mr. J. Marshall- will not be present; at Ellerslie to see Pearl Necklet carry his colours at the Great Northern meeting, as he left last night on a visit to the South Sea Islands. ',":; ', ' J. B. Williamson returned from Wanganui yesterday with Aqua Regia, Irish, and Engraver. Judged; by appearances, after landing there did not seem much the matter with Irish. The Auckland-bred Siege Gun was credited with his first winner in Now South Wales recently, when his, two-year-old sou Montcalm won tho Apprentices' Handicap at Rosehill, beating a field of eight in hollow style. '•■.,,..• * ■"- - Mahoo, the favourite for the Great Northern Hurdlo Race, will como up by the Rotoiti this morning, along with eight others. The Wanganui Steoplechaso winner, Nadador, Black Reynard, and Le Beau are expected by the same steamer. Tho double event machine will.bo worked on Saturday in connection with the Great Northern Hurdle Race and Cornwall Handicap, and with strong fields engaged in both events baokers will -have plenty of material on which to engage their thoughts. Messrs. -Alfred Buckland and Sons will hold an important sale of racehorses at the Harp of . Erin stables on the sth inst. Amongst tho lot to bo offered are Miss Winnie, Millie, Miss Crispin, Hautapu, Napenapo, Glasgow, Crispinot, Forth, and Girton Girl.' ; ' W. Wilson, it is pleasing to find, escaped with a shaking from, the fall which he suffered in tho Wanganui Steeplechaso when Irish came to grief. The popular horseman is engaged to ride Cuiragno in the Great Northern Hurdle Race and Kiatero in the Great Northern Steeplechase. Olympus, the six-year-old son of Phoebus Apollo and Aida, who cost Mr. E. J. Watt A'lSgns as a yearling, has been out qualifying with the Hawke's Bay hounds, and his owner, Mr. Gregory, intends to give Olympus a go in tho hunters' events. This wellbred gelding shows a great deal of partiality for jumping. Uranium, who was an early fancy for the **reat Northern Hurdle Race, but who has not been in much demand of late, still continues in the big jumping evSnt. From the fact of the chestnut mare having been paid up for in the Cornwall Handicap, it would seem as though her starting in the Great Northern Hurdle Race next Saturday is invested with some uncertainty. While no one could begrudge so estimable a sportsman as Sir William Russell a win, details of the contest for the Wanganui Steeplechase to hand show that his mare Nadador was assisted to a victory in the West Coast race by mishaps that befell several of her opponents. That Irish would have won had ho not blundered at the second fenco from homo is ar» opinion that may be said to be advanced all along the line. Nestator, who was running immediately in the wake of Irish, was thrown out of it by getting foul of the. Eton gelding, while Waitarere was interfered with when Narcissus fell.

J V*"OTEB FROM ELLERSLIL. The heavy rain which ha« falieo <, liiit> the last few day* lias made She tracks very ' heavy, and consequently little fast work ; has been registered a.- Etlerßtic. 'i*. ,•..!. day morning sand track only w«| Uw v Waiptina and Itauraraha covered a txmM in 2m. 5.2-5*., hot h borsas finishing well ' Lady Hun© and Ben Jonson were «ui% » similar journey, which took them 2nj 31-s=. Omati got to tho end of six furlon»J| in lm. 21?. It took Gay Paris and Sih* r Shell lm. 54?. to ruu seven furlongs. Shrapnel lm. 425.. "Tnniskillcn lm. 4; 5 ., ad . Uenuku arid Strom net* lm. 35 3-5?. p aro . quet and Manapouri covered six furlonej in '.lm. 23 2-55., while Waitatt took lm. 23 £$. pulling up. Luercee was going a lot better ' :; '^ : than Octoroon at the end of five furlongs' : in lm. Bs. Yolette, Lady Lanta, and Leo- '- pold were sent over the sod wall and double Yolctto refused twice at the double, but was afterwards got,; over. Moottan and Tanglefoot were given a similar task. Tanglefoot fell at the sod wall, but Was'''' afterwards remounted, and jumped welL '■' Cuiragno and Soultfish covered a" round of - the schooling hurdles, jumping well. - / Kiatero presents a most blooming appear. : a nee, and some keen judges at the race nitfe aver that; tho Castor gelding has never pre- ■■}'■ viously been quite the horse he is to-day,, Shrapnel continues to carry himself well and a display that he gave over ten hurdles on Saturday was quite satisfactory. '-' After an unavoidable delay of, several days at New Plymouth owing to the severe weather conditions a number of the A.R.C. Great Northern candidates were able to ■ leave by the Rarawa on Monday night, arrived at. Onehunga yesterday afternoon. Sixteen horses in all came up, including :-£ * Nestator, Delania, Cavalry. Aqua lteei». Engraver, Irish. Evoulode, Romany King* Kan gi to to, Waitarero, Slow Tom, Sammy! Regulation, Noteorini, To Uira, and Mcrti": wai. All tho animals were landed safely.' . Scotty is reported to be Amiss,, and is an unlikely starter at tho meeting. .."•■"■' Workmen aro at. present, busy erecting* barrier at the place where the Great Northern Hurdio Race is to start.-•■-. ■ «!> : INTERPROVINCIAL GOSSIP. -ft [BT 7 TELEGKATH. —OWN* CORr.KSrOXDUXTS.J • WELLINGTON. ' . ■; '.•'/' Tuesday.~'-\.','. Albert Jackson, who took Playfair and Elmwood to England for Captain Campbell, returned trout" tho Old Country recently, and has taken service" with F. Tillcy at Fordoll. Jackson informs mo that Playfair' won a couple of races in England before he left. Captain Campbell is located at Aldershot, and as nearly all the oiliccrs' and some of the Tommies backed Playfair, it, is unnecessary to say that the win was, a very;:;':; popular one. , Arthur McOouuon made a wonderful recovery from - the accident he met with:at Forirua when Exmoor fell with him. Whoa McConnon was picked up it was thought he was seriously hurt, boing unconscious. Tho accident happened on tho 16th inst., V and McConnon was ablo to come to town :'| on tho Saturday following. He had to go to lied again; but was ''sufficiently recovered to journey to Wanganui. and rode Waita- "; rero in the Wanganui Steeplechase; * Mr. Monk informs mo tint Exmoor ~is lame and sore as the result of his fall, hut ho entertains hopes that tho eon of Grafton will be all right again after a spell. „ Prior to last week Mahoe had not raced , over hurdles, in public sjnee last September, when ho won at Marten 1 and Ranjritikei. Ho has ohl/'Ottt 101b in the Great Northern Hurdle Race, and 83 ho beat twelvo of his opponents at Wanganui, it is hard to seo how he can bo defeated at Ellorslie. The | Sou* wester gelding has plenty J or pac*. is j a good stayer, and will be ridden by one of the cleverest riders in tho country. | Ho also has a jumper's pedigree. Tho only. thing that might stop. Mfthoo at Ellorslie is tho course, the lay of which is the op.; posito way to that on which he has been used to run. ■ ' - ' , # ',''. Several of the horses took liberties with the patent hurdles used at Wanganui, and ■ there may bo more falls at Auckland. ,;\ C. Jenkins' horsemanship secured th» : : Connolly Handicap for Marguerite. Toe lad on Waitapu did his best, but was no,ji? match for Jenkins. Tho horses trained byj;; S. JJessona are very well, but they are not' always ridden by tho best available jockies':•', it • - -■:- -, ■'-~'. ■■ 'r.i'i'H "'■>? c,''; "NAPIER, '- : • v, ',':;:.;" ' ' '.'''"■;' Tuesday. ' Mr. A." O'Dowd has leased Daredevil tof Mr. W. Cattonack, of Taradale. _ Dread- :, nought's ancient son, is looking in good heart to start upon his winter engagements, 3,. Mr. J. Allen, one of our amateur riders,, has accepted a retainer to pilot the Messrs. Armstrong's horses in their engagements: during the winter period. Mr. Allen, by his unassuming demeanour and E capable talents, is surely forging his way ,• into a first place in the ranks of tho gentlemen hoi"semen in this district. • : ;- ! The title of Interpreter has been claimed for The Seer's rising three-year-old half- ; brother by Missfire. .. .i' ■ Toprose, who rewarded his supporters with a £21 odd dividend in the Rata Hurdle? at : Wanganui is a younger full-" brother to Roseshoot. The Torpedo gelding is the property of Mr. C. O'Donoghuc, Of Hastings. 'Although ho has been kept'and fed for the last four seasons, he had, pre-* viously to his success at Wanganui, only once "before been victorious. This wan in the.Hack Race at the Waipukurou moot-;.',. ing on Easter Monday, when he won the Hack Handicap. Toprose is one of J. Rolio's team. • ' . **. : Kechabito has also been out qualifying with the Hawko's Bay hounds. ' • ".. Kaharawa has been proving so unreliable in his fencing essays while out with the,:;:;; Hawko's Bay hounds that it is unlikely he will be persevered with in' that direction. , Electric Light (Wonderland-Searchlight); ■ who was used for stud purposes in • tho Takapau district last, season by bis lessee (Mr. H. \ Speedy), lias been returned to hi* owner, Mr. G. Hunter. ," CANTERBURY. "•;- Tuesday. j-. The victory of; Lapland in ; thf Oamaru ; Cup was ' very appropriate. His owner, Mr. H. '-', A. Knight, i* ono of our straightest and most popular; owners, and tho successes of his horses are ; always welt received. .In the case of Up- * land, however, tho position was enhanced V: by tho fact that the win came after a. most exasperating run of bad luck, in the shapeof placed performances, unrelieved by a <- single previous success this season. Lapland was in a nice position all the way, and at the finish he. scored comfortably. The son of Stepniak ran another good race. in the Victoria Handicap on the" second day, but the distance was scarcely' far' enough for him. . Mango pulled up lame after scoring a decisive win on tho first day at Oamaru, and ho will probably have to be ; treated to * spell. ' ? Don Orsino added to his reputation by » ; meritorious victory at Oamaru on Thursday. : Ho is a slow , beginner, and as ho had a large field to boat, looked at one time to 1 be hopelessly blocked. He nut in a great run over the last furlong,, however, and won cleverly at tho finish. On the second, day be again ran well, but the weight and• the heavy going anchored him in the last little bit. Don Orsino, who is a fine-looking gelding, with plenty of size to recommend him, should be a good stake-earner next season. ■. . .. '-. *■ ■-. Miss Gal, who got among the winners ft* ; Oamaru, is a three-year-old filly by Step-" niak—Tortulla. She can muster up.some pace, but at present she scarcely takes tncI eye as likely to ever develop into a good i one."', ,' ~ / ; ~.. s.\ I When Ivanoff followed up his victory at Ashburton bv scoring on the first day • oi.y.. the Oamaru meeting, it looked as if he ow mended his manners. On the second day.; however, in, the Victoria Handicap, he cut up so badly that he must once more be set;_ aside among the unreliable brigade. "«v r j he likes. Ivanoff can galion fast, but untorI tunately his good days are hard to catch. ' *• j Merrymaker, who won the Parkside Han- ■ dicap at Oamaru, is a half-sistor (by Alus- ( ketrv) to Jack Ashore, who scored twice at | Ashburton. Merrymaker appeared to revel • j in the heavy going, and nothing had a chance with her. ' ; The rising three-year-olds Red Rain and Sister Anne have joined G. Cutts' activedivision. Red Rain, who is by ClanranaW;< : —Catherine Wheel, has furnished into ■'*.;■'',,. commanding sort of a colt, while Sister Anne (by Clanranald—Wcathcroye) "* also developed into a promising filly. Neither has started yet, but if, they train on they are likely to win good races next season. From "what 1 can learn, the victory of ; ; Grandstand in tho Oteaiko Handicap. »<;; Oamaru on Friday proved very expensive t0.'.,. tho bookmakers in this island. At• any r«it«. J; a heavy commission was worked, and .<;"...' sine of 'thef dividend : gave the layers » ,« severe shock. Tho race was rather a pecu- , jV liar one, and I am disinclined to place too . much reliance on the horse.