Sporting.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 361, 11 January 1879, Page 12

Sporting.

We hear that the Castle Point races were a decided success. The weather was fine, which secured a large attendance of settlers. The programme commenced with Caledonian sports, after which a hack race was run—Jack 1, Sally 2, Mabel 3, A hurdle race— 1, Brownie 2, Miss Middleton D. Castle Point Stakes—Misery 1, Dan 2, Miss Middleton 3. In the Hurry Scui’ry—Aunt Sally 1, Buccaneer 2, Silver 3. Consolation—Buccaneer 1, Silver 2, Miss Middleton 3. The Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club has taken a new lease of life. It bar revised its rules, and elected twenty-seven new members. The club having broken through its old exclusiveness, will receive its reward iu the pxxblic support that it will now merit. We are glad to hear that thei-e is every probability of the negotiations terminating satisfactorily that are now pending between the club and the Agricxiltural and Pastoral Society for the acquisition of a permanent racecourse at Hastings. Owing to the absence of the bookmaking fraternity, who have been attending the Auckland race meeting, the betting on the Dunedin Cup has been rather slack for the past week or two. The following are the latest quotations : —8 to 1 agat Fishhook, 8 to 1 agst Titania, 9 I to 1 agst Meta, 9 to 1 agst Templeton, 100 to 8 agst Camballo, 100 to 8 agst Fallacy, 100 to 7 agst Mufti, 100 to 7 agst Chancellor, 100 to

7 agst Natator, 100 to 6 agst Insolvent, 100 to 6 agst Sinking Fund, 100 to 0 ag-tt Nemo. 100 to 5 agst Danebury, 100 to 5 agst Cloth of Gold, 100 to 5 agst Jangler, 100 to 5 agst Longlands, 100 to 5 agst Laertes, 100 to 5 agst York. Auckland, January 6. The racehorse Pinfire has changed hands, being purchased by Mr. McDonald for five hundred pounds. For the Papakixra races to be held on Jan. 29, the following horses were entered :—For Papakura Handicap. —Golden Crown, Yat >pa, Xantippe, Puugawerewere, Revenshoe, Don, Venus-Transit, Gillie Callum. The settling for the summer mooting took place to-night. The following cheques were paid : —Vallance, £6 OB ; £34:2 ; Butler,' £153 ; Buckland, £148; Walters, £96; Perkins, £7O ; Percival, £SB; Dav, £57 ; Caulton, £3B ; McGee, £33 ; Edgar, £l4 ; Kitchen, £9; Allen, £9. Nai j )'kk, January 7. At a meeting of the new Racing Club, held to-day, it was announced that the races would be held on the 18th and 19th March. £7OO has been subscribed. RIFLE MATCHES. On Saturday afternoon, the Wellington City Rifles added another one to their long list of victories —their opponents being the Stoke (Nelson) Rifles, who fired on New Year’s Day. Their total score was 396 points. It is only fair to mention that the Stoke team had a strong head wind during the time they were firing, whereas the weather on Saturday was all that could be desired. Under these cii’cumstance?, our local team fired splendidly, making the fine score of 485 points, being an average of 3'5, being better than an average of centres, per man. The scores were as under:— 209 400 500

Majority for 'Wellington.. 89 Captain Thompson, Kaiwarra Rifles, acted as referee on behalf of the Stoke Company. WANGANUI V. WELLINGTON CITY RIFLES. A return match between the above teams was fired on Thursday morning at 5 a.rn., at the Polhill Gully range. Like the previous match, it resulted in a victory for the home team by 33 points, the first match having been won by 34. Captain Thompson, of the Kaiwarra Rifles, acted as referee on behalf of the Wanganui team. Annexed are the scores in full :

Majority.. .. .. .. ... .. 3 Wanganui, January 7. In a rifle match against Wellington, fired this morning, the Wanganui representatives scored as follows:—Armstrong, 63; Broughton, 53; Admodt, 60; Purnell, 60; McTaggart, 58; Nutsford, 69; Ross, 62; -Hooper, 59; Ross, 63; Signal, 67- . Total, 614; The weather was fine, but too bright for good shooting.

Captain Crow® yds. 13 yds. 16 yds; 10 n. 39 Sub Lieut. McIntosh 16 16 13 45 Sergeant Bovrle 17 14 15 46 Seraeant Ballinger IS 17 12 47 Sergeant Harris 17 16 17 50 Lance Corporal Ballinger .. 17 19 13 49 Private A Ballinger.. 17 17 19 53 Private Croucher 18 17 14 49 Private Cording 18 18 18 54 Private 'Aewarfc 17 19 17 53 total .. 4S5 Stoke Company. 396

200 400 500 yds. yds. yds. Tl. Captain Crowe .. 22 25 18 t>» I/ieutenant McIntosh .. 24 24 20 68 Sergeant Gr. Harris 23 22 24 69 Sergeant Bowie .. 21 22 21 63: Sergeant Ballinger 19 23 17 57 Private Cording .. 22 23 19 64 Private Croucher 25 21 24 70 Bance Corporal Ballinger .. 24 22 21 67 Private Ballinger .. 26 25 21 72 Private Stewart . - 22 IS 11 51 Total 647 Wanganui -- 614