RACING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 852, 29 June 1888, Page 13

RACING.

2U< %' ■■ . ■■■ i (By Martini. ) ’ ' FIXTURES. ' July 26—N.Z Grand National Stocploolnse. July 7—Wellington Steeplechase Meeting. Decjl. a ratios of Weights. June 30—N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase. Nominations, accritancbs. &c. July 7 —Acceptances N.Z. Grand National Steoplocliases. July 24 —Final payments N.Z. Grand National Handicap and acceptances Grand National Steeplechases. ...... ' 1 ‘ f . ’ ‘ A.t the Napier Town and Suburban Club’s Winter Meeting on Friday, the principal event, the Taradale Handicap of 40 sovs, fell to Torea, who, under that name, and the less euphonious one of Hough Cut, is well known in this district a 3 a smart hack racer. Martonian was the favorite, but could not get nearer than fourth, Marie being second, Penguin third. The winner paid a dividend of £ll 10s. A gelding named Melrose won the Maiden Plate arid Ladie’s Pnrse, and the Plying Handicap fell to Pretender, a son of Vasco di Gama, Torea being unplaced. The hurdle race was won by Argo, by Mufti, our old friend Matamau being second, and Elastic third, while Little John was unplaced The meeting seems to have been a very enoyable one, the attendance having been large and the raoing exciting. Following are the handicaps for the Wai. pawa County Hack Meeting (July 4) :

The following remarks on the Kempton Great Jubilee Stakes and. Minting’a win, are taken from an English paper :—We thought when the handicap first appeared that, if there was a blot in it, it was Tyrone, .who on last year's running seemed to have the best chance of anything, despite the fact that.a mile is just a little bit more than he likes. However, so many better judgeß than ourselves told us that Thunder, storm was to be the horse (and we may say here that quite an irritation was raised by the damnable reiteration of ‘how can Minting give him two stone ?’) that we had to abandon Tyrone. But we would not have Thunderstorm, and we would not abandon Minting. If Tyrone was not to win to oar thinking there was ouly one horse that would ; and so, in spite of 1 how can Minting give that weight?’—whatever it was—to some half dozen horses, we determined to abide by the horse who had once got to Ormonde’s neck. The scene in the paddock was as exciting as when last year everybody rushed at Bendigo as if he had already won the race. The race—an old story now—was not of the same exciting character as that of last year. Then, for a moment or two, the backers of Bendigo were alarmed for their favourite ; now, despite the long lead of the Cobbler, directly tho bend was reached, and the violet jacket with white belt was seen in good position, most of us knew what the result would be. Webb novor had to call on Minting. He simply sat still, and the horse’s grand stride accomplished the rest. Amidst cheering rivalling that which greeted Bendigo’s win, Mr Vyner’s great horse swept past the chair, a grand winner and the hero of a great performance. Who and where is the bold man who shall say that there is anything impossible in the future ? This is, and probably will be, a record beat, ing age. It is true we have had exceptional ' horses, and the like of Ormonde, Minting, and Bendigo, we may not during tho lives of r,l any who read these pages, see again. How fortunate, then, has been Kempton Park in scouring for their two ‘Jubilees’ the horses they have done. What will they show us in the third ? The well-known hurdle racer, Moody, has broken -down. He was being exercised, when another horse onnnoned against him, snapping fchs tendons of the off fore-leg, behind tha knee joint. 'Reports were circulated in Dunedin last week that Lochiel had broken down,. and

* Mozeppa’ has the following guarded remarks thereon :— ‘ So far as I know, Lochiel. is not yet in work, and I fail to see how he oould break down unless he has met with an accident. I do not vouch that Lochiel is sound, but 1 certainly think it ridiculous to suppose that he has ‘ ‘ broken down ” in the ordinary sense of the term. As showing the effect uoon racing since the totalisator was legalised, ‘ Mazeppa ’ publishes the following table showing the number of meetings held in the several provincial districts during 1579-1880—that is the season in which the machine was first introduced—side by side with the number for ISS6-S7, the last season for which the records are complete :

Totals 17S 254 106-5949-89 p.c. Mr Ellingham had all the best of things in the Hawkes Bay Steeplechase on Thursday, for Chemist won (though only after a great race with Mangaohaone), and his other string Denbigh ran a good third. Chemist has undoubtedly proved himself one of the very best, if not the best, at his own game in the colony, and his performance in this race, carrying 12st 61b, stamps him an out-and-outer Mangaohaone seems to have run a real good one, but Kangaroo was never very dangerous. The latter carried top weight in tho Consolation, and got home half a length in front of Oddfellow. Erebus, who won the Selling Steeplechase, musthave gone off a great deal if the shrewd Napier sports do not think him worth \ £SO, though I notice, he beat and the once speedy Direotor easily at level weight. Chemist is likely to run at the next Grand National, according to a Napier writer.

The jockeys W. Clifford and A. Woods have returned from Australia. ~ , Tigredia is in training again, and may yet give us a taste of her quality in a big race. The respective merits of Abercorn and Australian Peer appear to be as debatable as ever judging by the Melbourne Cup weights, in which the pair appear at the top of the handicap with 9st 81b each, with two cup winners, Malua and Dunlop below them. Maxim’s fama would not appear to have been at all diminished in Australian eye 3, for he is asked to carry the crusher of 9st 31b, and to give Niagara 51bs and Gipsy King 61bs. The other New Zealand candidates are pretty well treated, I think, and certainly Spade Guinea Bst lib, and Pasha 7at 131 b, have little to grumble about. A couple that seem to look well on paper are Diok Swiveller and Lamond, both of whom, with lightweights, ought on performances to be ‘ iu it.’

Mr Evett issued the weights for the Steeplechase Meeting on Tuesday last. He would appear to have made up his mind that Chemist shall not have another easy victory, while on the other hand Denbigh should, on her Napier running, be a likely one with lOst up. Of the others in the big event, Orangeman, Kangaroo, and Mangaohaone look about the best. The other events I prefer not to touch till the acceptances are out. The rivalry between Orangeman and Magnesia furnishes Phseton with a par, At Takapunain the spring, he says, Orangeman beat the daughter of Anteros by a h'ead, and in the Autumn Steeplechase, run at the same place, the same distance separated them, while on Saturday last at Ellerslie in fighting out a big battle for second honors, the judge’s verdict was in favor oE the mare by a head. Maiiy were of opinion that the head difference was the other way about, but the judge is the only one to gauge matters accurately in that respect. It is also worthy of note that ou each occasion the jockeys were the same, J. Rao haviug the mount of Orangeman, while P. Nolan steered Magnesia. Silvio is to be treated to a spell.

* •.... \ st lb.- . ' .■ st lb Longroper ... 11 0 The Drover ... 9 7 Argo .:. 10 5 Elastic . ... ... 9 3 Pilgrim ...10 0 War Cry ... ... 9 0 Little John ... 9 12 Bedford .. 9 0 Stella ..; . ’ 9 10 Tommy Dodd ... S 7 Kaikoura Handicap. Torea ... ... 9 3 Truthful ... 7 5 Martonian ...9 2 Finance ... 7 3 Pretender ... 8 0 Argo ... 7 1 •Penguin ... 6 10 Dispute ... 6 10 Ival ... 7 8 After Dark ... 6 0 Bedford .... 7 7. Flying Handicap. Torea ... ... 9 6 Governess ... 7 0 Pretender ... 8 10 Mignonette ... 6 13 Bedford ... 8 5 Hawera ... 6 12 Truthful 8 2 Dodds ... 6 12 Little John. ..8 0 Maori Girl ... 6 10 ivai .. 7 12 KlrimLni ... 6 8 Dispute ... 7 8 Little Fancy ... 6 0 Finance ...7 6

1879-80 18S6-87. Increase. Per Cent. Otago ... .48 14 16 33,i Canterbury 31 64 33 1064 Auckland 47 64 7 15 Wellington 16 39 1 23 144 HawkesBaylS 24 G 334 Taranaki 5 12 7 140 Westland 5 10 5 100 Marlborough 5 9 , 4 SO Nelson 3 8 5 IS ■ —