TURF TOPICS

New Zealand Mail, 5 February 1902, Page 37

TURF TOPICS

'(By “Advance.”) racingltixtures. ¥ e b 12 and 13-Taranak; J.C. Summer Feb 12 and 13— Gisborne R.C. Summer Feb 13 and 15-C.J.C. Summer Feb 19 and 20—Egmont R.C. Summer Feb 20 and 21—Poverty Bay T.C. Annual Feb. 26, 28 and March I—Dunedin J.C.

Autumn March 6 and 7—Wanganui J.C. Autumn March 31 and April I—C.J.C. Autumn PAHIATUA RACING CLUB. Representatives of racing clubs in the Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay districts assembled in good numbers at the opening of the Painaiua Racing Club’s new course last- week. Among the gentlemen present I met Messrs A. W. Cave (president), J. Macara and C. F. Valance (vice-presidents), F. Hill, A. 9. Elmer and C. 11. Smith (stewards),' €M Masterton Racing Club ; Messrs F. Hanlon, president of the AshurstPohangina Racing Club, and Mr John Cotter, who formerly held the office. Stewards of the Dannevirke, Woodville, Carterton-Taiataiii, Wairarapa and Lower Valley Clubs were also present. The Carterton-Taratahi representatives came over to take stock of the excellent course and up-to-date improvements, as it is quite possible they may possibly make a shirt from Clareville. secretaries E. J. Gotiiard (Woodville), t' iwp ß freeman (Dannevirke), and A F. Evans (Lower Valley) were also present. The visitors were entertained at luncheon by the stewards of the Taniatua Club and invited to drink success to the new course. Everyone was rated in the most hospitable manner, away the impression that ne ramatua people are not only pro*f e f :ve but popular. The club has ™a e great. progress since last year, . en the old course was raced on. During the interval the new course, conMmg of sixty acres of the best land f„A dlStrict ’ situated about a mile i the town, was purchased at £25 » mw, chared and levelled. The ill stumping, forming and making » track, which is a mile and four s round, a chain wide, and hanked ffinn^nn? 16 ou tsido all the way, was on! * V, stewards were hold to strike thl!°i the tuno of £2IOO, and hold timou es pei ' son ally responsible, af, a In Lr ien the cl,lb was ' £2OO behind. Mr tbo P° sl ti° n of the club, infill £°opcr (president) said it was E Q„ir t 0 % ssrs R - Smith, A. Yule, QuS T’v?- Kni S ht - S - Avery, P. SSL?’ ottomle y R - P- Greville track whicWn n lCrS ‘ Tlie club bas a or hvo l lbo regarded in a season down* as onTnli 13 ! pr °P epl y settled A commnrV f tho best m the island, built "ST grand stand has been The huium threo . a PProaches in front, at i IS ? imdar to that in use front,- Tj„fw av iV e a sloping lawn in and stewin' C ' a^1 are a »secretary’s bar and IS room > aild grandstand tor houso lfiT 011 room -, The totalisan’hich number ~C ° V CI - tbree machines, % next year alt- 10 11 \ V so last weckerected, m ill Stowards stand will he Gilding the co g f olmc l floor of which an d clerk If ?f retai 'y’ stewards, Press their peril o scales take up ‘"troducUon .f ,[l uar ters. Sin ce the aa >ount of moilf J 10 - system, the by investors hn» T Wlred to the course a ?d 1 am certain V} CPe ased considerably, f dubs to }]n v „ lt r ls t bo advantage a tho course hv + c °mmunication “Sep tho st JZ.vi eleg , ra P h - This is a Cr ®cting tho ci ards sb °nld consider in ° f 80fc ' n ° uld delude a telegraph

office in their plans. Lash week’s meeting was successful in every way, a result greatly due to the manner in which it had been worked up and kept prominently before the public by the club’s energetic and obliging secretary (Mr Edward E. Lewis), to whom I am indebted for kind treatment- during my visit to Pahiatua. &

The increase in the totalisator turnover compared with the previous year amounted to £IOBO, which I regard as very satisfactory. Messrs Henrys <hanchcapper) and Piper (starter) set Mr Hartgill some pretty severe tasks, especially in the big race on the second day, when heads separated half a dozen of tho runners; but in every case tho numbers were promptly hoisted heforo tho horses had pulled up. The percentage of dead heats a handieapper will get from Mr Hartgill will he very small.

The veteran Hutt trainer, “Dad” Peters, won the first race on the new course. He took up four horses, each of whom ran either first or second. Pure Silver was sent out favourite for tho Flying Handicap on the strength of liis gallop with Cure at the Hutt. He won with something to spare from Convoy (Vanguard—Saint), the Taranaki gelding. Neither Rain nor Bellbine, both of whom were supported, ran as well as at Foxton.

No less than eight horses dropped out of the Hurdles. In fact, the scratchings all round on the first day were larger than usual. Tirea was not eligiblo to start; Rinm and Strone were reported to have broken down; Master Jack had been sold to go to the contingent.' The owner of Regret demanded a start, having been advised by the secretary of the Racing Conference that he was eligible. The club received the same advice, but probably Mr Wanltlyn is not well up in the hack rules. Great Scott, Pumali and Aitua were the other withdrawals. Adam McMorran managed to get Jim Campbell over the first fence, but lie absolutely stopped at the next, and Mr Evans parted with the son of Patriarch —Princess Royal the following day for £2O 10s. Eucliaris (Wonderland —Incense), ridden by Noble, won all the way, the favourite, Pukana, being second.

The Hutt-trained Mooi was well hacked for the Trial, but let her .supporters down. The veteran Opaki, trained by R. Knox, supplied the winner in Platypus, who was sent out second favourite, and won comfortably from Poataniwha, with Cave third. Platypus is a five-year-old brown mare by Alerrie England —Seal, by Piscatorious—Rumour, who got home at Woodville a few seasons back and paid a big dividend. Shelldrake (G’oldreef —Margauzcr), Last Spec, Otaio and Le Vent dropped out of the Cup. Van, Tyrone and Waitoa were tho fancied candidates. The latter ran prominently for a mile, when lie was beaten, and the native-owned Mourner (who is a better horse than his brother, Koliinui) had no difficulty in settling the others. Mrs Niniwa Te Rangi, who was present, got tlie good dividend of £9 10s. Van, in whom Mr Bristol lias a good mare, was second, and Greygown third. The distance was too far for Colza, and Rosewater (Water-fall—-Primrose), who received the support of her connections, appears to be a frost.

Greonsloeve (ridden by F. Davis), received most support for the Telegraph Stakes. Mr Macara’s mare ran well, but was defeated by Aldinga (Rebel-lion-Mangle mare), a pony mare trained by A. Peters, who struggled on gamely to the end. Aldinga was ridden by T. Pritchard, whose brother won on Puritana earlier in the day. A lot of interest was created in the Members’ Race, for which nine competed. It was looked upon as a good thing for the Woodville representative, Midshipman, who had the services of Mr A. Hyde in the saddle. He could only get third to Lady d’Eau and Retangle. The winner is owned by Mr P. Quirlte, a steward of the club, whose success was well received. Lady d’Eau is an aged sister to Waterford, whose dam, Forlorn Hope, was presented by Mr S. H. Gollan to Air R. Smith, of Pahiatua, who filled the office of president of the club up to last season. Forlorn Hope was in foal to Bonnie Scotland at the time Air Gollan parted with her, and Mr Smith now owns a two-vear-old filly by the St. George horse. I <utx not certain that all tho riclei s in the race hold gentleman jockeys’ cerMourner took on the Railway Welter with a 101 b penalty, which effectually stopped him. The winner turned up in another of tho Voltigeur tribe (Boko), who shaped well m similar events at Lower Valley and Tauheienikau at New Year time. Boko won in good style from Tho Guesser, with Alourner third, and Alelrose, who was prominent at the top of the straight, fourth. Mussell (Lakeshell— Novelty), a stable mate of Convoy’s, hailing from the West Coast, was a strong order for tho Konini Handicap. Ho ran well for six furlongs, but died away at tho finish. Cave (ridden by L. King) gave a taste of his quality by scoring by half a length from. Waionui, with the favourite third. Cave is a five-year-old gelding by Kempenfeldt (Nordenfeldb— Bianca) from Waterbury’s sister Sunbeam. He is owned by Mr T. T. Watt,

of Marton, and is trained by W. Stone at Hastings. Eight of the fourteen runners in the Newmarket Handicap were well hacked. Languid got badly away, and was on the rails, otherwise she might have won. Inside the distance it looked as if Pure Silver would score again, but Greensleeve cut him down with a strong run at the finish. Both horses carried top weight, Bst 131 b, and should find their way out of hack company. Cobra, on the strength of her runnmg the second day at Foxton, was sorted out as the best of those in the Hurdles. She came away at th'e bend, and tho race appeared all over, until the local horse Alelrose put in a fine run in tho straight, and settled the favourite. Alelrose is a hollow-backed aged grey mare, by Wanderer (sire of Rimu and Stravbird), and everybody appeared to join in proclaiming the victory of the local horse, whom Air Alexted had persevered with for about three years. He was ridden by AY. Nearv, who was formerly connected with Walter Best’s stable. Air Best, who formerly resided in Pahiatua,. raced two lior-es at the meeting, but neither were successful. They were Yukon (an aged gelding by Foulshot), who is evidently not much class, being one of the last to finish in the Disposal, and Le Vent, a three-year-old gelding by Sou’-wes-ter. The latter was given a run in the Konini Handicap on the first Hay, and is not a. had sort. He is engaged in the Egmont Guineas this month. Vanguard had several representatives at the meeting, viz., Convoy, Bellbine, Poataniwha, Bugle Call, Van and En Garde, and the two last named scored in successive races. En Garde, whose victory was in the Alakuri Handicap, is owned by Air T. Kennedy, a steward of the Lower Valley Jockey Club. The six runners were evenly backed. Gipsy Jack, who was favourite, must have disappointed his connections when he finished in the ruck. Tho stewards did not like the way Rain shaped, and called in the owner and jockey and told them so.

A remarkable thing about the eight runners for the Racing Club Handicap was that, with the amounts on No. 2 and 3 reversed, the horses were hacked in order of their handicap. No. 1 (Van) was favourite, and No. 8 (Velocity) tho outsider. “Stumps” Rickerby rode the latter, and endeavoured to make every post a winning one. When lie found the field overtaking him in the straight, he sot to work with the whip in the most resolute manner, and it was not his fault ho did not get there first. George Price appeared on the scene in the last fifty yards on Van, and driving her along all lie knew, won by a head. It was a most exciting finish, heads only separating four of the others. Van had 9st 4lb, and was giving Velocity three stone, less three pounds. After Hawera Mr Bristol’s mare will have to take oil open company.

Rebounding Lock, who was brought up from Martinborough for the Disposal, was sent out favourite, and got homo from a good field. Tho aged soil of Flintlock—Alorihu has not won a race for about two years, and Air Johnston parted with him for £24. Tlis dam, Alorihu (by Alangle) is still at Martinborough, and was to he sold by auction this afternoon. She is also dam cf Christmas Eve and Tuhitarata, has two fillies by Prince Cole, rising two and one year respectively, and is stinted to Saracen

Ika, who is trained and ridden by Walter Raynor, looked like placing the Stewards’ Welter to the credit of the all-round Wanganui sport whoso nom-de-course is C. Foon. Raynor took matters too easy, and let Ika ease up. When Alelrose swooped down on him he had not time to get going, and the grey won, and paid £l4 6s. Alooi filled the other place.

Laertes (Soult —Lady Emmeline), a four-year-old brother to Yseult, who has been racing successfully in the South Island, and half-brother to Gourio and King Edward, was brought down from Taranaki for the Scurry. Aloney wired to the course for Laertes attracted the attention of punters to No. 16, who was not to he found in the paddock. He was saddled at the back of tho course, and a reminder from the stewards that if tho horse was not paraded in the straight beforo the start a fine would be inflicted, brought the gelding into prominence, and ho was sent out a strong favourite. He got a flying start, and was never headed, although Diplomat (Stepniak—Adulation) was not far away at tho finish. Neno, who finished third, was also whispered about as a good thing. She is a three-year-old filly by Tattler, said to bo a full sister to Mustella. If the age given in the “correct” card is right I hardly think Neno can ho by Tattler, as the son of Ravensworth died in 1896.

Waitoa got home in tho Grand Stand Handicap, but if one of tho horses that finished behind him had been on it he would havo won by a chain. Cave (ridden by L. King) just beat Waionui. The stewards called King in and informed him that they were not satisfied with his riding. He explained that his whip had got caught in the horse’s mane, and he was unable to use it. The stewards wero satisfied with the explanation, which was conveyed to King, who thanked them. All’s well that ends well.

The following gentlemen are officebearers of the Pahiatua Racing Club:— President, Mr O. O. Cooper j vice-pre-sidents, Messrs P. Quirk and A. McFarlane; judge, Mr W. H. Hartgill; starter, Mr H. Piper; handieapper, Mr J. E. Henrys; treasurer, Mr A. Yule; clerk of the scales, Mr G. Bottomley; clerk of tho course, Mr D. Knight; timekeeper, Air G. Oxley; stewards and committee, Messrs E. Sullivan, W. Husband, J. B. Eaton, W- W. MoCardle, A. Caselherg, J. Lundon, C. Avery, J. H. Harris, B. A. Beattie; secretary, Edward E. Lewis.