TURF TOPICS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1666, 3 February 1904, Page 52

TURF TOPICS

.IBy "Advance.”)

PAHIATUA RACING CLUB.

Favoured with beautiful weather for iter aaguaf meeting, the Pahiatua Pacing Club had a most successful gathering last week. The club b growing in favour with owners and rol* forworn of the turf. Visitors were present from. Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu ' and Wmrarapa districts. The totali■afaw turnover was larger the second day < than the firsts and showed an in-•:;-v cirgjMO ,'iof. £3OOO compared with the previous- meeting-. Receipts from - gates* i and other souixea W# 1 ;'! saiisfactoiry, and ... the meetnng ' -wfll idiow a good balance. Tho affiat&k of the club are of the progressive ardor, and will no doubt make tho _ prises more attractive for owners, as welt as 'increase the accommodation for its patrons. There wera

a good many withdrawals" on the first day, caused by horses who had run at Foxton and tne Hutt failing to show form good enough to continue their engagements. - . ; Tangiwai carried 16lb penalty in the Flying Handicap, six furlongs, which did not stop her going out. a good faveuuitje. The best backed, of the others was who got well away, and was never troubled. Tho Captain Webb gelding, who runs generously in Jenkins’s hands, had Waitoti as his nearest attendant all the way. Mi® King was backed down to level money in the Hurdles, but rushed into tlse Erst fence and .cairne down. The grey (Melrose) and Kaimce were in front for about a mile and a half, where both had liad enough. Lissp, was then taken to the front, and was not afterwards troubled.

Anadega’s Waipawa form sent her out favourite for the Trial Hack Handicap, seven furlongs. Rungarawa and St. Alba were also backed. Lethern and Rungarawa were prominent to the distance, where St. Alba (St. Leger-—Cuiralba) came through and won comfortably. The Pahiatua Cup, ono mile and a quarter, brought out a field of eleven. Roseshoot was favourite, with Gold Dust next in demand. Platypus jumped off in front, and mado tho pace solid all the way. Good Intent and Freeland made an effort at the distanco to get to the leader. ’ At tho distance Jeanne d’Arc joined in, and. a little later Benefactor and Mussell took a hand. The horses came from tho outside and joined in under the whip in an exciting finish. Benefactor got home by a neck from Platypus. Roseshoot half a length away, with Freeland and Jeanne d’Arc. about a head away. Excepting Ringlet, Benefactor was the least fancied, and returned 27 supporters £26 18s each. This was the chestnut’s first win since rejoining F. Higgott’s stable. Mr ■Martin did not journey down from Napier to see his horse win. Geld Bust was never prominent’, and'' waa not started on the second day.

A penalty in the Telegraph Stake.-, five furlongs, increased Bounce’s weight to 9st lib. He was a good favourite, and ran well, but was never on terms with Gold Waii (Gold Reef— Muriwai). who hopped off in front, and was never collared. Wangaehu (Tho Australian—Explosion) made the best show of tho others. The Fordell-trained Vigoro _was in great demand for the Welter Hack Handicap, one mile, and he scored in good style from Waipipi (Flintlock — Martyrdom), who wa3 not so well backed as her stable mate (Royal Blue) The field the Crackshot horse beat was not a good one. Foxton and Wellington form gained Pure Silver, Replete and Tirole most friends for the Railway Handicap, six furlongs. Replete ran a good race, but the other pair were never prominent. Wet Reef at the distance appeared to have a good chance, until Tattle (Mahaka— Whisper) appeared on the scene, and finishing in great style, won by a neck, heads separating second and third. Torowai mado her reappearance in the race, and ram in the rear all the way. Tho Waterfall mare looks nice and big, and should be useful in the autumn. Four of the six runneiri. for tho Konini Handicap, seven furlongs, were backed, Spoil being in most demand. The Torpedo mare won from end to end.

In the Newmarket Handicap, five furlongs, Gold Wai did not make such a good show with her trainer (J. Duff) in the saddle as when ridden by T. O’Brien on tho previous day. Wangaehu, who was favourite at flagfall, got home by half a length from Notes, but there was not much in the per formanca.

Although Lissa was meeting Hinekura on 151 b worse terms in the Hurdles, one mile and a half, the Lethe gelding scored as easily aa on the first day. Nadador was kept going, and secured, the second money, which went to Hinekura the first -day through J. Hall easing his mount up at the finish. Bounce was a good, favourite for the Makuri Handicap six furlongs. After Matamau 1 and Letherin had made all the running, Jenkins brought the too weight through, and scored cleverly.

Speculation was brisk in the Racing Club Handicap, one mile and a distance, more money being invested than on the Cup. Roseshoot was a pronounced favourite. Fleka was brought down from Waipawa for the race, and had a strong following. Platypus was again pace-maker to the distance, where Fleka and Freeland joined in. ' The latter had most left, and drawing away from the other pair, shot out and won by a couple of lengths from Fleka, with Platypus third. Benefactor was galloping better than anything else at the finish, and finished fourth, Roseshoot being fifth. Freeland was bred by his owner, Mr George • Hunter, and is- a member of the Wonderland —Mystery family, to which Mystic ,/Mystecal, Magic., Mysterious and Hinepara belong. Of the:,-six rimners for the Mangahao Welter Handicap; seven furlongs, five were almost equally backed. Rangimoe (a chestnut gelding by Kempenfeldt. (trained by W. Homes, at Bulls),' was favourite at the 1 start. He scored from Wangaehu, whom ho was meeting on a stone better terms, and PjoyiaS Blue.; Thie Now Plymo/uth-

owned Alas (Melias—Friskerina) is m no form at present. The Scurry, five furlongs, produced a good field, and was responsible for a lot of speculation. The Opaki-trained Gawain (Sir Launcelot — Delft), with 0. J&nkins in the saddle, was favourite. Rungarawa and Notoe also being backed well. Gawain got all the best of a fair start, and was never caught. Had The Duchess got away on even terms, she might have scored, and was paying £l3 for first. The Stewards!’ Handicap, six furlongs, saw Jenkins’s inoront . (Jeanne d’Arc) sent out a good favourite. Sho ran well, but suffered defeat by half a length by Tattle, who finished liko an old-timer. Mussell finished fourth, but Pure Silver made a poor show. Three of the four runners for tho Grandstand Handicap, one mile, were well backed, the other, Jeannie D’Albert. being outclassed., Spoil looked like soaring at the turn, but found the distance too far, and was headed by both Capulet and St. Alba, the finish being a good one. The meeting was well managed, and with a little more experience, Mr G. L. Hawley Drew, whose first meeting it was, should make a good secretary. That gentleman is associated with the following executive President, Mr 0. C. Cooper; vice-presidents, Messrs W. McCardle and J. Breeds; judge, Mr W. H. Hart-gill; clerk of seal®, Mr G. Bottomiliey; starter,i Mr H. Hiper; liandicapper. Mr J. E. Henrys; treasurer, Mr J. Lur-don; clerk of course, Mr J. B. Whyte; timekeeper, Mr G. Oxley: lion, sugeons, Drs Dawson and Beard; stewards. Messrs E. Sullivan, R. Smith, G. B. Blake, E. B. Hare, P. J. Quirko, A. J. Stone-Wigg, F. L. Anderson, W. I. Husband and C. Irving. THE HUTT PARK. COURSE. Complaints have appeared in the ‘''New Zealand Times” regarding the luncheon accommodation provided by the Wellington Racing Club, and judging by the results at the recent meeting, the complaints are unfortunately well founded. Patrons of the club, however, should bear in mind that the Wellington stewards have great difficulties to contend with. To begin with, the bill drawn up in favour of the Hutt Park trustees was so imperfectly drafted that it is not easy to define their powers, the consequence being that the Racing Club carioot secure the lease for any length of time, therefore any improvements put upon the course may at any moment pass out of the hands of the club ; cf course, this is very improbable, but the bold fact exists, and much as they may desire to do so, the stewards cannot incur any expenditure over, and above that which they are prepared at the moment to pay for, and although they have erected over £6OOO worth of buildings [upon the property, their tenure is so insecure that from a business point of view money cannot be borrowed against the security of the buildings. The secretary has shown our representative a rough sketch embodying alterations which would make the Hutt racecourse one of the best appointed in New Zealand. The principal difficulty. is, of course, the question of finance, and it remains to be seen if the executive of the club can' devise any scheme to provide the money. The idea, which appears to be an excellent one. is to hand over the present grandstand and its appointments for the benefit of the outside public, and to erect a new and up-to-date stand commencing where the stewards’ stand now exists. There is ample room for the necessary lawn and a good saddling paddock, which would be welLskeltered by the fine belt of trees in what is at present the members’ carriage paddock. These alterations would entail the removal of the judge’s box, thereby increasing the length of the straight by from 100 to 120 yards, which is in itself a most necessary thing, as the present straight is aU too short. The whole scheme is of course somewhat extensive, but it appears to deserve the earnest consideration of the members of the club. The present accommodation afforded the outside public is nothing short of scandalous, and it appears to be a waste of money to attempt to erect any buildings so far from the winning post. -

CHATTER. The Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting resulted in a profit of between £7OO and £BOO. Freeland could have been purchased before he won at Pahiatua for £2OO, at which he would have been a cheap horse, B. Oliver -scored his first important wfin on Benefactor in the Pahiatua Cup. lissa showed improvement on his Lower Valley and Fo-xton form at Pahiatua, where he won a double. 3>. Wright served the stewards with a notice not to pay over the stake© to Mr Baoovitch. Valkyrie was submitted to auction at the Foxton and Pahiatua meetings but failed to find a new owner. Catspaw appears well in the mile hack race at Taranaki in a. weak field. The chairman of tho Racing Conference has dbjeoted: to the name Tangiwaj for the Mahaki-Waiau mare and another null hare to be chosen*

'Yallance (Comfort’s glister) made hep first appearance in a hurdle >race •at She got round all’ but hit one of the fences and Twas not started off the second day. , . During the Pahiatua meeting "Mr A. Peters disposed of The Guesspjr Dugald Thompson. The price paid is said! to be £3OQ,' at which the Einohanter gelding, who is intended for hurdle racing, may be salid to be well sold. He accompanied' Tangiwai and Vigor O' back to Fordell and will' in future be trained by F. Tilley. Polly Perkins, who competed, in the Scurry at Pahiatua, is by Perkin Warbeck 11., from Inez, who was* a smart one over short courses.

Full Cry is well in the Stewards’ Handicap, seven furlongs, at Taranaki, with Bsb 81b. At Feiiding he scored in the Railway Handicap, seven furlongs, on the second day beating Zisca, the first day’s winner. At Bulls on the second day he scored in the Clifton Handicap, seven furlongs, beating Ballarat, the first day's winner. At the Hutt he scored in the January Handicap, seven furlongs, on the second day beating Ballarat, the first day’s winner. Had the Stewards’ Handicap been on the second 1 day of the Taranaki meeting superstitious people would very likely have backed Full Cry. Battleaxe dropped dead while doing a working gallop on the plough track at Taranaki last week. The sou of Hotchkiss, with Johnson up, and his stable mate Tupara, with Neville in the saddle, were associated in work on the plough. They were indulged in halfpace work first, and then the work waa increased to three-quarter pace. Johnson felt his mount bore in on Tripura, and then stop and drop down on the track. Battleaxe gave a couple of kicks and then expired. Johnson received a shaking, and also some abrasions of the skin. For some time Battleaxe had shaped very indifferently while racing, having evidently lost his form, and Mr Watson was of opinion that there was something internally wrong with tiie gelding. He thinks that if there was j;ti might have originated when Battleaxe burst a blood-vessel while competing at Melbourne a couple of years ago. Battleaxe (Hotchkiss —Queen Cole) was an aged gelding. He had been a good performer, among his victories being two Taranaki Cups, and' the Northern National Hurdles. Johnson also hurt his left ankle. Battleaxe was handicapped at Tst 121 b in the Taranaki Cup, and list 111 b 'in the Hurdles.

The Pahiatua Racing Club will consider the advisability of having the starting machine ait its next meeting, The bast looking of the Crackshots seen out so far is Vigoro. who is from Hoyden, a member of the Sou’westerRomp family, to which Pills and Tomboy belong. He waa recently purchased from his breeder (Mr A. Cameron) for 200 guineas by Mr T. Bevan, of Manukau. He made his first appearance in his new owner’s oolours at Pahiatua and scored in good style. He was not started on the second day. Vigoro is trained by F. Tilley, who has turned out about twenty winners this season. Tradewind has been under offer for 300 guineas, and if sold will probably be taken to Australia for hurdle racing. Roseshoot is also for sale at a reasonable price. A number of Visitors from the West Coast were present at the Pahiatua meeting last week, including Messrs J. R. Macdonald (President of tlie Horowhenua Racing Club), H. Glillies and L. A. Abraham, of the Manawatu Racing Club. Torbrina is not too good on, his inns and fell on the first day of the Pahiatua meeting. Young Oliver was not hurt and rode Benefactor to victory in the Cup—the next race on the card. F. Higgott considered it advisable not toi start Torbrina on the second day. Tattle placed a double to Mahaki’s winning account at Pahiatua. R. E. T. (Masterton: —The best time for a mile and a quarter previous to Gladsome’s 2min 7seo performance at the Hutt recently, was Pallas’s 2min 8 l-sseo in the same race last year. Although' the Australasian record was put up at Flemington it was done by a New Zealand bred horse, Hava (by Ingcmar —Happy Land. The Manawatu Racing tee has drawn up the for its autumn meeting. The homes of some of the races were substantial additions raadeto tne Pi" 12 ** money. Details are as followSiV-First day: Flying £l5O (last year den Trial Stakes £SO (last year £3O), First Handicap Hurdles £7O (last year £SO) M R.C. Handicap £250 (last year £200) Hurdles £IOO (last year £80), Welter Hack £7O (last year £SO), Bongburn Handicap £IOO (last year £80), Electric Handicap £7O (last year £SO). Second day: Telegraph Handicap £IOO (last year £6O), Flying Hack £7O (last year £SO), Hack Hurdles £6O (last year £SO), Autumn Handicap £l5O (last year £120), Maiden Scurry £SO (last year £4O), Hurdle Handicap £IOO (last year £80) Kairanga Hack £7O (last year £SO), Farewell £IOO (last year £SO). The first day’s stakes total £B6O. and the second day’s £7OO. the total being £1560, as against £6OO. £SOO and £llOO last year. The Trial Stakes on the first day is for three-year-olds and upwards that have not won a race exceeding 20 sovs. in value* and weight for age.

AyTir Young, the Governiifent vet. mad 1 8 an examination of Battleaxe. who dropped dead while doing a gallop on the plough that morning, and found that the, gelding had died from disease of the "irfcefhal organs, the heart giving out. Young stated that the horse had boefi’diseased internally for a considerable time, and had not a condition to race for the past nine months at'least. Pokeka is recovering from the injuries received through being galloped <on at the Etutt. She will he unable to fulfil her engagements at Taranaki. C. Jenkins was in good form at Pahiatua. where he rode five winners.

• The abuse of press privileges at race meetings, which was called attention to last autumn, is cropping up again this season. At Pahiatua a person who was refused a press ticket appeared at the gate with a jockey’s pass, hut being known to the private detective employed by the club had to pay. # ~r ; ; Tho Duchess, who ran second in t-lic Scurry at Pahiatua, is only ajmny. hut. can gallop, fast. She is a four-year-old chestnut mare by Padlock or EmeraldGoverness, and is closely related to Jane Eyr.e Key, Master Key, etc. Mr McClure, who trains The Duchess, also has a two-year-old colt by Aui'um Ooean (Sheet Anchor-Springtime) fullcist eT to Harvester. The pair of Australians will probably be trained at Hawera. > , W. Young, who fractured one of his legs at the Carterton meeting made a good recovery in the Greyt-own Hospital. He was riding at Pahiatua last' week. The brothers A. and J. Hall fought

out a finish in the hurdle race on the second day of the Pahiatua meeting. The former is having a good run on Fakir, Australasia and Xassa. “Wager” (Palmerston North): George Smith, the amateur hurdle racer, did not ride Impulse in the New Zealand Cup, but a lad of the same name in E. Cutts’s stable, who is now on Mr S. H. Gollan’s station looking after the horses there. The amateur hurdler was connected with George Hope’s stable at Ellerslie and rode Impulse in the Auckland Eiaster and Autumn Handicaps. The champion hurdler is a nephew of 'Harry Pell, fhe well-known cross-coun-try horseman. As a boy Smith was regarded by his stable mates <is slow on hie. legs and would never have been taken for a crack hurdler. * During last week Mr H. McManaway purchased a full sister to Apprentice from Mr E. J. Watt for 50 guineas. The youngster is threei-yeai-old. and 1 broken and Is said to he a likely sort. She

has joined her brother and Te Taiaba at Taratahi. The reason Mr Watt is dis-

posing of some of h:s horses is because he has a lot of youngsters by Merriwee coining on. After 1 winning at Pahiatua Mr E. J. Watt sold the Torpedo- filly, Spoil, to Mr 0. B. Pharazyn, for 150 guineas. She competed in the colours of her new owner on the second day, hut failed to score. In future she will bo trained by J. V. Reid at Tauhernkau. Secretaries J. M. Johnston (Mana\mtu Racing Gluib) and E. J. Gothard (Woodville District Jockey Club) were present at the Pahiatua meeting last week. The date of the Upper Hutt Trotting Club’s meeting is May 24th. (BLW., Lower Hutt) : The two-year-old St. Luidlam was eligible to start- in the Scurry at Paliiatua. Rule 24. reads: Two-year-old horses shall not be allowed to start in any race over a distance exceeding six furlongs prior to the Ist February, nor in any race exceeding seven furlongs after that date, nor shall any two-year-old be allowed to run 'in ’ any handicap in which horses of any "other age than two or three-year-olds arfe engaged.