INTERPROVINCIAL GOSSIP

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 53

INTERPROVINCIAL GOSSIP

HAWKE'S BAY JOCKEY CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Although the fields, Avitli one exception (Ngatarua), embraced only local horses, some excellent sport ay as Avitnessed by the numerous patrons Avho gathered at the rendezvous of the Metropolitan Club of this district. Speculation was brisker than at a similar gathering last season, for Avlien tho returns were made up it AA*as seep that the amount of £10,191 handled, was £982 in excess of the 1904 figures. Tho controlling hoard ot the Club were up-to-date and courteous in their duties, and on that account patrons had no reason to complain, though backers Avere not sloav to give l vent to their feelings anent the neAV style of totalisator, which it will be remembered Avas used for the first time by the Club last October. They bet all the same, hoAvever, demonstrating that although hackers Avere averse to the method, that they had come to speculate and Avere not to be denied, notwithstanding the expression of opinions about not knoAving Avhat price they Avere going to get until the contest avms over, and the slow manner in which the dividends Avere paid out. My own opinion is tout had the old style of totalisator been in vogu© a larger sum avoulcl have been handled than Avas the case at Ha.-tings, for though the total was larger than

had been put through at the NeAA* Year's meeting of 1904, it must he borne in mind that the climatic conditions wers much more favourable upon this occasion than upon the summer venture last season. Fine AA r eather as a rule is responsible for a large attendance', and the presence of a good crowd naturally means more money in circulation. Air Shannon’s allotments of weights were carefully thought out, more especially on the concluding day, when, five out of seven events were fought out in a most determined manner, the results being in doubt right up to the judge’s box. This Avas more especially the case in the Nursery and Elpsom Handicaps, in which the judge’s verdicts Avere a nose and head respectively. Four of the staunchest supporters of the game in these parts, Hon. J. D. Ormond and Messrs Lowry and Hunter and Richardson had the satisfactions of seeing their. racing uniforms carried l with success at the gathering, the two first-named having four victorious representatives apiece, Air Richardson two and Air Hunter one. Air H. Gaisford, Avh os© colours have not been seen too o-ften of late at Hastings, also secured a winning bracket by the aid of Gauze (a four-year-old daughter of The Officer and Film), bred by The Hon. J. D. Ormond. Tondergliie and WhakaAvehi’s triumphs Avould no doubt give a certain amount of pleasure to the OAvner of the Karamu stud, as Daunt, Avho sired the brace, first saw the light at tlie Hon. J. D. Ormond’s stud farm.: The other local breeding studs, Te Alahang a and Manga tart a Avere also brought into notice by the meritorious Avins of Creusot and Ngatarua. One of Alerri-av-p.Us orogeny. Operatta. the two-year-old half-sister to Fancy "Work, Apprentice and Variation, filled the eye as the makings of a good sort, for although she was as green as the Welshman’s coat of arms, her indomitable courage and speed brought her class up to the leading files on both days. With a bit of luck in her favour, she av ill assuredly, prove a hard problem to tackle in days to come.

Mystic’s dapper chestnut son. Mystification, ran three good races, his wirj, in the President’s Handicap being achieved by the result of resolute galloping and pluck. He Avas piloted by, Dannahay, the light-weight attached to T. .Quinlivan, junior’s stable, who also put in some good Avork on Loiret on Wednesday, when he got tlie Seaton’ Delaval filly into second place (a nose behind Probable) in the Nursery. This youngster Avas a bit strange at the post on the first day, not seeming to understand the tapes going up; on her second try, when the harrier was dispensed l with, she got moving quickly and Avas always handy.

Only one accident occurred at the meeting. Gray, one of Gooseman’s employees, who was riding Tattle, had the misfortune to come off the mar© through being interfered Avith by CatspaAv, and as bad luck would ha\*e it broke his collar-bone.

Catspaw performed very indifferently Avhen compared with his shewing at the late Feilding and. Woodville meetings. The black lioi-se was very irascible at the past and I luwve always noticed when like that that his essays have been on the poor side. One of Mr LoAvry’s victories was secured by the aid of Royal Fusilier, who was the top priced lot of his year at the annual Wellington Park sales. His opening effort in the Christmas Handicap shoAved that he could gallop fast, hut he failed in the last hit. On AVedinesday, however, he had matters all his own Avay, leading from start to finish, and scored by half-a-dozen lengths easily, the watch showing lmin 16 l-ssec for the three-quarters of a mile. It was rather a coincidence that his halfbrother, Scotty, should have triumphed on the preceding day at Auckland. Oadeau. a half-brother to that old 1 wonder Stockfish, put up a couple of fair goes, Avhen the fact is noted that he has not been in work long. His owner has handed him over to J. Griffiths, and the assiduous care of this trainer will no doubt fit him well for the fray in the future. Trumpery only smarted" once in tlie Epsom, when she got third to Creusot and Florio. The grey mare looked on the pretty side, and would have been all the better for a feAV more gallops. J. Gallagher put up quite a record on tho final day, Avhen he had five mounts and conquered upon each occasion. The veteran rode up to his best form, and the success achieved by him Avas due to the patient, brainy style in which, he handled the horses entrusted to him. The triumphant hoi-se-men at the meeting Avere headed by J. Gallagher, Avith six victories; Kirk and Docherty next best a couple of Avins being secured by each. All* Gordon, Dannahay, Jaeger, and Williams each adding a single successful, score apiece to their Avinning record. A. Goodwin notched the top rung in the training of Avinncrs —Creusot, Madrigal, Rose Madder and Royal Fusilier having received their preparation at his hands. SteAA’art Waddell and R. Gooseman running second with a trio of winners, the former’s lot being L\rist, Contender and Banzai, and Gooseman being responsible for Probable, Gauze and Mystification. A. Woods prepared a brace, WhakaAvehi and Tondergliie.

J. McTaggart and H. Moore each had iii a single victor, Ngatarua and Polyanthus. _ . Fifteen owners participated m the distribution of . prize money. The amounts won were as follows: Mr TH. Lowry, £240; Hon. J. D. Ormond, £140; G. B. G. Richardson, £120; J. McTaggart , £9O; G. Hunter, £80; J. S. Mclvor, £4O: F. Armstrong, £4O; H. Gaisford, £4O; E. White, £2O; A. Wilson, £2O: E. J. Watt, £2O; W. J. and A. F. Douglas, £2O; W. D. Coghlan, £10; D. McNamara, £10; G. D. Kennedy, £lO. WAIRARAPA NOTES. (From Our Own Oorrespondent.) The Fiske-Norah gelding, Fireball, was sold after the Wairarapa meeting this week to Mr Slymons, of Foxton. In the luncheon room at Tauherenikau on Monday Mr H. S. Wardell, a vioepresident of the Wairarapa Racing Club, referred feelingly to the loss the institution had suffered by the death of Mr Nathanial Grace, who had been one of its vice-presidents for many years. The Saracen-Discreet mare, Sagacious, who broke a bone in her near hind leg while running in the Ruamahanga Hack Handicap at Tauherenikau on Tuesday, was purchased by Mr J. Orr, of Martinborough. The little mare will be used for breeding purposes. Mr MoManaway’s mare Fancy Work, who won at Feilding and Woodville, contracted rather a severe cold just previous to the Martinborough meeting, and has been eased in her work in consequence. The Merrie England—Prologue filly, Prelude, was in the saddling paddock at the Wairarapa meeting this week getting used to the crowd. I understand the Lethe gelding, Autahi, now being trained at Tauherenik'au, has been sold to a Wellington sportsman. Tilson, a new aspirant for hurdle honours, made his first appearance under colours at Tauherenikau this week. He galloped and jumped well for a new beginner, hut his condition was not good enough to enable him to see it out. Tilson, who is by Lethe and closely related to Juryman is owned by Mr J. Orr, Martinborough. After the Pirinoa Hack Handicap at tho Wairarapa meeting on Tuesday, Mr C. F. Yallance, owner of the winner, Variation, presented the rider, Sid Reid, with a silver mounted whip in honour of the boy’s third win on The Workman gelding. The well-known Voltigeur mare, Dromedary, died this week at Papairai. A few years ago this mar© ranked as the best hack of the district, and was one of the greatest stayers ever bred here. After winning a number of hack races she achieved honours in hurdle races and steeplechases, scoring in tip-top company in different parts of the colony. In 1896, when fighting out the finish for the Grand National Steeplechase at Ricoarton with Mutiny, she was brought down in the straight—when victory seemed assured —by a policeman, who most inopportunely got in the road. Six or seven years ago the mare was sent to the stud, and her progeny are Saraband, by Saracen, filly by Son-of-Gun, filly by Saracen and a colt foal by Merrie England, which is being band reared.

At the Auckland stud sales this week Mr C. F. Vallanoe, of Master'.on, purchased a brown yearling oolt l y Elton— Dolly. It is gratifying to find some of our district “sports” purchasing highclasa animals for racing purposes.

The nominations for the Pahiatua meeting include no fewer than 40 Wairarana horses, and it may he taken for granted that at least 30 of these will line up before the starter at the gathering. Several outside country meetings have a good deal to thank the owners of the district for, as the absence of their horses would he the means of making more than one gathering fail very flat. Matakokiri, who did not race satisfactorily at Tauherenikau this week, has been eased in his work, and may not compete at tho Wellington meeting. The late Mr Nathaniel Grace was connected with racing for many years. For a considerable time he was vice-presi-dent of the Wairarapa Racing Club, president of the Tara tab i-Carterton Racing Club, and for some years acted as timekeeper for the Wellington Racing Olub. From time to time ho owned and horses, tho bSst known in late years being Legislator. Desuit© the inclement weather, the Wairarapa Racing Club made a substantial profit over its summer meeting.