TURF TOPICS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 50

TURF TOPICS

(By “Advance.'*) RAGING AT THE HUTT. The meeting which commenced at the Hutt Park Racecourse on {Saturday was one of the most successful ever held my the Wellington Racing Club. It was somewhat appropriate that the contest for the Cup was probably the most exciting that has ever resulted. According to the records the first Cup was run in 1873 and won by Castaway. Meetings were, however, held in the district- before t-lien. Saturday’s race, both from the point of view of quality and quantity, was first-class, and it is safe to assume was better than that which contested either the New Zealand or Auckland Cups. The public selected Nightfall as the best of the large field of fourteen. She had to do hor best to win, winch success was mainly attributable to the filly being sent out- in tip-top form and being well handled. She had a position on the rails which would have seriously affected the chance of a less brilliant performer. When Red Gauntlet and Achilles started to go back after half the journey had been traversed, the way was cleared for Nightfall, who had a worthy opponent to settle in Jeanne d’Arc, who takes some settling over ten furlongs under a light- weight. The latter was only beaten by Melodeon, who came with a rattie at the finish and got up in the last few strides. In the race Dennehv (Melodeon’s rider) was twice bumped on the rails, and in consequence of seriously injuring one of his feet was unable to do his mount justice. As the race was run but for this mishap the Napier horse should have won. Nightfall’s win was full of merit. She was giving away both age and weight to most of her opponents. Nightfall did not sport silk last season. She made her first appearance at Randwick last September. She scored in the Grantham Stakes, one mile, carrying 8.2 in Imin 39-£sec. On the strength of her Sydney form she was installed favourite for the New Zealand Cup, but was withdrawn in favour of her stable-mate (Grand Rapids) who won. Her appearances at the meeting were the Derby and Oaks Stakes, both of which she won easily. In these races she proved that she was not only brilliant, but a good stayer. She last the Great Northern Derby through falling. Good colt that Gladstone is, he would probably have gone down before Nightfall. With good horses trained to the hour and a jockey who keeps as fit as a fiddle, it is no wonder that Mr Stead is so successful. Nightfall was his fourth Wellington Cup success, the previous winners being Beresford, Uniform and St. Michael. Munjeet, who beat- the best two-year-olds at the meeting without, difficulty, was bred at Elderslie. She won the Welcome Stakes at Riccarton, beating two of the horses that finished behind her on Saturday. Marguerite proved at Hastings and Riccarton that she could gallop fast. She was successful on the second day of the Wellington Spring Meeting and went on to Riccarton and scored three. King Billy appears to have gone off since he won the Hast* ings Stakes early in the season. Glenowlet was not much fancied and finished last. Marguerite met several useful sorts in the Nursery Handicap. Probable and Medallist, who followed her home are a consistent- pair. Perchance (The Possible—Miss Dargon) and Aorangi (Merriwee —Ponaturi) are stable mates of the winner, and were making their fii-st appearance. Master Alix was altogether too good for the hack racers at the meeting. It was bad luck for the connections of Matakokiri, who was paying £lB to win to bump up against a oolt like the brother to Petrovna, and unlike most of the Stepniaks, he can stay as well as sprint. In the Maiden Race one mile, at Riccarton in the spring he was beaten a couple of lengths by Golden knight, who put up lmin 4 3-ssec. Later in the afternoon Master Alix took on the best sprinters available and scored nearly as easily as when he had only hacks to meet. This horse is a great beginner, and with a horseman on his back who knows when to start will often win a race out of the barrier. Astrakan, the two-year old brother to Master Alix. was recently sold by Mr Machel to Messrs Hazlitt Bros., owners of Vladimir. The price was named as 400 guineas, which has been doubted by Southerners. J. W. Taggart, the Riccarton mentor, must regret allowing the two full brothel's to Petrovna t-o slip through his hands.

The latter has been a good stake-earn-er for Mr Jas. Jeffs, and won the Telegraph Handicap for the second time last Saturday. Petrovna is a great finisher, and although Ballarat got a good break on. the Stepniak mare settled her without difficulty at the finish. Tho most surprising thing about the race was the price she paid. She only had to be well to settle the lot that opposed her as she was nicely handicapped. Gold Crown, who had top weight in the Anniversary Handicap, settled the opposition without difficulty at the finish. Brighton had charge for nearly seven furlongs, but could not finish it out like the Gold Reef gelding, who lias improved a good deal since last season. The winner was not greatly fancied and paid the good price of £3 18s. Submarine received most support of the halfdozen runners, but was never prominent-. Five of the ten runners for the Tongariro Handicap received considerable support. The distance, a mile, was too far

for- most of them. At the finish Gallagher had to ride Lyrist to overhaul Sylvrie, who has previously been regarded as a sprinter. HANDICAPPING ON THE WEST COAST. The Westland' Racing Club, an oldestablished institution which holds two meetings a year at Hokitika, is inviting applications for the position of handicapped. Up till and including its recent meeting at New Year time, the Westland Club employed a local handicapper. According to North Island owners who have visited the "golden west,” the handicapping question thero is a most unsatisfactory one. The five clubs each employ a different han-di-capper, who in most cases only attend tlieir own meeting. It is related that a secretary, who was about ten years connected with one club, was deputed to make the weights at ouo meeting. He was asked how he got on, and remarked 1 , sorrowfully, "I had to leave the course.” At one of the. recent holiday meetings a visiting owner n t- !i----defenoe struck a liandieapper and gave him a black eye. The stewards 1 eld an inquiry, and by exonerating t he said owner, practically found him blameless. What is wanted is one liandieapper for the whole of the Coast, who would l o prepared, to do both gallop,ng mul trotting events. Such, an official .vo-uld have to be prepared to attend all meetings oil the Coast. At present a committee adjusts the weights lor the j\ umara Club. Air Morse resigned In in the Reefton Club, but this sea sa i 1 as continued to make the weights for the first day, and a committee of 'tenure's for the second day. As Mr Morse never witnesses the form at West Coast meetings, that gentleman would, no doubt, be pleased to see some better arrangement made. It is understood that Mr J. H. Pollock, of Wellington, who now acts for the Westport Jockey and Trotting Clubs, would be prepared to take the West Coast meetings if lus sendees were required. Such an ap>pointment would, no doubt, be hailed with delight by Canterbury and North Island owners, as well as those who reside between Westport and Hokitika. The suggestion is commended to the clubs interested with a desire to see the sport put on a better footing than at present exists with reference- to the handicapping on the West- Coa/st. THE CASE OF J. McCOMBE. In remitting the balance of the two years’ sentence- —about two years—imposed upon the jockey J. McCombe, the Canterbury Jockey Club have tempered justice with mercy. Art the time the sentence was imposed, it was thought by many that the well-known horseman had been suspended for seme of his past deeds of daring on Otago courses, in which district he is said to be absolutely fearless of jockeys or stewards. McOombe’s disqualification was criticised by many persons as unduly severe, as the stewards, in awarding the New Zealand Cup to Canteen (ridden by McOom.be) agreed that the interference by McCombe made no difference to the result of the race. McCombe applied in November last to have half the sentence remitted, but the application was not entertained. The example made of McCombe by the Canterbury Jockey Club will no doubt act as a lesson to the well-known Otago horseman, who gets plenty of good riding, and therefore lias no necessity to resort to interference with other horses in a race. It should also act as a warning to other horsemen who are inclined to take a risk when riding some fancied candidate in a race. HAWKE’S BAY JOCKEY CLUB. The following horses remain in Hie Hawke’s Bay Stakes, 1905, after payment- of second forfeit : Sir G. Clifford’s hr f Lady Wayward, 3yrs. Sir G. Clifford’s cli c Stronghold, 3yrs. Hon. J. D. Ormond’s hr g Sir Tristram, 2yrs. Hen. J- D. Ormond’s b g Oblivion, 2yrsR. Turnbull’s ch g Boris, 3yrs. G. Marshall’s br f,' 2yrs, ExplosionLiquidation. W. Foss’s b c Master Delaval, 2yrs, Seaton Delaval— Campania. E. J. Watt’s br c King Billy, 2yrs. E. J. Watt’s bLk c Boomerang, 2yrs. E. J. Watt’s blk f Dalny, 2yrs. P. J. Quirk’s b o Electric Gun, 3yrs. A. J. Simmelhag’s ch c Gladstone, 3yrs. G. G. Steadi’s b c Surged, 2yrs. G. G. Stead’s ch c Noctuiform, 2yrs. A. Leicester’s br c, 2yrs, Hotchkiss— Rose of Wellington. 0. J. Sicilians b o Euclid, 3yrs. T H. Lowry’s ch c King’s Lynn, 2yrs. A. J. Harding's b f, 2yrs, Phoebus Apollo—Field Rose. J. Warner’s b o Promotion, 3yrs. J. Warner’s ch f A morel le, 2yrs, Phoebus Apollo—Lady Gertrude. Kerr and Frayne’s b c Sims Reeves, 3yrs. C. Mach oil’s b o Prince Lone, 3vrs. J. F. Reid’s b f, 2yrs, Wallace —Far

Away. Ellis Bros.’ b c Ouidafonn, 3yrs. W. J. and A. F. Douglas’s b c Rosebery, 2yrs, Pilgrim’s Progress— Lady Bevy».

J. I>. Munson’s b c, 2yrs, Stepniak— Ranee Nuna. S. Tanner’s br f, 2yrs, Phoebus Apollo —Bangle. CHATTER. Mr A. Laurenson acted as timekeeper at- tiie Wellington Racing Club's meeting. The successes of Nightfall and Munjeet at the Hutt last Saturday added £825 to Mr Stead’s winning record. The annual meeting of the Shannon Hack Racing Club will be held-on March 10th. The sum of £IOO will be given ■in stakes in seven events. The annua! meeting of the Lower Valley Jockey Club resulted in a profit of £3OO. Twelve Porirua-trained horses competed at the Hutt on Saturday last. Private watches made the time for the Wellington Cup 2iik.ii 34 3-ssec. Ju.- t before the start of the Wellington Cup race a photographic group of tho jockeys with the colours up was taken. R . Derritt (Convoy's rider) declined to bo "taken’’ with the boys. Mr G. G. Stead has won the Wellesley Stakes four times in eight years. L. H. Hewitt- rode the bearer of the yellow jacket on each occasion. Mi' G eo. Morse, the Wanganui Jockey Club’s handicappcr, witnessed the rao* ing at the Hutt.