RACING NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 6089, 22 December 1906, Page 12

RACING NOTES

, (By '‘Advance.”) RACING FIXTURES. Dec. 26—Porangahau EC. Annual. Dec. 26—Hurunui T.C. Annual. Dec.-26—Kaikoura E.C. Annual. Deo; 26 and 27—Beefton J.C. Midsummer. Deo. 26 and'27—Dunedin J.C. Summer. Deo. 26 and 27—Thames J.C. Summer. Dec. 26 and 29, Jan. 1 and 2 —Auckland E.C. Summer Meeting. Dec. 26—Ealcaia E.C. Annual. Deo 26 and 27—Northern Wairoa E.C. Summer. Dec. 26 and 27—Lower Valley J.C. Annual. Deo. 26, 27 and 29—Manawatn E.C. Summer. ' Deo. 26 and 27—Cromwell J.O. Annual. Deo. 26 and 27—Taranaki J.C. Christmas. Deo. 28—Ashnrst-Pohangina E.C. Annual. Deo. 3]—Tikokino Hack E.C. Annual, Deo. 31 and Jan. I—Greymouth J.C.’a Midsummer. Meeting. Jan. I—Opunake E.C. Hack Meeting. Jan. I—Wyndham Jockey Club’s Annual. Jan. I—Waikouaiti E.C. Annual Meeting. Jan. I—Te Karaka E.C. Annual. Jan. I—Tinwald .E.C. Annual. Jan. I—.Me lb yen Sports Club. Jan. X and 2—Wairarapa E.C. Summer. Jan. 1 and 2—Eangitikei E.C. Summer. Jan. 1 and 2—Hawke’s Bay J.C. Summer. Jan. 1 and .2—Vincent J.C. Annual. Jan, 2 and 3—Southland E.C. Sumqior. Jan. 3 and 4—'Westland E.C. Summer. Jan. 9—Amuri Turf Club’s Sports Moet.ing. Jan. 9—Wairio J.C.’s Annual. Jan. 10—Hororata E.C.’s Annual. Jan. 15 and 16—Nelson J.C. Annual. Jan. 22 and 23—Poston E.C.'s Annual. Jan. 22, 24 and 26—Wellington E.C. Summer. . Jan. 30 and 31— Pahjatua E.C.'s Anmial, Feb. 6 —Karioi J.C. Hack Meeting, Feb. 7 and B—Gisborne E.C. Summer. Feb. 7 and B—Maniototo J.C.’e Annual. Feb. 7 and 9—Canterbury J.C. Summer. Feb. 13 and 14—Egmont RTF's Summer, March 30 and April 1, 3 and 6—Australian J.C.’s Autumn.

THE LOWER VALLEY MEETING.

A splendid response was received from owners by the Lower Valley Jockey Club for its -annual - meeting, which opens on. Boxing Day. Out of sixtythree horses weighted in seven handicap events on the opening day, no less than fifty-three accepted. With fourteen horses entered for the Maiden and sixteen, in the Scurry it looks as "If. the fields will he well up to average. On Boxing Day trains leave To Aro 6.50 a.m., and Wellington station 7 a.m., arriving Feathcrstou 10.10. Ooaohes meet train and convey visitors to races and return to catch return train to Wellington after last race. On, the second day coaches leave the course in time to catch the Wellington train. The following:horses may run .well in their engagements on the opening day:— Hack Hurdles—Rangitoto and Sen Sira. ■ ■ Jockey Club Handicap—Aboriginal and 'Coxswain. ; \ Ruamahanga Hack Handicap—Silken Rein and Hatley. / • : Macfarlane Handicap—Jolly Friar. 1 Hack Flying Handicap—llaiuku and Compass. . . Ladies Bracelet—Truthful and Hoity Toity., ' ' Otairaiia Hack Handicap —Pytchley and Strathfillan. Maiden—Star ■ Queen, and Mahuta. Scurry—Waicola and Parvenu. CHATTER. The Queensland Cup,' decided this month, was .won by the three-year-old gelding Inglewood, hy Grafton —Lovelock, who. carried 7.10 :and ran two miles in 3min 33sec. Inglewood was the best two-year-old in Brisbane, but after being beaten in the Guineas and Derby (won by,his stable mate, Togo), his victory in such an important handicap, as the Queensland Cup camo as a surprise. He paid £3 11s in a field of fourteen. Sherlock Holmes, who declined his Lower Valley and’ Ashhurst engagements, is reported to have broken down. *■ The new totalisator purchased by the Manawatu Racing Club for use at the forthcoming ’meeting has arrived ’ in Palmerston, and ‘ will be installed - as soon as th© new totalisator house is

completed. The latter, rather an im-posing-looking edifice, will be finished within the next few clays. The building is very commodious. ii 7 pay-in and payout windows being provided, while fully 50 officials will .bo employed by the eluk in running tho machine. At tho Williamstown meeting on tho Bth, Mensehikoff (9.8) was beaten half a, length by Staple (7.3) in the Kororoifc 'Handicap, one uiilc, nin in train 44sco. King Paul was second in a ■jumpein 1 ' flat race at tho same meeting. Waharapa scribes pickecT out A ter - ra ti on as tho most likely horse to wins the Hower Valley ’ Handicap With 7.1 2, which impost is (Jib more than he> won with last year. ■ He did not accept, his' owner reserving him for tho moro valu.i able Wairarapa Cup, in which lie ha* tho light impost of 7.2. Winners at' Martinborough are liable to be rehandicapped at Tauhorcnikau. Tho Possible has left several useful sorts behind him, including Polyanthus, Moral, Aberration, and Probability. ' Some of them should bo heard of during tho holiday meetings., V. Cotton, who formerly was first horseman for Sir Geo. Clifford, rode Signalman to victory in tho Anniversary Handicap at tho Christchurch Bacius Club’s meeting. Tho race was worth 225 sovs to the winner. He carried) 9.3 and ran nine furlongs in Imin 56 l-sseo, a fairly solid performance. As a three-year-old Signalman won tho Wanganui Guineas, the Craven Plate at* the C. J.O. Summer meeting, the Thompson Handicap, and the Epsom Wei tor Handicap. Last season he scored twice, in tho Jockey Club Handicap, one mile, at Biccartou in the Spring, and the Templeton Handicap, six .'furlongs, in the Autumn.

The weights have been declared to* the Perth Oup and the Railway Stakes, the principal handicaps of the annual meeting of the Western Australian Turf Club at New Year’s time. The Positano gelding May King, who won the leading event at the December meeting of the W.A.T.C., and the Melbourne Cup. winner, Blue Spec, have been placed at the'top of the list for the Perth Cup with 9.9 each, while Czarevitch follows with 51b less. Charles Stuart has bean a’Uotted 8.7, while Benbow bas a pound less, and Jnok Smith haft been let in at 7.6. May King standn at the head of affairs in the Railway Stakes with 10.1; Czarevitch has a concession of 71b, while Charles Stuart has been asked to carry 9.4 over the mile and a quarter. The decision of the Otaki Racing Club to purchase 60 acres of land near the railway station for a new course will be greatly appreciated by annual visitors to the meeting, the present course be* ing rather too far from thei railway. The course and tracks are being pegged out notv, but the club does not anticipate racing on its now property lor a, season or so yet. ,Tho New Zealand jockey, L. H. Hew. itt, has accepted a retainer to ride in England for Mr George Edwardcs, a prominent figure in theatrical and turf circles for many years. Hewitt’s engagement was .arranged by Mr J.: C. Williamson, who is a personal friend of ! Mr Edwardcs, and with whom h© lias been associated in many successful bust ness ventures. ■ Hewitt will receive an. emolument of £IOO9 a year for first call, and he will leave for England shortly after the mid-summer holidays. Ho will arrive in . the old country in- good time to got into riding condition before the opening of the racing season in March next. The hurdler Mataarild ip now an in*, mate of A’. Affwood’s Fedlding stable; ’ where he is a stable-mate of Oapulet, Bonheur and Rendrock. W. Trask, who has been engaged training at Otaki for some, seasons past, has shifted his quarters to Levin, where hitherto A. Shearsby has been solus. Trask has at present under his care tho > Grafton mare Truce, Pat and Chattel. Truce has, it is reported, been recently sold to a syndicate of Levin residents, who will leavq her with Trask, who has had the mare since she has been racing. During the recent heavy rains in the Levin district, Mr A. Saxon had tho ■ misfortune to lose a valuable colt by Day star out of a Bullseye—Sou thorn Chief mare, through a slip in a. hill carrying him to the bottom and breaking his neck!, . The New Zealand-bred mare Windy (Guncotton—Brown Spoo), who showed good form in 1 Melbourne, is stated by , a Calcutta paper to have been sold for 12,000 rs to Mr Galstaun since her arrival in India. An attempt to get Windy into tho 14.2 class in India failed. ' Acceptances for the first day’s handicaps at the Eangitikei Racing Club's Summer meeting close at 9 o'clock tonight with Mr H. A. Goodall (secretary). Bulls. ■ , ; The veteran horseman, R.. Derritt, won a race at the Christchurch Racing Club’s meeting in the colours of another old timer, Tommy Sheenan, owner, breeder, trainer, and cross-country horseman. Ho was riding over fences ' at the same time as Tommy Lyford, H. Lunn, C. O’Connor, and H. Piper. Mr Sheenan took part in Grand National contests for a number of years, winning oh Kosiosko in 1883. On three occasions he rode the runner-up. The homo. Derritt rode to victory last week was All Guns. Derritt also won races on his dam (Greek Maid) and granddam (Pshabe). Atalanta (dam of Psyche) was foaled in 1862, before Derritt’s riding career began, or ho would probably, nave won races on her also.

I' 1 . D. Jonas; who recently returned from England, made his appearance la the saddle at the Christchurch Racing Club’s meeting, but failed to score a win.

A correspondent of an.. Australian paper suggests that racing clubs should keep a supply of load in the jockeys' room. The idea is a good one, particiu larly if some of it was converted into shot and fired at the dead ’uns in order to bring them to life. . The programme of the annual meetina of the Palliate a Racing Club, to bo hold on January 30 and 31, appears-on this page. The programme has been made more attractive for owners by an increase in the value of the principal events. The Cup is now worth 165 sovs and the Racing Club Handicap 110 sovs, Nominations tor all events , close bn January 7 with Mr G. L. Hanley Drew (secretary). It was recently reported that it might be necessary for the well-known and, popular New Zealand jockey, O. O'Neill, to have his'leg amputated. Fortunately the case is ,not as bad as that, as,, in reply to an inquiry, W. Kelso, the Sydney trainer, received a wire to the effect that O’Neill was on the improve. In to-day’s issue w© publish the pro,, gramme of the Foxton Racing Club’s annual meeting, to be held on January , 22nd and 23rd. Tile total increase in stakes amounts to over £IOO. The principal event on the first day is the Foxton Cup, of 210 sovs, one and a quarter miles, tho Flying Handicap, 150 sovs, and the Hetherington Welter Handicap, 110 sovs, seven furlongs. On the second day the open events arc the President’s Handicap, 135 sovs, Newmarket Handicap, 110 sovs,'and the Moutoa Welter Handicap, 65 sovs., ..The rest of the events on tho card are, hack events, to which in each instance'desirable prizes have been allotted. '