NEWS AND NOTES.

NZ Truth, Issue 60, 18 August 1906, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Pipi started first favorite m the G.N. Steeples.

The Governor and Premier were visitors to Riccarton* on Tuesday.

L. H-. Hewitt will ride Mr Stead's horses m their A.J.C engagements.

At Riccarton they would not hear of Kremlin being defeated m the Hurdles.

Makaroff, the favorite m the Winter •C'.h. fail&rt to. show up at any. stage o.f tiie journey.

Chivahv had the bad luck to be again beaten last Saturday afc the Caulneld meeting.

G. Walls has ridden the winner of the Trial Hurdles at Riccarton - two years m succession.

Elmwoodi is a fine cut of a jumper and is sure to do well m the English Hunter events.

Handicappers Henry, Chadwick and Pollock were present at the G.N. Meeting at Riccarton.

A Wellington punter bet an even score that Prospector would beat Hydrant m the G.N. Hurdles.

Phaetonitis showed up very prominently m the winding- un gallops at Riccarton before the National.

Black Squall spoilt whatever chance she had m the Trial Hurdles by a faulty jump at the first hurdle.

The Steeplechase was run m a blinding shower of rain and all the riders were bespattered with mud.

Mr S. H. Gollan, the well-known Anglo-Colonial sport, was present at the G.N. meeting at Riccarton this week.

F. Lind rode Rongoa m the Grand National Steeplechase after returning specially from Sydney, to ride Eurus.

D. Price got away first on Aboriginal m the Winter Cup, and maintained his position till the post was reached.

It is reported ■ that Eurus^, with 8.0 on his back galloped a mile m linin 4-3 sec, before the Grand National meeting. .

Narcissus gave a good exhibition of jumping m the Enfield Steeplechase, but the weight told and Carlo won easily.

"The owner of Sol bet an even hundred, before the start, that his horse would heat Kiatere m 'the Grand National Steeples. '

On the strength of a good gallop on the track, Bom bastes was backed by his owner for the Winter Cup, but he failed to materialise.

Eurus was going as well as anything m his track work and his party were very confident that he would win the- Steeplechase.

The change of ownership has not improved Rangiwhenua, as the grey was done with six furlongs from home m the Trial Hurdles.

„ By some means unknown Pushful injured his hind leg on Saturday morning at Riccarton, and he was scratch* od for all engagements.

Something went wrong with the tramway service, at Riccarton and allpassengers had to take the train on the homeward journey.

Tuesday was a wet, miserable day and just such another as that when the first Grand National Steeplechase, way run thirty years ago.

The public made Kaihu a very strong favorite m the .Hunters' Hurdles ; but he jumped wildly and came down at the third hurdle.

Waiwera kicked his owner, on the track, on Monday and the latter accepted the office and backed the olu horse solidly for the hurdles. -

Swimmer came down m the G..N. Steeples when running well. , He jumped very-well at the "start, but chan«> ed the brush and came over.

Captain Oainp'bell's team, consisting of Playfair. Sobraon and Elmwood will be, shipped to England at the end of the present month., -

Prior to the start of the Grand National Steeplechase the owner of Sol expressed the opinion that hi: horse would. win and win easily.

Had Kiatere stood up m the G.N. Steeplechase he would probably have landed the stake, as "he was going better than anything when he fell.

T. O'Birien, who was engaged to ride Capt. Shannon, was unable to at the last moment, owing to his application for a license being held over t

Victrix , dam of Nogi, who won at Riccarton on Tuesday, was by Gladiatoir- and won over the same course, as did her relations Morag and Ros-

civs. * The old Dunedin horse, Red Gauntlet, put up a good performance , m the earlier stages of the Winter Cup, but a couple of furlongs from home he faded out of it.

Dug Watt was put up on Slow Tom m the Steeplechase owing to. J. Stewart not having fully recovered from the fall he received m the Wellington Steeplechase.

Nogi, who woa the Hunters' Hurdles on Tuesday, is a good cut of a jumper and is by -.The Officer from Victrix. She was well handled by Graham and jumped well throughout.

Isolt was making a lot of noise when galloping ab Yaldhurst previous to' being shipped to Sydney, so that she may not carry all before her m the w.f.a. events at the A.J.O. meeting. Welbeck* struck himself bpdly last week, and for a time it seemed doubtful if he would be able to start ii the Hurdles. He is a beautiful jumper and has more pace than the average jumper. The Auckland Racing Club, at ito annual meeting, decided to run ite own totalisator for the future, and deputed Mr H. Hayr to visit Christfohurch and report on what he considered the best machine.

Shrapnel looked very well before the start of the Jumpers' Flat race and' -his party planked down their coin right royally on the son of Workman, but he found it a. difficult task to give The Guesser 32lfes.

The fimish between Shrapnel and The Guesser m the Jumpers' Flat race was the best of the meeting. Price and Hall were at it all the way up the straight, and m the end the latter prevailed by only half a. length.

W. Higgins rode a splendid race on Phaetonitjs, and everybody was pleased to see the old horseman on the winner. Higgins has now been about twenty years m the saddle, but he can still hold his own with the best of the riders.

Just prior to the start for the Grand National Steeplechase a prominent bookmaker remarked to me that he did not care much what won as he had a better book this year than ever previously, and this was borne out by several other pencillers who were nresent.

At Riccarton during the week I queried A. Hall as to why he did not ffive Kremlin a run m the Winter Cup as it was two days before the National Hurdles. He replied that it was his intention to do so, hut as the horsF *>?•; not jumping too well ho rlKM^r-rt ;! pd visible tn keep him only at the illegitimate game.