NORTH OTAGO TURF CLUB ANNUAL MEETING. [By Telegraph.]

Otago Witness, Issue 1324, 14 April 1877, Page 17

NORTH OTAGO TURF CLUB ANNUAL MEETING. [By Telegraph.]

Oahasd, April otli. The annual meeting of the North Otago Turf Club commenced today, under most favourable circumstances, the attendance being large, and the weather gloriously fine. Kadis Fun of 40 soys. Weight for age. Distance, 1} mile. TiUnl*. Syni 1 Ttaatroon, aged 2 littieNell 3 Five horse? started, Titania being a hot favourite. When the flag fell, Little Nell rushed to the front, and led the field a merrydance for a quarter of a mile, Titania then drew up, collared her, and after racing neck and neck for a few strides, had her beaten. From thence Titania led to the finish, winning easily. In the straight Duntroon passed Little Nell, but could never reach Mr Delamain's filly. Time, 2min 57Jsec Shuns Back of 40 sots. Distance, 1J mile. MssE«wick,3yr« 1 HaUbar, aged , .. „ .. 2 Six horses started for this race. Miss Elswick led, with Merry Monarch 2ad, for about a mile. Steamer then challenged, and beat her on the post by half a length. Time, 2min 26J sees. MrT. M'Kay entered a protest against Steamer receiving the stakes, on the ground of jolting by Allan, the rider of Steamer. The stewaids sustained the protest, disqualified Steamer, and awarded the stakesrto Miss Elswick. Noaij£ Otaoo Tear Club Handicap of 200 soys, WOh a sweep of 5 seva ; second horse to receive 20 son, and third horse 10 sots out of the stakes. Distance, two miles. Templeton, Byw, 9st4'ha 1 Gay Fawkes, 5 yra. Sit lOlba 2 Fishhook, 9st, was scratched an hour before the start. Betting : 6t04 on Guy Fawkes. There wan considerable excitement over the race, as both horses had been backed heavily. Templeton's form when stripped was simply perfect, but Guy seemed to be hardly up to the mark. At 2. 15 a tremendous shout of " They're off" proclaimed the fact that the two cracks had started on their journey. Directly the flag fell Lyford took Guy to the front, and made the running at a terrific pace until entering the straight for the first time. In passing the stand Templeton had crawled up until he was only half & length behind. On they thuadered at a terrible pace until the mile and half post had been passed, when the crowd yelled ent " Guy** collared." The two horses raced together until the second time for home, when G. Rowland called upon Templeton and he responded gamely, entering the straight half a length ahead of Gny. This order was maintained until the rails were reached, when Lyford drew out his whip*and gave Guy a cut. He made a desperate effort to get on even terms with Templeton twelve lengths from home, but Rowland shook Templeton up and he passed the post a winner by a length and a half, amid tremendous' cheering. Time, 3min. 50&86 C- . &ACX. Mr O. M'Lesn'sbg Trooper „ l Nine started. TwAPunhn's Hakdicap, of 60 sots. Distance, one mile and a half. TSUnia, 8 yn, (tat 81b 1 GarFawkea, syr», OitlOlbs , 2 Bobßoy,6yn,7rt S Six started. This was a well contested race. Terry led for about three-quarters of a mile, Gny second, and Bob Roy third. Titania, who had been lying back, then ran through her homes and had them all beaten two hundred yards from home.- Six yards from the winning' post, Gny attempted to catch her, but in vain, as she won by three lengths, Rob Roy the same distance behind Gny Fawkes. Time, 2m. 50sec

Oamaru, April 6th. Second Dat— Friday. There was a very larg* attendance at the Bace*coune to-day, Jthe weather being beautifoL Hjuwicap Huudlb Race, of 60 soya, with » sweep of S aovs each, to go to the second hone. Biataoce, «bont 2 J miles. KclipM,«ged,loit 1 Banjo, aged, llit 101b 2 < muitlCan,svn,9*t7lb 3 Theodora, aged, lOrt 101b, and Nevis, 4 yrs, 9it, also ran. » Directly the flag fell, Theodore rafted to the front, aad, closely followed by Banjo, made the pace fast. All the horses juiaped splendidly, every hurdle being taken without a ttiatake. After going about a mile and a. j quarter, Banjo retired from second place, and Eclipse ran up to Theodore. The two then raced together till the straight, when Eclipse drew ahead and won by a length. Theodore having run inside a post just after starting, he was disqualified, and Banjo received second money. Time, Smin. 45sec Pubucabs' Hajtdicap, of 100 soys, with a sweep of 2 •on each for second hone. Pittance, 1| mile. Fbbbook, 4 yn, Bst 121bs 1 Templeton, <srn,9jt 8 lbs 2 Gay Fawkei, 6 yn, 9«t 81bs 3 Pnngawerewere, 7st 91bs, and Exile, 6st 41bs, were scratched. Betting : 6t04 on Fishhook, even money on Templeton, and 2 to 1 against Guy Fawkes. Aa soon as the flag fell, Lyford took Guy to the front, and made the running at a great pace for a mile. Templeton then drew up to 4bim, and the two raced together for a snort i distance. Fishhook two lengths away. On entering the straight Guy was beaten, and Templeton drew away a length, bit Fishhook came with a rash 200 yards from the post, passed the other two, and landed the stakes by a length from Temnletoh, Gny two lengths behind Templeton. Time : 3mins. lSsecs. HosnxAL Back, of £30, half to go to Hospital, and the other half to winning hone. Three started. The race was won easily by Sir William. FX.YISQ Handicap, of 75 toys. Distance, one mile. TiUni*,3rr*,6*tlolb 1 Pungaverewere. 4 vw, Bat 2 R«hbook, 4 yn, 9* 31b 3 Rob Boy also ran. After Fishhook's easy victory in the PubLeans', he was backed to win a pot of money in this race. All the bookmaker* backed him to win t except one well-known, 'cute, smart foreigner from Dunedin. He evidently had re* cenred the straight tip, for lie won L 75 off one bookmaker and LSO off four others, besides laying all the money he could get on at level betting against Fishhook. The starter could not get the horses away at the first attempt, owing to Derritt, the rider of Fishhook, keeping bis horse back. When at last the horses got away, Derritt pulled his horse back into a canter until the others went twenty lengths ahead. He then allowed Fishhook gradually to get into his stride, but it was noticed that be was pulling the horse hud. Titania, in the meantime, was leading four lengths from Pungawerewere, Rob Roy a length behind her. When the horses entered the straight, Derritt made a show of trying to got on level terms with the leading horses, but it was such a great sham, that when Fishhook paased the post a bad third, the crowd hooted, yelled, and cried out "swindle," and " shame;"

and at one time it seeme.l as if the rider would be pulled off the horse. In the saddling paddock a similar scene occurred, the cries of "swindle," and "shame" being heard all the time the horses were weighed in. Immediately after the race, the Stewards held a meeting, and^ after considering the case, passed the following resolution — "That in consequence of his being distinctly pulled in the Flying Handicap, the horse Fishhook be not allowed to run on the Oamaru racecourse again, and that the Secretary be instructed to transmit this resolution to all the Jockey Clubs in the Colony, and request them to endorse the iame." The Public, almost to a man, support I;he action of the Stewards, but a great many are of opinion that thtf raceshould have been declared void, and all parties concerned in the transaction disqualified. Tt is known that if all in the swim" were disqualified, a certain owaer of horses and others, particularly one bookmaker, would have their career stopped in this direction, at any rate. Novm JEUce. of 50 soys, winner to be sold, and the whole of the proceeds to go to Race Fund. Distance, l J mile ; weight for age. Steamer, 3 yrs 1 Miss Elswick, 3 yrs 2 Kathleen, a^ed .. g Malabar and Merry Monarch also started. Miss Elswick led for a mile after starting. Steamer then challenged her, and the two raced together to the straight, when Steamer drew away, and won by a length and a half. Time, 3mm. lsec. ' Steamer was bought in by his owner, Mr Swanson, for L 24. Couso&ATioy Hakdicap, of 46 soys. Distance, 1} mile. Pongawerewere, 4yrs,9st .. .. ..1 Kob Boy, 6yrs, fist lib 2 Exile, aged, 6st 41b 3 Terry, aged, 6st 41b 0 Betting: 2 to 1 on Punga, 4 tolagstßob Roy, 6 to 1 agst others. Terry led for the first half mile. Punga then oollared him, and after racing together for a few strides, the mare quickly drew away. Rob Roy made an effort to catch her in the straight, but in vain, for she won easily by two lengths. Time, 2min. 30sec. This concluded the races.

ra. fist lib