REVIEW OF THE PAST SEASON. No. 111.

Otago Witness, Issue 1502, 28 August 1880, Page 20

REVIEW OF THE PAST SEASON. No. 111.

Wanaka, Otago, races were held on October 31st and November Ist, about LllO being given in stakes. Here Rangatira followed up his successes at the Dunstan, Stuart Waddell carrying off the two principal raceß with him, although burdened with lOst 71b and list. It was a costly trip, however, for the rough courses broke the Australian down, and he has never raced since. The company he beat on this his last appearance comprised Mr C. M'Kenna's Playboy, Mr Hardy's Dandy, Mr Lough, nan's Spey, and Mr Chalmers' Fairy Queen. The Maiden Plate was won by Mr J. B. Bwing's gr g Thorntop, by Ivanhoe, out of an Elswick mare, beating Concrete, Idle Girl, and two others. Me Loughnan's Tasmania -bred stallion Architect, who had been put in training after some years' service atthe stud, won the Hurdle Handicap; and the same gentleman's colt Concrete, a son of the foregoing, secured the Trial Stakes, defeating Idle Girl and Vixen. Mr M'Kenna had to be content with the Shorts, won by Playboy; Mr Tuohy with the Haok Race, won by Speculation ; and Mr J. Hardy with the Consolation Handioap, won by Dandy. Makikihi, Canterbury, had its firtit meeting on November 6th, with L6O of added money. Mr H. D. Bradloy's Milo beat Mr D. O'Brien's Little John and Mr S. Hoskins' Jack. Mr P. H. Duncan's Thilo secured the Maiden Plate and the Makikibi Handioap, in the latter beating Little John and Milo. Mr Bourne's Lottery beat Alma in a match ; Mr Burney's The Abbot ran away from Boven others in the Haok Raoe ; and Mr Bourne's Seven Bells won the Consolation Stakes, but was disqualified, and the money was awarded to Mr Hoskins' Jack. The Spring meeting of the Wanganui Jookey Club came off on November 7th, and close on L3OO was given to be run for. There were five starters for the Maiden Plate of LSO, and a capital race resulted in a victory for the favourite— Major Morse's eh g Astronomer, by Day Dawn— Fortuna. Mr Stent'a Petruohio, by Gladiator— Fair Helen, finished aeoond, two lengths in front of Randwick ; behind the Australian came Wilberforce and Tamouri. A tame race be. tween Mr R. M'lvor'a Grey Momua (12st) and Mr T. Harrison's Banshee, late Expectation (lOat 71b), resulted in an easy victory for the former. Mr Baird's 'Potsum, by Day Dawn, won the Hack Hurdle Raoe, and a good field of 10 then contested the Stakeß Handicap of 100 soys. Mr Powdrell's four-year-old Hailstorm, by Paoifio— Discretion (Bst 51b), was made a warm favourite at 6 to 4, and he won in good style in 3 mm 50£ sec for the two miles. The Railway Plate of 60 Boys (w.f.a.) was secured by Mr J. George's b m Confidant©, beating Petruchio, Queen of the Vale, Looh Lomond, and the Mari byrnong colt Wilberforce. Mr Stent's All Fours won a Hack Race, and Randwick landed the Consolation Stakes of 20 soys for Mr Horsfall, Balmoral and three more finishing behind him. A small meeting was held on November 10th at Takapuna, Auckland, but the stakes amounted to only L 32, and the competitors were all local horses.

On the same date the Warenga-a-hika, Auckland, Spring meeting was held, Ll4O being the amount of the added money. The Hurdle Handioap of 20 soys fell to Skysail, out of a field of five ; and the Hack Hurdle to Shah, by Orlando. Gisborne, a son of Dainty Ariel and Nimble, won the Maiden Plate of 20 soys. The Birthday Handicap of 50 soys attracted five runners, and resulted fn the victory of the veteran Little Wonder. West End secured the Plate, of 20 soys ; Lady Grey the Hack Raoe ; Day-aud-Martln the Consolation Handioap of 10 soys.

Bell Blook (Taranaki) annual races were also held on the 10th, but here again the stakes were under L4O in the aggregate, and there were no performers of any repute outside the particular district. An old performer, in Mr Copestake's Billy, won the Steeplechase j and Mr Gilpin'a Catoh'em beat Tawera and five more in the principal handicap. I now come to the important Canterbury Spring meeting, held on November 11th, 13 th, and 14th, and at which L 2295 was given in stakes. Proceedings opened with the Free Handicap of 100 boys, which the late Mr Mallock'a Foul Play (9st) won with the greatest! esse, beating York, Tltania, Elfin King, and Robin Hood. The Derby Stakes, of 250 soys, had the unusually good field of seven starter?, and of these Mr E. Griffith's Betrayer was, on the strength of his Champagne victory of the previous autumn, made beat favourite at even money ; the comparatively coarse looking butpowerful Hornby being next in demand. Of the rest, Mr Webb's Adamant and Mr Walters' Billingsgate wf re most liked — the former on accouut of his being a full brother to Danebury. Mr Redwood's colt Grip, a handsome son of Slanderer and Awatea, was friendless; and so, with better cause, was Mr M 'Lean's Midge, a wretched-looking filly by Blueboy — Malice. Mr Ray and the rest of the Hornby party were very sweet on their colt's chance, and the result showed that they were not for wrong, for the son of Songster and Toi-Toi, after a rattling race with the despised Grip for a mile and a-quarter, went to the front, and being kept going by Wattie, won by fully a length. The black colt was second, Billingsgate a fair third, and On Dit fourth. The favourite finished next, with Adamant $nd Midge absolute last. The time, 2 ruin 44J sec, shows that the pace was made a cracker from end to end. Before the excitement had anything like cooled down another rich stake in the J.O. Handioap of 500 soys had to bo attended to. There were for this eight tttarters, and of these Messrs Mason and Vallance's Pinfire (Bat) was made a favourite at 2to 1. Next to him old Templeton (9st 81b) and Longlands (Bst 121b) were fanoied ; Chancellor (7st 81b) and Wuma (6st) representing the outside division. Chancellor and Maritwa, wbo the previous year had finished second and first respectively in this flame race, oat oat the running from the

jump, attended until a couple of hundreds from home by Templeton. Here the old horse was done, but a desperate finish took place between the two leaders, Chanoellor appearing to wish to cut it three distinct times. Charley Rudinga, however, kept him at it, and Mr Goodman's somewhat uncertain horse running for once with undeniable gameness got his head in front at the stand, and won a grand race by a head in 3mm 39 sees for the two miles. Pinfire was a good third; Atlantic fourth; Templeton, pulling up, fifth; then came Longlands, Laertes, and Numa. Chanoellor ranii absolutely unbacked by his owner and trainer, an injury to a leg a few days before the meeting having, as it was feared, put him out of it. This unexpected victory of an Otago horse was very well received, and by none more complacently than by the bookmakers, who had soarcely written Chancellor's name. The interest still continued to be piled on, for the next race was the newly-established Welcome Stakes of 200 boys., for two-year- oldß, and for this there ,were no less than 10 starters. Mr Owen's Sir Gfeorge, by Daniel O'Romke— Titania, and Mr J. Smith's Auatralian-bred Tim Whiffler, by Tim Whiffler— Parachute, were installed favourites— and a wonderful pick they were, for the pair finished second and third. They had to succumb to Mr H. Prince's colt Hilarious, another Australian-bred one, he being by Goldsbrough out of Maritana. The unplaced ones included the Hon. R. Campbell's fine oolt Sir Modred, full brother to Betrayer ; Mr Etching's grand colt Leveller, by Traducer — Waimea ; Mr Stead's filly Lure, full sister to Lurline, Castaway, and Le Loup ; Mr H. Prince's Sir Garnet, by Yattendon— Petrel ; and others. A Hack Race, won by Mr T. Lunn's Alice Gray, wonnd up the day's sport. On the second day a start was made with the Railway Plate of 100 soys, which had 10 competitors, with Mr Ray's Maritana an equal favourite with Billingsgate and Hilarious. The last-named got off badly, and the finish lay with the other two and Tim Whiffler — Maritana winning by half a length, with Tim Whiffler second, only a head in front of Mr Walters' colt. The Canterbury Cup of 500 soys (w.f.a ) followed, and this interesting race was looked on as a moral for Templeton or Hornby, their only opponents being Betrayer and Longlands. The uncertainty of racing was here, however, exemplified in a startling manner, for Betrayer, who could not make a deoent show in the Derby, now waited on Mr Ray's pair till well in the straight, when Rudings brought him up with a rush, and settling them in a few strides, came in a winner by a clear length. This turning of the tables can only be accounted for by Betrayer being better at light weights than heavy, for he could not get along in the Derby at all with hia Bst 101b. The time was 4mm 6 sco, the same as when Tambourini won the same race for Dan O'Brien in 1874. Only two started for the Steeple* chase Handioap of 100 soys, and as Mr P. Butler's Te Whetumarama displayed an utterly unusual antipathy to clearing the jumps, the race proved almost a walk-over for Mr O'Brien Little John. Nine went to the post for the Tradesmen's Handicap of 100 soys, and Foul Play (9st 21b) was in great demand at 6 to 4, but he met his match in Billingsgate (7st). ' York (7st 121b) was third, and the unplaced included Maritana, Lara, and Marie Antoinette. Another Hack Raoe, won by Insolvent, oleared the day's card. On the third day an interesting raoe took plaoe for the Christohurch Plate, though there were only three runners. Templeton (9st 71b) went away from the jump, but when nearing home Betrayer (7st 111b) went up to him, and a good finish was anticipated ; but the colt's saddle slipped, and he feil rapidly back, leaving the veteran to come home much as he liked, with Grand Duchess — a disappointing daughter of Peeress — second. Five weighed out for the Publicans' Steeplechase, of 75 hoys, and Te Whetumarama, notwithstanding his sorry exhibition of the previous day, was made favourite. He certainly went better than on that occasion, but Little John (lOst) was allowed to get such a long lead that neither Te Whetu (list 71b) nor The Agent (I2st 7lb) could catch him. The latter, however, was nothing like fit, having been up but a very short time. Silverstream and Robin Hood were out of the raoe soon after the Btart. The Metropolitan Handioap wai a gift to Foul Play (9st), though Hornby (Bst 51b) made a desperate fight for it and finished a grand second. Libeller (7st lib) was third; Laertes, York, Soukar, and Atlantic unplaced. The Selling Race of 50 bovb, was secured by Messrs Mason and Vallance's Sinking Fund, beating Billingsgate, On Dit, Luna, Hilarious, Sir Garnet, and Daisy. The final raoe of a most successful meeting, marred only by a good deal of rain, was the Consolation Stakes of 50 boys, and this fell to Mr H. Goodman by the aid of York (9st). He defeated Laertes, Grand Duchess, Lara, Marie Antoinette, and Adamant.