RACING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1754, 4 July 1885, Page 19

RACING IN NEW ZEALAND.

HAWKE'S BAY STEEPLECHASE MEETING.

Thursday, June 25. The largest attendance ever known at a steeplechase or any other meeting was on the Hastings course on Thursday. The weather was fine, though a bit sharp, the sky clear, and the running ground in capital order. The racing commenced with THB MAIDEN STEEPLECHASE, Of 100 boys. Two miie3. Mr Bennett's Faugh-a-Ballagh, 12st 31b (Williams) 1 Mr Gilpin's Pastime, 12st 31b ... (Gilpin) 2 Mr Barron's Director, 12st 31b ... (Lyford) 3 The other starters were Mountaineer, Dhudeen, Eley, Rimu, Silver King, Fairplay, Nukurau. Betting : stol on the field. Pastime and Director got the best of an indifferent start. After the first jump Faugh-a-Ballagh took the lead, with Director and Pastime in close attendance. Eley fell at the stone wall, and Nukurau baulked. The water jump in front of the stand was taken by Pastime and Faugh-a-Ballagh together, Director and Silver King next, Nukurau being last. At the stone wall leading out of the course Silver King and Mountaineer fell. Going through the ploughed ground Pastime and Faugh had a great lead, and the stone wall into the course proper was taken, by the two together, the rest nowhere. At the last fence Faugh took the lead, and won by three lengths; Director, 15 lengths, off, third. T. Lyford and Hedge were rather badly hurt. Totalisator dividends — £17 3s inside, and £16 6s outside. 9 LADIES' BRACELET, Of 40 soys. Two miles. Mrs Ryan's Amazon, list 121b ... (Laughnan) 1 Mrs Abbott's Leader. 12st 31b ... (Abbott) 2 Mrs Mason's Chief Mourner, list 121b (Mason) 3 The following also ran: — Flemington, Imposter, Tauhaura, Moor, Tapura, Donald Dinnie, Quicksilver, First Whip, Femflat, Silver King, Parihaka, and Hackfall. Imposter, Fernflat, and Moore were the favourites. Fifteen were despatched to a good start, Flemington at once showing prominently, but he was speedily deprived of the lead. Passing, the stand Amazon was leading, followed by half-a-dozen in a bunch. Moor ran off at the back of the course. Entering the straight there was no alteration, Amazon passing the post two lengths in front, a length separating the second and third. Thomas, the rider of Donald Dinuie, had his leg badly injured by running against a post. Totalisator dividends : Outside, £13 16s ; inside, £16 15s. . HAWKE'S BAY STEEPLECHASE, . Of 400 soys. Three and a-half miles. Mr Profflt's Macaroni. 12st lib ... (T Lyford) 1 Mr Nathan's Ronu'O. 105t ... ... (Ed\\ards) 2 MrEllinghani'sDcnb'tfh, !W. UHI> (Ellinghaui) 3 The following also ran :—: — Scrutineer (list 101b), The Druid (list 01b), Jim (12sl), King (lOst 101b), New Year (lOst 71b), Pastime (lOst 71b), Quilp (lOst), Erebus (9st 121b), Assegai (9st 121b), Claude (9st 8ll>), Ngata (9st 71b), St. Duustan (9st 71b). Director and Whalebone were scratched. Betting : 3to 1 agst Maccaroni, 4 to 1 Druid, 5 to 1 New Year, 8 to 1 King, others 10 to 1. The 15 horses were despatched on even terms, Erebus at once assuming the lead, but at the first fence he came down. At the jump in front of the stand Pastime lfad assumed the lead. At the water jump Pastime was first, the Druid next, then followed St. Dunstan and Macaroni. At the double Quilp, who had supplanted St. Dunstan, had the lead, but came down. He was speedily removed. In entering the straight for the last time Romeo was the first to catch the eye, and then came Macaroni, Pastime, Denbigh, and Ngata. The last jump was taken by Macaroni and Romeo together, but the former answering gamely, came away, and won easily enough by about two lengths. Denbigh was a fair third, and Ngata, the same distance off, fourth. Time, 8 mm. 5 sec. Macaroni's rider received quite an ovation on weighing in all right. Dvidends : Outside, £4 11s ; inside, £4 Bs. TROTTING RACE, Of 50 soys. Three miles. Mr Butler's Daisy ... ' ... ... l Mr Pearson's Darky ... ... 2 Mr Martin's Nelly... ... ... o Daisy took the lead at the start and was never headed, winning by 50yds. Thirteen started. Time, 9 mm. Totalisator dividends : Inside, £1 lls ; outside,/£l 14s. CONSOLATION STEEPLECHASE. Of CO soys. One mile and a-lnlf. Mr 11. A. Barron's b g Claude, aged, lOst olb (Frewin) 1 Fair Play (9ht 71b), Erebus (lOst 71b), Kin(llst), New Year (lOst 101b), St.' Duustan (9sl 121b), Silver King (9st 71b), and Ely (9st 71b) also started, ■ •

Won by hfrlf a length. Time, 3 mm. 23| sec. Dividend, .£27 10s.