WELLINGTON NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2076, 7 December 1893, Page 30

WELLINGTON NOTES.

By Onlooker,

Wellington, December 2

The event of the Wellington district during the week has been the Feilding Jockey Club's meeting, which opened on Wednesday and closed upon the following day. Showery weather attended both days, although it cleaied on the afternoon of the first day, enabling 1000 spectators to be present, but on Thursday only some 600 attended, which no doubt is responsible for the fact that the machine failed to put through the same amount as waa recorded for last year's meeting. The first day's machine record last year was ,£3655, whilst this year's fell short of that amount by £996. The second day's total fell even less in comparison withla&t year's. The dividends paid upon the events of tha first day plainly indicate that backers were pretty unanimous in their fancies. Throughout the day there was no startling prices paid to investors for their ri»ks — in fact, nothing of a .sensational nature in the dividend line occurred until the running of the Second Hack Flat Handicap on the second day, when Pihanga, with only 14 supporters, turned the tables upon the favourite, Magazine, paying a dividend of £15 125. With the course in that condition which racers love, the meeting opened with the Flying Handicap, over six furlongs, for which event Mr D. Knight's blk m Prioress, 4yrs, 8.6, was made favourite in a field of six. There was great delay in getting the horses away, the line bieaking twice, and eventually Avis got the best of a bad btert, Prioress in third place, and Musketeer about the tail. These positions were kept pretty much tho same until the entrance into the straight, when Prioress rapidly began to look all over the winner, even until within a very short distance i r>f the post, when the f-on of Remington and Express began to argue the way, and every foot wad contested, the judge giving Musketeer the pride of place by a neck. Mr Douglass b g Cour.into, with 12.11 up, 93 supporters m the machine and Hope on his back, ran a'.vay from Unity, Oaklands, Raven, Eclipse, and Caloola. Mr T. Scott's b g Waituna 11.0, another son of Remington, won a good race in the First Handicap Hack Hurdles for which he was favourite. Seddon, a rank outsider, led for two-thirds of the distance, but blood told in the end.

The great event of the meeting, the St Andrew's Handicap, of SOOsovs, one mile and

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a-balf, fell to Mr C. Dime's g g Musket, by Armament—Leita, 84, with Oollello up. la this event Krina had the most support, and U a was also well supported, whilst Musketeer had but few friends The race was a very good one, the favourite and Musket watching each other veiy closely all the way whilst Monte Carlo in the lead was looking somewhat dangerous, and when at last Musket left Krina and the rest of the field in the rear and challenged Monte Carlo for premiership, the latter felt very loth to yield it, but found at tfce finish that half a length was the difference in measurement from Musket's tail, whilst a full length kept Haeata from second place. The Hack Handicap and the Hack Flying Handicap were the two following events, and Mr %. Barn's br g Irish Twist, who was favourite for both events, greedily snavelled the two. Irish Twist is a three-year-old by Ingomar— Torori, and Collello Tode him in both race 3. The Welter brought out half a dozen starters, Mr E. Jackman's br h King John beating Mr Blenheim's King Harry by a length, Poinsettia running into third place. »..,<-,,. t The second day saw Prioress win the Shorts, or 40;sovs, a distance of four furlones, with King Harry winning second place from Poinsettia ; ana O iklands beat Eclipse in the finish for the Second Hurdles Race, the Second Hack Hurdles falling to Mr Collins's Morag, who ran second to Waituna in the first day's hack race, whilst "Waituna in the second race only reached third place. The Second Hack Flat resulted in Pihauga ■winning, with Magazine second and Morag third, which was so great a surprise a3 to pay a dividend of £15 12s. For the Manchester Handicap, of lOOsovs, one mile and a quarter, seven entered, and Mr (J uthorpe had his revenge for Monte 0 irlo's struggle of the previous day to beat Musket, the latter ODly running into third place, Musketeer getting in front of him, whilst Monte Carlo broke the bank. Krina, who was again made favourite, was fourth, followed by Variety, St. Laura, and Poinsettip. Musketeer's owner protested on the grounds of a cro« 0 , but it was dismissed. Wailuna's running in the Hack Hurdles raised a protest, which resulted in the rider (P. Scott), the owner (11. Hammond), ami the horse being disqualified for six mouths The annual meeting of the Lower Valley Jockey Club is to be held at Martinbotough on llj.MDg Day. The Summer meeting of the Johnson ville and Hutt County Trotting Club also takes place on Boxing Day, the piogramme comprising eight events. Mr Belcher's smart three year-old colt Banner (by E cutcheon— Caller Herrin), who won two raies at the "Wellington SpriDg meeting, has been sold to a West Coast sportsman. The price is said to have been a trifle over £200. Banner as entered both at the Reefton and Greymouth meetings, but a rumour is current that he will be sent to Australia. Mr J. Green, of the Oroua district, has parted with Bloomsbury at the price of 50apv3. Bloomsbury came into third place in the Final Handicap Ha:k Flying at the Feilding meeting last Thursday. At the conclusion of the Feilding Spring meeting on Thursday last the stewards held a meeting and reconsidered the charge agiinat D. Scott, owner of Waituna, of inconsistent running in the Second Hack Hurdle Race, in connection with which earli r in the afternoon they had disqu*H-fi-id the rider, owner, and horse for six months. Fresh evidence having been heard and the opinions of several disinterested spectators having been obtained, the following resolution was passed : — "That as there appsars to be some doubt as to whether Waituna was pulled or not, it is the opinion of the committee that the penalty of disqualification should be remitted ; and they also think that T. Scott, the rider, should be severely cautioned as to his riding in future." Scott was subsequently called in and cautioned accordingly. At the second day's racing of the Feilding J.C. £2555 was the amount put through the machine, making a total for the two days of £5244, or only £47 less than last year's total. The Wairarapa Hunt Club opens the season in March next, and has arranged to purchase 12 hound?, which Dick Roak is to keep and be allowed to use in the district.