WELLINGTON NOTES.:

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 37

WELLINGTON NOTES.:

By Onlookeb.

November 21. Wednesday being the day set apart for the weekly 'hall holiday for the shop assistants, the Wellington Racing Club officials were wise in fixing upon that day for the opening of their Spring meeting, and the result was that close upon 2000 people aired and enjoyed themselves in the beautiful Hutt Valley, wherein the club's course is a conspicuous object. That folks had prepared themselves for a good time is proved through what came out of their pockets, the machine registering £365 over last year's initial day's figures (£4338). As I have specially notified you as. the various meetings wrae off, the dividends for our district huve ruled very low for a couple of years at least, but the average was broken and the favourites knocked kite high at yesterday's meeting ; and as misfortunes never come singly the public must look out for more hard knocks at their purses and ' pocketa. " liould I only spot the winner " was the

lament in every race, not a tingle favourito get ting home, and many were the punters fair broke up thereat. -Take the case of the big event— the H.P.S. Handicap — when The Miser beat the moral, The Shrew. The powers behind the winner thought so little of the gelding's chance against the mare that they let the race go "mid nodings on" the machine, and the 70 tickets returned £11 2s each ; and then the owner and his party said a few words in their beards. And all this came about through the jockey, F. Kingan, who was engaged to ride The Miser and then refused, so* that Jenkins mounted and the horse racod 131b overweight. At an inquiry the stewards suspended Kingan for the test of the meeting. He refused The Miser to ride Senator, and instead of being on the horse coming first he occupied the pest of whipper-in. Just cast your eye over the tally of dividends in the order of the races :— £ll 12s, £3 153, £11 2s, £7. £6 10.s £7 15s, £12 Is, and £4 16s. As you will find a report of the meeting in another column, I will forbear vain repetition. A new starter was tried in the person of Mr J. Pnngle. and hahad three machines to help him, the best of the latter being Murtagh's ; but whilst Mr P. got the horses away in pretty fair time and order with the machines, in those races where tha good old-fashioned style of starting had to be followed he was a bit slow, and a lump out ol being a first-rater. The reailts of the races were pretty well distributed. The Miser comes from the sands of Porirua, the heavy training of that beach no doubt enabling him to carry &uch a weight successfully home, although of course there is no denying the big slice of luck that was dealt out to him whoa The Shrew got left. Mr Proauer's nozzle would have been fairly in if he had op]y put a tanner on his horse i& the machine— but he di'u't. The Wairarapa got the Shorts Handicap when Mr P. F, Taucrsd's King's Bowman did the trick, and again when Wi Hutana's Prince Cole nicked the Welter, whilst local people claim Led.», winner of the Maiden Plate. During the first afternoon the W.R.C. cot streaks of sunshine through threatening clouksj but during Friday the streaks were big with rain, this following just when the hoi sea were on tha mark. This made things very uncomfortable for everybody— people, jeekevs, and horses— yet tha public fared better in their pockets than they did on the Wednesday, the dividends being £3 ss. £1 Us, £2 5s £7 3s, £3 15?, £1 17s, £8 11s, and! £2 2s. The incident of the day belongs to Mr F. Mueller, in doing the hat, trick by winning the fiwt three events on the card, The Shrew winning the Waiwelu and the November Handicaps, and Torpina the Trial. Mr Cave's Ou Dit pro\ed hiniielf very well in tbe second Hi.ck Handicap. Just as the eight horses breas-ed tha starting tap s a heavy shower came on. Off went On Dit with an urgent niessnga for the front, chucking Connop in his hurry, anil after doing a three quarter mile scuriy they got him to lino up again, wheu a second misfit came on him, and again be bounced Connop, ar.d went off with a through ticket, only to be biought back again, and the ittuti'i- ri-verting to his old flag method — no tapes, thank you— got off a ba'l start, of which On Dit, fresh as a daisy, got all the best, and kept in front all the way. The cli endued jockey*, cursed On Dit, whilst the latter's backers rejoiced to the tan* of £8 Us. The other events do not call for ■"iry special mention from me. The Shtew got back on The Miser for the first day's defe it, but not so easily as many thought she would. Iho starting was worse than on tbe first day, but ths management of the three totalisators worked at one gave eveiy satitfaction.