TAHUNA PARK TROTTING MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2244, 4 March 1897, Page 32

TAHUNA PARK TROTTING MEETING.

The second day's racing in "connection with the Tahuna Park Trotting and Racing Club's 1 Autumn meeting was held yesterday. The weather being fine, there was a good attendance. Speculation was also fairly brisk, and the sum of £1835 10s was handled by Messrs Mason and Roberts, who worked the totaliaator. The sport during the day was interesting, but the proceedings were considerably delayed by inquiries into the running of winners. The first protbst that was considered was against Jasper. This horse won the St. Clair Pony Handicap, two miles, in smin 44£ sec, and a protest was lodged against him on the ground of inconsistent running. Jasper ran nowhere on the first day in a two-mile puny race, which was won easily in smin 58tec ; but the undoubted reversal of form which these facts indicated was not considered by the stewards sufficient to warrant the upholding of the protest. Subsequently the stewards on their own motion held an inquiry into the running of Butcher Boy 11, the winner of the Telegraph Handicap, and disqualified that horse for galloping and awarded the stakes to Telephone. The vice-president of the club, having baclted Telephone, took no part in the inquiry ; but when the decision to disqualify Butcher Boy was announced the owner of that horse, while expressing bis intention to appeal to the South Island Trotting Association and applying in vain the impounding of the totaliiator money until the result of that appeal should be made known, openly charged another of the stewards of the club, who had sat at the inquiry and taken part in the proceedings, with having backed Telephone for the race. A protect was entered against Miss Norah, the winner of the Final Pony Handicap, galloping being alleged against her, but the stewards promptly and properly dismissed it, and marked their sense of its frivolousness by resolving that tha deposit money should be forfeited. The unusual spectacle of a dead heat in a trotting race was witnessed in the Novel Handicap, the judge being unable to separate Present Times and Daisy Bell. It is, perhaps, a justification of this verdict that some of the spectators declared that Present Times had won and others were clear that Daisy Bell was the winner. In the President's Handicap Bedale showed a distinct return to his old form, and his winning time of smin ll^sec constitutes a record for two miles (in saddle) at Tahnna Park, the previous best time being Butterfly's smin 19sec in February, 1895. Honest Wilkes gained a splendid win in the Farewell Handicap, in which, although the gear he carried gave way, with the result that as he dragged it along with him it caused bim to break twice or thrice, he cut down his field in fine style and won in the last few strides. Mrs Vannini again supplied a capital luncheon. The details of the racing are appended : — SECOND MAIDEN (IN SADDLE). Of 20bovs. One mile and a- half. 70— Mr W. Samson's blk m Maori Girl, 4yrs, 12sec (R. Allan) 1 Also started : 14 Andante scr (C. Hendrick), 27J Mabel 3sec (Pringle), 4 Rabbs Ssec (J. Rutherford), m Syntax Msec (J. M'Kfewan). '

Syntax breaking in the first 50 yards Maori Girl almost immediately assumed the lead, whiohshe steadily increased, eventually winning Iby nearly the length of the straight. Time, 4min 21£iec. Dividends, £2 and £1. ST. CLAIR PONY HANDICAP, Of 20«ovs ; second pouy 3sovs from the stake. For ponies 14 1 and under. Two miles. 25 -»-Mr J. K. Mackenzie's blk g Jasper, aged, 7sec (J. M'Kewen) 1 5J— Mr G. Gray's eh m Miss Norah, aged, scr (Pringle) 2 15 — Mr P. Ryan's b g Jack the Ripper, aged, J3sec (K. M'Kewen) 3 Also started : 8J Blackie 9sec (W. M'Dowell), 14 Daffodil llsec (R. Allan), 50£ Bona 153 ec (G. Grant), 92 Queen Bee 17sec (Tilaon), 3J Inez 23aec I (Ford). Bona went to the front in the first lap, and led at half a-mile from Quieeoxßee. with Jack the Ripper third, and Jasper fourth, but in the next circuit Bona broke and Jack the Ripper, ! passing Queen Bee, took charge, while Jasper was second at the end of the mile. Beginning the third lap Jasper deprived Jack the Ripper of the lead, and in the course of the round the latter was passed by Queen Bee and Miss Norah. Entering the last lap Jasper led Queen Bee a few lengths, and Mise Norah coming up fast was third. At the back»of the course Miss Norah pasted Queen Bee, but she broke at the bottom, and in a good finish was beaten by a couple of lengths. Jack the Ripper finished a [ good third. Time, smin 44-£ sec. ' A protest was entered against the winner on the ground of inconsistent running, but was dismissed. Dividends, £7 14s and £3 17s. SECOND MAIDEN HANDICAP (IN HARNESS), Of 20iOvs. One mile and a-half. £8 — Mr C. Clent's Eugene, aged, 28aec (G. Grant) 1 61J — Mr J. M'Kewen's b g Sandy, aged, 16sec (Owner) 2 Also started : 22 Oieti 7sec (Tilson), 35 Tasnian 18sec (Pringle), 10 Sam 28sec (A. Waugh). Eugene drew into a strong lead in the first lap, at the close of which' Tasman was second and Sandy third. Sandy passed Tasman in the next round, and* breaking, was repassed by her, hut neither made much impression on L Eugene, the favourite still leading easily. In ; the final round Sandy again trotted into second place, but, though finishing strongly, could not get on terms with Eugene, the latter winning by a few lengths; Tasman wan distanced. Time, 4min 37A«ec. Dividend*, £2 and £1. president's handicap, Of 35sovs ; second horse ssovs from the stakes. Two miles. _.__ _ 101}— Mr J. Stenhouse's br g Beadle, aged, 7sec (Pringle) 1 Also started: 25 Foremast 2sec (Jamieson), 73 Katipo 2«ec (Harrold), 6 Good Wind 13sec (R. Allen), 32 Repealer 15sec (Anderson), 62J Black Angel 17sec (M'Laren), 8 Mirror 17sec (Dawson), 4 Fawn 21sec (G Grant), 29* Starlight II 24sec (Tilson). Black Angel went to the front in the first lap with Repealer second, and at a mile the former was still in the lead, while Beadle had trotted into second place and Repealer and Katipo were third and fourth respectively. Beadle overhauled Black Angel rapidly in the next lap, and securing the front place at the bottom of the course led" into the last lap, with Black Angal second and Katipo third. Beadle increasing his lead in the final circuit won very easily, the other starters being distanced. Black Angel finished second and Katipo third. ' Time. smin ll£sec. Dividends : Inside, £3 and £1 10*. NOVEL HANDICAP. Of 2030V8. One mile and a-half. 23 — Mr E. Townsend's b g Present Times, aged, 7sec (Owner) tl 27}— Mr J. Hopkins's sk m Daisy Bell, aged, 12sec (R Allan) t2 Other starters : 2 Hawksbury Gaec (Alexander), 51} Rosewood Bsec (Reid), 20 Pirate lOsec ' (Howsrth), 14 Gipsy Maid 18acc (E. M'Kewen). Present Times broke badly in the first round, at the close of which Pirate was in the lead, with Daisy Bell second and Gipsy Maid third. At a mile Daisy Bell held command, with Pirate and Present Times second and third respectively, but Pirate was then done with. Daisy Bell was caught: as she approached the : bottom turn and she broke at the foot of the straight, from which point Present Times and Bhe came on almost together and a' splendid finish resulted, the judge's verdict being a dead • heat. The time for Present Times wan 4min 29J«ec, and for Daisy Bell 4min 34$ sec. ■ Dividends : £2 4s and £1 2» on Daisy Bell and £2 14s and £1 7s on Present Times. j Daisy Bell was scratched for the run off and Present Times, thus being the winner, was sold for £5 to Mr Seaton. TELEGRAPH HANDICAP (IN HARNESS), Of SOsovs ; second horse Ssovs from the stakes. Two miles. 117}— Mr J. M'Kewen's blk g Telephone, aged, scr (Owner) 1 67 —Mr R. Jamieson'schgFoiemast, aged, scr (uwner) 2 Also started: 56} Butcher Boy IL 9sec (W. M'Kewen), 32} Crystal Bell 27sec (R. Allan). Crystal Bell led at half a mile, with Butcher Boy second and Foremast third, but in the second lap Foremast bfoke more than once, and Crystal Bell was beaten, Telephone and Butcher Buy being in company at a mile. In the next lap Butcher Boy took command, with Telephone in attendance, and there was never more than a length or two between them to the finish, Butcher Boy passing the judge's box half a length in front of Telephone, while Foremast was third, a few lengths away. Time, smin 42sec. The stewards on their own motion instituted an inquiry into the running of the horses, and decided to disqualify Batcher Boy II for galloping, and to award the stakes to Telephone and to place Forema&t second. The owter of Butcher Boy II intimated his intention to appeal to the South Island Trotting Association against the decision of the stewards, and asked that pending the appeal the totalisator investments should be impounded, but the stewards gave instructions that the totalisator should pay out on Telephone. The dividends were £2 and £1. j FINAL PONY HANDICAP, Of 15iovs. For ponies 14.1 and under. One mile and a half. 32}— Mr G. Grey's eh m Miss Norah, aged, scr (Pringle) 1 43 —Mr P. Ryan's b g Jack the Ripper, aged, lOsec (E M'Kewen) 2 Also started : 13 Jasper lsec behind [inc. 7cec penalty] (J. M'Kewen), 41 Aquinas 3sec (G. Latimer), 3} Blackie 7sec (W. M'Dowell), 1} Daffodil Bsec (R. Allen), 39 Queen Bee 13aec ■ (l'ilion). Jack the Ripper led for a mile, at which point Queen Bee was second and Miss Norah third, but in the lait lap Jack the Ripper broke, and Miss Norab, having previously passed Queen Bee ; won by two or three lengths. Time, 4min 12sec. Dividends, £4 16s and £2 Bs. A protest against the winner on the ground of alleged galloping was dismissed, and the deposit was forfeited. FAHEWELL HANDICAP, Of 2030VS ; second horse 2uovs from the stakes. One mile. 127}— Mr J. Allan's b h Honest Wilkes, syrs, scr (R. Allan) 1 24 —Mr M. Dawson's eh g Mirror, aged, 13sec j (Owner) 2 67}— Mr J. Stenhouae's br g Bedale, aged, 2sec j [inc. fcec penalty] ... ... (Pringle) 3 I

Also started ! 22} Katipo 6sec (Harold), 45 I Duchess llsec (W. M'Kewen), 11 Starlight II (Tilson), 15 Maori Girl 17sec [inc. ssec penalty] (Hendrick). Mirror took the lead in the first lap, and led. at half a -mile, with Starlight 11, Maori Girl, and Honest Wilkes following in that order. The scratch horse trotted into third place in the back stretch, bub there his gear got brokep, and as it dangled about his feet he broke. Notwithstanding this he secured second place at the bottom of the course, and finishing splendidly he passed Mirror in the last half , dozen lengths, and won by a length. Bedale , finished very fast, and was a good third. Time, 2min 39jec. Dividends, £2 4s and £1 2s.