RACING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 33

RACING IN NEW ZEALAND.

TAHUNA PARK TROTTING MEETING. First Day — HTondav, Djccmcbrr 27. j The Summer meeting ol the Tahuna Park Trotting and Racing Club was commenced yesterday. The weather, after a few showers in the morning, was flue overhead, but a strong wind from the £oufch-wesb swept the ground and caused some discomfort to the spectator*", of wLoia fcbere was a good attendance. The fields were rather (small, and the racing was hardly interesting, mesb of the races being easily won. The public, too, were very successful in pickirg the winners, and the dividends were anything but startling. After the first race, on which investments of £L ouly were received on the totalisator, a 10s truchiue was opened, with the result that batter speculation was induced than had been promised, and a total of £1601 was handled during tha day by Messrs Mason and Roberts. Re- ! suits :—: — • First Maiden Handicap, of 2&oys ; second horse n.ovs f torn the stake?. Two milcc— 6l Mr J. M'Keweu'ri l^eo, aged, 2sec ((>w»«»r), 1 ; 3Mr J. Buchanan's b m liish Girl, ngod, 6sec (W. Sam-i-oo), 2. Also started :17 Wags 4-ec (J. Allan), 0 Ftiry 6*ec (Pringle), 0 Victreaj lOsec (F. Farqunaivon)! Leo trotted into second place in the ilrst lap, aud, taking tho lead in the second, was not Hgn-vn headed, winning by nearly the distance from liish Girl, with Wags third. Time, smin 4&<ec. Dividend, £1 ss. •Summer. Pony Handicap, of 25sova ; second hor>e Ssovs from the stakes. For j-o^iea 14 hands 3in and under. — One mile and a-half.— lol Mi' D. Ford's b in Di. (iyrs>, lOsec (Grant), 1 ; S Mr A. M'Cibe's c g Daffodil, aged, 12scc (D. Jumeuon), 2. Also started : 2U Daisy Bell.scr (J. Allan). 8} Jack the Ripper lOsec (P. Uynn), 3} Kcrapa I'.Wc ( vy. M. Hayes) Daffodil led at half a mile, with I Di Ktcmd and Scraps third, but in the next cir- j cuit Di took charge, aud inainrained the l«art till ! ihe finish, bsuting Djffodil 1-y about 20 yards. ] Time, 4niin Sisec. Dividends, £1 4s and 12s. : Boxing Day Handicap, of 70;ov« ; second horae lOsov.-;, aud third Ssovs from tho stike, 3 . - Two miles. — 150 Mr J. Meek's c m Fawd, aged, <Jssec (Grart), 1. Also started : 59 Oomus scr (J. M Kcw*n) ; 8J Bedale 4sec (J. Allan) ; CO} Rex 40.-cc (Kirton): 1353 Linetfce 4.'{sec (R Cro.«sa»). The mare ,n the limit was a quarter of a mile away when Comns got started, and at no time was the issue in doubt", fur F.iwn, travelling as fast as anything in tho race, established such a commmdintf lead that i in the third lap Grant p-actically ceased riding her, and atill she won by more than the distance, Rex actually finishing seennd. and Liaette third. Tims, srain 40sec. Dividend?, £2 : 8s aud £1 4s. j Selling Handicap (in Harness), of 25sovs. ; One mile ancl al>»lf- 52 Mr W. Canon's r m Was?*, rged, 12sec (J. Allan). 1 ; olij- Mr D. Clark's b p; Buttthorne, aged, 9<<oc (O«vner), 2; 18J Mr J. j M'Mullnn'd b g Sanely, nged. scr (Owner), 3. Also started: 62J Kohuru 7«ec (ML. Allan). Waggled for a mile, but in the last lap was tackled at the back by both Bunthorne and Sandy. The scratch horse was second at the bottom of the course, but broke at the foot of the straight, when on terms with Waga, and the limit mare was thus enabled to win by a couple of lengths from Bun- . thome, tha latter ju>t beatit'g b'.indy. Time, 4rniu 38£ sec. Dividends, £i 4a and ,£1 12s. The, winner was bought Ut for £11. Domain Handicap (in Harness), of 70*ovs ; second horse JO^ovs and third horse ssovs from the stakes. Two miles.~l2lJ Mr J. Crossan's b c Bendigo, 4yr?, 49sec (R. Crossan), 1. Also staited : 3 Comus scr (J. M'K< wen). 11 Bedale 4-ec (J. Allan), 93 Fawn 30«. c [inc. ]ssec penalty] (Grant) 11 Haeiemai 3£>3ec (J. Davis). Bemiigo assumed a string lead in the first lap, and, never dUposs'JSfeed of it or in the least threatened by any of the others, won easily, distansing the field. Haercmui finished second, and fawn third. Time, smin s£ii>ec. Dividends, £H4sand-W«. After the race the stewauls met and Mr J. Jeffss, as owner of Fawn, was called in, and asked to explain the difference in the mare's time in the Boxing Day Handicap and Domain Handicap. The President (Mr Myers) said that Fawn's time in the former race was s;nin 38£ sec and in the Domain Handicap was smin 58i.«cc— nearly even tim^, — while for the middle mile of the latter event, after the first half mile, fclie took 2min 4SJ t scc. Mr Jeffo's accounted for the dif. ferem c by haying that the mare was not a harness horse, that she had never started in harness before, and that, running with hobbles on, she nearly fell twice. Mr Jeffs added that he had £5 on the mare on the machine. The explanation was accepted as satisfactory. December Pony Haf-dicap, of 25sovs ; second pony ssoys from the stakes. For ponies 14 hands lin and under. Two mile?.— 36J- Mr W. M'Dowell's blk r Blackie, aged, 153 ec (owner), 1 ; 33J Mr P. Ryan's b g Jack the Ripper, aged, 12sec (E. M'K-wen), 2. Also started : 18 Daisy Bell scv (I. Allan) aud 22 Di scr [inc. 12sec penalty] (Graht). Blackie led throughout with Jack the Ripper sticking closely to him, but -whenever the latter was pressed in the effort to pasß Blackie he broke, and the limit horse won by half a dozen lengths. Time, 6min O^sec. Dividends. £2 10s and £l ss. Dash Handicap, of SOiovs ; second hor?e 7sovs from the stakes. One mile.— 99J Mr J. M'Kewen's b m Leo, aged, 17sec (Owner), 1. Also started : Colonel scr (W. M'Kewen) coupled with Leo, 18 Prince 19-iec (R. Allan), 115 Maori Girl 19sec (Graot), 24 Rex 20<jec (Kirton), 13* Linette 20sec ( H. Cropsan ), 15 Tasman 22sec (B. Millier) 5£ Zoe 23sec (T. Page).. At half a mile Rex held the lead, with Leo second and Maori Girl third, but at the bottom of the course Leo secured the premier position from Rex, and le4 up the straight with the latter in close attendance, but in the last few titi-idts Leo broke, and Rex nipped in on the inside, and passed the post half a length in front ; Maori Girl finished third. Time, 2inin 56sec. A protest against the winner was entered by Mr M'Kewen, on the ground of inconsistent running on the part of Rex, and alto on the ground of jostling in this race by P*ex, and of the latter finishing on the grass and not en the track. The stewards took no evidence, but on their own

observation of the finish adjudicated upon th# question of jostling. Mr M'Donald, who ridiculed the idea of the horse tliat was second in cbmingup thestmightjostlingtheleader.and pointed putthat Rex finished inside the post, moved that tho protest be dismissed. Mr.Bogg expressed a similar view, but Mr Townsend, who was standing oa the grass at the winning post, said there was not room for Rex to come up between Leo and tho gr.is,3. The President, Mr Gourky, and Mr Hooper concurred with the opinion expressed by Mr Townsend, Mr Gourley claiming that if tha protect was decided on its merits it must bo upheld. Upon a vote being taken the protest a3 to jostling was upheld by four votes to, threo, Messrs Hooper, Townsend, Gourloy and Wilson being the majority and Messrs M'Donald, Millar (M.H.R.), and Begg the minority. Rex was consequently disqualified from winning, and the stewards, under tho cjremrataneep, did not conaider the allegation of inconsistent runningt Tho owner of Kex notified his intention of appealing to the South Island Trotting Association, aud the club thereupon impouuded the totalisator mouoy. The dividends on Rex would have been £10 10"a aad ,€5 8s and on Leo £2 12s and £1 6s. Electric Handicap (in Harness), of 30sovs; second horse 7sovs from the stakes. One mile.— 22J Mr J. Crosssan's b c Bendig-i, 4yrs, lisec [inc. ssec penult}'], (R- Crossan) 1. AY) started : 38J Honest Wiltccs Si;r(J. Allan) and 94 Colonel 2s«c (J. M'Kewen). Colonel slipped away at a groat bat, ancl at half a mile was about 3^ yards ahead of Bendigo, btit tho-3»tter travelled the Mscbnd lap as qirckly as Colonel, and won by -just over the distance. Time, 2 rain Slsec. Dividends, £8 4s and £3 2s.