NAPIER PARK.

Otago Witness, Volume 30, Issue 2353, 30 March 1899, Page 35

NAPIER PARK.

At this meeting, as at the Hawke's Bay Club's meeting the previous week, there was a shortage of horses. There is too much racing for the stock we have. The same complaint is heard at every meeting, and it is becoming an acute trouble. I was pleased to read of St. Brigid getting home in the Eslc Handicap. This youngster is a three-year-old by St. Andrew, a stallion who wants a lift. Rosella's easy victory in the Sapling Handicap on the first day shows that .while our Napier friends can get together a crowd o£ youngsters there is not much quality in them. Rogella won with the steadier of 10.2 on her back. So far a? my memory goes this is a champion performance for a two-year-old so far as weight goes. The -Cup was taken by Douglas, who is having a rare run of luck :md seemingly cannot be stopped by weight. This timo he had 9.12.t0 carry, and the handicap duly ran down to 6.7, while Explosion, whom the Aucklanders fondly hoped would prove first-class, was unable to make a fight of it with 8.4. Very evidently Douglas was in a class by himself. Ho seems to have treated the opposition very cavalierly. Running last for awl^e, ho delayed his run till about half a mile from home, and then walked to the front at his ease, winning comfortably by a length in theJast time of 2min 36 4-ssec, exactly the same record aa was made two year* ago by The Shrew, as appears by the following table: 1890— TliMa » 5 ... 2inin 41iBec 1891-Boulanger ... 8 0 . . 2min 40Jsec 1892— Sc»t Free ... 8 2 ... 2niin wieec 1 893— Merganser ... » 0 ... Sminijses 18!M-Pinro.c 7 0 ... 2min 4lj|BeiJ 1 8-5- North Atla tic » 0 ... 2mia 42 «c 18:>;-Spindiift ... 8 3 ... 2min 39&se<: 1897— The Shrew ... 8 3 ... 2min SSjjsic '80S— Woodstock ... 7 7 ... 2i<tin36£Bec i«ntt- Douglas 912 ... 2mlnSflJses Douglas last year carried 9.0 and could get no nearer than third. Cairo nabbed both the hnrdle races, his rise of over a stone on the second day making no visible effect iv stopping him. He is a hurdler that it will probably -be pretty safe to' "follow:" until they' get him higher in the handicaps: The grey mare Tauhei won on the ' second day after running. a dead heat with. Waterstoiie, .the rank outsider of the party The sum of £11,362 was passed through the totalisa'tors during the "two days, this being £521 more than last year. They have plenty of money for racing. up in those parts.