NORTH OTAGO JOCKEY CLUB'S

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 36

NORTH OTAGO JOCKEY CLUB'S

WINTER MEETING. Tlie races held last week by the above club 'Svere a decided success, and the result must 'have been very gratifying to those promoters and guarantors who so generously came for'jward at the last moment and decided that (the club should have their second meeting (of the season, notwithstanding all drawbacks.

IJn the interests of racing generally it would been a great pity to have allowed the 'mealing to lapse, and thus, probably, lose a totalisalor permit for a future oea»ion. There 'are a gopd number of sports located in the White City, and a very fair amount of breeding exists in the district. It is the home of good tried racers as "Vanilla, Vandyke, jilcx, Gladys 11, Glenore, Lobo, and many pothers of minor note, and it has always taken something good to battle against the above on their own track. This time, in response to invitations, there was a very large immber of entries, consisting of horses of better calibre than usually put in an appearance there. This result may be attributed to two causes, sympathy with the club -and the facility afforded owners on their return journey from the D.J.C. Birthday races. The latter being by far the- greater cause it may be taken as a lesson by the Oamaru Club that the moat gudicious time to hold their annual gatherings will be immediately after a metropolitan ineeting. The course was in capital going ' Prefer, recent rains, having made it at its best. •Mr Piper took good care that the events were started to time. A few owners were late at first, but a fine promptly brought them and all others to their bearings. Mr DowFe handicapped at his best form, hiding the ultimate .winners very cleverly. Messrs Mason and Roberts worked their totalisators and put through £2590, as against £1191 last year. It 5s a pleasing feature to note that all the above gentlemen gave their services to the club, as did all others concerned in the management, bo the club will have a fair start for next season. The racing itself was exceptionally good and interesting, and for the six .events of the first day there were 44 starters and on the second day 48, thus making an average of over seven starters in each race. Glenore's win in the Hurdles on both days was a solace (for his failure at Wingatui, and it proved what a good horse ho is in fair going. Strathnairu came as a big surprise, winning the Autumn" Handicap on the first day and the President's on the second day. The field for the Flying Handicap was an exceptionally good lot, and it was surprising that Benzoin paid such a dividend as £8 17s, us he only repealed his Wingatui performance by again beating Hypnotist who ran second after being made favourite. The surprise of the meeting- was the easy viclory of Quickshot II in the Waitaki Plate, the last race of the day. He was nowhere in his first effort in the Flying, but was at home the welter weights, paving a dividend Si £15 15s. This meeting brought to a close lie flat racing season in the Middle Island.