THE WELLINGTON MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 36

THE WELLINGTON MEETING.

Comparing the results of the "Wellington meeting with those of last year I find one the same. Marina pulled off the Final Hurdle Raoe oil bpth occasions. Last yeai, however, her success was to some extent foreshadowed by lier -winning the chief Hurdle ißace on the first day. This year she could only get third place in that event, and it will foe noticed that after site got home on "the second day the question of consistency was raised. I can quite understand the question ■being asked. When Marina won she did not meet either of the pair that finished in front of her when she lost. That is the surface argument in her favour. On the other hand Bhe carried 11.4 when ehe won and only 10.8 Vwten she lost, and the raoe she won was the faster of the two, as she got to the end of the mile and a-half in 3min B£sec, whereas the Winter Hurdles occupied 4min 16sec for tone two miles, or at the rate of'3min 12sec 'for a mile and' a-half. lam not, however, .disposed to quarrel with the stewards for dismissing the protest. These questions have many sides, and those of us who were not present can only sco from one of these sides, whilst the stewards can, or ought to be able to, take in the whole situation. It is much eafer to leave these things to local settlement, when you can get trustworthy stewards. There was another job of a similar sort for the stewards when Ngaparu, who had run second to Ideal on the first day, beat the filly on the second day, but here I do not ccc much ground for the objection, since the difference m weight may be supposed to have some effect in enabling Ngaparu to turn the tables on Ideal. What is the use of handicapping if it is not to give beaten horses a ohanoe? We may take it that Ngaparu is a fair colt, as indeed he ought to be by his breeding, for his sire, St. Andrew, was a racehorse of high quality. Morag, winner of the Wellington Steeplechase, had not taken part in the race before since 1895, when he failed to complete the course on the dirty day when Austral won. At that time Morag was not so honest, perhaps, as ho now is. His whole career shows him to be a sure steeplechaser, dangerous when the faster horses make mistakes. This year he improves upr^ that reputation, for Nor'-Weet, last year's winner, stood up and yet had to succumb to the Hawke's Bay horse. It .was a sterling performance on Morag's part •—possibly the* best of his life — and so good f ', judge as Mr Henry has shown his appreciation of the win by lifting Morag up to 11.1 for the Grand National. Past results of the Wellington Steeplechase are appended: — 1893. Victrix ... „. 9.10 ... Gillett 1 Waterbury ... 10. 4 ... Hope 2 Gondolier ... 11. 8 ... Alexander .... 3 Twelve others ran. Time, 7min 42isec. Dividend, £8. 1594. Timothy 9. 7 ... Gravestock ... 1 Dick a 7 ... Cook 2 Lonely 9.10 ... Shaw 3 Six others ran. Time, Gmin BSaec. Dividend, £22 4s. 1895. Austral 9. 8 ... Peters ... ... 1 Fishmonger ... 10. 7 ... Fergus 2 Dromedary ... 10. 0 ... Seccombe ... 3 Pive others Tan. Time, 7min 4sec. Dividend, £23. 1896. Nat ft. 9 ... Johnston ... 1 Dromedary ... 10. 0 ... Cochrane ... 2 Chris 10. 0 ... Redmond ... 3 Nine others ran. Time, 7min 37sec. Dividend, £13 145. 1897. The Friar ... 9.12 ... Johnston 1 Violence 9.11 ... Kingan ~2 Dromedary ... 10. 4 ... Arnott 3 Ten others ran. Time, 6m in 58sec. Dividend. £10 3s. 1898. Nor'-west ... 10. 3 ... Williams ... 1 Claymore ... 10. 0 ... Lind 2 Dromedary ... 10. 0 ... Arnott 3 Four others ran. Time, 6min 29isee. Dividend, £6. 1899. Morag 10. 2 ... Williams ... 1 Nor'-west ... 11.10 ... Hall 2 Hangflre 9.11 ... Cochrane ... 3 Seven others ran. Time, Omin 15aec. Dividend, £12 195. The other events do not call for particular notice, but I must congratulate the club on the success of the meeting generally despite the bad weather of the first clay.