THIRD DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 45

THIRD DAY.

For the third day of the meeting tha weather was fine and the attendance large. The track was much faster than on either of the two previous days, but towards tho olos© of the day a strong cold wind was blowing down the course. Speculation 011 the day was fairly brisk, but the total amount of money handled during the threw days showed a shrinkage of £3595. Laso year the club put through £43,173. and last vyek the totaJ waa £39,583. "Tho beginning of the end" was the Hunters' Steeplechase, and a field of six filed out on to the track for the race. Zither was elected to the position of favourite, and Matarawa, Brab, and Doopey co received solid support. Brab was placed hors de combat early in the race by falling at the firat fenco of the stand double and breaking his neck. The favourite look command of affaire early in tho race, and afterwards had matters all his own way. He outpaced the opposition, and , his fencing was an improvement 011 what he exhibited in any of his previous races. The time put up in the race reada fast, and if correct makes Zither a much, better horse than he is generally credited) with being. He carried 13st, and: carved! the two miles out in 4min 6 l-Seeo over big country. The Heathoote Handicap was r, well contested race, and several of the field were proclaimed as winners when the horses were well inside the distance. Li the last few strides Fleka came away, and! won by a short length from Somerled, who« got up afc the death and beat Cora Linn fop second money by half a length.' Cora Linn appeared to meet with bad luck in the firefc part of the race, and when racing for tho straight she dropped back" second last, ancJ had a good deal of going to make up to get to the leaders again. Antigone ran. well for cix furlongs, but after passing- the: distanco she faded away.

Mars was made a strong order for the Sydenham Hurdles, and although his fencing was faulty, he justified the confidence placed in him by winning handsomely, ofteu -a good race with Skipper and Scottish Minstrel. The surprise of the race was the form exhibited by Skipper, who landed firsS over fclia J»st obsticle, and gavo tho R'-" ■ portore of Mars a small fritfht. Ones «afpl'" over the jump Mars asserted himself, andi catching Skipper, beat him homo by two) lengths. Scottish Minstrel was badly kicked the day before the race, and this probably contributed towards his defeat; bufc a mile and a-half course would be more to th« Clanrapald gelding's liking. Royal Conqueror is evidently not the horse ha was cracked up fo be, or else he was overdone-, and would be benefited by being 1 cised. Hii form at the meeting suggests that hi* win at Auckland waa a very lucky on*. The victory of Mara was very popular and well deserved, as he has of late been contirmally knocking at the door o£ Miocess. Hia win was full of merit, as he punched several of his fences very hard* but between his obstacles he waa master of tho situation. Waiwera is a good wear-nnd-tear sort of a customer, and foe put in a fairly good run at thp finish. He is, however, a bit &low on his legs at the beginning of his races. The Third Hunters' Hurdles was a fairly good thing for Hurricane, and his win waa made easy by Phaetontiß falling at the last fenco. In the rimnins; the name of Phaetcntis was heraldrd as the winner, but Hurricane appeared to have his mea-surf* n nuarter of a mile from home, and had thePhaethon g'eJdin«» stood up. the judge's verdict woulc* not have been disturbed.

Cannonsfato was a crreat paddock tip fothe Lincoln Steeplechase, but his form in the race <mgrges>ted that he was a. trifle overdone and on the down grad-e. He punched the jumps at Cutts'a, and this, in additior to the solid pace set by Straybird. hac" him in trouble six furlongs from home Straybird mad« things extremely lively ir tha first part of the contest, but Sultanr "trode past him in the last couple of fur longs and ran home a comfortable winner. The Roller party were quietly confident about their candidate's chance, bufc hip rider was hanging on to him too much and the Dreadnought gelding cam* a purler at fche first fence of the stand double. Pipi had all the steel taken out of him in the National Steeplechase, and was never prominent in thp race. Awahuri lay a long way off the leaders in the first part of th£ iourney, but raced past a beaten lot at tb'i finish and (rained third plac*\

In the Selwyn Handicap nothing would go d wn but old Goldspur, as .it was considered that his raco on the sreond day of the meeting' would work groat improvt • ment in the ancient one's conditior . Goldsour did not cret away too wt.ll, bu; once on his legs he quickly racwl through, his field and took commarttr-trf affair?. Ho successfully stalled off a challenge from. Windwbdstle. who came through next the* rails, and also a late run of Winsome's. Terrapin was the first footve in trouble, and Rosemere. who was connidered to hava a er»at chance in tho race, did not display form equal to what lv« exhiK^d in I>h V Aumist "PuTbrticap. Gnld^nur i p T~>-- V f>"j lou-a old horse, and his owner '*- ■ -^"7«* when he invested his money in t 1 7 >M

.felding. Lost ceasoa Goldspur captured -£664 in stakes, and he has continued hia ( winning account for next year wibh £120, -the value of his first and second at thie meeting. ■ r . Smithy was a rod in pickle for the Final |Xardles, and in the race he sported siik for the first time at the meeting. Long !Fom was staunchly supported, and this pair Crowded on all sail from the word "Go. ' liong Tom landed first over the last fence, but Smithy -responded gamely to the call of ins rider, and in a punishing finish defeated Long Tom by about a length. Surrey put IS a claim at the death, and got within a length of Long Torn as the placed horses raced past the post. Tufto was early in £rou3>!e, and did not dkplay anything like hia best form.

The curtain was rung down on the meeting with the Hunters' Plate, and tho Gorton lachcape, who had x*.n second in the Hunters' Hurdles in the early part of jtbe day, ran home an easy winner frcm JSkobeloff. The decision of tbi3 race brought to a conclusion one of the most interesting face meetings it has been my lot to attend^ iTha interest in the racing never showed any sign of waning, and the vaiied programme was got off without a hitch.