WELLINGTON NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2669, 10 May 1905, Page 52

WELLINGTON NOTES.

By Oxlookkm.

May 6. The Marlborough Racing Club had a successful meeting on Wednesday and Thursday flaet. £1653 was put through the totalisator stnore than last May. The weather on both Slays was splendid. The presence of his Exjcellency the Governor on the first day materi-

»lly benefited the attendance, but few people jwho were not engaged at the meeting crossed fthe Strait to see the grandstand and other " lecently-erected improvements. The course jproper has been fencedgin all round, and the mew grand stand, stewards' stand, and totalizator house gave the Riverlands course a more imposing appearance. Lord Plunket - pnade the trip across in. the warship Phoebe. (His Excellency and the officers of the ship fwere entertained by the stewards at luncheon. ■On the second day the president (H. D. — .Vavasour) -invited the people of the district fto a luncheon to bid bon voyage to Mr Walter Clifford, who leaves for England on Saturday mext, accompanied by Mrs Clifford and the Misses Clifford (2). The family will be greatly missed in the Marlborough district. Opakiirained Royal Blue, who has been racing coniisfently in hack races lately, won the big ivent 'each day. Neither Ro'seal nor Ngatarua ran up to their Feilding form in the Cup. former did not appear again, and has ' jone down to Greymouth to winter. Royal Blue was bred in the Marlborough district, >y Merrie England— One Eye (by Leos). The President's Handicap form makes him out to )e better than Ngatarua, but I doubt whether ie is F. Barry rode Ngatarua in this race, md E. Moran in the . Telegraph Handicap, later in the day. He made hacks of his field, >na paid £5 19s, being the biggest outsider. JI. Fletcher took The Dauber, Montague, and Sardonyx to the meetDauber, Montague, and Sardonyx to the meeting. The latter accepted on both days, but jwas "not started. Montague (Lethe— Princess *gnes) got a break in the Maiden, and was £ever headed. He paid the good price of £3 O2s. Marsione was paying exactly the same Srice. Te Kamei, first favourite, was fourth, [ontague's win on the second day was unexpected in some quarters. He won easily l%nd paid £3 . 16s. C. Buchanan, who rode Slim, also scored on Royal Blue in the Cup, fend always rides to win. Scrap Iron Jack (a •■gelding by Mauser) is a great finisher, and 'scored three times at the meeting. Katerina Twas favourite for the Hurdles on the first jflay, and scored easily from Moeraki. On the '•second day Katerina was not backed, and ran Qast. Moeraki was unlucky to again run second, being, just beaten by Queen Bess (Bay •King— Ata), owned in' the Feilding district. {Daulrer was favourite on the second day, and 'came to grief. Warrigal Higgins sustained flight concussion. A light-weight rider named »J. Steens was badly hurt^when Waikawa. fell, in the straight on the second day. The £ad is attached to H. Schuass's Seddon stable, jind scored on Tiuha, in ; the Flying Handicap pn the first day. Uerfcher Wairarap* nor^ Huttiowned horses met witK much success. C. Pritchard took across four, and won a We^, )ter. race ,on the second day with Te Kamu j(Tasman— Leap Year). Wind ran a good race leach day. Matuku was only started on the first day, as was likewise Black - Squall. £The latter went to the post to -fulfil .her engagement on the second, day, when |t was discovered that she had won over £200 in stakes, and she was brought back to the {paddock. Galahad (Sir Lancelot— Auray) put jdown Scrap Iron Jack on the first day. The Wtake was impounded, pending a dispute as to • ownership of the horse. Several horses were submitted at auction on ■the course on the second day, but the only one to change hands was Miss Lancelot, who m tras purchased by Mr S. Messena for £40. - Languid hurt her shoulder on the boat going across to Blenheim. She was not Btarted in consequence of the accident. She returned yesterday, and was very lame, and .will require a spell. Your correspondent visited the Wellington Club's new course at Trentham yesterday in company with the club's secretary. Nearly Jhe_ whole of the course proper and the grass tracks have been laid out. Machines were ithis week sowing grass and manuring the (tracks. This work is bejng pushed on while ithe fine weather lasts, and it will be finished ■'before the end of the month. There are at • present 70 'men employed on the place carting »nd filling, and the-wages sheet is a pretty •heavy one. The overseer receives £10 per week. .TEhere is also a timekeeper and a clerk of ■works for the buildings started this week. The club has laid the foundations for the jnain stamd,' and the contractor this week i>ut down the foundations for the stewards' atand. The buildings are to be completed iby the end of August. ' Mr Douglas Gordon is part owner of the St. ' Simon, horse St. Ambrose, who will take ■up stud duty- at Riccarton next week. The owners were prepared to go to 1500gs for the horse, but got him for -less than half that •.price through the Galopin . blood being unfavourably criticised by Australian writers.