WELLINGTON NOTES.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 56

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) May 28

Mr H. Goodman went south early in the week with Lisa, who will be wintered in Dunedin. The three members of J. Lowe's team taken north raced at Takapuna, but Advantage was the only one to score a win. An. epidemic of influenza is prevalent among the horses on the West Coast. Stone ton and Continuance, both winners at Egmont, contracted it, as also did their stable-mate Paisano In consequence, the Gis borne team were unable to compete at Wanganui. It is reported that an offer of £6oo.made by Mr E. P. Donnelly was refused for Paiea.no.

After racing in the Wanganui Steeplechase, El Dorado was railed home to Hastings the following morning. It is reported that he will be shipped to Melbourne next week in charge of J. M'Laughlin, and that Rangi Thompson will go across and ride him. El Dorado now races in the colours of his breeder, Mr G. P. Donnelly, who- was represented at" Randwick in. the autumn by Gold Thread. Moccasin, Hydrant, and Jack Pot, wellknown performers at the Wanganui meeting, are each reported to be 11 years old. The owner of Moccasin informed your correspondent that the black gelding broke down in the same place as at Rangitikei, but that he has net given up all hope of winning another race with him. Hydrant was sore after his first day's exertions, and his. owner wired up to Pritchard to scrawir him for the second day. It is six years since Hydrant won the Century Hurdles, in which race he ran third this week. In the interval Hydrant raced at Randwick and Flemington. Jack Pot has also had his ups and downs. He was bred by Mr E. White, a neighbour of Mr George Hunter's at Pcrangahau, on whose station Chainlink (sire of Jack Pot) did stud duty for two or three seasons. Taura (a chestnut), full brother to Jack Pot and Oakburne (by Waiuku), half-brother, both won races in Mr White's colours, as also did Jack Pot, who did not do much racing until he was six years old. For three seasons he only raced at Porangahau, of which club Mr White is secretary. Jack Pot afterwards was purchased by the Hawkesbury Native sport L. Te Urupu, and, ridden by F. Willis, won a lot of hurdle races, including the Spring Hurdles, at the Canterbury Exhibition meeting. He went out at the Wanganui meeting, and was off the scene for nearly two years, reappearing at the back end of last season. He was successful on the second day at Wanganui, also at Hawke's Bay. Jack Pot is decently bred by Chainlink (Chainshot—Nautilus) from Georgina (St. George —Streuna). The former is full brother to Nautilus Shell and the latter sister to Strenuous, a good performer, who got numerous • winners in the Wanganui district, i

On© of the best-known figures at the Wanganui meeting was that of the owner of Jack Pot, Mr AH. Ellingham, now proprietor of the Criterion Hotel, Hastings. He has filled out so much during recent years that no one would mistake him for a steeplechase jock in years gone by. The first time your correspondent met him was at Petane, a few miles out of Napier, along the beach. They still hold a meeting there, but had a tote —or rather two meetings and two permits —in those days. The club Inxl two holidays, November 9 (Prince of Wales's Birthday) and May 24 (Queen's Birthday), and big crowds used to run out from Napier by coach and 'bus. It was at one of these meetings that Denbigh (ridden by Alf: Ellingham) won a hurdle race, and a few weeks later won the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase, beating a strong contingent from Canterbury, including Faugh-a-Ballagh (who came from Hawke's Bay originally), and afterwards won a National. The Painter mare was owned by Mr W. Ellingham, of Takapau, where he is still in business as a blacksmith. In these days Hawke's Bay attracted the best jumpers in the colony. It was a proper jumping programme —four steeple'jhase events and one fiat race (two miles). Mr Ellingham also rode Denbigh to victory in the Wellington Steeplechase that season. The next good horse Mr Ellingham rode was Chemist (also by The Painter), who was weli nigh invincible in hurdle races. Chemist was racing at the same time as Denbigh. Ellingham used to ride Chemist, and Jim Redmond Denbigh. They used to have some great battles with Mangaohan© (ridden by Jim Hickey). In both the Hawke's Bay and Napier Park Steeplechases Mr E. P. Donnelly's gelding split the pair. Mangaohane afterwards won the National, Chemist failing to complete the course. He was ridden to victory by his owner the following season. Mr Ellingham later on won the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase with Ruby and Moifaa (two of Denbigh's progeny). The latter ran in Mrs Ellingham's nomination, and was ridden in all his races by Dug. Watt, whose presence in the saddle at Wanganui was only required to make the picture complete. Moifa, like Chemist, had a big run in hurdle races before he took on steeplechasing. Only Mr Ellingham can say which was the better of the pair. Both were in the first flight, and great weight-carriers and stayers. Moifa won the Wanganui double, the Great Northern, and, returning home, won the Hawke's Bay Hurdles and Steeplechase, carrying 13.0. Watt, who also rode Hippororfla in all his jumping races, seems to have dropped out of the active ranks.

M;r E. J. Watt's Wimmera (full brother to Boomerang and Muskeery) so far holds an unbeaten record as a hurdle-racer. He never gave any of his opponents a look in in the Century Hurdles. He will take beating in the Great Northern. H. Telford, who rides for the Porirua stable, red© Wimmera at Hastings, but C. Cress had the mount at Wanganui. The latter's brother (Fred) does some of the flat riding for Mr Watt's stable. So far the Merri,vees have done well at the jumping business. Merriwee's previous best advertise.men,t was Merriwai (winner of the Great Northern.). He was bred by Mr Watt, but won the Ellarslie race in Mr Fred Douglas's colours. .Another Mjeriwee in Merry Lawn, wen her first hurdle race on the opening day at Wanganui. Merry Lawn is out of Lady Lome (by Lochiel— Princess of Lome), who was bred in New South Wales, and won races in Hawke's

Bay for the Te Aute owner, Mr W. Robinson, who was having a good run at the time with Te Hapuka and Will o' the Wisp, who was afterwards a champion on the West Coast. Merry Lawn is owned and trained by J. Delaney. who has also won jumping races this season with Pearl Reef. J. D. is a brother to the trainer of Gold Bird, who leaves for Sydney after the Otaki meeting to superintend the training of Tilson. The Australian-bred horse Wcollcomcoloo made his first appearance in the Dominion in the Century Hurdles at Wanganui. He ran fourth, which position he occupied in both the Maiden and Grand National Hurdles run at Flemington last July.