THE SPORTSMAN.

Saturday Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 124, 24 November 1877, Page 13

THE SPORTSMAN.

** Oh, here they come, the mare has pluck, yj j Ha! howthb harkj’un ; leaves the, ruck, ■■t By George, this is a slice of luck— J - ---- He’ll win as sure as fate. Keep back, keep back, and clear the way, / ; '/, The chesnuthas iti No, the grey, - JIA O. MThe race is won and lost, hurrah, They're tearing up the straight.”,. s ,. » —Old Song.

EACING FIXTURES.—IB77. November 30—Dunedin Spring Meeting; r Q December 26, 27—Hokitika Annual Races'" V ( 26 —Auckland Summer Meeting. ; , 26, 27—Eeefton (Westland) Annual Races. 27, 28—Cromwell (Otago) Summer Races —IB7B. . .

January I—Kaiapoil—Kaiapoi (Canterbury) Races. I—Palmerston1 —Palmerston (Otago) Annual Races 1,2 Marton-Rangitikei (Wellington) Races. 17,18 —Poverty Bay Summer Races. February 7, B—Wellingtonß—Wellington Annual Races. 14, 15— Wairarapa (Wellington) Races. 20, 21 —Marlborough Annual Meeting 28, March 1, 2—Dunedin Annual Meeting.

During the “ Canterbury week,” Mr Batching, who promises to become one of Otago’s leading sporting men, gave Mr H. Redwood 500 guineas for the colt foal Waimea had- dropped to Traducer only a fortnight before. The same gentleman has also purchased the three-year-old colt Oberon, and the two-year-olds Atlantic,-and Mountaineer, all bred by Mr Delamain. Mr Kilching’s enterprise should be rewarded with success, for we need men like him in this district. The usual races will be held at Palmerston at the New Year, but the meeting will extend over only one day. The programme is, however, little the worse for the change, it comprising the Maiden Plate, of 30 sovs; Palmerston Cup, of 80 sovs ; Ladies’ Purse, 25 sovs; Shag Valley Handicap, of 40 ovs ; District Handicap, of 25 sovs; Hack Race, of 10 sovs; and Consolation Stakes, of 20 sovs. Cromwell holds to its two days’ racing at its summer gathering, to be held December 27 and 28, and its bill of fare does not suffer by comparison with that of previous seasons. There are set down for decision on the first day—the Maiden Plate, of 25 sovs; Grand Stand Handicap, of 30 sovs ; Hack Race, of 10 soys ; Flying Handicap, of 20 sovs ; and Selling Stakes, of 20 sovs. On the second day—the Hurdle Race, of 25 sovs; J. C. Handicap, of 40 sovs ; Shorts, of 10 sovs; Stewards’ Purse, of 30 sovs; and Consolation Stakes, of 15 sovs. I regret to hear that Mr Loughnan’s Cassivelaunus colt, Cymbeline, who made his debut at the Cromwell Spring meeting, and is engaged in our Champagne Stakes, has met with°an accident. It cannot, however, be anything very severe, as the local paper trusts that it will not long interfere with the coit’s. training. The entries for the Dunedin Spring Meeting, to be held on Friday and Saturday next, are as follows :

St. Andrew’s Handicap, of 100 sovs. Two

miles. st lb st lb Cloth of Gold 8 8 Oberon ... 612 Unknown ... 7 9 Chancellor ... 610 Handicap Hurdle Race, of 60 sovs. Two miles and a distance ; over ten flights of hurdles. „ ~ st lb st lb Banjo ... 11 4 Romance ... 10 0 Kildare ... 10 10 Little Dan ... 9 9 Camilla ... 10 7

Handicap Trotting Race, of 50 sovs

The fact of acceptances not being due till the 22nd inst. precludes my giving anything but a very fluky tip for these races, as some of the horses that I select as looking best on paper may not attend the meeting. In the two-mile race, St. Andrew’s Handicap, Cloth of Gold looks like being out of court when Unknown’s weight is considered. However, the two horses have never yet met, and as Mr Logan’s horse was improving rapidly towards the end of last season, and is also bred better than the Waitaki candidate, it is possible that he may be able to give away the weight and difference in age. Is Cloth of Gold in his fifth year able to equal Danebury’s recent performance at Waitaki in the latter’s fourth year? If he is—which must be held doubtful until we see him perform—then he will beat Unknown as Danebury did. .Neither Oberon nor Chancellor have yet

But even if both start I do not think the older horses will be defeated. The 'weights for the Hurdle Handicap are!; light, and a fast race should result. Banjo showed at Christchurch that he can carry 12st 71b to victory in a gbdd field of horses as gallantly as ever, and he must therefore be dangerous next: week. Kildare vyas out of all form at our May meeting, andlsbtterod defeat/atlthe hands of Camilla; but as he will now meet Mr Pollock’s, mare on; 221bs better terms, aid is also reported to be in better fettle, I shall expect to see him finish next to Banjo. The Trotting Race is always an unfathomable affair—one may confidently anticipate . seeing- something win it- by- 300 pr 400 yards that was never thpught to be “in it. The / SprihgHahdicap lias a good number of entries, and as only two of the horses—Unknown and: Chancellor—are engaged in the St. Andrew’s Handicap, it will not be much influenced by the result of the opening Handicap. /Unknown will have to carry 71bs penalty if he wins the first, . and any way I shall consider him out of it. Blue Peter ran a very fast race for the Consolation Stakes at Duntroon, and I shall expect to see him run very forward. Anything of Arthur Smith’s is dangerous, as a rule, but the five-year-old Swede is a non-performer and has Bst to carry, and I shall therefore look to the stable’s other ‘representative, Little Dan, to go nearer furnishing the winner. In Chancellor’s absence I can say nothing about him. Venus lias run a fairly good mare at various up-country meetings, and is therefore not badly treated; but I prefer the chance of Rosemary, who, if in any form at all* should be about at the finish. Sapphira is one o£ Sam Haynes team, and is’ as yet untried in public ; while Merrybird I cannot have at any price, after last year’s running. ' Finally, I prefer Blue Peter, Rosemary, and Little Dan ; having omitted Parthenopoeus altogether, for although he is a good colt, he is afflicted with such a mania for going the wrong way that I have no confidence in him. About £350 will be divided in stakes at the Marlborough annual meeting, on Feb. 20 and 21,,and this should ensure a successful result. The principal events on the first day are, the Hurdle Race, of 30 sovs. ; Marlborough Cup, of 100 sovs.; and Sapling Stakes, of 30 sovs. On the second day, there are,! among other races, the Handicap Hurdle Race, of 40 sovs. ; Racing Club Handicap, of 40 sovs. ; and Consolation Stakes, of 20 sovs. Entries for the Cup close on December 1. Reef ton has come out rather ambitiously with the good round sum of 500 sovs. given away in stakes, and though I cannot admire this Club’s taste in fixing on the days of the Hokitika meeting, I must wish it success for its liberality. The big event is the Reefton Cup, of 120 sovs., and there are, in addition, several rich handicaps and weight-for-age races.

It appears that the accident that threw Guy Fawkes out of training, was the giving way of his suspensory ligament, and this game horse has now taken leave of the turf. Guy Fawkes is still young, being only in his sixth year ; but during his turf career he lias scored more brilliant victories-—notwithstanding that he has been kept unceasingly at work, season after season —than any horse ever bred in this Colony. He is now advertised for sale, or hire for stud purposes. Curiously enough, a fortnight ago, Fidget, the dam of Guy Fawkes, died from inflammation, after giving birth to a foal to Daniel O’Rourke. “ Sinbad ” reports that the foal is being suckled by another mare. The following are the weights for the Wellington Cup, of 500 sovs., two miles :

I must defer commenting on the above till a future opportunity. Nimrod.

Three miles. .. 400 yds Tommy ... scratch Black Boy 120 yds Maori Darkey Snip ... 350 „ (Forsytii s) 450 ,, Darkey Dhuan . 450 „ (Swan’s) 350 „ Fly . 500 „ Mystery... 375 ,, Modesty... 400 „ Dot . 500 ,,

Spuing Handicap, of 60 sovs. One mile and a quarter. st lb st lb Unknown ... 8 7 Chancellor .... 7 0 Blue Peter ... 8 5 Venus 6 9 Swede ... 8 0 Posemary ... 6 5 Parthenopceus 7 5 Sappkira 6 5 little Dan ... 7 5 Merrybird ... 6 0

st lb st lb Ariel... 9 9 Yenus Transit 6 13 Kakapo 9 3 Talleyrand ... 6 12 Bribery 8 13 Foul Play ... 6 11 Opawa 8 12 Bide-a-Wee ... 6 11 Danebury 8 6 Rata ... ... 6 11 Puriri 8 6 Parthenopceus 6 10 Hippocampus 8 6 OrangeLightningG 10 Fallacy 8 3 Puriki ... 6 10 Trump Card 7 13 Gberon ... 6 9 Mata... 7 10 Mereille ... 6 9 Songster ■ 7 10 Doncaster ... 6 9 Nectar ,,, 7 9 Glenary ... 6 7 Otupai 7 8 Chancellor ... 6 7 Traitor 7 7 Haphazard ... 6 7 Diver 7 6 Maid of the Lara 7 2 Mountain... 6 .7 Flora M'Donald 7 1 Strongbow ... 6 6 Taweta 7 0 Tyro ... ... 6 2 Tawera 7 0 Tamouri ... 6 2 Gillie Callum 7 0 Rosalie ... 6 0 Lady of the Lake 7 0 Legacy ... 5 13 Ouida 7 0 Ratcatcher ... 5 13 J angler 7 0 Foam ... 5 12 Longlands ... 6 13 Te Tewaka ... 5 10 Luna... 6 13 Sky Blue ... 5 10