OTAHUHU RACING CLUB SPRING MEETING. Auckland, Dec 19.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 134, 26 December 1885, Page 5

OTAHUHU RACING CLUB SPRING MEETING. Auckland, Dec 19.

The iOfcahuhu flabin^CWb Bp^fUwimg took \placel on Saturday in the presence of, about 1,000 spectators^ ; The ; weatheriiWaß kpienclid, and the racing of a f ait ch'araoter.^ JPhe greatest interest of 4 the, afternoon 'was centred in the Hurdles and Steeplechase, in Iwhlch the Australian horde -Gran Ville made his first appearance in New Zealand. The Hurdles he had no difficulty in "wininngr and it Vas anticipated 1% would have Juwj as' easy a victory in the Steeplechase, 'out unfortunately while holding a good position' in the race, he rioked bis, back at one of the jumps hidden from view, and after lingering for some houTS he died; The greatest sympathy was expressed on all hands for. Mr J. Gallagher, his owner, who only brought the horse from Victoria three, weeks ago at a cost of about £400. The following are the results of the several events ,: — MAIDEN PLATE o/ 20sovs. Weight for age, For ail horses tbat have nevor woa public money exceeding £10. Distance, 1J mile. ICitrance, 30s. ' < Mr H. Howard's Rosa wood, 4yrs, Bst 111b (T. Taylor) 1 Mr R. Peck's b c Cremorne, 2yrs, 6st lib (Huxtable) 2 Mr J. B. Brown's b q Larrikin, syrs, 9at (H, Thompson) , ... 3 Also ran : Joe (Creasy), Lochnivar (J* Kean), Comancbe (Hatfield), Lady Minnie (F. Burn3), Kate (lfrewin), Boomerang (Farrell), Luna (G. Absolum), Welcome Jane (W. Absolum), Disguise (Durson), and The Rat (G, Williams) Won by a neck, after a food contest in the straight by the placed orseß. Totalisator dividend, £6 6s. PONY RACK of 103OV8. Once round the course For maiden ponies. 14.1 and under. Weijrnt t>r in hes. Top weight. 95t9 5 t 71b. Seoond horse to save his stakes. Entrance, 20b. Mr Chadwick's Firefly '(D, Munn) ... 1 Mr Robinson's Sandfty 2 Mr La wry 's The Lad 3 Nine others started. Totalisator dividend, £1 14s. HANDICAP HUBDLR RACE of 35sovs. with a sweep of £1. seoond horse to receive £5 out of s akes. Over 8 nights of hurdles, about 3 feet 6 inches high. Distance, 2 miles. Mr J. Gallagher's b h Granville, by Ebor —Sybil, aged, 12st 21b (J. Rie) ... 1 Mi" J. Chad wick's b m Zip, 6yra, 9at (Hatfield) 2 Mr J. McLeods bg Evening Star, aged, lOst 41b (Bums) 3 Also ran: St. David, 9st 71b (Ahem), Actress, 9st4lb (Cressy). Granville had no difficulty in winning by two lengths. Evening Star fell at the hurdle in the straight the first time round, and Actress and St David also came to grief. '1 ime, 4min. 33£ sec. Totalisator dividend, £1 9s. SUBDRBAN PLATE HANDICAP, of 60SOV8, second horse to receive £10 out of stakes. Distance, 1} miles, Mr R. Halcrow's eh q Snake, 6yrs., by Knottingley, 6st 21b (Mcllroy) ... 1 Mr J. Alwell's eh m Victoria, syrs., 7st 131b (G. Laing) 2 Mr R. Jones's br m Orphan, syrs., sst 81b (Pearson) 3 Also ran : Rewi, Bst 51b (Byer), Sir Redivere, Bst (G. Williams), Nannie, 6at 71b (Huxtable) ; and Little Wonder, sst 71b (Litt). The lot were despatched to a fair start, and the colours of Little Wonder and Snake were the first to show in front, but by the time a quarter of a mi'e had been traversed, Nannie formed one of the leading division, and passing the stand the order was: Snake, Nannie, and Orphan, Victoria being close in attendance, and the rest in Indian file. Snake continued to lead the field round the back stretch, where Nannie commenced to fade away, and Victoria and Orphan improved their positions. Snake led into the straight by three lengths, and coming on full of running had no difficulty in being landed j an easy winner. Totalisator dividend, £4 j 19s. RAILWAY PLATE of 25sovs. Distance, lh mile. Mr J. Chadwick's eh q Flageolet, by Feve, syrs, sst 71b (A. Woods) ... 1 Mr Halcrow's eh q Snake, 6yrs, 7at 81b (G. Laing) 2 These were the only starters. In the early part of the race, and to the entrance of the straight for home, it looked any odds on Snake, who was a red-hot favourite, but he gradually fell back, and Flageolet succeeded in winning by a couple of lengths. Totalisator dividend, £2 Bs. The Back Race of lOsovs., 1 mile, was won by Mr M. Keefe's Kate, who beat The Worm, Manaia, Harkaway, and Old Iniquity. Totalisator dividend, £3. OTAHUHU STEEPLECHASE of SOsovs. Seoonn horse to reoeive £7 ; third horse £3 out of stakes. Dibtance, abont 3 miles, over fair hunting country. Nomination; £2; Aoceptance, £i. Mr G. F. Brimblecombe's b m Julia Ann, aged, 9st 121b (Frewin) 1 Mr D. Harford's b q Hawthorn, aged, 10s 71b (Warren) ' 2 Mr H. Taylors b q Reform, aged, list (C. Goodman) 3 Also started : Granville, 12st 3lb (J. Rae), Rowdy, lOst 31b (Goldsmith), Comanche, 9st 101b (Hatfield), Tourist, 9st 81b (Hayr), Huntsman 9st 71b (Edgeconube). Betting : 3 to 1 on Granville, 4 to 1 against Reform, 5 to 1 Rowdy, 10 to 1 Julia Ann. . Won by three lengths, Julia Ann ana Hawthorn being the only two who stood up the whole of the journey. Tourist ran off, and Granville, Reform, Rowdy, and Comanche fell. Granville came down at a 4ft. post and rail fence, hidden from view, and ricked his back. The horse lingered till three o'clock on Sunday moraine, when he died. The totalisator paid a dividend of £20 17s on Julia Ann.

Witty Sayings.—" Well, John, did you take the note I gave you to Mr Smithers?' inquired a gentleman of his rustic servant. " Yes, sir," replied John, " I took the note, but I don't think he can read it. " * ' Cannot read it ?'' exclaimed the gentleman. • • Why so, John ?" ' ' Because he is so blind, sir. While I wasintberoom heaxed me where my hat was, and it was on my head all the time."— A Barrister in a court of justice, examining a female witness, said, "Facts are stubborn things." Witness: "Yes, sir, and so are women ; and if you get anything out of me, just let me know it." Barrister : "You'll be- committed for contempt." Witness: "Very well, I'll suffer justly, for, I feel the utmost contempt for every, lawyer I present." -The late Sir Fletcher Horton was, in his character of a counsellor, rather vulgar. He once examined Mr Alderman Shakespeare as a witness, and,*in the course of v his examination,, said, in.a rude way, .'fAnd, pray, what, trade are you, men*? !<<Aropemaker, at, your, service I", replied the alderman a good r deal, of 'commontsense in .the speech of a^countrv lad to an;;idl<?r, who. boasted his L ancient, family j ;' So.muoh the worse for you, , said; the peasant.,' \\As we ploughmeneay, /.the older the seed,,tke worse thercrop.'.'V , ,j !