DATES OF COMING EVENTS.

Observer, Volume X, Issue 603, 24 January 1891, Page 15

DATES OF COMING EVENTS.

February 25— Dunedin Cup. February 28— Newmarket Handicap. Marek 3 Australian Cup. March s—Champion5 — Champion Stakes. March 30— Sydney Cup.

—Acceptances for the Takapuna Jockey Club's Meeting are due on Friday evening next. —For breeding and selling horses Mr Stead maintains that Auckland is better than Canterbury. —The Hauroto, which went to Sydney on Tuesday ast, had on board the steeplechaser, Orlando. —In next week's issue I purpose giving my notes and anticipations on the Takapuna Races to be held on the -29th. A report now current in Christchurch says Mr Fred Paneti lately sold Mikado 11. in Australia for .£I2OO. Mikado 11. is by Apremont— Forget-me-not. If Crackshot (Bst 101 b) starts for the Dunedin Cup he must win. Should he win the Wellington Cup, however, he will incur a penalty of 71bs. The horses enquired for in the Wellington Cup, in their respective order of merit, are Crackshot, Dudu, Strephon, St. Andrew, Boulanger, Cynisea, and Kotuku. —Larrikin was put up by auction by Mr A. Buokland last week, and found a purchaser in Mr Robinson for the princely sum of -£12. He is good enough to win a steeplechase yet. — 'General ' Lawrin. who ran so disappointingly in the last steeplechase, is training privately out at Mount Eden, for the 1000 yds next Feb., and means to make a big bid for victory. — The Australasian, referring to Mr Hordern's purchases in New Zealand, says that buyers may go to England for the next 20 years and not obtain such a ■collection of mares as were sold at Sylvia Park. — The stallion, Tasman, arrived from the South by the steamer Hauroto on Monday last, and the hood mares Rubina, Eose and Black and Moonray, also arrived. These are the property of Mr O'Brien, but in accordance with an arrangement made, go to Mr Morrin's place at Wellington Park. —Mr Stead is a firm believer in the totalisator, and says if it had not been for the machine being used in New Zealand, he could never have won the stakes he has at weight-for-age racing. He admits that the totalisator has proved detrimental to the interests of professional horse owners, but thinks the public have benefited by its introduction. — The aged Rewi has won yet another Selling Race, for at Epsom (Melbourne), on the 23rd ult., he proved viotoriousin a race of this description of 100 soys, run on a course of five furlongs. He carried 7st 91b and easily Tbeat his two opponents, Coronation (7st 91b) and St. John (Bst). He was bought in for .£9O. Apropos (7st 61b) was at the same meeting unplaced behind Daystar (Bst lib) in the Mordialloc Handicap of 70 aovs, a mile and a furlong. — A Taranaki scribe says, • The local contingent who went to Auckland for the Summer Meeting must have fallen like water, as they did not soore a win. The jumpers, Silvio, Takapau, and Jenny, and the mare Eileen, competed, and Jenny was the only placed one, being third in the Second Hurdles and third in the Steeplechase. The local pony, Hercules, by Governor, •also competed at the Auckland Trotting Meeting, but ran unplaced in two pdny events. — Discussing Medallion's running in Auckland, Mr Stead says that six furlongß from home in the Auckland Plate Medallion was half-a-dozen lengths behind Hilda and two lengths behind Crackshot, and the last six fnrlongs were run in lmin 18f sec as compared with lmin .22f sec in the Derby. Then it must be remembered that Medallion was giving Crackshot 31b, and this, with the two lengths start the latter got in the last six furlongs, *was quite sufficient to account for the result. Mr Stead laughs with scorn at some of the nonsense which has gained currency as regards the so-styled 'in-and-out' running of the two oolts. —The list of the English thoroughbred St. Simon is -filled for two years in advance, at the high fee of .£2BO. — On his return to Christohuroh, Mr Stead was interviewed about his purchases at Sylvia Park, and the probability of changing his mind about retiring. He said : 4 1 have not changed my mind. My horses were under offer whilst I was in Auckland, and I offered Medallion «nd Lebel without the others at a fair figure. So far, however, no deal has resulted, but I shall, as opportunity offers, dispose of them. Mason finds that it will be prejudicial to liis health, to remain here for another winter, so he will visit Australia at that season, and it •was in consequence of his determination so to do that I decided to get rid of my racing stud.' — According to a New Plymouth paper, ' an endeavour was made to reduce a horse's height at the Taranaki Jockey Club's Meeting on Boxing Day. An Opunake pony named Real Life could not go under the 14£ standard and was therefore not allowed to start for the pony races. The wither of the horse would persistently raise the bar, and after many attempts Real Life was led away. The owner was in despair, till a brilliant ■genius suggested he should reduce the horse's height. -One person at once went to work and cut the mane off •the- wither, and a blacksmith commenced to file down Beal Life's hoofs as far as he dared. But alas ! with all this reducing Real Life still was too big, and the disconsolate owner had to take away his rather misnamed ; ■steed.' i

— I have to thank the Secretary of the Egmont Racing Club for several courtesies . — Great dissatisfaction is felt at the handicapping in connection with the Takapuna Meeting, and Mr Knight seems to be having a bad time. —Acceptances for the Egmont Racing Club's Summer Meeting to be run on Feb. 18 and 19, are due on Saturday, the 24th inst. For the hurdles, I fancy the chances of Satyr, Sentinel and Takapau, in the order named. For the Egmont Handicap I fancy Hilda and Montrose 11. —The weights for the Newmarket Handicap, which is competed for on the 28th of February, came to hand last Tueßday, and Mr Barnard" has oompleted a very favourable handicap, and Aucklanders have just oause to feel proud on account of two Auckland-bred 'uns occupying pride of place in this classical event. There are a number of Auckland horses engaged. The sporting public will no doubt watch the issue of events with, a keen interest, and if the wire flashes across the victory of one of them, there will no doubt be an amount of cheering and hand-shaking, as the majority of them are pretty sure to be well backed. As far as appearances go at present, the following appear well worth watching, as they are almost sure to go to the post : — Bunget>ah, Megaphone, Teksum, To Soon, Marvel, Correze, Whimberel, Insignia, The Spot, St. Andrew, Chaldean and Enuc. From time to time I will keep my readers posted up with the latest training notes and hints, so that there need be no scarcity of news in connection with the race. — Along with the Newmarket Handicap weights we were placed in possession of those of the Australian Cup. Carbine again, of course, occupies the throne with lOst 121 b, and such a horße as he haß been proved, and who, I have no doubt, has not even yet shown us what he can really do, judging from his marvellous performance in the Melbourne Cup, will again, if Mr Wallace elects to stand the chance of seeing him defeated, make the fleetest horse engaged stretch his neck to catch the judge's eye first. New Zealanders are again in this race well to the fore with representatives, and their entries being nicely handicapped, will take a lot of beating, and with every respect to our Australian brethren, let's hope that one of them will land the stakes to his owner's credit. Nearer the day and after tbe first weeding out, I will go further into the capabilities of the horses enp-aged, and for the nonce content myself with naming the following, which I fancy the winner is hidden amongst :— Carbine, Cuirassier, Crackshot, Gibraltar, Prince Consort, Whakawai, Gatling and Swing.