WANGANUI AUTUMN MEETING,

Observer, Volume XIV, Issue 793, 10 March 1894, Page 15

WANGANUI AUTUMN MEETING,

To-day and to-morrow (Thursday and Friday) are the days fixed for the above meeting:. The big event, the Wanganui Cup, If mile is run to-day. This race looks most open, through the fact of several horßes engaged having shown recent good form. Rosefeldt, Liberator, aod Noyade have incurred penalties of 51bs respectively. Royal Eose has a nice handy weight with 7.6 and on his Kgmont running has a show, though I hardly think he is quite good enough to get into first place. Au Revoir, 8.4, is a Southerner who must be respected, though I fancy he will not stay the distance. The same may be said of Dreamland, and Noyade will probably be started in preference to St. Katherine. Tho form of Queen of Trumps latterly has been too bad to respect. Seeing that the weights are well up on the best of the field, I have most fancy for Rangipuhi, with Liberator, Noyade, and Royal Rose next in that order. Tn the Flying I like St. Laura, Royal Rose, and Poinsettia. The Hurdles should go to the best of Douglas' or Morag. Pill should win the Welter; whilst Blarney, Lyrebird and Tartan most take my fancy for the Two-year-old Stakes.

Acceptances close on Friday next for all events to be run at the Papaknra Racing Club's meeting of the 17th inst.

The Hack Hurdle Race at the Manawatu last week was the race ' to play the Chinaman ' on Dorothy, the winner, paid the rattler of .£123 ]8s dividend.

Ellerslie is getting a bit more lively now in the early mornings. The A.R.C. Easter Meeting is fast approaching, and trainers are beginning to push their charges along.

Auckland Trotting Club is out with its Antnmn Meeting programme. First day Saturday , March 24 : second day, Saturday, March 31. This attractive programme appears in our advertising columns.

The two-year-old Brown Mantle behaves herself very much in the same manner aa her mother — Anteiope— did. She is very hot-headed on the track, and, like the majority of small things, puts on a great amount of side.

Several nice dividends were paid at the recent Manawata Meeting: at Palmerston North, Pamau paid £22 9a in the Hack Flat, Dorothy .£123 18s in the Hack Hurdles, Variety i>ls Is in the Fitzherbert Handicap, and Scotfree in the Borough Handicap.

It is on the cards that the N.Z. Cup will next year be increased in value to 1500 soys.

Kulnine and Norton are both doing good work at Riccartion. The autumn jumping event will probably be their mission.

The old battler Shillelagh has been brought into requisition again. J.B. will have all sorts of luok if the old horse comes to the post sound again.

An old identity of Auckland who does a bit of pencilling in a quiet way, waa one of the lucky holders of a ticket on the big div. of .£123 odd at Manawatu last week.

Mr Donald McKinnon, the Waikato sportsman, left for Hawke's la9t week, to be present at the Hawke's Bay and Wanganui Meetings, at which his two horaes, Scotfree and Lochness, arc engaged.

George Wright took away Stanmoor and Forme" with him last week for Southern engagements. lam not a great admirer of Stanmoor in good company, but Form*, I think, will prove a ringing good little filly.

1 Coster ' is very rough on ponies. He says : ' Pony racing is not a thins to be encouraged, it bears about the same relation to racing proper as a thimble bears to a bat and ball.' '1 hat is a comparison with a vengeance.

The name of Sternchaser for the Australian Cup on Tuesday last was a dead letter so far as Auckland punters were concerned. Nona of the Auckland ring had .any money that way, owing to the bad case they were in over doubles.

The Auckland punters dropped money over Makaki in the Manawata Racing Club Handicap last week. The only line by which to judge the probability of his winning had he not fallen was the way he was backed, the race being reckoned a good thing for him.

Not a single investor in Corina in the Maiden Trofc at Potter's last week. The speculative character of the battles of the outside divisions in dying. There were plenty of them there, but not one of them had the pluck to put half a thick 'nn on Corina, on the off chance of scooping the pool.

Scotfree evidently has not forgotten how to gallop, nor lost any of his pace. The Sterlingworth gelding is now ten years old, yet he ran the mile and a distance in the Borough Handicap at Palmerston, with 8.7 up, in 2 mm, after running third in the R.C. Handicap to Rangipuhi and Pinrose. On the second day Scofcfree won the Welter, carrying lOst.

The nominations for the A.R.C. Easter Meeting received last Friday were not very numerous, but in each race, the Easter and Autumn Handicaps and the Steeplechase, the horses engaged are so much of a class, that a happy effort on the part of the bandicapper, Mr. Evitc should result in good open fields on the race days.

Mona was fairly well backed for the Newmarket in Auckland. In last week's Observer writing some days before the acceDtanees, my second pick for the race was Mona. The horse I picked first was scratched so it is useless to say anything about him. Otherwise Mona would have been my straight out selection.

There was galloping galore at Ellerslie last week. Galloping by night, not ' neath the Canopy of Heaven ' exactly, but in a well lighted hall, where the gay and festive, young and old, joined heel and toe to the merry merry strains of local talent. Peneillers, and trainers, and knights of tne pigskins, all were there ; and the belle? it were difficult to name tier— all were charming ' belles.'

The news of the death of Mr Alfred King (' Vigilant ') arrived too late for notice in the columns of our last week's issue. Mr King was well-known to Aucklandera as resident here &ome years ago, and his death will be regretted by all. As an able and honest sporting writer, ' Vigilant's ' name was pre-eminent. His old friends will regret to learn he has left a wife and eight children totally unprovided for. Any friends disposed to help can send subscriptions through us, or to the editor New Zealand Mail, Wellington.

The Otahuhu Trotting Club's Meeting last Saturday drew a fair attendance. The novel attraction of a balloon ascent, which did not ascend, probably drew a number in the Shore direction. The racing was not so interesting as usual, owing to one or two poor fields, and the big event of the day resulting in a walk over. This was the Otahuhu Trotting Cap, for which event Mount was the only contestant. The pony races, as usual, were excellent, resulting in each instance in exciting finishes. The management was good, the races all being got over true to time, and visitors were able to see oat the programme and get home in good time.

Auckland Swimming Club's gala night to-morrow- (Friday.) Brilliant illumination. Whips of fan.