AVONDALE J. C. SPRING MEETING.

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 925, 19 September 1896, Page 19

AVONDALE J. C. SPRING MEETING.

The Avondale Jockey Club (Mr H. H. Hayr, secretary) advertises this week the two days' Spring Meetingwhich eventuates at Avondale on the 3rd and Bth of October next. The Club is giving away no less than £600 stake money, making the meeting an important one to horse owners The list of events for the two days comprise : —Maiden Handicap, of 30 bovb ; Hurdles, 50 soys; 2 two-year-old races of 40 soys each; Avondale Cup, 60 soys; Steeplechase, GO soys; Steeplechase, 50 soys; 2 Pony Handicaps 30 -soya each; Flying, 10 soys; Plumpton Handicap (7 fur), 50 sovß ; Electric, 40 soys; Hunt Club Cup Steeplechase), 30 soys; Maiden Hurdleß, 30 soys; Ladies' Bracelet (Welter) 10 soys ; and lastly Hack Scurry of 10 soys (winner to be sold for 15 soys). Nominations for all the double events close with Mr H. H. Hayr to-morrow (Friday), 18th inst, at 9 pm. Weights for first day's events are due 21st inst, and acceptances on 25th inst (to-morrow week.

Lord Richmond is doing as well as any of the Cap candidates at CauMeld. The Tirnaiu Cup is run to-day (Thursday). Hippomenes or Captive should win. The South Australian Derby lias now been won three seasons in succession by filließ. Mr G. G-. Stead's pair of Cup candidates — Epaulet and Bellicent — are both doing well at Riccarton. There will only be one dividend paid out at Ellerslie for the future; both machines are to be worked as one. Betting on the New Zealand Cup is quiet, and probably will be so till after the events of various Spring meetings are run. Waiuku's name was somehow omitted in the handicap for the Spring Handicap He was given Oat tilb, and has accepted. The decision arrived at by the A.R.C. relating to the future management of the totalisator at Ellerslie, is one which will meet with the approbation of most all concerned. The payment of one dividend arrived at through one total is far the better way uudoubtedly. All sorts of complications are saved, and possibly in some individual cases dividends gained, by some who, under the old rer/iute, lost their time.and sometimes their money, in rushing to and fro, eager for a point. Last Friday's sale of thoroughbred stock was not productive of business, and Mr Philson, acting for Messrs Hunter and Nolan, failed to relieve Mr S Bradley of the race-horses submitted. Mr Bradley did not put big prices on his stock, but though such as Impulse and Armour carry with them no doubt as to quality, especially the New Zealand Cup winner, still troable has been met with in stringing them up. Little Tom would have been cheap to anyone at 18 guineas. Chinamen are proverbially lucky in racing. But it isn't all luck. They get information, and pay for it. But they don't always win. We usually only hear of their good luck, as with others. But the Maori half-blood has been almost overlooked as an astute punter A fair percentage of these are regular books oh racing. But they don't follow the book altogether. They use it just as an aid. I have heard of more than one bookmaker who will go easy on a horse after it has been backed by one of these. But the cutest of all the lot is the half bred Maori Jew. Tou don't come across them very often. But I have seen one or two. In them is a blend of all the necessary attributes for a successful punter. But even to them the game is none too assuring.

Racing opens at Ellerslie on Saturday next. (19th inst). The Timaru Cup is set dowu to be run to-day (Thursday). Chaos is being inquired _ after for the New Zealand Cap. Fabulist leaves at the end of the present month for Riccarton. G. Absolam goes in charge of (he Mangare horse. Two Carbines "won races at the A.J.C. first day (Saturday)— Charge the Derby and Cartridge the Kensington Handicap. The Flirt has grown into a fine big mare. She seems to have the Jilt family temper, though not ao badly aa her sister Folly. Ika should be the hardest horse to beat in the Hunt Cap Steeple at Ellerslie on Wedneaday. The old horse ha«J been going well. Steward's name was almost unknown to Aucklanders untill Saturday night last, when it came upon ns as the name of the winner of the Epsom Handicap. Lord Roslyn, a much fancied and extensively backed Dunedin New Zealand Cup canditdate, failed to make any show at all at the Forbury last Saturday, and probably was aimply unready. Aughadowey and St. Simon are a pair of promising hurdle racers. Both should lacsr on be up to a bit of weight. The Saint, however, will probably take time to develope, he being a very gross and big framed one. Response did not start in the Epsom Handicap the first day at Randwick, her owner preferring to give her a run in the Spring atakes, in which she ran third behind Newhaven and True Blue. Gipsy Prince, winner of the secoond hurdle race at Marton last week, is a fine looking eon of old Gipsy King. Built on lines which make hurdlers, and being withal a good galloper and jumper, more will be heard of him during the ensuing season. The Auckland colt Sabretache gained the barren honour of third place in the A.J.C. Derby. And whatever merit there may be in that, is detracted from by the peculiar way in which that race was run It still is not certain which was the best horse in the race. Of the New Zealand Cup candidates which ran at the Dunedin Meeting last week, Captive showed the best form in rnnning second to Hippomeues in the principal event, and winning the Welter. But Hippomenes had apparently the most easy of victories in the race which he won, and Captive does not seem to have been able to make a fight of it. Newhaven will likely be as hot a favourite for this year's V.R.C. Derby as ever favourite haß been for that race. The very short odds obtainable about the colt at the present time, with two months to intervene before the race is rnu, gives us some sort of an idea how money will have to be bought on the day. There was something extraordinary about the running for the A.J.C. Derby. The reason for such wretchedly slow going is hard to understand without further information. It seems most likely to have been avowedly a match between the two favourites, though why none of the other runners cut out a stronger pace, is puzzling. Surely they were capable. I have received from Mr Robert Blaikie a copy of his annual sporting guide for current season. The guide is a fully up-to-date compilation, and handy to sportsmen. It is chiefly a record for the past season of the performances of New Zealand Cup candidates. In addition are the weights for coming principal events, and other items of useful information to racing men. A rural crowd of books was recently milked in a most cold blooded way. A hurdler pulling up apparently lame, his owner interviewed the chief ' dead-meat ' merchant. After inspecting the corpse, bookie successfully offered a consideration i not to scratch. Well backed on the day, the prad made one of five starters. Oue fell, and the ' dead un ran off. The other three baulked persistently, however, until he (the ' dead un ) pulled round and won. 'It was a peculiar race,' remarked the local horse reporter, ' but the victory was a popular one.' — Sydney Bulletin.