HAWKE'S BAY GUINEAS.

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 925, 3 October 1896, Page 27

HAWKE'S BAY GUINEAS.

The Hawke's Bay Spring Sleeting takes place next Monday and Tuesday, sth and 6th instant. On Monday the Hawke's Bay Guineas will be ran, and in that race a deal of Auckland interest will be centred on ac. count of the presence of the Auckland owned Daystar. This is by no means a one horse race Hon. J. D. Ormond's colt Dauntless performed well last season as a two year- old, and though it does not teem to be expected of him that he will stay well, he should certainly prove a good one up to a mile. Uriif orm is Mr G G. Stead's representative, and benefited by the use of good tracks throughout the winter, his trainer will probably bring him to the post fit. Arrailla, I fancy, will probably be present as a pace maker. There would be nothing very surprising even if she should win, though any distance over a few furlongs would seem to be too much for her. Outside of those mentioned, the other Guineas candidates are unknown quantities. All are a well-bred lot. If I knew Dauntless were in as forward condition as necessary, I would tip him to win, for I think, if in form, it would take a good one to beat him. On that score, I think Uniform and Daystar are likely to have the advantage, and I fancy one of tbe two should prove victorious.

Hawke's Bay Guineas run on ; Tuesday next. Races at Avondale on Saturday; 3rd instant.

Man-o'-War is said to be doing good work at Hawera. Tiritea and Donald McKirinon have returned to New Zealand. Daystar, a greatly fancied Auckland and New Zealand Cup Candidate* I v y> by Castor, an ex-Auckland mare, won a five furlong race at Petaluma, America, on August 7 th. Captive's connections are said to be in high feather about their representative's Cap chance. They have him backed for a conple of thousand. Searchlight is giving her trainer trouble. Leg trouble is the cause. Hawke's Bay news notes report that it is doubtful if Mr Hunter's mare will see the post for the New Zealand Cup. This is bad news for backers, as Searchlight has, I believe, been well backed in various parts of the colony. The chief excitement in a betting way since the B Her she racing has been the rushing of Mr T. Morrin's Castor colt Dayatar. Prices aa short as ten and twelve to one. have been eagerly snapped up about this colt for the New Zealand Cup. This is public money I should fancy, as the stable already have a good wager about the colt at a long price.

Daystar's weight in the New Zealand Cap is now-6st. 13lb. Devon won the Mordialloc Handicap at Melbourne on September 2nd, carrying 9at. lib. Chris. Moore rode him. ' The Sydney Bulletin says that throughout the Randwick Meeting the ' horsemanship displayed^ by the majority of the jockeys was execrable.' 4 Ajax ' gives Pickles an outside chance in the Gaulfield Gap — given fitness. Pickles is the champion pony of the other side. He has (>st 111 bin the Canlfield Cup. Silver King, winner of the first Hunter's Hurdle Bace at the Christchnrch National Meeting,broke his leg whilst com peting in the hurdles at Timaru, and has since been destroyed. The ex-Aucklander Ivy is credited with having run the five furlongs in the race won by her at Petaluma, in . lmin. ljaec. She carried 1071ba. or 7at. 91bs. The breeder and Sportsman speaks of her as a sprinter of high class. Lady Marion, pitted against the best of local race horse flesh, has already, thus early in the season, shown what a consistent bit of material she is. In company just a bit more modest she would have rendered an account to her owner, which would have balanced somewhat her winter oats and training bill. It seems pretty certain she will do this before 4 the season is much older.

The Sydney Bulletin says that the defunct Malua was an ' odd made horse inasmuch as his hind-qnarters didn't seem natural to the rest of him. 1 Malolo is quoted as having the same peculiarity. The Hawke's Bay Guineas, run next week, is an interesting event in prospect to Aucklanders. Daystar's Spring form is hailed as sufficiently good to render that colt's prospect in the Guineas a good winning one, and I have no doubt he will render a good account of himself. But it cannot be a one horse race with Dauntless — a Challenge Stakes winner — in it, even if Mr Stead's representative does not prove a good one. A speculative sport put so much into a ' book's ' bag for the meeting. Expenses half; profits and losses ditto. The first day panned out bad, All the favourites got home, and the punters emptied the bag A pile of torn tickets at the penciller's feet evidenced the way business had run that day. The speculative eport was crashed in heart, as well as in pocket, and backed out of any prospective liabilities for the second day. He. had. had enough. The second day the book battled alone. Not a favourite won, and in most cases not a winner was laid. The bag swelled and the ' book ' smiled, and at the finish the speculative sport, who was not speculative enough, came along and groaned.

Re Metropolitan Stakes, won by Skipper, for Skipper read Skinner. — Sydney Bulletin. The pony Komp has changed hands in Sydney, and now belongs to 3. Donohne. News conies that Mr W. E. "Wilson's colt Resolute has been well backed for the Melbourne Cup. Merechel Niel is still running at the other side. •He won the Show Handicap at Cootamundra on September 11th. The opening meetings of the new season Bhow so far an increase in totaliaator returns, as compared with those of last season. Euroclydon is reported as doing well still. He is big in condition and will require a deal of galloping to be quite fit by Cap time. Hon. J. D. Ormond had ill luck with one of his yonngßters just lately; the filly by Dreadnought-Dryad, breakiug its leg whilst exercising. • Brockleigh reappeared at Randwick at the A.J.C. Meeting after a long spell. He ran in the "Waveriey Handicap, and was last all the way. St. Paul's owner refused during A.X.C. first spring week a very tempting offer for the bt. Jaeger colt, and it says a deal for the faith which that gentleman has in the quality of his colt that such an offer should De ref used. x1,250 is a great price for a three-year-old in these days. Mollyhawk's recent triple victory shows wnat a pull horsemansnip will give over other cattle of very similar calibre. Molly hawk is not brilliant, not even aa a hunter- She did show seme pace once, at 'JLakapuna. Since then she has faded ont ot the light. But brought to Ellersiie muscled up, and sound winded, thanks to a winter course of hunt training, with a good man on her back, she makes us wonder if ever there were sufficient races run in a day to make her knock under. Anita's one race has not evidently pleased her connect' ons, if report says true. But I should hardly think that that one run would be sufficient to cauße a loss of confidencu in any horse at all consistent, 'lhe Ascot Handicap was not a race for a Cup trial, I should think. Here was a big field, a mile race, and heavy holding going. Coming down the straight half tne field were crouched together, and most of them hadn't an • earthly,' even if they'd had the pace and condition. The Spring form shown byDaystar has been bafficient to cause him to be locked on as the best of the local Cup representatives. 2^o doubt is expressed as to his staying capabilites, this apparently being taken tor granted, on account, principally perhaps, from the fact of the colt having been backed by his owner during thu winter. His capacity for staying, however, mnst be assumed, I fancy, as he has scarcely had any loug instance trials as yet. All the same, I see no reason to dispute the assumption. Fabulist is easier in public estimation iv respect of Cup probabilities. An asßumedly brighter ' star ' in Dayatar has aided in the Fabulous colt's partial eclipse, but like all such effects, it may only be temporary. Anyway, I cannot see that A B.C. Spring events were in their results such as to cloud Fabulist's Cup prospects to any great degree. Had the Mangere colt been more forward he must have run better, and seeing that, as it was, backward and all as he was, he ran both races quite brilliantly ; a nionth's improvement and working will make a deal of difference.