CAP AND JACKET.

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1017, 25 June 1898, Page 19

CAP AND JACKET.

By 'Boz.

RACING FIXTURES. '■ 1898 , June[29 & 30— Napier Park B.C. Winter July 14 & 16-Weflington R.C. Winter Aug. 11 & 13— N.Z. Grand National, Christ' church

HAWKE'S BAY STEEPLECHASE. Thh first of the Coastal cross ■ conntry events of the present jumping season takes place to-morrow (Friday), the Becond and concluding day of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Olab's winter meeting. Auckland can claim to be represented in this event through the presence of the recently parchased Sinner, who will be a contestant. The field is a good one, most of the horses engaged having more or less pretensions to chasing hononrs ; and if all shonld jump well, no doubt, the spectators will be treated to something worth seeing. But that part of the programme is not within onr province. My duty just now is to sum up the probabilities. When Plain Bill was handicapped at Wanganui (at 11-7 I think) he wad thought by some to be ill-treated, owing to his then being a novice at the game. But he ran second to Muscatel (she afterwards winning our big steeple) and on the second day, with a stone more weight up, he won over the conntry easily. Being Buch a good jumper, weight carrier, and good stayer, ' whatever beats Plain Bill will win,' as the • boys ' say. But what is likely to be trumps if Plain Bill should fail ? Morag won last year, and, though weighted up to his form, must have a chance. He is reported to be in good form. Tally-Ho has shown some form over country, is a good stayer, and has a nice weight. Sinner is the sort of horse to do well over country like Hawke's Bay, and his recent running at Ellerslie is sufficiently fresh in readers' minds not to require more than a passing note. Sinner seems to me to be Plain Bill's most dangerous opponent. Toriki one scarcely knows how to deal with. It seems a question of going straight with him. He is receiving weight from several horses which he is undoubtedly superior to for pace and on hurdle form. But as he has yet to Bhow us anything reliable, I shall leave him out of my final calculations Rhino is the last one I shall mention. If thoroughly well he should run a good rase, provided that with a year's age he has gained additional staying power. He waß unlucky last season when, after showing good ability as a chaser, the last end of his races usually proved fatal to him. The running of the Hurdle Eace, which takea place prior to the appearance of these notes, though subsequent to the writing of them, may throw some additional light on the Steeplechase, as Plain Bill, Tally-Ho, Tangaroa, and Khino. will probably have competed in the small stick event. But unless some strong reason, caused by the running of Wednesday's race, should arise to cause me to change my mind, a bare defeat would not. Anyhow, without any advantage on my part, which my be given to readers by the running of that event, I must elect to Btand by Plain Bill for the Friday's Steeplechase, and I think Sinner and Rhino may prove next best of those in the race.

Ruamahunga is being schooled for hurdle racing. The sale of Waiuku is reported, throngh Mr J. Chaafe, to a Sydney man for 1200gs. Plain Bill is favourite for the Hawke'a Baj Steeplechase at the time of writing. The C J.O. have cut down the value of the Challenge for the coming year to 500 Kovg. Swordfisli is reported to have been backed in v ellington for a good sum to win the Nt w Zealand Onp. Messrs Booth and Beckett left for Sydney t y. the Waihora on Monday, taking Rex, Lf-van'er, and the two-year- old St. lieger— D . n phine colt. . .Although the report of Waiuku's sale Beems to be current thronghont the colony, there seema reason to believe that it is pn nmtnre. The horse iB certainly nnder i ff^r but personally I do not know authoritatively of hia absolute sale.

St. Paul's price for the New Zealand Cap has advanced to 100 to 10 Taken. . / The New Zealand Cup weights will appear to-morrow (Friday) week, Ist July. The Canterbury Jockey Club has decided to employ a paid judge for the future. Plain Bill was priced just recently, the figure asked being .£BOO. A biggish price tor a hurdler. A firm of Christchurch bookmakers report, amongst other New Zealand Cup business, 1000 to 100 against Waiuku. Last week's Christchurch Referee announces the sale of Waiuku to a Sydney purchaser. The price is not mentioned, but 1000 guineas is suggested as approximate to the figure the horse would likely be parted with for. , The recent success of Maluma in England will act somewhat in the shape of a palliative for the defeat of Newhaven. The latter is evidently not yet acclima-' tized. The race the Newmarket Handicap winner won was a mile race. Levanter, who left for Sydney this week, has some big engagements at Memington next month. He is engaged in both Grand National events — Hurdle Race and Steeplechase — also Steeplechasers' Flat Race and Open Steeplechase. Heritas, owned by Mr D. O'Brien, has been showing jumping proclivities at Riccarton, where one day, whilst at walking exercise, he bolted, and jumped one of the fences. The boy sat him throughout, and ' no damage was done.' It is almost as good as decided by the D.J.G. to make an early move from the Forbury to Wingalui. Arrangements with the railway department are reported to have been concluded, and it is therefore probable before loDg the D.J.C. meetings, will take place on new ground. American sportsmen who do not find the horse last enough now propose, the Daily Chronicle says, to utilize the antelope as a ' trotter.' Qn6 of these animals is being broken to harness to run in a sulky, and has already given evidence that it will be able to break the world's record of a mile in lmin 35Jsecs. ' Spectator ' says : 'It is now stated that a mare that won a trotting race in the North Island at one of the meetings held in the Autumn, trotted under a wrong name. The club will, ere long, be placed in possession of the correct name, and learn something of the gee gee's history. Really it is time people who work their " ringing in " games tired of such tactics.' He was a great gambler who, after having already had sufficient ill-luck to lose the first half of his fortune, said to his friend : ' Here, then, for the last half,' and, picking up a bowl from the table, added, ' 15,000 guineas odd or even ; you to call.' ' Odd,' said the friend. Smash went the china against the wall, and down on their knees went the gamblers to count the fragments. ' Odd ' it was. Christchurch Beferee relates how two owners met in a railway train, and soon waxed hot in argument anent the success and non-Buccess of their respective ' neddies.' At last one said to the other, ; 'Here, I'll bet you £100 that I have won more money over my horse than you have won over yours.' The story says, ' a broad smile stole over some of the faces of the passengers,' for this man who thus challenged his acquaintance to bet had never yet won a race with the prad he had apparently done so well out of. 'Investor,' writing to the Christchurcb Referee, raises a question which has for a long time been an interesting one to investors, and which, so far, has never been dealt with satisfactorily. It deals with the payment of totalisator money in the Lobo case at . Dunedin. Lobo, it will be remembered, was disqualified by the stewards of the D.J.C, the investors on the second horse receiving their dividends on Ilex. An appeal against this decision having been upheld, ' Inveator ' puplicly raises the question, which must be present in the minds of all investors, viz., 'are not Lobo's backers entitled to get their dividend ?' Australasian publishes extracts from a letter received by Mr Alfred Joseph from Mr Joe Thompson and Mr J. D. Marks. They ' went ' for Newhaven in the City and Suburban, and evidently had a big book. Speaking of the ex-Aus-tralian colt and his running, they write, IHe was absolutely left at the post, and the field had not got a quarter of a mile before he was hopelessely in the rear— at least 100 yards behind. You can imagine our feelings when the ring (who knew we were going for Newhaven II.) laugh ed at us, and offered us 1000 to 5 against him.' After describing the brilliant run Newhaven made— then unfortunately too late to be of use— they go on to say: — 'You. can .imagine our feelings— £2o,ooo difference" to us.' . '

The Hawke's Bay Steeplechase will be run tomorrow XFridaj). During the season the sum of £101,926 waa passed through the totalisatora at Elleralfe. Nearly £1600 more than the previous year. St. Paul and Multiform are strong favourites for the Now Zealand Cap. Some Auckland pencillers have already laid their money about the latter, whilst St. Paul has shortened to ten. Sydney Bulletin notes the regular appearance of a Chinaman ' book ' onthi hill outside the Band wick course on racedays. Bulletin ' says : ' A good deal of betting goes on there, and the punters bet with the "chow " for lack.' John's oddtare generally a point longer than the ' Oiistian bookie.' Hermosa was sold last Friday foi 190 guineas, a low fignre for a mare of he> proved quality. Size alone seems against her, but as she combatted successfully as a two-year-old under biggish weights, she may do so as a three-year old. Hermoaa, having been purchased by Mr D. Stewart, will remain in the hands of her old mentor still. 'Probable,' who paid a visit recently to Yaldhurst, Bpeaks of Multiform as looking in ' blooming health, and perfectly sound.' Both he and Gold Medallist are taking things easy.' Of St. Cyr, ' Probable ' was not so much impressed, he being ' not a particularly elegant specimen of the thoroughbred,' though he ' looks fit for any preparation.' .Conqueror is 'in a fair way to recovery ' from injuries received laac summer, whilst Altair's appearance was pleasing. The appeal of Mr V. Harris, F. Holmes and Jackaon against the disqualification meted out to them by the Ashburton Jockey Clnb over the ' Crescent case ' has been upheld by the C.J.C Iv justice to the Ashbnrton Club, it mast be remembered that further evidence was forthcoming to the committee of the C.J.C at the time the Ashburton Club deliberated on the matter. Farther, Mr Harris proved he was not the owner of Orescent. 'Terlinga,' at the close of an interesting review of a visit made to St. Albans, speaks thus strongly of Bobadil's Derby chance :— • His backers may take it for granted that the stable has never sheltered a sounder horse or a better goer than Bobadil, and I do not think there is the least chance of any of his companions proving good enough to offer any serious opposition to him.' Of Symmetry, the same writer says : — ' Symmetry iB over her mishap, and she will strip a remarkably fine mare nest season. She looks quite as good a thing for the Oaks as Bobadil does for the Derby.'

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