AVONDALE J.C. SPRING MEETING.

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1026, 27 August 1898, Page 19

AVONDALE J.C. SPRING MEETING.

Ownkbs and trainers are reminded that nominations in connection with the Avondale Jockey Club's Spring Meeting, which takes place on the 17th and 21st prox., close to-morrow (Friday) evening, the 26th inst., with Mr H H. Hayr, at Vulcan Lane. The nominations which are due on that date are those for the Avondale Cup, the Hunt Club Steeplechase, and the Hunt Club Hurdles. The handicaps for the above will be issued on or abont Monday, 29th inst. General entry night with the Club will be Friday, 2nd September, when nominations for all the minor events will be due Acceptances for all events of the First Day will close on Friday September 9th.

A syndicate in Christchurch backed thn winning Grand National double forjjf 3,000. Amongst others, Free Holmes is said to have had a good win. Castashore has been freely nomi nated for the South Canterbury Spring Meeting events. He has been entered in both Hurdles, also Welter and Stewards. The Auckland bookmaker, Mr D. A. McLeod, had the misfortune to meet with an accident at Taranaki, being thrown oat of a boggy whilst oat driving, and sustaining a broken arm. I have received from Messrs Barnett and Grant a copy of their neat Bporting annual, ' Form at a Glance,' which in every respect is worthy of being called a sportsman's companion, containing as it does in its handy cover, a mass of very necessary and nseful information. Mr Gollan adds Toriki and Opae to his list of recent purchases, a very respectable pair of jumpers to operate in England with. If Toriki can be made to like big fences, he should prove a great chaser. His late ownerß think him, 1 believe, a better horse than Opae. There are two pony events on the Sonth Canterbury Jockey Club's Spring programme. The entries for these are very small, but the ponies have not been catered for in the South to any extent If other clubs in the South were to follow the lead of the S.C.J.C., these events would soon become as strong an attraction in the South as they are in the North; The figures in connection with the stake money provided by the Auckland Racing Club for the several seasons daring the past five years show a steady and higher proportional increase each year. The provision for the present season amounts to a sum only a few pounds less than double the amount of 1893-94, when there was one meeting more. £16,760 is the amount provided for this season. Premier Seddon hurled his bombshell the other day in the House, and no one knows how to take it. Whether or no the Premier is earnest in his expressed contentment to see the ' tote ' go this we know, that as long as we are a British colony we will have oar sport, and as it muse be admitted that sport without speculation . would be as bread without Bait, we must retain our privilege to bet also. Bbino, it will be remembered, lost a lot of ground during the running of the Grand National Steeplechase, jumping down some of his fences. Redmond, his pilotj is given great credit for the judgment he displayed in the race, and those who saw the event run think that had Redmond been more fit and stronger (he has scarcely yet got over the effects of his fall at Napier), Rhino would have made -a still better fight of it with Dummy.

Chasseur is said to be au unlikely starter in the N.Z Gup News comes from Wanganui of the death of the racing stallion Wapiti. St. Cyr is being backed far the New Zealand Gap at 100 s to 7. Multiform is still nominal favourite. % The Auckland Plate, w.f.a., has been resuscitated, and fills its old place on the A R.C summer programme. Swordfish is reported as doing exceedingly well at Papakura, and will, in all probability, see a abort price for the N Z. Cap. Castashore is to remain in the South for a bit. He will probably take part at. the South Canterbury Spring Meeting. The A.E.C. Autumn Steeplechase has this year no place on the autumn programme. A hurdle race of 125 soys, 3 mileß, takes its place. It is under consideration to make the next Epsom Derby worth £1.0,000 nett to the owner of the winner. Under the present conditions, the French Derby, which is endowed with £4,000, is estimated at 50 per cent better value than the English Derby. Merloolas, one of the Melbourne Cup favourites, started in the Hampden Stakes run at JKandwick on the 13th mat., and finished second to The Chief. '> he three-year-old Coco 3 w*s third. Merloolas started at 3 to 1, Cocos at 12 to 1, the favourite, Vigorous, who started at 5 to 2, being unplaced. All the credit appears to have been given to Nolan for the improvement shown by Ditto Because Ditto could Dot win a race in New Zealand before he was sent to Australia is no argument that he would not have done bo had he never been sent away. Allowance must be made for the improvement which age effects in moat horses, and more especially in jumpers. At Ourembah (Australia) one of the fair sex has taken the initiative and set an example to all feminine aspirers to pigskin and silk. The Ladies' Bracelet run at the above mentioned place, was won by a horse ridden by a lady. My informant does not say whether gallantry prohibited the male riders from passing the lady'B mount, or whether actually the best horse won. In New Zealand Cap speculation during the past week there have been no new developments worthy of noting. In regard to favouritism St. Paul, Multiform, and Starshot hold their several positions St. Cyr has met some support, and Swordfish shows signs of hardening. la the South both Daystar and Tirant d'E*u are pretty high up in the quotations. If the anti-gambling leaguers could be satisfied with a little at a time, they might even do good. But by threatening to tear down the whole Bporting fabric they overreach themselves, as prohibitionists of all kinds are ever doing Extremists all, they know not where to draw the line which defines between reasonable restriction and outrageous interference. . Punters in the South seem to have had an exceedingly good time of it over the Grand National at Ghristchurch, and bookmakers a correspondingly bad time Punters, large and small, have drawn over the doable event. The settling over the meeting in the South seems to have been in kind to the settling over the North Grand National in Auckland Opai and Muscatel, and Dummy and Social Pest, are doubles bookmakers will remember. At Wellington a man has been committed tor trial on the charge of stealing the racehorse Osborne. This man was recently brought up on a charge of lnnacy, bat on examination the medical men demurred to giving a certificate A few nightß later, it is alleged, he broke into a racing stable at the Hutt, took the horse Osborne, valued at £300, and rode him into town The horse had not been ridden for about four months, and must have been very fresh, and it is thought strange the accused was able to sit him throughout the gallop. ~ The A.R.C. have not dealt too kindly with the Thamesites. The jumping of the T.J.C.'s claim of date— the 27th December — would appear an oversight The protest from the Thames Jockey Club was only reasonable, and the claims of the Thames Club have been recognised so far as to change the date of the A R.C. second day of the Summer Meeting from the 27th December to the 23th. This change of dats, from one day to the next, iB no advantage to the Thames Jockey Club. It places them in just a little better standing than prior to the A.E.C. making an alteration ; bat they are a long way in worse standing in regard to their meeting than they were prior to the A.R.C. tacking an extra day on to their own. The A.R.U., since it thought fit to add another day to their Summer Meeting,should have added it.but not pandwiched it between the old dates, thut clashing with the dateß of other clnbs which have a right to be considered.

Rex started at Rand wick at the TattersalPs Glab meeting, ia the Spring Handicap, 1J mile The first meeting of the new season in New Zealand takes place at Timaru on September Ist and 2nd. Mr H. C. White's colt Clarion has been backed to win the Melbourne Gup for £5000 for 100's to 3. ' Ajax ' opines that Ponald MeKinnon would have won the Caulfield Grand National Steeplechase but for rapping hard the last two fences. It is evident old Donald is not yet ' done.' Of Melbourne Gap candidates which ran at the Caulfield G.N. Meeting, Majesty and Waitabit showed the . best form. The former won the Bracelet, and the latter ran third in both Sandringham Plate and Malakoff Stakes. Manfred, who h&f been backed for the big spring event, was palpably big, and his name did not find a place in the betting quotations.

The following information in regard to Melbourne Gap betting is gleaned from the Australasian:—' Some spirit has been invented into the betting market this week, in the backing of two Gap candidates from the St. Alban's stable, Majestic being backed for all the money offered at a reasonable price for the Canlfield Cnp, and Manfred being Bapported for the Melbourne Cap. Wayfarer and Majestic are now about equal favourites for the Oauf field at. loo to 7, with Thunder Queen, who has been backed steadily, ia demand at 100's to 5. Merloolan is favourite for the Melbourne at 100's to 7, Maryrel cxjßning'next at 100's to 6. Wayfarer. Caraanon, and Spencer are the next most in request. The doable, Majestic and Manfred, has been backed for several thousands.