CAP and Jacket

Observer, Volume XXIII, Issue 28, 28 March 1903, Page 15

CAP and Jacket

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Man-li 24 and ■>:>- Napier Park Raring Club, April 1 ami I --Nelson J C. Annual April 11 iind i:i -\\ airarapa H.C. Viitimin. April 11. I.! and 14- Auckland H.C Autiui n \pril 13 and 14-C.I.C Autumn.

Advance to be given a spell. Dundas has been eased ofi again. Djjn Djin is being used as a hack. De la Key is being pushed along at Kiccarton. Wei beck has resumed work at Riccarton. Umslopogaas has been nominated for Nelson Meeting Pampero, quite recovered, is doing good work at wingatui. Australian Colours has left Sydney for England. Field Battery's leg filled slightly after the Wellington Meeting. The Victorian Totalisator Bill has passed its first reading. Cannie Chiel has freshened up, and is doing serviceable work. Australian writers still think Abundance the best three-year-old of the year. Acceptances for Easter Handicap and Hurdles are due to-morrow (Friday). The touts are much exercised over the rare appearances of Wairiki at Ellerslie. The development of a sore joint has made it necessary to give Wakeful a spell. Barmby, by Vanguard, once a very fast horse, was sold the other day at Gore for £3. An English colt by RightawayDarkness has been appropriately named Tunnel. Seahorse 11. was unplaced in a Maiden Hurdle Race at Kempton Park in January. Frank Kuhn, the Sydney rider, died recently from injuries caused by an accident with a pea-rifle. Pallas and King Stork ran a dead heat for the Peninsula Cup at Akaroa on the 10th inst. Pallas carried 9st. 131t>. The favourite combination in betting doubles at Christchurch on the C.J.C. Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicaps is that of Petrovna and Pallas The owner of Dolores, late Melba, late Maid of Honour, though evidently a fickle-minded individual, shows some consistency in system of naming. No-total isator meetings are generally good pick-me-ups for the cunning ones. The shy punter is shy only when there are too many combinations. Muskerdale accounted very easily for the double event of Maiden and Hack Race at Papakura, and certainly showed form good enough for somewhat better-class events. Papakura Handicap last Saturday was voted very open by backers. The betting was 3to 1 the field, the choice lying between Defender, Orange and Blue, and Bacchus. Bacchus won easily, the other two favourites being unplaced. With fine weather obtaining last Saturday afternoon, the Papakura Racing Club had everything favourable to a successful day's sp nt. The sole counter-attraction in the way of sport was the Polo Gymkhana at Alexandra Park, but the clashing did not appreciably interfere with the Papakura gathering, as there was a very good attendance. The absence of the totalisator gave a monopoly to the bookmakers, but it was not a profitable one, backers getting home on them nearly every time. The racing was interesting and the management first-class. Mr Cole and his stafi are to be congratulated on the result,

Papakura Meeting last Saturday was the best attended for years. , A Victorian sportsman has purchased the Tasmanian hurdle^racer Orlando for £1000. Punters at Papakura last Satur-< day were on the mark nearly every' time. It was a great day 'for the favourites. xr * chille s i» almost a champion in N.Z. ; and there is a pony of the same name in India that holds a similar position amongst ponies in that country. It is the general opinion of those who witnessed the running of the Peninsula Oup a t Akaroa that Pallas would have won had he been ridden more vigorously. Long Tom made a very easy vic-tory-of the Hurdle Race at Akaroa Meeting. He carried 12st, but had only Schnapps and Clanburn to beat He won by one-hundred yards. Sydney files show, in reference to the Newmarket Handicap, that on the course the money went on Chantress in hatsful, and yet the owner's commission did not exceed £50. A Melbourne writer says " there is no business afloat calculated to draw more wrinkles in a shorter space of time on the physiognomy of man than that of trying to find winners." Only gameness enabled Chantress to win the Newmarket Handicap, the finish being fought out desperately Chantress is considered one of the gamest fillies ever seen racing in Australia. It was hoped that the injury to Fuimen s leg could be coped with and the horse be saved for the stud Unfortunately, all efforts failed and Castor s son had to be shot. Only recently, his owner, Mr Wrightman received an offer of £300 for Fuimen.' Achilles had no trouble in accounting for the Hawkes Bay Stakes last week. Certainly his opponents were not of the strong order as compared with the Medallion colt. It would have taken a very good two-year-old with the minimum weight to beat Achilles in his present form. The nine furlongs of the Hawkes Bay Burke Memorial Stakes were simply flown over by the three placed horses, Windwhistle, Float, and Ringman. These three finished in a bunch, with only a long head between them. The merit of the running was with them all, though Windwhistle got the stake. The time was lmin. 51 sec. A Sydney man dreamt that he was to die, and that Chantress would win the Newmarket Handicap. The dreamer died a day or two before the race, and in consequence there was a rush amongst the superstitious folk who knew of the dream to back Chantress. The coincidence was complete—Chantress won. A lot of money was won over Chantress's victory in Newmarket Handicap, and as the stable disclaim having landed any large wagers, there is considerable discussion as to what engendered so much confidence. One of the biegest winners was a country visitor who had no connection whatever with the stable. Frank Kuhn, whose death by accident is reported, was in the first rank amongst riders in Australia. He was one of the first in the colonies to practice the crouching method in riding, and his success led many to follow his example. His career was clouded recently by "trouble brought about by susnicious practice, and in November last he was disqualified for two years by the V.R.C. as a result of enquiries into his riding of Brakpan at Melbourne Cup Meeting. " Javelin's " latest is about an unfortunate punter who had " come " attain and again, only to be given an additional facer at each effort. Then he came for a finali— a plunge this time— on Wakeful, at odds on, and was again defeated. The next day be looked wearied and worried, and a friend accosted him enquiringly. " Yes," answered the punter, " I am a. bit tired. I had a very Wakeful night." There was a very large and fashionable attendance at Alexandra Park last Saturday, on the occasion of the Polo Sports and Gymkhana. The afternoon was perfect, and under such pleasant conditions the Park was peen at its best. A thoroughly enTovab'e and amusing programme was run through. The ftm a.nd snort combined nleased all, and thoueh time eot somewhat ahead of the management, and the gathering was prolonged beyond the hour mentioned on the programme . that is a fault which some of our more seasoned sporting; managements are not quite free fr*n.