Takapuna Winter Meeting.

Observer, Volume XXVII, Issue 36, 25 May 1907, Page 15

Takapuna Winter Meeting.

FIRST-CLASS racing was witnessed at the Shore last Saturday. There was ideal weather for winter sport, whilst the running ground was in splendid order, though not fast. The attendance was well up to expectations, all the enclosures being well patronised. The race programme was carried through with nerfect smoothness, Mr Wynyard, the secretary, directing the business arrangements in his usual capable manner. The totalisatorß, including the double machine, registered a total turnover of £10,0165, an increase of £6,372£ upon last year's opening figures. The totalisator staff handled this large sum with commendable disoatch.

The double was on the Empire and Royal Handicaps, won respectively by Millie and .lyuart, both outsiders. The dividend was sensational — £797 17s. Only two tickets were invested on the winning combination. Both races were won handsomely. The meeting ig to be continued to-mor-row, Friday (empire Day). There is another good programme, the events including the Britannia and Victoria Handicaps, on which the double machine will be opened, and the Takapuna Steeplechase. There should be a large attendance, the day being a public holiday. Given fine weather, a successful wind-up is assured. Anticipations will appear in another column.

Delania again second. Geordie still going short. £797 17s double dividend at the Shore. Shrapnel penalised 51b for G.N. Hurdles. Good dividends at the Shore last Saturday. Millie won the Empire Handicap handsomely. Takapuna Steeplechase run tomorrow (Friday). First-class acceptances for Great Northern events. Shrapnel will now have to carry list, lib in G. N Hurdles. Kilderkin was returned a winner in Sydney last week, after running off a dead heat. The Great Northern Hurdles will be run on June Ist, and the Great Norther Steeplechase on June 3rd. Narcissus had done a solid preparation at the time of being shipped North for the Wanganui Meeting. i^ghtfall was handicapped at Bst. 61b for the Chester Cup. Her name did not appear amongst the placed division. Bonomiana nearly came to grief at the last hurdle in the Hauraki Hurdles at the Shore last Saturday, but picked herself up cleverly. This mare jumped well and ran well, but no match for Shrapnel, who was in great form.

Arsenal dead. Duart in front again. Irish unsuccessful at Egmont. Entries for N.Z. Cup close on June 4th. Evenlode expected to run well at Wanganui. N.Z. Cup stake this year remains at 2000 soys. Wanganui Winter Meeting opens to-day (Thursday). N.Z. Cup conditions remain unchanged this season. Racing at the Shore on Friday of this week (Empire Day). Melbourne reports have it that Solution will never race again. Seahorse 11. is standing free to winners and dams of winners at Lexington. Duart has Droved a cheap 50gs. purchase, and Mr M. McLean -robably regrets his sale. The stake for the Grand National Steeplechase has been increased from 7f)o «ovs. to 1000 soys. Franklin and Luminous showed greenness in the Maiden Hurdles at the Shore last Saturday. Auckland Racing Club have decided to run double totalisators at their Great Northern Meeting. J. Buchanan has purchased the stables and residence lately owned and occupied by J. Thorpe. It will take a good horse to beat Shrapnel in G.N. Hurdles if he is in the same form as on Saturday. Discoverer was submitted to auction last week, but the bidding did not reach the reserve — 75gs. Delania and Lucreece made strong efforts to get up with Millie at the finish in the Empire Handicap. F. Burns had the bad luck to sintain a broken collar-bone as the result of the fall of Luminous in the Takapuna Maiden Hurdles. Duart was doing splendid track work at Ellerslie -^rior to Takapuna Meeting, but track watchers evidently discounted his track performances. The Wellington Racing Club have increased the total stakes for their Winter Meeting to £3410. The meeting is expected to be a three days' fixture. L. H. Hewitt's first mount in England was a winning one. He rode Rarer Sort, winner of the Mayhull Plate, the last race on the card at the Liverpool G.N. Meeting. Khama, the winner of the Maiden Steeplechase at Takapuna is a gift horse, having been preseneted to R. Hall by Mr B. Armitage when the latter disposed of his racing stock. Mr A. Bach owned Forth, the winner of the First Pony Race at Takapuna until recently. He apparently got tired of him, and he passed him on to Mr R. Hannon for a song. An old course-watcher who fancied Duart for the Royal Handicap at Takapuna coupled him on the double with six of the Empire candidates, but left Millie, the winner, out of his calculations 1 Moultan's fall in the Maiden Steeplechase at Takapuna at an early stage of the race was a disappointment to his backers and to those who fancy him as an outsider with a chance at Ellerslie. Some eager faces witnessed the finish in the Royal at Takapuna last Saturday. It was the second leg of the double with Millie, and the smallest dividend payable was in the neighbourhood of a century. Duart completed the sensation of Millie's win, and romped home to the tune of an £797 17s dividend for the double.