CAP AND JACKET

Observer, Volume XXXIII, Issue 13, 7 December 1912, Page 15

CAP AND JACKET

[By the Early Bird |

RACING FIXTURES

December 11 and 12—Rangitikei R.C. Summer. December 12—Morven R.C. Annual. December 26 and 27 _ Reefton J.C. Midsummer. December 26 and 27—Dunedin J.C. Summer. December 26 and 27—Taranaki J.C. Christmas. December 26, 27 and 28—Manawatu R.C. Summer. December 26 and 30 and Jan. 1 and 2— Auckland R.C. Summer. January 1 and 2—Hawke's Bay J.C. Summer. January 1 and 2—Marton J.C. Summer. January 1 and 2—Wairarapa R.C. Summer.

It is rumoured that F. D. Jones will have the mount on Vice Admiral in the Auckland Cup.

Mr Fred Jeune, the Gisborne sportsman, is at present in Auckland, and was present at the T.J.C. meeting.

The first acceptances for the Auckland Cnp and Railway Handicap close on Friday evening at 9 p.m. with the secretary, Mr Hartland.

The " sportsman " who refused Virtue for a tenner cannot be shaking hands with himself. He would now have the horse and a substantial profit.

The supporters of Apellon were soon out of their trouble, as the favourite got practically left in the Melrose Handicap, and was never in the danger zone afterwards.

R. E. Brown has got back to his best Soultline form. At the Takapuna Spring fixture he steered La Reina, Scorch and Monoline (twice), besides running two seconds.

Frank Loomb secured a couple of races with Lady Alicia and Scorch for Mr H. de Latour in the Cambria and Cheltenham Handicaps. They both paid surprisingly good dividends.

Rumour has it that Mr Jimmy Harris, one of the "boys" from the village of Huntly, would not be choked oft' backing Virtue, the winner of the Trial Handicap. Jimmy invested M.

Although there was a fair amount of rain prior to the Takapuna meeting, the course was in splendid order, and the recent improvements were greatly appreciated by owners and trainers.

Ben Deeley only had one winning mount at the Takapuna gathering, on Lady Alicia in the Cambrian Handicap. He also rode St. Louis, Mighty Atom and Advocate, and then left for Feilding.

The public soon tire of a horse that does not win quickly. Tripoli, after being made a big favourite in her first three starts, was left alone at the Takapuna meeting. The filly was paying a nice dividend when her stablemate Monoline won.

The shrewd punters who watched Mr Lou Harris to the machine on Wednesday to get a lead in the Trial Handicap followed that gentleman, who put five pounds on Kaween, and did likewise. Imagine Mr Harris's feelings when he heard that Virtue had paid a two-figure dividend and Kaween ran unplaced.

The Auckland Trotting Club are on with their summer programme of 24 events with races to suit all classes of trotters and pacers. The Trotting Cup (harness) of 300 soys. is the chief event. All the races, with the exception of three the Introductory Trot, the Maiden Handicap, and the Trial Handicap are for .£IOO and upwards. There are also purses hung up tor horses that lower records. Nominations for all events close with Mr C. F. Mark next Friday at 9 p.m., at Vulcan Lane,

Jervis George's useful Crown Pearl (8.9) had to put up with second place in the Flying Handicap at the Feilding meeting to the lightly-weighted Rangiatua (6.12).

The Seventh Feilding Stakes was won by Mr W. Nidd's Peronilla. Expect and Nightwatch. filled the places. The time, 1.6 2-ssec., was very slow, on account of the heavy going.

i C.i Coleman's light-weight, O'Shea, was riding, in good form at the North Shore meeting.' Besides scoring on Paoli and Rose de Guerre, he rode Manurewa and Royal Irish into second places.

Mr J. Jackson, the local horse owner, has had another win wtih the consistent Silver Cluse. The gelding won the Spring Handicap Hurdles of 200 soys. at the Feilding Spring Meeting last week.

Almida, who contested the Trial Handicap on tho opening day at Takapuna, was also a starter in the Melrose Handicap, but ran poorly in both events. The mare had put up some fair track work.

There has been very few of the Soults that have taken to the jumping business, but Hyperion looks as if he. is going to make a useful horse over the battens. The gelding had not won a race since 1910.

Rumour has it that when Mr Wm. Montgomery brought the chestnut Nelius back from N.S.W. after his unsuccessful trip, he presented it to the trainer, C. Coleman. It's an ill wind that blows nobody good.

Frank Macmanemin broke a spell of bad luck, at the Takapuna Meeting with a double win with Mr W. L, Thompson's little chestnut filly Monoline, who had not had a win since last January at the T.J.C. meeting.

Electrakoff put up a brace of taking performances at the Takapuna gathering, running two hard-fought seconds. It will be worth punters' while to watch the son of Menschikoff-Electra at the coming summer meetings.

The St. Ambrose gelding Virtue was a cast-off from one of the big Hawke's Bay stables when picked up by Mr Lou Harris cheaply. As a youngster he cost the big end of .£SOO. ' He looks nice being one of the useful brigade.

Mr A. B. Carley's Bluestone, the winner of the Melrose Handicap, looks like blossoming into something useful. The gelding has everything in his favour, plenty of size and pace, and has been given plenty of time to mature and get seasoned.

Good dividends were the order on the opening day at Takapuna. Virtue, Waiowera, Hyperion, Hunekaha and S orch surprised their backers at th*» good prices they received. The first favourites that scored were La Reina, Lady Alicia and Bluestone.

When Seaman fell at the fifth hurdle on Wednesday the gelding took off too far and crashed into the timber. Darby Paul, who was following in his wake, jumped on him and came down, but fortunately neither the men nor the animals were injured.

E. John Rae's team are still keeping well in the limelight. On the first flay of the T..T.C. fixture they pulled off the Borough and St. Andrew's Handicaps, and very sanguine punters are looking forward to them having a big show in the Auckland Cup and Railday.

When Manurewa was saddled up for the Pupuke Handicap, the big- Cuirassier horse did not seem to like facing the task and came down in the paddock, unseating Mark Ryan. When taken on the course proper he played up again, throwing his rider, who had to be assisted into the paddock and seemed badly shaken. The horse was scratched.

Men like horses have their ins and outs of form. For instance, John Rae and R. E. Brown were for a long time " quite stiff," and couldn't break the bad spell. But the opening of the 1912-13 season put quite a different colour on their prospects. The former has swept the boards among the local trainers, and " Nuki" is in top form again.

The T.J.C. had one of the best gatherings yet held at the old rendezvous, and although the weather looked none too promising on Wednesday it kept fine. There were never better fields starting at a Spring Meeting, and the racing was of a first-class character, equal to the best metropolitan form.. Mr C. F. Mark and staff were kept busy on both days — around the outside machine reminded the writer of the early doors of a theatre. <£41,911 lOs-passed through the machines, an increase of JJ14,96&r-a big turnover for a suburban jneetfng.