TOTAL CAP & JACKET

Observer, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6, 16 October 1915, Page 14

TOTAL CAP & JACKET

[Br the Early Bird.]

Next Wednesday the gates,will swing back at Alexandra. Park, and the flags will be flying to celebrate the opening meeting of the season of 1915-16.

Judging by the number of horses nominated for the fixture, the success of the gathering seems assured.

Mr F. W. Edwards will have to carefully assess the merits of no less than 114 horses on the opening day.

Mr Jas. Mitchell, caretaker, has everything spick and span. The lawns, tracks and flower beds are a perfect picture. ;

The Maiden Trot Handiicap has filled' well. No less than twenty horses have entered, and the class are much better than usual. The experts expect a new record to be put up among the maidens.

Miss Huon, Junior, Papatina and Huiia will probably make a- market for the outsiders, and if the tangle becomes undone, any price outsiders. Le Lawn and Roskill Belle are a pair that aire putting in useful toil on the tracks.

In the Middle Class Handiicap the Waikato horse Roto Maajsika will probably carry ia lot of money on the tote. But there are several locals that may bo fancied.

They are a classy lot in the Spring Handicap, and probably the visitor Wallace Wood will carry a lot of money. The local horses as a rule are not lucky when they come to holts' with the Southern cattle.

Belle Gray, Wallace M. and Alf. McKinney are pleasing the onlookers at the track side, although some of the experts consider the sixteen furlongs a little far for some of them.

In the Onehunga Handicap, another sixteen furlong event, a dozen were nominated. The stable mates Sundial and Flora McKinney have undergone a careful preparation.

Old Kirikiriroa some consider a back number, but if he could be induced! to keep down, he would force a few of them to show their best paces. The son of Atlas-Vulture is in great heart. The Southern trip seems to have heartened him up.

The Mountain Trot Handicap has a fairly even lot, but when the tote bells have finished ringing probably Blackthorn's number will be found the popular pick.

Miss Marvin Downs, Teddy McKinney, Lady Wilmington and! Kirikiriroa will also command a certain amount of attention on their track essays.

The Stewards' Handicap has a fairly numerous field at the present time, but will probably be reduced before next Wednesday. Master Park represents class. Flora McKinmev has been stepping out nicely. George R. and Futurity are well.

The October Handicap will bring together our best sprinters. Ludski. Master Park, Prince Rufus,. Alf. McKinney have all shown plenty of dash in their work at headquarters. The opening diay's sport finishes lip with the Electric Handicap, orife mile, and it is always good to follow form in the events just run, as one horse very often pulls off two events in one day or at a meeting.

So far we have not seen any of the visiting teams, and cannot get a line as to their condition, but from the simple fact that they are brought here their connections know they are all right.

The Hawke's Bay Hunt Club held their first totalisator meeting last week, and the function was fairly successful, although the attendance was rather small.

The totalisator turnover, from an Auckland point of view, was light, the staff handling £9,783.

The death toll for a small meeting was rather heavy. King's Guard fell on the flat and was killed 1 , and Vladiness dropped dead. The Val-dimar-Noyeau filly failed to score last season out of six starts.

Quite a number of accidents took place during the afternoon. King's Guard, Vladiness, Ringey, Kaurangi, Lupin, Master King, County Boy, Royal Trophy, Cyra and Master Webb all fell, baulked', or ran round.

Admiral Wood, one of the favourites! for the New Zealand Trotting Cup, is owned by Mr Tom Shein. Report says that Jas. Bryce, of Addington, will put the finishing touches on his toilet.

Mr John Lenard, Waihou, Te Aroha, recently lost a filly he set great store on by Carl Rosa-Idah. The filly diedi from inflammation.

After the weather cleared on Saturday morning there was Some fair work done. E. J. R. had a dozen of his team out before breakfast, working singly and in couples.

Lady Sabretache, Captain Lock, Ambassador and Luperin were sent over the steeplechase fences in the centre. None of the quartette made a mistake in nine jumps altogether, including six hurdles.

Tryfluke was put over the pony fences, boring down at each hurdle, apparently trying to shirk tlie timber.

Hemisphere and Maui Nina had a good set-to over a sand six furlongs. It was a close shave between the pair, the former having a. small margin to tlie good.

Jack Dekval put down liis stable companion from the half mile mark, Mulliniger not being able to foot it with Mr Stenning's little champion.

Momojack, half-brother to Jack Delaval, was found to have split Iris hoof. The golden chestnut will have to be spelled, and will be absent from the A.R.C. spring gathering.

St. Lewis, the sensational dividend producer at the Takapnna summer gathering, is in work again under his old monitor, G. Irwin l . He pulls up a bit dotty, but is sound the next day.

While J. Williamson is away, his team is kept going. Royal Irish, Black Northern, Graduate, Okaihau, Marabout and Causeway. When the owner returns he will find the sextette ready to put the finishing touches on.

St. Lewie, Marconi and Toreador jumped the big hurdles. The latter clouted l the fourth very hard and lost his ridler, C. Scott. "The big Spalpeen gelding followed the others over the last fence riderless.

On Tuesday Kaipara and Gwalior were put at the schooling hurdles, but the latter did not relish the task and promptly bucked his rider Hall off, giving the lad a nasty shaking.

At the same time Tararua and Celebrity gave a good exhibition of clean and speedy fencing. Taihape was put over the steeplechase fences in the centre of the course afterwards, shaping well.

Indulgence-, the little mare formerly being trained at Ellerslie, has been retired from the race track, and has been mated with Robert the Bruce.

The three-year-old Lady Pauld, by Benzonian-Lady Hune, in F. Stenning's stable, has also retired from the race track and paid a visit to Robert the Bruce.

At the Hunt Club meeting at the Waikato, in the Victoria Handicap there are no less than forty-three entries. E. Pope's pair, Mossman 9.5 and Genevieve 9.1, are the top weights.

Mr Clem Macmanemin was given a send-off by his Ellerslie friends before leaving for Trentham on Monday. The embryo warrior looked an ideal soldier in the khaki.