CAP & JACKET

Observer, Volume XL, Issue 13, 29 November 1919, Page 22

CAP & JACKET

[By the Eaelt Bird.] RACING FIXTURES. November 29, December I—Fielding Jockey Club, Spring. Club. December 10—Bay of Plenty Jockey Club. December 17—Taumarunui RJacing December 26, 29, January 1, 2 — Auckland Racing Club. December 26, 27, 29—ManaAvatu Racing Club. December 27, 30, 31—Auckland Trotting Club. The Takapuna Jockey Club Spring Meeting commenced on Saturday in ideal weather, and there Avas some splendid racing during the afternoon. The totalisator handled big figures on the machines. The amount totted up to £56,144 for the eight events carded, against £48,754 last year. The pool in the Alison Cup- race Avas eighteen pounds short of ten thousand pounds, Tinopai being the popular choice. The Avinner, Royal Irish, Avas ninth favourite. Mr. F. J. Macmanemin had the Avinners Avell concealed. Only three out of eight first fancies got home, in Madam Ristori, Landslide, and Lord Kenihvorth. Mr. C O'Connor, the starter, although big fields Avent to the post, Avas very successful Avith the barriers, giving very satisfactory despatches on the day. The Takapuna sportsmen secured half the programme Avith Miss Ellice, Landslide, Golden Petal, and Lord Kenihvorth. The' two latter are half-brothers from Golden Rose. Good fields Avere the order of the day. v Ninety-eight horses lined up at the barriers. There was only one race of one dividend, in the two-year-old event, won by Landslide. Mr. Robert Wynyard, the secretary, Avith a capable staff of assistants, Avere quite equal to cope Avith the business in hand, and everything Avent as merrily as the premarriage bells.

Bagby steered Landslide, Golden Petal, and Lord Kenihvorth. Husband piloted Miss EHice. Conway handled Step. Gray had the mount on Madam Ristori. McDonald rode Royal Irish, and Burt rode Tenacious.

Miss Ellice, the ninth favourite, was quite equal to settling the other twenty opponents opposed to her in the Melrose Handicap, nicely ridden by Husband.

Clonmei, the third favourite, and Formalin, the second choice with punters, filled the places in the Mel•ro.se Handicap, ridden by Gray and Deeley respectively.

Thfe New Plymouth mare, Madam Ristori, was the first favourite to give punters a win, handled by H. Gray.

Stilts, the Waikato owned and trained gelding, put in a. good_run into third place in the Borough Handicap, and-should not be long oft the winning list. .

Step gave a very delightful exhibition of clean hurdle jumping in thePonui Hurdles by going to the. front and staying there, making his second Avin in two starts over the battens. :i ' Happy Valley, the half-brother to CroAvlrurst, showed promise over the battens on Saturday, but is not quite seasoned enough yet. The gelding Backfire, by ElysianMiss Explosion, is shoAving promise over the little sticks in his work at headquarters, and with a little more practice should pick up a race shortly. Thirteen well-conditioned horses saddled up in the Alison Cup, the first and second favourites, Tinopai and Depredation, topping the two thousand pounds' mark in the seperator in a pool of nearly ten thousand pounds. But Avhen it came to finishing, Lucky Jack Williamson, Avith the old Soult gelding Royal Irish, was in front, paying a stunning good double-figure dividend. Mullingar ran a sound race in the Alison Cup, and the way he came at the finish augurs Avell for his chances in the near future. HouseAvife, as usual, upset the field in the Alison Cup, and tailed off by half a furlong at the start, but made up a lot of ground in the run home. This barrier-shy animal has plenty of dash. Landslide carried over Wo thoiisand pounds in: the Cambria Handicap in a field of-four horses, and fully iustified punters in laying the odds "on the Kenihvorth-Elegance gelding. Kublai Khan Avas the selected one in the Ngataringa Handicap, but money did not make the Aryan-Tar-tar gelding go. The third faA'ourite, Golden Petal, Avon. Movement was the selected one in the Tiri Hurdles, and looked like Avinning till the pinch came, and it Avas then left to the Avell-conditioned and Avell-ridden Tenacious to add further to E. J. L. Rae's banking account. Con, the top weight in the Tiri Hurdle Race, cost the public a decent "Avad" of over a thousand through coming doAvn at the first hurdle. The Gazeley gelding took no further part in the race. Both Garryowen. and Entente Cordiale proA-ed disappointments in the Tiri Hurdles Avith the Aveight 10.6 and 9.5 respectively. The late owner and breeder of Jack O' Diamonds has what he thinks Avill prove a better pacer than the old horse by .King of Diamonds, a thoroughbred mare. PuAvhenna Avas sold at the Haymarket last Friday, the price being 54 guineas.. The horse again returned to the stable which sheltered him. Mrs. M. A. Perry and Mr. It. Hannoii Avere the tAvo principal A\inuers at the A.R.C. Spring Meeting. Their Avinnings were the same, £1,- -----. 200 each. GiarrypAven ran aecond at the Auckland Spring Meeting and third at the Takapuna gathering on Saturday. The big son of Salvadan '. does not run up to his track Avork in public. ~'...

The Otahuhu Trotting Club was a complete success from every point of view. Speculation was very brisk. The club handled £62,555 10s., a big increase.

The local owners, who only scored one win on the opening day, did much better on Wednesday, capturing five races during the afternoon.

J. W. Paull won with both Sandy Patch and Jack 0' Diamonds. Cunningham captured a race with Prize Pearl. A. Julian won cleverly on Eccentric, and the McKendric Bros, had a well-deserved win with Rowpie.

The Southern visiting teams scored with Peter Mac (T. Delaney), Rio Grande (A. H. Coe), and Taneatua (M. McKendry).

Mr. T. H. Davey, the chief stipendiary steward, and Mr. Mabee had a light afternoon. Beyond fining a driver £20 for bad language, all passed off satisfactorily.

The Richmond Handicap (saddle) proved the best race seen at Alexandra Park for many years. Eccentric (Julian) won by a head, and heads separated the next three horses.

Hal Junior, one of the visiting, division, paid his way well at the O.T.C. Meeting, capturing the Peace and Tramway Handicaps.

' The students of form will have some food for thought with the issue of the weights for the Auckland' Cup and Railway Handicap this week.

The country racing circuit will shortly open, and owners whose cattle not quite good enough for the suburban meetings can have a shy further 'afield.

That useful hurdler, Gluetanus, is shortly to be put into work again by R. E. Brown.

Derby Dillon, Trooper Dillon, and Dorothy the first three favourites in the Richmond Handicap, who were unplaced, cost punters a ton of money.