INTERPROVINCIAL GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10680, 29 January 1913, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL GOSSIP.

[From Orn Oorrest-osdents.] AUCKLAND. January 26. The Takapuna Jockey Club will inaugurate its summer meeting on Wednesday. This is always a great day at tho North Shore, and in the event of fine weather the prediction may be safely offered that the totalisator figures will run to a tall amount. The big event of the first day is tho Takapuna Cun. one milo and three furlongs and a half. Kakama is not the most amiable filly in training at Ellerslie, but it was on Monday afternoon, when brought alongside the Wimmera for shipment to Sidney, that she gave her star display. All efforts to get her into the box proved unavailable, and after many bystanders had had narrow escapes and the daughter of Soult and Winsome had reared up and come down on her back, th/ idea of shipping her was abandoned, and bark to Ellerslie she wont. Kaween will not be seen in action at Takapuna next week. The Spalpeen —Waimangu fillv contested the Publicans' Purse and the Railway Handicap at the Bay of Plenty meeting on Friday, but was suffering from a cold and was beaten on each occasion. It was obvious that in her condition the Takapuna meeting was out of the question, and the same evening she wis withdrawn from the Takapuna Cup. This is unfortunate for her owner, Mr N. Dickey. La Reina is still the popular fancy for the Takapuna Cup, in which race sho will havo the assistance' of J. Buchanan. Sedition Bst olb, viewed in the light of his best performance, is let loose in the Takapuna Cud. Of late the Soult gelding has made good progress, and lie should run well. The Takapuna Cup candidate, Jolie Fille, was taken to Tauranga this week and competed at the Bay of Plenty fixture, winning the Tauranga Cup and the Railway Handicap. Maxwell galloped pleasingly on the sand at headquarters on Thursday and may journey to Taranaki next week. It is quite on the cards that Maxwell may pay a visit to Australia in the winter. . The committee of the Takapuna Jockey Club has decided not to allow horses to leave the birdcage until fitteen minutes before starting-time. This will do away with the long wait at the post, over which there have been strong expressions. of dissent from owners,_ trainers and jockeys. Matakana is again in''commission, at Ellerslie, after ! a rest of a couple of months. The half-brother to Regain appears, to have benefitted considerably through his enforced retirement, and under the medical attention of C. Nor- , grove should soon be at his best. Hautere is still in the paddock, and if present intentions are carriod out he will remain there until after 1 the winter. His'owner considers that with the imposts apportioned the son of Euroclydon nowadays there is little hope of winning a race, and therefore little inducement to persevere with him. Mangari followed up Jiis triple victory at Whangarei by carrying off two races on Thursday at the Bay of Plenty meeting. The Saracen gelding accounted for the Shorts Handicap and the Publicans' Purse, beating Kaween in the last named event. Maui Nina, the uieful Menschikoff gelding, has been on the retired list since the spring, but is about to be« placed in work at Otahuhu. having thrown off his inlirmness. ' ' Marshall Macdonald is developing into a nice_ class of colt, ; and at the weights it *s anticipated that lie,will get on tho winning list before long. Antiphono is being kept going at Ellerslie by Trainer P. Jones, and ought to shape in improved style by the time the autumn meetings roll round. Time should do a lot for this big fellow,. Devastation is coming along nicely, having shaken off the ill-effects of his mishap on Boxing Day. On Thursday morning he. skipped along resolutely with G..Stenning in the saddle. . Twenty-one horses remain in the Ferry Handicap, to be run at Takapuna on Wednesday, and with the prospect of a large field, including those unruly horses Turbine and All worthy, besides one or two other fractious ones engaged, Starter C. O'Connor looks like having a lively time at the barrier. Jolie Fille is standing up'well to her work, and her condition reflects credit on her ownerrtrainer, Mr J. D. KempA consistently run out mare, a victory for her in the Takapuna Cup would be well received. Overtime, who is a good track 'galloper, is bowling along freely at headquarters. The Musketry gelding is engaged in the Stewards' and Zealandia Handicaps at North Shore. Master Jack, by Soult—Gladys May, is reported to be progressing satisfactorily tinder Brady" at Cambridge, and is a likely starter for the Takapuna Cup. in which event he will have the services of J. Brady. Electrakoff (Sst), on his deeds up to a mile and a quarter, is popularly considered to be well in in the Takapuna Cup. There is no reason to doubt his ability to encompass the extra furlong and a half attaching Co the big North Shore race, in which he will be piloted by J. O'Shea. Monoline remains in the Stewards' and Zealandia Handicaps at Takapuna. The North Shore course is quite a happy hunting ground for Mr W. L. Thompson's filly, and she may gain further stake money there. The Chef is registering useful work at headquarters, under the direction of C. liennessy, and with .only 9st Olb to carry should run well forward in the Orewa Hurdle Handicap next Wednesday. Marshall Macdonald, the good-look-ing two-year-old by Soult —Hesper, ownby Mr Donald M'lvinnon, is hitting out nicely in his morning essays, and may get on the winning list at Takapuna. Marangi, by Saracen —Te Aorangij a triple victor at Whangarei, is galloping in great heart just now. This old fellow, who is in the region of twelve summers, is carded for the Hauraki Hurdle Handicap at Takapuna, his impost bein" 9st 41b. In his schooling essays at Ellerslie, Marangi appears to be somewhat mad-headed, but there is no question as to his jumping ability. Scorch is bearing a well-trained appearance, and is galloping attractively at headquarters. Although an acceptor for the Takapuna Cup the half- . sister to Continuance has yet to demonstrate that she is capable of en- i compassing the distance. j , Prince Soult has completely thrown I off theeffects of his recent trouble, and J is registering steady work on the ' trades. Should all go well with him tho horse ought- to be at the top of ' liis form again for the racing at the 1 back end of the season. ; Tragedy King appears quite well 1 again, but so far is being restricted to 1 light exercise only by Trainer Dennis ( \loraghan. ! Heyboy has been going along the * "ighfc way ut late, and may be relied ! ipon to tun a great race in the Hauraki c fiandicap at North Shore, where the 1 listanoe will suit him. t Okaihau is being mit . along with a t ■iew to the Autumn Steeplechase. <J. s »Villiamson is giving the Salvaoian— ( )rini gelding most of his work away rom tlie course. Roromi, a six-year-old gelding by ~ sabretache, has joined J. Williamson's ? tablo at Ellerslie, having been brought, roin the south last \Yeek. Roromi has v ■ iily carried silk on one occasion, and a hen his effort was crowned with sue- fl ess. (3 J. Williamson intends placing ihe v teepk chaser Armagh iu commission r gain this week, with a view to racing t luring the coming jumping season. " t H&WBZ'S 2LY. a .vAITERj January 24. The Wairoa County Racing * Club's 0 nuual meeting was held this week, i l nd was the most successful in the his- • orv.of tho club. ■ Fine weather was exerieneecl, and there was a record at.•iidance each day. The totalizator P gnres showed that. had been a in through the machine during the two tl

The racing has never been better, a dead heat taking place each day, while several other finishes were extreme!} close. The fields 'were larger than usual, and the handicapping of Mr B. Coyle was the theme of favourable comment throughout the meeting. Th® starting of Mr A. G. Wood was also very good. Fair Average,' by, General , Average—Helena, was the chief winner, annexing three races and running (second in his fourth essay. His wins included the two principal events. Tho Poverty Bay-owned My Lady, by, Birkenhead—Lady Reav, and Triezo, bj Hierarch—Lute. were also triple winners, while Mr W. J. Wilding captured a fourth race with the aid of" Miss Augusta. The popular " Charlie" Twist won the Telephone Hack Handicap with Perceler. ■ Arosen®, who won tho Maiden Hack Scurry, is by Glenapp—Peredine, . Pot Luck broka l iis long spell of ill-luck, and he placed the Flying Hack Handicap on tho second day to Mr G. 1). Beataon's credit, besides dead-heating with -Tu« paea for tho Trial Hack Race .on the first day. New Guinea and Bonny Polly, who ran second and third respectively on the first day, ran ,a dead heat for first place in the Hack Handicap Scurry Race on the second day,. Tupaea won the Ladies' Bracelet ori the second day. W. Kirk and T. Jones eaoh rode six winners at Wairoa, and Mr A. Best, J. Dwyer, H. Lorrigan and H. Griffith# rode one winner eacli at the meeting. Rill and Easy were the best backed here for the Foxton Cup, for which Lady Moutoa was practically not fancied. :r Bobrikoff was very heavily supported/ here for the Wellington Clip,, and ho probably carried more local money than; any other favourite for a big event that I can remember for a very long time. Eocene was well backed here each day' at Foxton, and on the second day she duly landed the odds. How good a time backers had 'at Wairoa may be gauged from the fact that twelve first favourites got home" out of sixten races during the two' days. ;..■■■■■■■■ :.v OrAGO. DUNEDIN, January 25. The Gore meeting was held in. fin* weather, and there was an - excellent attendance each day. The track wa« t very hard, and a walk of inspectiop ' found that the grass had not coma away much on the portions which hac been remade prior to the spring meeting. The club has made further improvements since the spring, in erectjug an up-to-date scratching board,' which, .in addition to starters and;' riders, also finds for over-weights;, Tlie ground in the enclosures has also'been improved, and when the grass comes away the club will be in possession of a pretty course. A belt ot trees , divides the grandstand from the saddling paddock and boxes, arid it is alsc intended to install. a lake "in due course, so that to a lover, of racing the paddock enclosure will be quite a, pleasant spot to* linger in and glance over the horses , between" the races.

Although the Gore Cup was generally 1 regarded as a fair thing for Sombrero, 1 a good field went out to oppose him, ] and, strange to say, whilst it was regarded as a one-horse race ? there was plenty of money for others in the race. 1 Parable was a good second, favourite, . but not much better backed than St Aidan. Directoire and King, Torrent* ' Tlie absolute outsider, Obolus, also received a. good deal of support, lie i race admits of little description, as Sombrero waited on the leaders until >■ turning for home, when a couple of 1 kicks sent him to the, front to win comfortably by over a length from St Aidan, who was hard ridden to beat 1 Obolus for second place, whilst Parable - finished right _up with them. Kins; • Torrent ana Directoire faded out after * setting the pace for a mile. • ' Sea King carried most money in the i Summer Handicap, and Obsono, Gold- > sail and San Severo also had a good backing. Once in the straight ThistledoAvri took charge and won in brilliant style. Goldsail ran a good race, and the others were close up, but Thistledown gave a display right vp to her best form, and would have taken a lot of beating on. that occasion. She, in fact, teems one of the sort that ii either right in or right out of it. Kostroma was regarded as an absolute certainty fpr the Croydon Handicap, but although he won, he iust squeezed home from St Petersburg,' who could not pace it with the others in the early part of tho race. There was a squabble in the jockeys' room after the race, as L. Hegartv, the rider of St Petersburg, claimed to have received some unwelcome attentions front F. Waddell, the_ rider of Kostroma, and taking the law in his own hands he administered a little punishment to the other rider. The stewards took the matter up and fined Hegarty £5, besides, suspending him for the rest of the meeting. Hegarty and Waddell are both well-behaved jockeys, as far as the writer knows, and it is hardly conceivable that Hegarty,* who is no--thing of the bully, would hit another rider without some provocation. Sombrero was awarded 9st 131b on the second day, but even so would hav« been hard to beat. Oratava, despitfl the fact of being within 51b of Parable and 51b of St Aidan,'was made favourite, whilst St Petersburg, who went" down like a cat on hot bricks, was. elected a good second choice and Directoire next. St Aidan and Parable," dispite their good showing on the first; day, were practically the' outsiders of■ the party, and ; - Obolus, who also ran a good race on the first day, was the out;' sider of the lot. As a. matter of fact, the public appeared to show bad judg-. ment in making their investments.. Ora--tava and Directo'-re set the pace, ancf going along the back St Aidan ; and" Parable were both under pressure to; keep near the loaders, whilst St Peters-. burg was in the same difficulty. At the. home turn the three last-named had closed up. Parable, who hadnever left the rails, got through at the turn, and ridden, right out won by clos<?, on two lengths from St Aidan, who just beat St Petersburg. Tlie luclcv opening obtained by Parable just made' the win, as St Aidan and St Peters-' burg had to travel over a shade more ground to pass the beaten lot. St Petersburg may train on, but perhaps it is not. good policy to keep him at it whilst the ground is in a very hard state. A record was established in conneo ! lieu with the sprint races. Downey. | weighed out for Obsono, but after tbr j horse had been saddled for him a I change of riders was made at the lasti moment, and M'Combe received the ! mount. Punters gave the. horse a better chance under tho circumstances and sent Obsono out favourite, 'although it was a good betting race, in. which Goldsail and Maple Leaf broka qway repeatedly and from one dash out ran the full course, while Obsono went, for three furlongs before being stopped.. More and yet more breakaways occurred when the iiorses went back to the post, and the field was altogether about forty minutes at the {>cst beforo the barrier finally rose to a straggling' start, in which Obsono. Maple Leaf and Gold Sail were the only ones to get. away. The long delay under 9st 8!b and tho breakaways settled Obsono,: and Maple Loaf won by two lengths from the top-weight, whilst Gold Sail, who was sore prior to the race, finisheda similar distance away. A more vex.ntious state of affairs the writer has seldom ycen on a racecourse. .The horses were, say, ten minutes in the parade ring, ten minutes at the post, before the starter called them vp for the first tiiae, and then thirty-eight minutW more before thev finally away, iiz at -least- before three out of >he .mark. There might have been one or two not anxious to jump out, and with one or two others particularly anxious, one can easily imagine the difficulty a starter would have if he failed to grasp the situation. If Lunulite had been ordered to the outside after the first couple, of breakaway a the matter would have been easily s«t»