NOTES ON THE RACING.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12750, 22 April 1909, Page 2

NOTES ON THE RACING.

(By Telegraph.— Special to llkkat.d.) WELLINGTON, April 22

But for the vciy ..jiiiviling weather, both the attendance and speculation on the opening day of the annual autumn fixture at 'ixentnaui would doubtless have shown improvement on the corresponding day of la»t year, as in each instance tht ngares were equalised. iue Tiiompaou Handicap was generally regarded as presuming one oi tne mos« puzzling prooiems ot auy leading turf event ior some time past, aud yet the result quite contradicted tnis idea. In last year's* race, alter a slashing nnish, tiie judge was unable to separate Ssunbonnet ana Sea King, but yesLerdy it required no expert n.au in the dox to give the placmgs. Aborigine was never headed or challenged at any part ot the race, tor although Mr O'Connor got the big field away dead in iiue tiiej had not gone a chain when the Wanganui Guineas' winner; as in that contest, was out two clear lengths from auytaing el&e. Considering his previous bmliani perlorniances over tne luompsou distance at the Wanganui and JbLawke's Bay Spring Meetings, and the more recent .Easter nxture at Ellerslie, Aborigine was allowed to go out at an utterly faise price. When tne lull brother to King Bihy secured his nose victory irom Jkaster &oult in the Easter Handicap at Auckland, it was almost unanimously proclaimed by the Press and public that ne was extremely lucky to do so, and so on Jibs better terms Master Soult appeared to possess a tar better chance than Aborigine in the Thompson. The- result of the big mile race at i'rentham entirely upset sucii calculations, as Master boult could nuish no closer than seven lengtus to Aborigine, witii Consolation aud bir 'i retrain in between. Master Soult aud Los Angeios were even nrat lavountes, while I'htaway and air Tristram were also level in the totallsator figures next in demand. Arthur Oliver, who had the mount on Aborigine, only returned to Wellington alter his trip to Australia on the moining of the race, no he did not have long to wait tor success, whicu -was not ioi incoming during his efforts on the other side of the water.

i'litaway, considering her great track performances over ae»'en tunongs, ran vi ry disappointingly, and it seemed have been bad judgment to have made the Thompson Handicap her mission instead of the Kailway, of 6 furlongs, which, •.vitli 8.5, was voted a good thing for her by many. Waipaku entirely failed to reproduce Her Fielding torm, and finished in the ruck, where she was throughout the race. Nothing was going better at tue hvisk than Sir Trigtram, who may perhaps be better suited by the extra two furlonga in the Autumn Handicap on Saturday. In the North Liland Challenge Stakes Bobnkoff found 9.11 a bit of an anchor in Hie holding going, and Provocation held such an advantage at the straight entrance that Bobrikoff proved unequal to the task of overhauling him, and was still a length to the bad opposite the box. Exmoor, who has not won over the sticks since the last Wanganui Spring Meeting, very easily accounted fox the weak opposition in the hurdles. He went out by himself seven furlongs from home, and was never afterwards troubled. Kairoma, who is a comparative beginner at the game, [ might have been closer? had his rider displayed more energy. He fenced very well, and ought to soon pay Jtis way over the battens. Paparaehi stopped to nothing two furlongs from homte, and was pulled up before reaching the post. Toa Tuhi effected a surprise in the TTaiwetu Handicap. Ho overhauled Martyrium who looked all over a winner, half way down the straight, and after an interesting set to won by a neck with perhaps a little in hand. Toa Tuhi won the came rare last year. Miss Mischief, who had only arrived from Lyttelton on Ihe morning of the race owing to the breakdown of the steamer Mararoa, made an exhibition of a very weak field in the Silverstream Handicap. Xylophone'.s defeat of Nautiform in the Plunket Nursery was mainly attributable to the former beginning much quicker than anything else in the race, and quickly, making a gap which' Nautiform just failed to bridge. The Wanganui-owned Courier, who was making his first appearance in open company, was served up a warm favourite for the Railway. He came to grief about a

furlongr from home, and Deeley had his head lacerated. The mishap probably made no difference to the result, as Mon Ami finished full of running, and had a good two lengths' margin opposite the box. Nyland, the promising full brother to Vasa, appeared to have The Tinakori Hack Handicap in safe keeping at the half distance, but Hilarian (by San Fran) put in a very fa«t sprint, and got up in the last few strides, eventually scoring by a length.

Both Diabolo, who finished a bad last in the Challenge Stakes, and AVorbrothock have been withdrawn from th<» New Zealand St. Leger, lj» miles on Sat. dny, leaving only Husbandman 8.10, Master Soult 8.10, and Whistlecraft 8.7, remaining in.