NOTES BY MONITOR.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue III, 21 July 1900, Page 110

NOTES BY MONITOR.

The winter meeting of the Wellington Racing Club commences to-day (Wednesday) and will be continued on Friday. Given favourable weather the meeting promises to be more successful than any which have ever been held before, as the acceptances are large, including many visiting horses. From Auckland Dingo, Chevalier, Nor'-west, St. Ursula, St. Peter and Straybird have been sent down, and they should play no small part in some of the more important events. Among local sportsmen who are visiting the capital are Messrs W. Percival. .1. O. Evett, H. T. Gorrie, G. Coates. E. W. Allison. H. H. Hayr. R. Wynyard. R. L. Absolum, A. R. Harris. C. F. Mark, and W. Adams.

The first event to be decided to-day will be the Stewards' Handicap, in which I should not be surprised to find St. Peter playing a strong hand, although he may have trouble to dispose of Ruby Twist and Indian Shot. In the Winter Hurdles Plain Hill may win. with Chevalier as his nearest attendant. For the Parliamentary Handicap St. Ursula is not badly treated, although Ideal may be the one to trouble her most. Judged by his Gisborne running Straybird appears rather a good thing for the Maiden Steeplechase, in which most opposition mav come from Cairo and Sih r er Ray. For the Steeplechase, which takes place on the second day, popular report points to Dingo as likely to provide the winner, but nothing will surprise me less than to find the top weight Nor’-west there or thereabouts at the finish.

The disappointing Wait-a-Bit once more is being selected as likely to provide the winner of the Melbourne Cup. and his supporters would seem as sanguine as usual, judging by the large wagers taken about this aptly named son of Malua. Time after Time Wait-a-Bit has been considered in the light of a good thing, but with about one solitary exception he has disappointed his admirers. 1 am with those who think that Wait-a-Bit has seen his best day, and hardly look for a win from him, but should he do so it will be some recompense for the long series of disappointments which his followers have undergone.

A cable to hand states that the exAustralian mare Maluma is favourite for the Liverpool Cup at 6 to 1 against. The speedy mare has placed several important wins to her owner s credit, and it will be pleasing to hear that she has once more proved auperior to the opposition at Home. When out at Ellerslie last Saturday morning I noticed several horses undergoing their daily work. Wright sent Explosion three times round at a solid bat. the big fellow moving in a very resolute style. The son of Cuirassier, who has been under a cloud of unsoiimlness for some time, seems to be fast pulling himself together again, and it is greatly to be hoped that this tine thoroughbred will stand a cup preparation so as to be able to fulfil his big Southern engagement in the spring. Another Cup candidate in Ifengist was restricted to two solid rounds of the course, the sou of St. Leger appeared to me to move a trifle sore after his work. The game little St. Paul is being worked again, and the little champion looks as though he is far from being done with, for since his retirement his legs have fined down, and he bears a verv lusty appearance all over. The first Australasian Waterloo Cup won under the auspices of the Victorian and N.S.W. Coursing Association. fell to Mr Thomas’ Transit, which beat Czardas. At the same meeting that successful N.S. Wales courser, Mr Bladon. of Rooty Hill, won the Waterloo Purse with his dog Booty, which it will be remembered

recently won the Champion Stakes in Sydney. The jumper Kanaka, who is in Ross’s care at the Eakc, already' shows big signs of improvement, the beach work, and salt water no doubt having a great deal to do with it. The black horse is engaged at Christchurch next month, but I have not heard whether he will be sent, down to fulfil them.

The big event of the winter meeting held by the V.R.C. at Flemington was decided last Saturday, this being the Grand National Steeplechase. Sixteen horses went to the post to do battle for the thousand pound prize. Mysore being a pronounced favourite at 9 to 2 against, while the next in request was Chelsea which started at 9 to 1. The latter. however, came to grief at the first fence in the straight, where Wallaby was in possession from Rosebud, Euro and Crusado. The exAucklander, however, fell when passing the sheds in the second round, at which point the favourite ran off. Wallaby maintained his lead until the straight was reached, when Rosebud came with a long run and won by four lengths in Gmin 39)secs. which is the fastest time for the race. The winner, who is by Quintin from Matstep, carried 9st, and was ridden by Jackson.

The most fancied candidates for the N.Z. Cup appear to be Record Reign, which is quoted at 10 to 1, Malatua, which stands at 100 to 7. and Seahorse ami St. Ilario, about whose chane* s 100 to 6 have been written.

The speedy Telephone, besides being able to win flat and hurdle races for his owner, comes in very handy in the winter months for a ladies’ hack, ami by his appearance makes a real good one at the game. I notice very often the chestnut gelding doing duty in this capacity in the Lake district. At present he bears a very healthy look, and no doubt this hacking about the roads keeps him in good trint at this period of the year. It is a somewhat curious coincidence that both the winners for the V .R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race and Steeplechase should have been the greatest outsiders in each case. Both Aquarium and Rosebud started at the remunerative odds of 33 to 1 against, so that if at all backed the stables should come in for a good win. Both were, of course, among the very lightly weighted division.

One day during the week 1 dropped across that good little mare Miss Delaval on the Ellerslie Road. She is looking in rare trim at present, having furnished all over verv considerably of late, and at first glimpse it was hard to recognise the daughter of Seaton Delaval. who has grown into a splendid mare. McManemin should have her cherry ripe by N.Z. Cup time, and if sent'down to compete she is bound to make a bold bid for victory, for with 7.12 she will beat far more than beat her.

Old Voltigeur IL, the hero of our last Great Northern Steeplechase, appears to have almost recovered from his recent lameness which befel him in the big event. The grey gelding is to be seen running out daily in a paddock at Lake Takapuna, and by the way he moved about the field one aftei noon recently when the lads were after him to house him for the night quite convinced me that it would not be long before the son of Lionel would be ready for the fray again. In America they establish some very fast records both on the flat and over sticks. Recently a mile and three quarter hurdle race was run in the exceedingly fast time of . HJs. It is not stated how many i urdles there were or what was their i.-ight.

Among the quotations put forth by the bookmakers I notice two New Zealand Cup candidates, viz., Volley and Rosiphele. figuring at the remunerative odds of 100 to 1. By the extreme long odds offered it would appear that these two lightly weighted equines possess a very small chance of scoring, although during the week some individual in the South was found willing to slake £l5 on Volley’s

chance, the wager written being 1500 to 15.

S. Loates still keeps his place at the head of the winning jockeys in the Old Country. Maddem has now passed M. Cann»n and Rickaby, and holds second position with a score of 35 to the 41 of Loates. The brothers Rein now are a tie at 21, while the other jockeys who have reached a double figure total, are K. Cannon (19), Rigby (18). andh J. H. Martin (16). The well-known gentleman rider, Mr P. Nengle, who met with an accident while riding The Gryphon nt the recent Gisborne meeting is making a good recovery from his injuries. The accident came at a very bad time, for he had engagements to fulfil at both the Wellington and Grand National meetings, and bis mishap will have the effect of making him caneel these contracts.

Clack-tra-Cuddin, one of Mr S. H. Gollan’s latest importations from New Zealand, finished last in the Craven Stakes run on the opening day of the Epsom meeting. At the same gathering the disappointing Oban could only get third in the Epsom Plate, when entrusted with the confidence of his owner.

The Canterbury Jockey Club will give £ 10,100 in stakes at their Spring meeting, which is an increase of £2,625 on last year’s amount. The meeting will be a four days’ fixture, and will be held on the 3rd, Sth, 7th, and 10th of November.

The picture of Heather Spy which I promised to publish in this issue has been unavoidably held over till next week.