THE AUCKLAND RACING CLUB SPRING MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 16, 15 November 1890, Page 2

THE AUCKLAND RACING CLUB SPRING MEETING.

Comments on the Racing. The Spying Meeting of the Auckland Racing Club is now a thing of the past. _ Taken altogether, it must be classed as a famy B , uc_ cessful gathering, although the handicapping for the second day’s racing was so disgracefully bad that the racing on that day was not nearly as good as it should have been. Mr. J. Kirk- , wood occupied his usual place in the judge,s box and Mr. George Cutts wielded the starter s flag’ with success. Mr. F. W. Marks filled the chair of the clerk of the scales, and also officiated as time-keeper. Mr. T. Brown, assisted by the police, kept the course clear, and the secretary, Mr. W. Percival, was, as usual, assiduous and courteous in attending to his official duties; Having said so much, we come to an official who we cannot congratulate upon his share of work. We allude to Mr. J. O. Evitt the handicapper, who made wretched handicaps for the first day’s racing, and shockbutor, “ Old Turfite,” is dealing with the ing bad ones for the second. The weather, fortunately for the Club from a financial point of view, was fine on both days, and the attendance consequently was quite up to the average. As Tuesday was no holiday, a large number o± people who would like to have attended were detained in town on business, but this could not be helped. The Club acted judiciously in postponing the first day’s racing, as, when that resolution was arrii ed at, there appeared little chance of the rain clearing off, and the attendance would certainly have been small. Mr. Impey’s band was stationed on the lawn both days, and materially assisted to enliven the proceedings. The totalizators were worked satisfactorily by Mr. W. Blomfield, and the promptness with which dividends were paid out was remarked upon with evident gratification. Mr. George Cutts, as we have already stated, handled the starter’s flag with success, but he had continual trouble with the jockeys, and at last was compelled to fine some of the unruly ones. In the Spring Handicap, on the second day, Gallagher, G. Smith, Fletcher, Golding, A. Cook, Moore, and Manning were each fined £2. the only rider in the race escaping the penalty being T. Hodson. Later the same afternoon, in the Nursery Handicap, Mr. Cutts fined Gallagher, who rode the winner Roie, £5, and Cook, the rider of Brigand, £2. Mr. Thomas McEwin supplied the wants of the inner man in his usual first-class style in the luncheon-room underneath the grandstand. Now we come to the racing. The feature of the gathering was, undoubtedly, the great form shown by George Wright’s horses. He had them all in excellent condition, and succeeded in winning nine events out of the fifteen. Cissy ' was, of course, the bright particular star of the meeting. She was trained to the hour, and won her races with comparative ease. The company opposed to her was, perhaps, little more than moderate, but nevertheless her victories were highly meritorious Orlando won the treble for which he was saddled-up, the two hurdle races and steeplechase. Wright has got this old son of The Painter and Valerie in great nick, and the strong manner in which he finished up his races leads us to suppose that ' we have not seen .the best of him yet. These two horses were tire only ones who scored more than one winning bracket at the meeting. The sport on Monday commenced with the President’s Handicap, for which the nine figuring on the card saddled-up, Fiesole being made a warm favourite at 5 to 4 against. Rataplan carried the confidence of George Wright’s stable, and Te Kooti was nibbled at by his connections. The Baron, whose number, by the way, was taken down at one time and ‘ hoisted up again, was one of the rank outside division. He won very easily, and paid the handsome price of 28 and 17 to 1 on the machines. Fiesole, the favourite, did not run up to her best form, but Antelope, who was giving 2st. away to the winner, ran a good mare, and finished second, The Welcome Stakes brought out ten two-year-olds, and a very good lot they were. Orestes and The Workman divided favouritism in the betting, but the former looked jaded and done up. The Workman, on the contrary, was quite gay. He is a nice brown colt, with heaps of power, nice head and neck, and fine raking quarters. Brigand and Roie were the representatives of the Kohi-

maramara stable, and both appeared in perfect condition. Brigand is a well-made, nuggetty little brown colt, but Roie shows more size, and is a very speedy young lady. Orestes was by far the biggest youngster of the lot, and perhaps his stable-companion, the aptly-named Dishonour, was the next largest. When the flag fell, Roie was set going in an instant, and quickly put a gap of daylight between herself and the field. When fairly through the cutting, The Workman went up very fast on the outside, and getting his head in front at the turn into the straight he had the whole field in difficulties, and eventually won easily. Orestes, when once in the straight, made up some .of his ground very quickly, but neither he, or Brigand, or Roie, had any chance against the winner. Harrison had The Workman pretty well, although he had done quite as much work as was good for him—in fact he had been eased fora few days owing to shin-soreness. The Guineas only attracted three to the post, and a moderate lot at that. Leolantis showed much the most condition, and this brought him home an easy winner. The Dreamer was very big, and will show to better advantage about the summer time. Reprisal, who was made favourite, appeared light and overdone, and will probably show some improvement ] ater on. The Handicap Hurdle Race does not call for much comment. Orlando, the favourite, justified his backers’ confidence by winning easily. The race served to introduce to us a promising candidate for jumping honours in Sentinel, by Cap-a-pie—Duchess, a Waikato-owned horse. He will make a useful “lepper” with a. little more experience. Hune ran disappointingly, and Fragrance jumped so badly that she was never in the hunt. Hopeful Kate was in no condition for racing, while Satyr and Hailstone were quite out of their element. The eight acceptors for the Prince of Wales’ Handicap all faced the starter for that event. Cissy was supported very freely, and started favourite at 3to 2. Leorina was next in demand, but the daughter of Yatterina never flattered her backers. Patchwork and Cartridge were also backed, but the former was never prominent, and although Cartridge got up third, she never had any chance against the winner. Leolantis went to the front immediately the flag fell, and remained there until his stable-companion, Cissy, came up to him, when the daughter of Musket and Frailty had him under the whip at once, and beat him easily in the run down the straight. Old Hurricane, well ridden by Mr. Tom Craig, had little difficulty in winning the Selling Steeplechase from the trio of moderates opposed to him. On returning to the paddock, Mr. Craig received quite an ovation. Cissy, notwithstanding she had to put up a penalty which brought her impost up to 9st. 71b., was looked upon as little le”ss than a moral for the Flying Handicap, and backers freely laid odds of 4to 3 on. After Reprisal had shown a prominent front from the start, and led into the straight, the favourite crept up and had little difficulty in getting home in front of Antelope, who, for the second time, had to put up with second place. This brought the first day’s meeting to a close.

On Tuesday, the Spring Handicap was the first event to engage attention. With only 31b more than she carried the day before to victory, 2 to 1 was laid on Cissy. Nothing else was backed, but a few nibbled at Patchwork, The Baron, and Fiesole on the off chance of the favourite being left at the post or meeting with some unforeseen accident. The Baron showed a very bold front for a while, and coming through the cutting and into the straight held a substantial lead. At the distance post he was still in front of Cissy, but here Gallagher gave the mare a touch with the whip, and bounding along in great form, the issue was never afterwards in doubt. Hurricane, at 9st, certainly read to us “ good goods in the second Hurdle Race. But Orlando was made a bigger favourite, and as events proved he won quite easily. Torment, who made her maiden appearance over obstacles, cut up very indifferently indeed. The scratching of The Workman for the Nursery Handicap gave that race a much more open appearance. Had the colt remained in he would have started a warm favourite, and probably have won. In his absence, the forward front shown by Roie for four furlongs on the previous day was not forgotten, and she left the paddock first favourite at 2 to 1. Twelve horses figured upon the card,

but Brigand was the only one of the others J carry muoh money. 2Egyptus, a stable-com-panion of The Workman’s, was nibbled at, and Dishonour met with a little support. The starting for this race was delayed for a long time, Roie and Brigand continually breaking away. When the flag did fall the favourite had all the best of it, and making every post a winning one, she got home first by half-a-length, although she appeared to be tiring fast at the finish. Sweet Lavender, who is a mere : pony, finished second, and was the biggest outsider in the race, there being only seven tickets on her out of 617 on the machines. The rest of the field were close up in a bunch. The City Handicap then came up for decision. So good were Cissy’s prospects of winning that odds of 8 to 3 were laid on her, the only other horse backed being the Guineas winner. Cissy won this race just as easily as the others, and her performance, when it is considered that she carried 9st 71b and ran the mile and a quarter in 2min. 135., must be considered a very creditable one. Gallagher rode an excellent race on the mare, coming at just the right time. Orlando was again made favourite for the Steeplechase, but Hune was warmly supported also. Tne race was robbed of much of its interest by three out of the five competitors coming to grief. Fishmonger was the first to come down, and he slipped on the bridge at the bottom of the hill. Hurricane struck, the sod-wall, heavily and gave Collins a cropper, and this left Orlando with a substantial lead from Hune and Sentinel. The mare made up some of her ground and looked like troubling the winner coming down the hill the last time, but she turned a somersault over the stonewall leading on to the course proper, which ruined her chance. Orlando then came on alone and won easily, Sentinel some distance behind fighting for second place with the unridden Hune, who won by a neck owing to one of the by-standers throwing his hat at her just before reaching the winning post. Landseer won the Selling Race; and after Satyr had been indulged with the lead for three parts of the journey, St. Michael came away and won the Hunters’ Welter Stakes hard held. The Maiden Plate Handicap brought out six runners, Priscilla being most in demand. Vendetta, by St. Albans —The Maid, and therefore a halfsister to The Workman, jumped off with the lead, and being never caught, won easily. This brought the meeting to an end. Of the trainers who supplied the winners, George Wright towers head and shoulders above his fellows with nine wins, viz.: Cissy four, Orlando three, Roie and Leolantis one each. Harrison trained two winners—The Workman and Vendetta; while French, Williamson, McMiniman, and Mr. Bell trained respectively The Baron, Hurricane, Landseer, and St. Michael. Of the jockeys, Gallagher had six winning mounts, four on Cissy and one each on Roie and Leolantis. Morrigan rode Orlando to victory in his three races, and Golding scored a double on Landseer and Vendetta. G. Smith rode The Baron, Kattems rode The Workman, Mr. Craig steered Hurricane, and Mr. Bell piloted St. Michael.