TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 44, 28 May 1891, Page 3

TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB.

The Takapuna Jockey Club held their Winter Meeting last Monday, the anniversary of the Queen’s Birthday, and was' a great success. The weather beipg fine there was a large attendance. The racing, notwithstanding the inferior handicapping, was good. As, it was the last flat race meeting of the season many owners weflt for the off chance, knowing that the course would be heavy, and that would reverse the running of a good many horses, as some can get through the mud while others cannot move in it. As might have been expected, there was a great reversal pf form. The punters, on the whole, had the worst of it. Of course the cry was such and such a horse did not try, never taking into consideration the state of the running ground. The officials, as usual, had everything in perfect order. Seldom, has there been a better conducted meeting in Auckland. Of the stewards, Messrs. Alison and Mays looked after things in general, not being content with having their names only , on the card as stewards, a thing which is too, often the case in Auckland. There were no objections, or an instance of foul riding, x« This proves that the jockeys knew that the stewards had their eyes on them. Mr. Fenton, as usual, acted as judge with his usual ability, and taking the hint that has been given him, took care to keep those forward gentlemen who have generally intruded on him out of the box» Mr. J. Wattie wielded the flag, and was mpre successful than he has been for some time in starting; but he will never make a good one, as starting horses from a stand, as he attempts to do, can never be accomplished. Mr. Fred Marks acted as clerk of the scales; as he has filled this place for some years, he is perfectly au fait at the business. To Mr. Wynyard, the secretary, the success of the meeting is greatly due. Many people would gladly see him asecretary of one of the metropolitan clubs; he thoroughly understands the business, and has adopted a plan which might be. i.e., having a board outside the weighing-room with the numbers of the horses engaged, so if a jockey goes out overweight, or makes any alteration in his colours, it is immediately ■ posted. This prevents the necessity of crowding into the weighing-room to see how jockeys weigh out. Impey’s .band was in attendance, and played at intervals during the afternoon. The sum of was passed through the machine during the day. ; . The first event on the .card was the Maiden Handicap, pne mile. Seven started for this event, Bon Voyage, yst 21b, winning easily; by a length from Johnnie, yst; Warrior, yst i2lb, third. Relation, 6st rolb; Premier, 6sf, lolb ; Porangi, 6st ylb, and Vail, 6st ylb, also ran. Warrior was made the favourite. At the fall of the flag Relation jumped off, Und made the running, with Warrior second, Bon Voyage third. On rounding the turn, coming into the straight, Relation . fell back beaten- When fairly in the line for home Bon Voyage went to the front, Johnnie passing Warrior (who could

not act in the heavy ground), but failed to reach the winner. This shows a great reversal of form as regards his running in the Selling Race at Otahuhu. In the Handicap Hurdle Race nine faced the starter for this event, which, after the first time round, was nothing more than a flat race, all the hurdles, with the exception of one, being knocked down. Bryan O’Lynn, lost 41b, got away with the lead, and keeping in front, won by half a length from Try Fluke, gst izll), who if he had not blundered at the only hurdle that was left standing, would have won. Theorem, lost 81b, finished third. The other runners were : Bit-o’-Blue, lost i2lb ; Cloth of Gold, lost 71b; Parnell, lost alb ; Nigger, 9st; Kate, gst; General, gst. The time, jmin 41 sec, considering the state of the ground, was good** . . , .in The Birthday Handicap, the principal race of the day, brought out all the acceptors with the. exception of Try Fluke, and resulted as follows -.—Tamora, 7st 81b, first; Loch Ness, Bst 41b, second ; TeKooti, 7st, third. Leorma, ost lilb; Coalscuttle, Sst rolb; Ignorina, Bst jolb; Capella, 7st izlb; Priscilla, 7st idb; The Dreamer, 7St izlb (including alb overweight), and Warrior, also started. Loch Ness was made the favourite. After one break away the flag fell to a splendid start, Priscilla going to the front, followed by Warrior, who was evidently making the running for his stable. After going a quarter of a mile Capella ran into the second place. On passing the stand she was‘ leading by a length, Priscilla, The Dreamer, and Te Kooti being close up. On the far side of the course Te Kooti went to the front. On coming to the turn entering the straight Tamora went up into second place. When fairly in a line for home she went to the front, Loch Ness coming at.the same time, but the heavy ground telling on him the mare came away, and won easily by a length and a half. A good third : Leorma finished fourth. Time, imin 23sec, ‘ which is good taking into consideration the state of the going.

Ohly five started for the Selling Race. OctopuSjJte usual, won easily, defeating Millifera, Flinxt Too Soon, and Blarney. Octopus was enteiMd-lo be sold for and was bought in by his owner s£33, the dividend being 30s. The brought out the good field often. The finish was well fought out. i Jim, 9St 71b, 1 ; Nap, 11st 21b, 2; Bit-o’-Blue; lost 81b, 3. The other starters were: Omata,iost 71b; Parnell, lost; Bryan O’Lynn, gst I2lbNeck-or-Nothing, gst idb; Kapai, 7st 71b; Lad, gst 71b, and Kate, gst 71b. Bryan - O’Lynn went away with the lead, Bit-o’Blue, Kate, and Omata being his immediate fol- < lowers, Nap and Jim being in the rear. In this, order they passed the stand. At the, back - Lof‘the course Bit-o’-Blue took the lead, but on ascending'the hill into the country, Bryan : O’Lynn again went to the front, Bit-o’-Blue, Parnell, and Omata being his immediate followers. Much the same order was kept until thP second time round. Just before they came

to the water jump Bryan O’Lynn. ran inside a post and was pulled up. Kate fell at the post-and-rails at the back of the stand, coming to

the water jump. Parnell and Bit-o’ -Blue were '< in the front on ascending the hill the last time, • 1 but at the back of the course numerous mishaps occurred. Coming to the water jump in the final t - round, the race was confined to Nap and Jim, andtheylandedonthe racecourse together, when a ding-dong race ensued, McKinnon riding better than Burns, who let Nap’s head go towards the finish, thus enabling McKinnon to - land Jim a clever winner by a couple of lengths from Nap, who run very game. Bit-o’-Blue, . third*; Parnell, fourth. The rest tailed off. ‘ Time, Bmin 471 sec.

The Victoria Handicap, 5£ furlongs, produced a field of eight. The flag fell to a fair start. Lady Belle, -2yrs, 7st 71b, jumped off in front; being quickest on her legs, and was never headed, winning by three lengths from Master Pat, Bst 21b, second; Octopus, Bst 71b, ' third.* 1 The other starters were: Loch Ness,

Bstl2lb; Vendetta, 7st 71b; Brown Bess, 7st 51b; Stamford, 6st 41b; Bon Voyage, 6st. Brown Bess, on entering the straight, slipped and fell, but her jockey was not hurt. Lady Belle has proved herself a much better filly i( than was anticipated. Her running in this race, considering the state of the ground, ; makes her not far behind the best of her year.

as she was giving years and weight to most of her opponents. Time, Imin 15sec. The Pony Race brought out nine starters. Antic, 9st 121 b, winning by a short head from Blunderbuss, 6st 121 b; Pica, 9st 101 b, third. The others tailed off. Time, Imin llf sec. The Welter Handicap, one mile, was run in the dusk, so it was impossible to see the colours on the far side of the course. That game old mare Leorina, 12st 41b, got home a neck in front of Priscilla, lOst 21b ; Te Kooti, 9st 41b, third. Ingorina, list 21b; Try Fluke, lOst 21b; Temora, lOst; and General, 7st 101 b (including 31b overweight), also ran. Leorina has proved herself an extraordinary mare, she having been knocked about all over the country this season,* having started in something like forty races, winning a fair proportion of them, Neither weight or ground seem to affect her, as she keeps plodding along. She is nothing to look at, and is as sound as the day she was foaled.