THE TURF.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 45, 4 June 1891, Page 4

THE TURF.

[BY

OLD TURFITE.]

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB’S WINTER MEETING.

The acceptances and general entries for the A.R.C. Winter Meeting that were made last Friday night may be considered fairly good. From the few foreign horses that have accepted and entered, the A.R.C. Committee must see that they have made two great mistakes: First of all in the date of their meeting, it coming too close after the Wanganui meeting ; secondly, making the day of general entries and acceptances so short a time before the date of the meeting that it does not give owners at a distance a chance of bringing horses especially at this time of the year, when the weather may be rough, therefore it does not give the horses an opportunity to recover themselves. It was quite natural that the Committee were desirous of Mr. Evitt having the running of the different Korses at Wanganui before he published his handicaps, but they being due on the 26th, acceptances on the 29th, and the meeting on June 3rd, practically excludes all the Napier and Southern horses from competing. Ival, who was at Wanganui, Criminal and Duadine, are the only outside horses that have accepted, so almost every race will be confined to local horses, which should not be at a meeting of this kind. Hurdle Race. Of the original twenty-six entries, seventeen have declared non-content with their weights. This is not very flattering to Mr. Evitt’s production, but no doubt some have been struck out owing to the reasons stated above. Sentinel, 11st 121 b, on his running with Satyr, and also at the Wanganui Summer Meeting, has nothing to complain of, but as the ground will be holding, the weight will most likely tell on him, as he appears to prefer hard going. Nap, lost 51b, will find the company too good for him. Bryan' o’Lynn, lost, won the last Takapuna Hurdle Race, but it was more of a flat race, as all the hurdles, with the exception of the one on the far side of the course, were knocked down the first time round. Criminal, lost, has won several races Gisborne way, and must be looked upon with respect, as his party must kno.v the form of most of the others Theorem, lost, might have been much closer at Takapuna if the sticks had not been knocked down. The same remark applies to Cloth of Gold, gst lolb, who makes up his ground at the jumps, being remarkably quick at them. Try Fluke, gst 9Tb, wants more experience, his situation at Takapuna being a fluke. Good Day, 9St 71b, is the blot of the handicap, and if fit and well on the day, should win. Some time ago she met with an accident, and as she is trained privately it is hard to know in what condition she is, but as Jack Rae knows what he is about, and has only accepted with her, she must be pretty fit. Salute, gst 51b, is a stranger to me. To sum up, I expect them to finish in the following order; —Criminal, Sentinel, and Theorem. Should Good Day come to the post in the same form as she was in Wanganui, which I doubt, I would not look further for the winner. , Steeplechase. Only a moiety of the original twenty-four have accepted. The same remarks apply to this handicap as to the hurdles, so one must not blame Mr. Evitt too much, but it cannot be called a good one. Sentinel, i2St, heads the list; this is rather more than he is entitled to over a course like Ellerslie. Ingarangi, 11st 71b, has got this course before; he is a big powerful horse, but rather deficient in speed ; he won the Autumn Steeplechase at Ellerslie with gst 71b, and the Wanganui Steeplechase with lost lolb, in both of which I think he had a bit of luck; one thing in his favour is that he is a good fencer. Nap, aost 71b, is generally thereabouts, but he appears not to like this course. Omata, lost jib, is a bottled-up old crock, and his trainer often creates a surprise with this kind of animal. Takapu, lost, is well treated ; he won the Egmont Steeplechase, and was running well at Wanganui when his jockey foolishly took the wrong course. Parnell, gst ulb, will win a good race some day, but it strikes one that he likes the ground hard, and it is believed that Sydney will be his destina-

tion ; therefore, as the stable has patience, this may not be his journey. Ival, gst lolb, is a great deal thought of. He is given to baulking, but they tell me it is only at gorse fences, and as there are none of them here he looks dangerous, as Mr. Gollan is not a man to send a horse all this way for nothing. The owner of Bit ofßlue, gst 7'lb, must be a noviceat raingc. The horse cut his leg just above the knee, injuring either an artery or a vein. He still keeps on running him, when it opens again every time he starts. If he had kept him quiet he would have won a good race with him. Yum Yum, gst gib, is a sure jumper and a plodder, so it would not surprise me to see her win. Duadine, gst gib, is a stranger to me. Neck-or-Nothing jumps well, but is as slow as the proverbial top Kate, gst 71b, is out of her place. To sum up, I will take the following three to furnish the winner:—Takapu, Yum Yum, or Williamson’s selected. Maiden Steeplechase. There are thirteen entries for the Maiden Steeplechase. Ival, Yum Yum, Neck-or-No-thing, and Kate are engaged in the big steeplechase, so if they go for that race it is not likely they will start in this. I like the chances of the following list:—Yardsman, Bryan O’Lynn and Justice. Selling Steeplechase. The Selling Steeplechase has an entry of seven. Justice and Karewa are in the Maiden. The ground will be heavy, therefore it must discount their chance. Jim, who won the last Takapuna Steeplechase, is entered to be sold for nil, and has no other engagement, therefore he will be a fresh horse, and as he is also a pretty sure fencer, he should have no difficulty in winning, with Justice and Begorrah as his nearest attendants. Welter Handicap. The Welter Handicap shows the folly of any one attempting to frame a handicap when he has not seen the horses run. Take the running in the Takapuna Welter race. Leorina wins, Priscilla second, and Te Kooti a bad third. Leorina is now raised seven pounds, Priscilla seven pounds, and Te Kooti seventeen pounds. Still, wonderful to relate, out of the sixteen entries only two, Capella and lima, have been struck out. Auckland horse-owners really do not know when their horses are well in, so never mind how bad the handicap is they accept. The general public think it is a good one, never looking at the distance between the first and last horses. Of the eleven horses loft in the following read best:—Jim, Criminal and Macaroni. Ladies’ Bracelet. The Ladies’ Bracelet has seven entries, and as it is welter weights, on a scale framed by the A.R C. Committee, it must fall to Leorina if she has a rider on her back, Dolosa and Priscilla following her home.