OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 87, 24 March 1892, Page 3

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

(from our own correspondent)

[By

Wire. ]

Wellington, March 22. The local horses had the worst of luck at last week’s meetings. They did not gain a single race at Hawke’s Bay. Retina, it is generally thought, ought to have won the Cup, but the fates were adverse, and she could only finish a good second to Crown Jewel. Colello, who was to have had the mount, could not get down within 51bs. of the weight, and rather than carry overweight Tom Hill and her owner, Mr. Martin, decided to put up Tommy Crook, the stable light-weight, who, although he rode a good race, lacked the strength to finish. It was very tantalising for Mr. Martin to see his good thing go down when victory seemed assured. To make things worse, Ranee Nuna, who was reckoned a good thing for at least one race, developed a suspicious leg after the Wanganui meeting, and although she started in two races on the first day she failed altogether to run up to her recent form. Mr. Hill came back with the filly on Saturday night, leaving Retina, who will run at Napier Park to-morrow, under the care of Mr. Hunter’s trainer, Gooseman, who has nothing engaged at the meeting.

At Masterton, Opaki, on Thursday, the meeting was spoiled by the delay in bringing off the events, which dragged out the programme until nearly half-past six, whereas the last race was set down for 4.40 p.m. The principal races, the St. Patrick’s Handicap and Flying Stakes, were appropriated by Mr. Freeth’s Revolution, a four-year-old full brother to Rebellion, by Treason —Mischief. This horse was last season run as a hack, and could scarcely win a race in any company. This season he has developed into a real good one, and has carried all before him among the up-country racehorses. He is like Rebellion, a strapping chestnut. At the Marlborough meeting neither Eros nor Paramu. Mr. Cousen’s representatives, got a place. Mr. Redwood had another good turn, winning the Cup with his second string, Teri, Bst 81b, after the handicapper had crushed Awarua Rose with 9st 71b. There was great surprise in Wellington at Rocket paying £l6 9s. dividend in the Flying. This horse is a son of Leos, and simply romped over a field of good hacks at the Hutt in the spring. He was freely backed at starting price in Wellington, and great was the delight of those who had invested on him, as they expected about £3. There is a row in Wellington over these races. They were postoned from Friday to Saturday on account of bad weather, and no press telegrams were sent through on Saturday to say whether they had come off or not. They did come off, however, and some of the clever division, after spreading a report that they had been again postponed until Tuesday, got two bookmakers to lay the winners on Saturday evening. Of course there is a dispute over the affair, and the backers have served the layers with a lawyer’s letter. What will be the upshot of the affair I hardly know, but it is scarcely likely to come into Court. A meeting of the stewards of the Wellington Racing Club was held to-night. The principal business was the consideration of applications for the position of caretaker for the Hutt Park racecoourse, but owing to the absence from Wellington of a number of the stewards it was decided to postpone dealing with the matter for a week. In the meantime the applications (fifty-nine in number) were referred to the Course Committee, with a request that they should report upon the qualifications of the most suitable candidates. A letter was received from the Wanganui Jockey Clnb, notifying that Messrs. Yuille, Nathan and May had been warned off the Wanganui racecourse for laying totalisator odds. The question of dealing with the matter was left over to be dealt with by a fuller meeting. The programme of the Horowhenua Jockey Club’s race meeting, to be held at Otaki on Queen’s Birthday, was submitted for approval, and being in order, was passed. The added money to be given amounts to £l6O, divided amongst seven events, the principal being the Horowhenua Cup Handicap Jof 35 sovs., one mile and a half. Mr. T. Franklyn was elected a stewards’ director of the Hutt Park Railway Company for the ensuing year.