Sporting Items.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 88, 31 March 1892, Page 6

Sporting Items.

Dan McLeod, the double, Doncaster and Sydney Gold Cup. The disqualified trotter Brandy has been taken back to Sydney. Dennis Morrigan, the jockey, is back in Auckland. Avondale acceptances close at the office of this paper to-morrow (Friday) at 9 p.m. Malvolio, Correze, Sir William, and King Olaf have all been struck out of the Sydney Cup. Egmont Racing Club’s nominations for Stallions produce (hacks) are due on Saturday. J. B. Williamson purchased the well-known trotter Pohui for the sum of £l2 last week. The Hawke’s Bay Trotting Club do not close their totalisator until the scratch horse has started. The Napier Park Racing Club have a rule that only notes and gold shall be taken at the totalisator. In all probability both Commotion and Whalebone will be contestants at our autumn meeting. _, Nominations are due to-morrow Auckland Racing Club’s autumn held at Claudlands on April 23 rd. The Turf Record of the Trotting Club and Ngaruawahia Racing Club will appear in our next issue. The pony trotter Captain Russell was out at Ellerslie on Tuesday morning. He has still a particular fancy for the gateway. Dan O’Meara, the well-known trainer, who went South recently, was the trainer of Bradshaw. by Cast-off—Lady, which won the Flying Handicap at the Waverley-Waitotara meeting, on St. Patrick’s Day and paid a dividend. The roan gelding Hailstone, by Hailstorm, winner of the Maiden and Handicap Hurdles at Takapuna Spring meeting, Avondale Hurdles, Thames Hurdles, and Thames Free Handicap last season, was sold for five guineas by Messrs. Hunter & Nolan on Friday. Everyone will sympathise with Mr. Alf. Kelly, of Mount Albert, for the loss he has sustained by the death of his two fine yearling fillies, by Fusilade —Kit and Fusilade —lima. The former gave evidence of great promise, and was a real beauty. It is feared that both fillies, which died the same week, have been poisoned by some miscreant. The Ngaruawahia Race Meeting on Saturday last, proved disastrous to some of the “ pencilled.” A well-known firm of Auckland bookmakers got hold of the wrong combination, another was stone broke, and three Maori gentlemen who have developed into “ layers of the odds ” produced their empty satchels when called upon to settle up. — Waikato Times. Attention of owners and trainers is specially directed to the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s winter programme, which appears in another column of this issue. The meeting is fixed for the 24th June, and includes three steeplechases ; the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase having attached to it 300 sovs. There is also a Hurdle Race of 100 sovs., Ladies’ Bracelet of 80 sovs., and Welter of 40 sovs. With such an attractive programme Mr. F. D. Luckie, secretary, may confidently look forward to receiving large nominations. From what appears to be a good authority we learn that the well-known trainer George Wright, who has been so long and favourably known in Auckland, is about to leave Kohimaramara and take up his quarters at Hastings, Hawke’s Bay, where he hopes to have considerably more patrons to his stable than he has recently had in Auckland. There is certainly a better field for a trainer of Wright’s excellent capabilities in that district, and we wish him every success.

The Dunedin Jockey Club offer a reward of to secure a conviction against anyone betting or laying totalisator odds. The Te'Aroha Races were a great success. Bob Roth was the only weilder of the pencil present, and is said to have done real good business Alf Brady, the professional walker, has challenged Sammy Goodman to walk one to three miles for/'so a side and the championship of Auckland. Bob Gooseman left Napier for Taranaki on ■ Saturday, via Wanganui, with his string Tor the Taranaki Jockey Club’s anniversary meeting, which takes place to-day and to-morrow. Mr. John Marshall, of City Chambers, advertises to let the house and well-known racing stables at Ellerslie, now occupied by Harry Hickton, which may be had at an absurdly low rental. Mr. Geo. Hunter’s two mares, Whisper and Cynisca, in charge of Bob Gooseman, will arrive here in time for the Auckland Racing Club’s autumn meeting. For the Helensville Races on Saturday a special train leaves Auckland at 9.25 a.m., returning from there at 6.5 p.m., and is timed to arrive in Auckland at 8.45 p.m. Ordinary fares (10/7 first class and 7/1 second class return) will be charged. Messrs. D. B. Tonks & Co. sell the privileges of the Avondale Jockey Club at their mart, Queen-street, to-morrow (Friday) at noon. Judging by the large nominations the success of this meeting is already assured, and the gates, booths, cards, stalls, etc. should yield correspondingly large prices. The weights for the Easter Handicap and Steeplechase are due next Monday. Mr. J. O. Evitt, the Club's handicapper, will arrive from New Plymouth on Sunday next, after attending Glnb’s meeting to be held -“''to-day and to-morrow. It gives us great pleasure to state that Mr. Donald McKinnon had /io on his horse Scot Free, which won the Napier Park Cup, paying the nice dividend of /'l3 18s., thereby returning the popular Waikato owner the nice sum of in addition to the stake. In the Napier Park Hurdle Race on the first day, after passing the post Redmond, the rider of Somnambulist, who was third, struck the rider of Whalebone, the winner, on coming past the judge’s box, and Redmond afterwards entered a protest against Vine, Whalebone’s jockey, for foul riding. Mr. Courtney, auctioneer, of New Plymouth, has an advertisement in our columns announcing for sale the well-known steeplechaser “ Jenny,” by Puriri—Deadshot mare, winner of the Great Northern and Hawke’s Bay Steeplechases, and several other thoroughbred mares. The sale will take place on Saturday next at Mr. Courtney’s yards New Plymouth, and as it is the day following the Taranaki Anniversary Races the lots should be spiritedly competed for. A little trouble was caused at the Hawke’s Bay Trotting Club’s meeting on the 21st inst., at Hastings, by the official race card in one instance being wrongly numbered. In the Handicap Pony Trot Florrie appeared on the card as No. 5, and an investor backed her as such. After winning he presented his ticket for his dividend, and produced his book and showed that it gave Florrie as No. 5, but all the other books show that she was No. 1, and Silvertail No. 5. This shows great carelessness somewhere. The Hawke’s Bay Gun Club held their Autumn Meeting on Tuesday, March 22, at Hastings, when some excellent shooting took place. Mr. E. Broughton won the President’s Cup, Mr. W. Broughton being second. The Autumn Handicap of 60sovs, seven birds, resulted in no less than six of the competitors tying, viz., E. Broughton, H. Redwood, Jull, Montgomerie, Ferguson, and Macandrew. In firing off Mr. E Broughton won with nine consecutive birds, Mr. H. Redwood taking second prize with eight birds. Messrs. Jull and Ferguson divided the third prize, killing 13 out of 14 birds each. Mr. H. Redwood had particularly hard luck in not even seeing his ninth bird, which rose against a background similar in colour to its own plumage. Mr. Redwood is a grand and enthusiastic old shot, and general sympathy was expressed by those present for his bad luck.

We commend to the notice of sporting men Mr. W. W. Finlinsou, of Dunedin, who can give clients current quotations on the Great Autumn Handicap, Easter Handicap, and Sydney Gold Cup. Price lists and programmes will be forwarded to anyone on application, his address being the British or Court’s Hotel, Dunedin.