Auckland Racing Club’s Spring Meeting.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 113, 22 September 1892, Page 5

Auckland Racing Club’s Spring Meeting.

A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE,

[By

Sir Launcelot.]

The expression “ made to order ” would just have fitted the weather on Saturday, on the occasion of the Auckland Racing Club’s First Spring Meeting. It was indeed a glorious day, and we hope it will be the precursor of many such fineweather days on any occasion when we are asked to sling our race glasses over our shoulders between now and the next 31st of Jnly. The lawn and the — enclosures were ' dressed in their best garb ; Ruddy had the course in good order; but the attendance was hardly up to expectations considering the weather and surroundings. Some capital sport was witnessed by those present, and all agreed that the curtain bad been rung up for a new racing season at Ellerslie in a most pleasant manner. A good commencement was made when every one of the eight horses coloured on the card for the Trial Handicap of 50 sovs., 7 furlongs, came to the post. The Dancer had the pull in condition over the rbthQjsand was installed favourite, but a bit of money was also laid out for Master Pat, Dorothy and Warrior.' The favourite was always in a good position and when called on in the straight he came away and - won very comfortably from Master Pat and Dorothy. Wright thus drew first blood in the Auckland racing campaign of 1892-93. Sandy Muir was the only absentee from the ten numbered on the card for the Handicap Hurdle Race of 70 sovs., one mile and three-quarters. Decidedly the best conditioned of the competitors were Cloth of Gold and Marquis of Tewkes bury, the former especially, and his owner and trainer were particularly confident. Stepper did not impress me very favourably, and though he had the best of the handicap on paper, the public did not “ catch on ” to him, Marquis of Tewkesbury being made favourite. As things eventuated there was really only one in it from the fall of the flag, and that was Marquis of Tewkesbury, who. favoured by having only 41b above the minimum to carry, led his field from start to finish and won anyhow, the other places being filled by Ika Vuk a and Stepper, the finish for second place furnishing a good race between the pair and terminating in favour of Ika Vuka by only half a length. There was only one mishap during the race, Business, late Hurricane, falling on the flat when going well, and giving his jockey, W. Macmanemin, a severe shaking. The Dancer, Yattaghan and Tulloch were the eliminations from the September Handicap, leaving half-a-dozen to go to the post. When The Dancer was taken out it was made evident that business was meant with St. Hippo, and the public at once rushed to get on. It was nevertheless a good betting race all round,Quadrant,Coalscuttle andldabeing most indemand in that order afterSt. Hippo. The first I came across in my peregrination round the paddock was Quadrant, whom Rae had got looking well enough, but at 9.4, with a mile and a quarter to get, he did not seem to me to have much chance. St. Hippo I had seen the previous week in his box at Wright’s, and though he looked a bit finely drawn perhaps, he submitted to' the execution of his toilet without any fretfulness. I thought Coalscuttle would have been benefited by a bit more time, but Mr. Lennard had Ida very well, and I regarded her at the weights as a good outside investment. Master Pat and Warrior had both had a race out of them, and taking a line through his previous running with Ida, the Irishman was by no means well dealt by at the hands of the handicapper. When the flag fell to an excellent dismissal on the part of Mr. E. D. Halstead Warrior was the first to get

to work, and he showed the way for nearly three parts of the distance,* with St. Hippo and Ida second and third. It was evident, however, as they came towards the bend for home that St. Hippo was going well within himself, and as soon as Gallagher asked him a question he came away and won in a canter by a short length from Coalscuttle, who came fast in the straight, and Ida was a length behind Major George’s mare. Warrior was fourth, Quadrant acting as whipper-in. This race was won last year by The Dreamer, who carried 111 b less than St. Hippo now had in the saddle and was then a iour-year-old. He took 2min. 16a-sec. to cover the distance, as compared with St. Hippo’s present time of 2min 14|sec. Of the half-dozen that then started Coalscuttle was the only one now among the field, and she then ran unplaced with 21b less up than she had on Saturday St. Hippo is by St. Leger—Hippona, by Robinson Crusoe (brother to Onyx) out of Lamorna, by Fireworks (winner of the V R.C. Derby) out of imp. Nightlight (dam of Lantern), by Archy. He was bred by the N.Z. Stud Co., and at their dispersal sale, he being then a yearling, he was knocked down to Mr. Kidd of this city for 60gs. He subsequently passed into the hands of Mr. L. D. Nathan, whose property he has been ever since he first sported silk in the Great Northern Foal Stakes at the last A.R.C. Summer Meeting. In this race he was beaten out of place by Whakawatea, and with 6.9 he occupied a similar position behind Mr. Hungerford’s speedy black (who had 9.10) in the Midsummer Handicap. At the Onslow Farewell Meeting he showed a bit of improvement by carrying 7.6 into third place behind Lottie, 7.6, and Tit,. 7.6, in the Huia Handicap, 6 furlongs. At Auckland Autumn he came out as a winner for the first time, getting home in fro it in the Champagne Stakes from North Atlantic and Brown Alice, but next day North Atlantic put him down in the Ellerslie Handicap. He is engaged in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas, Spring Handicap (7.7) and Flying Handicap (7.12), and he is also in the Canterbury Derby and N.Z. Cup, 7.0 being his weight in the latter. Unfortunately he was not nominated for the Wanganui Derby, so it is extremely unlikely that he will put in an appearance at the W.J.C.’s Spring gathering. After seeing St. Hippo in his box at Wright’s last week I wrote of him thus: — “ St. Hippo is a big upstanding colt, to whom the critical might object that he is a bit on the leg and somewhat lacks liberty about the elbow. One cannot but be struck, though, with his length and his massive muscular development behind, and he looks a Derby colt all over. There is, I know, a prejudice against the St. Leger stock for long, races on the ground that they, cannot stay, and facts certainly indicate that they are non-stayers, but then arises a question as to how much chance any of them have had to prove their staying qualities. St. Andrew broke down too early, and Clanranald has never been tried in public over a long distance, though judging by the way he has been backed for the N.Z. Cup he has shown his party something indicative of staying ability. I see no reason why St. Leger should not get staying stock. His sire could stay, and his grandsire Thormanby won the Derby and Ascot Cup. So much for St. Hippo’s sire’s blood, and looking at the pedigree of St. Hippo’s dam, Hippona, we find that she is by Robinson Crusoe (sire of Navigator, Trident, &c., and full brother to Onyx) out of Lamorna, by Fireworks (winner of the V.R.C. Derby) from Nightlight, by Archy—really stout blood. I should perhaps like St. Hippo better for a long race of the description of the New Zealand Cup if he stood a little closer to the ground, but even as it is I can’t but regard a colt with his two-year-old credentials as well in the C.J.C.’s big race at 7.0.” .

Coalscuttle ran a rattling good mare, but she sweated very freely when pulled up, and can be made a bit better by New Zealand Cup time or I am much mistaken. She was now caix’ying 131 b Under weight for age, as compared to St. Hippo’s 21b over w\f.a., so the colt had a bit the worst of it on that scale. Now in .the New Zealand Cup (for which St. Hippo’s win on Saturday entails no penalty) Coalscuttle has to concede St. Hippo 21b in weight as compared with 51b she gave him on Saturday, so she meets him on 31b better terms, and though he beat her with quite that advantage in hand in the September Handicap, I fancy she will like the two miles better than he. But then on the other hand, according to the reasoning of the best judges — i.c., the framers of the weight-for-age scale—a

three-year-old makes a substantial improvement during every month of his three-year-old career, and in the New Zealand Cup St. Hippo has 61b under his weight for age. Should he win the Hawke’s Bay Guineas or the Spring Handicap, St. Hippo will, under the strangely-changed conditions of the New Zealand Cup, incur a penalty of either 51b or 71b for that event —a fact backers will do well to bear in mind. Ida ran a game little mare, but Warrior after making a bit of the running soon caved in ; the weight anchored Quadrant over the distance ; and Master Pat never fairly flattered his backers. To me in the early part of the season nothing possesses more charms than a two-year-old race. When I say “the early part of the season ” I do not wish it to be inferred that I am an advocate for such early two-year-old racing as the one held under the auspices of the A.R.C. in this month of grace, September. I think, for my part, that the opening day of October is quite early enough to ask two-year-olds to sport silk. This much by way of leading up to the Juvenile Plate of 75 sovs., 4 furlongs —the first two-year-old race of the season in New Zealand. The card showed half a dozen, but Black Rose’s half-brother Royal Rose, and Salisbury’s half-brother Acone were withdiawn in favour of Wright’s other charge Stan moor, the son of Ingomar and Onyx. He towered over his three opponents in point of size, and was a bit more forward in point of condition, and in addition he was the only representative of Wright’s stable, and backers laid odds on him in both the totalisators. He was quickest at beginning when the flag went down, and held command till well into the straight, when Captivity and Eve—the latter of whom was positively the last to leave the mark—drew up to his heels. Captivity soon cracked, but not so Eve, and Stanmoor changing his legs, the daughter of Brigadier and Jilt struggled on with indomitable gameness, and won by half a length, Captivity being a length and a half away. Eve is, like her dam, a good bit on the small side, but she is a well-turqed filly, and that she possesses plenty of gameness —an attribute which was certainly not a quality of her dam — she showed unmistakeably when she came through her opponents on Saturday. She was bred at Wellington Park, and is sired by Crackshot’s three parts brother Brigadier, a stallion who has not had anything like the chances he should have had, but has nevertheless shown ability to get winners. Eve’s dam, The Jilt, was rather a skittish lady when in training, but I remember her making most of the running in the Dunedin Cup of 1883, in which Adamant, Salvage and King Quail occupied the places, and later in the same day she took the Maiden Plate. She is by Traducer (imp ) — Fleurange (imp ), by Consul (winner of the French Derby) out of the Heir of Lynne mare Mdlle. de Fontenoy. Her full brother, Fleur de Lys, ran a good honest horse more than once in the colours of Messrs. Mason and Vallance, but the rest of Fleurange’s stock — beautifully bred mare though she is—were but mediocre. Fleurange is now the property of Mr. “ H. Horsford,” the Christchurch sportsman, who gave 25gs. for her at the dispersal of the Middle Park Stud. The old mare is now in her twentieth year, reckoning by English time. Eve’s dam, The Jilt, has not produced much so far. Her first foal (1885) was by Cadogan, and was christened The Don. He was owned by Messrs. Stephenson and Hazlett for some time, but was a failure at racing. She was not served in the following season, and in 1887 she produced a colt by Captivator, who was sent to Fiji as a youngster. Mr. Elliott, of Waitara, now owns .her three-year-old son by Woolbroker named Gay Deceiver. Eve was the next of her progeny, and Mr. Morrin now has a yearling filly out of her by Castor. She is in foal to Castor this season. Eve’s time for Saturday’s race was 51 sec. as compared with last season, but the starteis this year numbered exactly half of those of last season’s race.

Eight was the main for the Steeplechase Handicap, and the bulk of the money went on to Ingarangi and The Colonel, both of whom were looking very well. Marquis of Tewkesbury, The Colonel’s stable companion, was also substantially befriended, but the stable undoubtedly inclined more to The Colonel’s chance. Williamson was very confident that old Ingarangi, with all his 10.10, would run a great horse, and he wasn’t much in the wrong as things turned out, but I must confess that when I saw Ingarangi making running as soon as the flag fell I thought a mistaken policy was

being pursued with him. However, nothing got near him till about a mile from home, where he was still sailing away in front of Stepper and Business. But here I must mention that Marquis of Tewkesbury soon put his backers out of their misery, for after clearing the water he jumped the wing of the double opposite the stand, and cleared out and bolted with his rider to the reverse end of the course, while Potentate “ shied” his rider over his head into the water jump in a most artistic style, and the rider looked rather a damp “ artist ’’ when he emerged from his bath. The misbehaviour of Marquis of Tewkesbury was soon followed by another bit of bad luck for Rae’s stable, in that The Colonel when approaching the old water jump, and running strongly, was run off by Hopeful Kate, who in conjunction with Old Nick, declined this obstacle. But to return to the exciting finish between Ingarangi and Stepper. Ingarangi was quite two lengths in front of Stepper as they jumped the stone wall leading into the straight run home. This lead was slightly diminished when they reached the final hurdle, and indeed there was nothing to choose betwen them as they rose at it, but on the flat Stepper had most foot, and beat Ingarangi—who had run a great race under his top weight—by a couple of lengths. The Colonel, who when set going after his mishap, made up his ground very quickly, was third about 20 lengths off, and the only other one that finished was Business. Had The Colonel not been interfered with I think he would have materially troubled both Stepper and Ingarangi at the finish. Anyway, as I pointed out when the handicaps appeared, Mr. Evett had been a bit too lenient with Stepper in both the Hurdle Race and Steeplechase ; but after, his beating in the Hurdles a lot of his would-be backers stood off him, and the consequence was that he paid the best dividends of the day —£ll Is. inside, and £lO ss. outside.

St. Hippo Yattaghan, Warrior and Dorothy declined the contest for the Flying Handicap, which left a quintette to compete. As The Dancer had incurred no penalty for his win in the. Trial Hah- fl dicap he was served up very warm despite his carrying 21b over weight for age. and a good, deal of money went on to Quadrant, who is always hard to beat over a six-furlong course. Tit made play from a capital start as far as the home turn, where The Dancer drew up, and when he once got his head in front the race was as good as over. Quadrant came with a big run from the distance, but it was of no avail, for as soon as Gallagher shook up The Dancer he came on and won by half a length from Quadrant, who was about the same distance in front of Tit. The Dancer’s meritorious dual victory on Saturday makes one regret that his sire, Sword Dance, did not survive more than one season at the stud in the colony, for in that season he sired, not only The Dancer, but Tulloch and Thame, also winners. The Dancer’s dam Vivandiere has previously produced a good colt in Son of a Gun, who in Mr. R. Ray’s colours won the North Canterbury Cup, and ran second to Manton in the New Zealand Cup. Vivandiere is by Musket out of Georgi by Bishop of Osnaburgh (imp ), tracing back on the dam’s side to Alice Grey, the granddam of Yattendon. It may not be generally known that The Dancer has had a brief experience of stud life, for when about 18 months old he jumped a fence in one of the paddocks of his owner, Mr. Lynch, and made the acquaintance of a couple of mares, the result being a colt and filly which are now in Mr. Lynch’s possession. The concluding event on the card, the Welter Race, was a fiasco. The original entries numbered but three, and The Dancer was not pulled out again, so that only Morion and Kildare went to the post. Of course it was any odds on Morion, and he won as he liked by a couple of lengths. It is a thousand pities that the A.R.C.’s Committee ever altered the conditions of this race from those of last year. It was then a Hunters’ Welter Race, special * weights, the same distance, gentlemen riders, open only to horses that had been duly qualified in the hunting field, and it produced a good field of 11. With such a result staring them in the face it is surprising that the committee saw fit to alter its conditions ; but they have had to pay for their blunder, as on Saturday there were no investments on the race on the inside totalisator, and only £4 was put on outside the paddock. If the committee were determined to make a change from the conditions of last year’s race it would have been better by far for them to have made the event a Welter Handicap, open to all

horses three years old and upwards, minimum weight to be 10.7, and weights to be declared after the Flying Handicap was run. But this year’s Welter Race was a decided blot on an otherwise excellent programme. Gallagher was right ahead in the list of winning jockeys on the day, for he rode The Dancer in both his victories, and was also up on St. Hippo. D. Morrigan scored once on Marquis of Tewkesbury ; Hodson was on Eve ; Collins on Stepper; and Mr. J. W. Wallace on Morion. Among the sires represented Sword Dance scored twice with The Dancer. Brigadier —who promises to have a real good season, which he well deserves — showed us in Eve the first two-year-old winner of the season; and St. Leger—another young and not-too-well patronised sire—was represented by a couple of worthy winners in St. Hippo and Marquis of Tewkesbury. Maroro is responsible for the paternity of Stepper, and Captivator for that of Morion. It only remains to add that the arrangements for the conduct of the racing were admirably carried out under the able guiding hand of the secretary, Mr. Percival. Mr. Kirkwood’s decisions as judge were promptly delivered; Mr. Marks, as clerk of the scales, and Mr. T. Brown, as clerk of the course, were in the places they have so often filled of yore, which is equivalent to saying that they left no room for fault finding ; and Mr. E. D. Halstead’s starting was extremely creditable all through. Mr. Evett’s handicapping was slightly below his usual standard, especially as regards the way he dealt with Marquis of Tewkesbury and Stepper in the races they won, but it must be remembered that the commencement of a season is a particularly “rough” time for the handicapper to gauge form, as horses are so liable to improve or deteriorate according as they have wintered. Above all things on Saturday, time was well adhered to, so that when we had to turn our backs on k Ellerslie there was ample time for dinner, b May the weather be as fine, the attendance larger, but the sport as enjoyable when next time we are called upon to visit the Auckland Racing Club’s convincing ground.

At the settling over the meeting the following amounts were paid away to winning owners:— Mr. L.D. Nathan—lst September Handicap .. .. .. •. £95 0 Mr. J. Lynch—lst Trial Handicap (£42 15s), Ist Flying Handicap (£47 10s). 90 5 Mr. J. G. McKellar—lst Steeplechase .. 80 15 Mr. C. Archibald—lst Hurdle Race .. 57 0 Mr. J. Sutton—lst Juvenile Plate .. 57 0 Mr. W. Bobbett - 2nd Flying Handicap (£9 10s), Ist Welter Race (£3B) .. 47 10 Major George—2nd September Handicap 19 0 Mr. J. McAlister—2nd Steeplechase .. 14 15 Mr. G. Wright—2nd Juvenile Plate .. 910 Mr. J. M. Moore—2nd Welter Race .. 910 Mr. J. Bland—2nd Hurdle Race .. 9 10 Mr. J. Malcolm—3rd Juvenile Plate .. 4 15 Mr. A. Morgan—2nd Trial Hanpicap .. 415 Total.. .. .. .. £498 15