HAWKE’S BAY JOCKEY CLUB’S SPRING MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 114, 29 September 1892, Page 7

HAWKE’S BAY JOCKEY CLUB’S SPRING MEETING.

The ever-popular Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club will open their operations for the season of 1892-3 at Hastings on Monday next. The Napier correspondent of this journal in his weekly budget in another

column alludes to the aspect of the H.B. J.C.’s enclosure, and notes several improvements thereto since racing was last held there in June. The acceptances and general entries are published in another column of this issue, and given fine weather there can be no doubt that the Metropolitan Club of the H awk e s Bay district will have a good time of it for the inauguration of the new season s racing under their auspices. The Hurdle .Race has half-a-dozen acceptors, and I fancy that Gondolier .will start first favourite, but it is his maiden essay over hurdles, backers should not fail to remember, and I expect him to go down before Kaimanawa, next to whom I fancy Viola 11. I certainly expected more than a quintette to pay up for the Hawke’s Bay Guineas, but there is one thing to be observed —each of the acceptors is running in a different interest, and each of them had good credentials last season. The Guineas has been a favourite race with Mr. Stead before now, and therefore I was not surprised to find him pay up for Stepniak, although after the son of Nordenfeldt not starting for the Timaru Guineas, and the reports of some ailment affeoting him that reached here frem the South, I thought the registered owner of the yellow jacket would have relied on Hybrid. Though Stepniak ran well in thetearlier part of last season he seemed to stand still towards the latter end, and unless he has come on considerably I think he will be badly beaten on this occasion. In St. Hippo and North Atlantic he has a pair of daisy clippers to meet, and I would point out to backers that North Atlantic gets a gelding allowance of 51b. We have already seen St. Hippo in great form this season, but we have |yet to see whether North Atlantic has improved from a two-year-old to a three - year - old. Did I see him delivered fit and well at the post I would have him and nothing else, but as it is, I am compelled with the form that St. Hippo has displayed so far this season, to think that whatever beats the son of St. Leger and Hippona will win. And I think the one that will perform that feat is one of the weaker sex, which sex is represented in the race by a couple —St. Katherine and Variety. Both showed some good form last season, but St. Katherine’s form was better than that of Natator’s daughter, and it is this daughter of Stonyhurst that I opine will effect the overthrow of St. Hippo, who is pretty certain to start a warm favourite. Last season St. Katherine won half-a-dozen races, some of them in really good company and with big weights up, and, going on the supposition that she has improved as should be expected, I shall tip St. Katherine to get home in front of St. Hippo and North Atlantic in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas. The Maiden Plate of a mile and aquarter is next in order on the card, and has the creditable entry of ten. A lot of interest will be attached thereto by the presence of several youngsters whose first appearance in public it will be, and the issue will take a lot of picking. Tipping in the dark, so to speak, for “ maidens ” at the commencement of a new season, takes a bit of sorting out, but I shall select Mr. W. Douglas’ filly Ua to win, with Spinfeldt next best. The Welcome Stakes, for two-year-olds, might reasonably have been expected to attract a bigger entry than half a dozen, all of whom are North Islanders exeept Mr. Stead’s colt Geraint, who is by Lochiel out of Sir Modred’s half-sister Enid. Like his dam, this colt is a bit on the small side, but looked like coming early when I last saw him, and I think St. Cecelia and Geraint will be the pair most prominent at the finish. The handicap for the Corinthian Stakes is not to hand at the time of writing, so I pass on to the Flying Handicap, for which the capital acceptance of fifteen has been received. Cynisca heads the poll at 9.7, and over the six furlongs will take some beating, more especially as a victory will not entail any penalty in the New Zealand Cup. The Dancer at 8.11 has to be very much reckoned with after that merry six furlongs he cut out at the Auckland Spring Meeting with slb more in the saddle. Ido not care for Thame, but I like St. Hippo at 7.11, the more so as even if he win the Guineas he gets no penalty. Of the pair in at 7; 12 I would sooner stand Dreamland than Heather Bell, but I do not care for either Swivel, Pearl Powder, Variety or Rangiatea. From all I hear of Esca she is the only one of the bottom weights that has a show, but I shall select The Dancer

to get home first, with Cynisca and Dreamland in the other places. On the second day the only event with which I can deal is the Spring Handicap of a mile and a half, which will of course be a good deal affected by the first day’s racing. Should St. Hippo win the Guineas he will get a 71b. penalty, bringing his weight up to 8.0, which should stop him, and in that case The Dancer will be well worth standing by. Even at the weights as they stand at present I like the roan son of Sword Dance as well as anything at 7.12 —a weight which will not be increased should he prove the best of the Flying Handicap lot. Rosefeldt with lib less is dangerous, but bar her, I am not particularly partial to anything but St. Hippo and Huerfana, and for reasons mentioned above I am inclined to pass the Aucklander by. I will therefore sum up by saying that I think the places will be filled by The Dancer, Rosefeldt and Huerfana, and I expect them to finish in that order. As regards the other events, I may remark that 12 have been entered for the October Handicap, 10 for the Second Hurdles, 16 for the Trial Handicap, 7 for the Nursery Handicap, the same for the Corinthian Stakes, 11 for the Welter Handicap, and 11 for the Final Handicap. [by wire. J [FROM OUR NAPIER CORRESPONDENT.) Wednesday Night. My tips for the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting are :— Guineas —St. Hippo 1, Stepniak 2, North Atlantic 3. Spring Handicap—St. Hippo 1, Rosefeldt 2, Pearl Powder 3. Flying — The Dancer 1, Swivel 2, Dreamland 3. First Hurdles —Gondolier 1, Tiritea 2, Worth 3. Welcome Stakes - Geraint 1, Westmere 2, Middlepark 3. Maiden Plate — Spinfeldt 1, Ua 2, Rangiatea 3.