WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 125, 15 December 1892, Page 6

WELLINGTON.

December sth. The Feilding Spring Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday last was not favoured by fine weather. Tuesday was a beautiful day, but during the night the sky clouded over, and on Wednesday morning it was raining. It left off once or twice, but heavy rain squalls, with at times thunder and lightning, continued throughout the afternoon, making the course very sloppy, and the lawn and saddling paddock very unpleasant for locomotion. The sudden change was very unfortunate, for the club had gone to great expense in the way of improvements, and had largely increased the amount of their stakes ; and although the meeting yielded a good profit—about I hear —it would no doubt have been much more successful if the weather had been fine. The second day was a great improvement on the first, but a few showers fell during the afternoon. The club has spent /1400 on the course during the last three years, and it is now one of the best in the district. It is al most square, but two of the sides are curved, while the other two are quite straight. It is just a mile in length, and perfectly level. The grand-stand is even now hardly large enough, and the lawn and saddling paddock will have to be extended if the same progress is made in the near future as has been made in the last two years. The meeting held the other day takes the place of the Summer Hack Meeting, which has hitherto been held on the 27th December, but the Manawatu Club having extended their Boxing Day meeting over two days, the stewards determined to hold a two days’ meeting earlier in the season. Their enterprise in giving close on £7OO in stakes was rewarded by a magnificent entry, the nominations being twice as numerous as they have ever had, and including some good class horses. Among the visitors, who numbered about 800 on each day, were almost all the leading settlers in the district and a good sprinkling of Wellington sports. Owing to the saturated condition of the track public form was rudely upset in nearly every race, and big dividends were the rule on both days. Gladius, who won the hurdle races, has evidently come back to his, old. form. He won on the second day, with 10.7,

just as easily as he did on the first day with 9.8. Tattler, a Python horse, who has won a lot of hack races on the flat, jumped well, and will do better when he gets more used to the game. Glenelg, who ran third each day, has evidently recovered from the injury he sustained at Wanganui last season, and ran well considering that he is a bit short of condition. Bradshaw, a son of Cast-off, appropriated the Hack Hurdles, carrying 10.5, the two others that were fanced. Sister 10.7, and Respond 9.10, not being placed. In this race a terrible accident occurred, Mr. Jackman’s Daybreak being killed in the most extraordinary way. He was on the inside, and the horse next to him swerved at a hurdle in the straight, and drove him against the rail at a point where it was spliced. The splice gave with the horse’s weight, and the near portion was forced out of position. The horse then came full butt against the sharp end of the other portion. This entered just behind his off shoulder and went clean through him, sticking out under the saddle about two feet, and completely impaling him. Of course there was nothing for it but to cut the poor brute’s throat. This was done at once, and it took several men to drag the body off the rail. Fortunately the jockey sustained no other injury than a severe shaking by his fall. Mr. Durie’s Musket, by Armament —Leita, who won the Welter at the recent Wellington Spring Meeting, was not fancied for the St. Andrew’s Handicap, for which Sunbeam 7.2, Zaccho 7.9, and Ngati-oma 6.9 were the best backed. He, however, seemed to revel in the heavy going, and as Sunbeam and Violence, who should have been first and second, were both interfered with, he won comfortably from the Maori-owned Rangipuhi, and paid the nice dividend of 6s. Sunbeam had her revenge in the Kiwitea Stakes, one mile, later on, fairly wearing down the great favourites, Torpedo and Paradox. Sunbeam is a full sister to Waterbury, being by Natator out of Sunshine, and it will be remembered that she distinguished herself by winning two races at Wanganui Spring on the first occasion of her appearing in other than hack company. On the second day she again scored, taking the Manchester Handicap, for which Violence, 7.9, was favourite, in good style. One of the surprises of the first day was the victory of the hack Marama in the First Hack Flying Handicap. This is a five-year-old bay gelding by Izaak Walton—Lilian, and had never before won a race. He belongs to Mr. W. Hunia, a Maori chief in the Rangitikei district, and paid the welcome dividend of £2O 15s. With i6lbs more weight on the second day he also won tne Second Hack Flying in a field of 13 runners. Mr. J. Kennedy’s mare Respond, by Patriarch out of a Day Dawn mare, who was put about as a good thing in the Hack Hurdles at Wanganui, but who came to grief, was heavily backed in the race won by Bradshaw on the first day. She, however, cut up badly, and great was the surprise when she cleared out from her field on the second day and upset a very carefully-laid coup in Mr. Wellsman’s ch g Allegretto, a halfbrother to Allegro, the mare who won your Steeplechase some years ago and was drowned while being landed at Taranaki on her return. Allegretto would have paid about dividend. A protest was laid against Respond for inconsistent running, but it was promptly dismissed." The Railway Stakes on the second day fell to the same owner’s beautiful mare Paradox, who was almost the only favourite that won during the meeting. There was a bit of a sensation over the last race of the meeting. The Shorts. For this Torpedo, 9.10, was made a hot favourite, and numbers who had lost on the meeting plunged on him for a recovery. To their dismay he was left at the post, and the race was won by the local outsider Poynsettia, who had run very indifferently in the Kiwitea Stakes on the first day, and now paid a dividend of 14s. The starter declared he was not to blame for the favourite not getting away, and the owner declared he would not run another horse at any meeting where Mr. Woods started. There was, however, no formal complaint or protest, and,the matter was not inquired into. It was a curious thing that abont fifty tickets were put on Ua during the ten minutes before the flag fell. If there was any funny business the intended eoup missed fire. Messrs. Hill and Poole, who worked the machine, put through on the first day , and on the second, the total being £5 296, which is /"2O4more than! was put through at the (Hub’s two days’ meeting last Easter. The result, considering

the weather, is deemed to be very satisfactory. Mr. Rathbone’s Merganser, who is considered very well in the Auckland Cup, will leave Christchurch by the Hauroto on Thursday, and it is reported will go straight through to Auckland. Mr. Hunter has scratched Cynisca, not liking her chance with Merganser, but will himself come up to the meeting. The opinion here is that Merganser, The Workman, and St. Hippo are the best handicapped horses in the Cup. ["This letter, owing to some laxity in the Post Office Department, reached us too late for last week’s publication. — Ed.] December 9th. Mr. G. W. Smart, of this city, who recently owned Ranee Nuna and Paramu, has purchased in Christchurch the wellknown trotting gelding Dakota, one of the horses who lately broke the New Zealand record. The price, I believe, was £75. Dakota is still in Christchurch, but will be brought up for the approaching trotting meetings of the Johnsonville and Wellington Trotting Clubs. The same gentleman has leased the fourteenstalled stable which he has just built at Randwick, close to the Hutt racecourse, to Mr. Isaac James for twelve months. The new proprietor is the father of the well-known jockey James, who will be remembered as having got into trouble over the Tuhitarata-Comet affair at Tauherinikau last year. The rumour that Mr. P. F. Tancred, of the Wairarapa, has purchased Mr. Redwood’s Prince Cole is quite untrue. The report got about in consequence of Mr. Tancred having bought him in for the owner when he was offered at auction here a fortnight ago. The weights for the Christmas and New Year’s meetings are now nearly all published. Mr. J. Paul, of Wanganui, is so dissatisfied with the weights his horses have received at Palmerston and Rangitikei that he has scratched the lot. Mr. J. E. Henry is handicapper for both meetings. Liberator 8.9, Swordbelt 80, and Retina 7.8, are looked upon as the pick of the Palmerston Cup, which is run on Boxing Day. Gladius ran so well at Feilding that he should win again at Palmerston with 11.0, but many are inclined to the chance of Raven with 10.12. The Rangitikei weights are of course nearly a facsimile of those at Palmerston, so that anticipations of results may be left for the present. Some time ago it will be remembered that a club called the Ohau Racing Club applied for leave to race on a course at Manukau on the Manawatu line, about ten miles from Otaki. The programme sent in did not comply with the recently amended Rules of Racing, and was sent back, and the stewards hearing that the Metropolitan Club would not pass their meeting in any case did not persevere with their application. Another club, calling itself the Manukau-Ohau Racing Club, has now been formed, and a day or two ago sent in an application to the Wellington stewards for permission to hold a small meeting on the Ohau course on Boxing Day, not using a totalisator. The Ohau Club, which has not yet given up hopes of being granted permission to race, object to having their claim jumped and accordingly forwarded a protest against the Manukau-Ohau Club being allowed to race on the same course, as it would prevent any other club racing on it for a year. I hear to-day that the stewards, having considered the application and the protest, have declined to grant the former. There is a report about that a movement is being agitated at Petone and the Hutt for the formation of a third trotting club. The object of the promoters is to form a course on the Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s new show ground at Petone. At present the scheme is quite in embryo, but I believe it is a fact that it has been mooted.

Merganser and Cynisca are on board the Waihora, which is coming in as I write. Merganser, it is said, is going straight through to Auckland. The boat has had a fearful passage, and this might alter arrangements. [By Wire.] Tuesday. Retina and Liberator, now in Canter bury, are expected to come north immediately after the North Canterbury Meeting, to fulfil their engagements at Palmerston and Rangitikei. Swordbelt is entered at Masterton— Opaki and Palmerston Boxing J Day Meetings, but it is generally understood that he goes to Palmerston. Acceptances for both meetings close on Saturday next. There is a dispute over Mr. Driscoll’s

entry of the hurdler Jacob for the Lower Valley Meeting on Boxing Day. It was sent by post to Martinboro on the Ist, in ' plenty of time for closing date, the 3rd. His name did not appear in the list of nominations, and the secretary writes to say that the letter enclosing the entry only reached him on the 7th, although the envelope bears the postmark. “ Martinboro, 2nd December.” As yet there is no explanation of the delay, and the entry has been declined. ' Mr. Driscoll has complained to the Metropolitan Club, whose secretary has written to the Lower Valley Club, asking for a reconsideration of their decision. It will be hard on Mr. Driscoll if the stewards persist in their decision, as there is no doubt his entry arrived in Martinboro the day before entry closing. The point is rather an interesting one. The stewards of the Horowhenua Club are making fresh efforts to get the injunction against their racing on their course at Otaki removed, and a delegate waited on the Metropolitan stewards the other day on the subject, but I believe he was referred to the letter which was sent to the Otaki Maori Club advising a combination of interests. It is thought possible that, although the Maoris are determined to keep to themselves, they might agree 1 to amalgamate with the Horowhenua Club with an arrangement by which the combined club could hold two meetings in the year, one of which could be managed by Maoris and the other by Europeans. I fear the scheme, which is a very novel one, is impracticable. Plans for further improvements on the ■ Hutt course are now in course of preparation by Mr. Chatfield, architect. The principal feature is the erection of a new stand in the weighing paddock. On top will be accommodation for the stewards and the press, and on the ground floor will be the secretary’s office, stewards’ room, weighing room, press room, and telegraph office. The two latter compartments will adjoin one another, and there will be a slide window connecting them, so that reporters can hand in their messages immediately after writing them. The cost is estimated at about £350. The training tracks are to be considerably improved. The Johnsonville and Hutt County Trotting Club have received 121 entries for the eight events at their Boxing Day meeting. The entries for the principal events are:—Cotherstone, Gold-dust, Venus, Spider May Queen, Countess 11., Dakota, Fragment, Tuesday, Waitawhile, Rarus, Prince 11. Barkley, Prince 1., Conway, Cable, Message, and Major. The handicaps are due to-mor-row evening. Dr. D. H. McKinnon, the secretary of the above mentioned club, was as nearly as possible drowned on Saturday by being capsized from a dingy while going off to a yacht at the opening of the yachting season. When picked up by a plucky carpenter named Peter Hakley, belonging to H.M.S. Goldfinch—who jumped into the reserve and swam some distance with all his clothes on—he was just going down, and was quite insensible >• When taken on board the gunboat. To- ' day. however, he was down town and appeared all right. The Wairarapa Jockey Club have had extensive improvements carried on on their Tauherehikau course, including the erection of a new grand-stand, enlargement of the lawn, a saddling paddock, rearrangement of totalisator house, and making a broad drive from the main road to the enclosures. Hitherto visitors have had to drive or walk over about a quarter of a mile of grass paddock. • Everything will be completed in time for their Summer Meeting on the 2nd and 3rd of January. Mr Alfred King has published his weights for the Masterton-Opaki Boxing Day Meeting, and for the Otaki Maori Meeting. For the Opaki Handicap, 1£ miles, the weights are as follows :—Revolution'9.7, Swordbelt 8.10, Violence 8.4, Comet 8.4, Angler 8.2, Revolt 7 7, Senator 7.7, Viola 11. 7.2, Kaitaia 7.0. Tbe Opaki stewards are advertising that no betting on the course other than by the medium of the totalisator will be allowed at the coming meeting. The trotter Dakota has not yet arrived from Christchurch. Another sporting man has met with a serious accident. Richard Roake, better known as Dick Roake, the huntsman, was riding out to Mirama, where the kennels are, on Friday night, when he was thrown from his horse, which it is supposed kicked him while on the ground. He was -found in the morning in a semi-uncon-scious condition and taken to the hospital, where it ‘ was found that he had

sustained concussion of the brain. Latest reports are to the effect that his injuries are not very serious, and that he is rapidly mending. A report is in circulation here that St. Hippo will not start for the Auckland Cup Two to one is now the best offer against Merganser, but betting on the event is paralysed. Mr. T. M. Wilford, of the Hutt, has had the bad luck to have his promising two-year-old filly Highfield, by Fitzhercules —Ada York, badly hurt. She tried to jump out of a paddock she was running in when she came to grief, and it was afterwards discovered that she had badly injured a fetlock. She has been placed in slings, but it is feared she is done for as far as racing is concerned. She took first prize in her class at the recent Wellington A. and P. Show. The weights for the Lower Valley Boxing Day Meeting were declared yesterday by Mr. Henry. For the L.V.J.C. Handicap, two miles, they are as follows :—Revolution 9.6, Violence 8.0, Osman 7.12, Tuhitarata 7.9, Angler 7.7, Deception 7.6, General Gordon 6* 11, Morihu 6.10, Viola 11. 6.7.