WELLINGTON RACING CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 130, 19 January 1893, Page 8

WELLINGTON RACING CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING.

The Wellington Racing Club’s Summer Meeting will be commenced on Monday next, and continued on Wednesday. The minor events on the first day have been accepted for pretty well, but I am sorry to say there are a very small number of “ contents” in the Wellington Cup, the principal event of the meeting. Though perhaps from a sporting point of view the gathering does not promise to be a big success, it is always a popular one with the public, more especially as one of the days set apart is that of the anniversary of the foundation of Wellington. Therefore Secretary Lyon is pretty certain to be confronted with a big crowd on Monday, if not on Wednesday—always providing, of course, that the weather is propitious. Dealing with the events in the order in which they appear on the club’s programme, I first of all come to the Anniversary Handicap of lOOsovs, one mile. Torpedo, 9.0, is well known as a brilliant horse up to this distance, but though I do not look on him as out of it, I am inclined to glance further down the list for the winner. I think 8.5 will stop Dreamland over a mile, neither can I recommend Scot Free with 21b less. I like Swordbelt at 7.12, though, and passing by St. Katherine and Violence at 7.11 and 7.9 respectively, I place a “dangerous” mark against Free Lance, 7.7. The local people speak of Ngatioma, 7.4, as an improving horse, and therefore he may be entitled to respect, but as I know little about him I shall discard him, as well as the pair below him in the handicap, Prince Cole, 7.3, and Senator, 7.0.

As ‘I ‘have hinted above I expect the weight td stop Torpedo in the last furlong*/ and therefore I shall divide my vote between Swordbelt and Free Lance. The entries for the Hurdle Handicap iof lOOsovs, 2 miles, numbered but sixwhy so small an entry was rather puzzling —and four have accepted They are not by any means a brilliant lot, but from what I know of them I should think the top weight. Paradox, 10.9, would be equal to the task of getting home. The Hack Hurdle Handicap of 30sovs, one ‘mile and a half, has an acceptance of seven, and from little I know of the form of‘tho se engaged I look to Houp La to bi, ' ! ■ ’ 1 ' ’ * /Next comes the item of the programme, the Cup of 400sovs, toa piece of plate of the value of ‘lOOsovs, one mile and a-half. An acceptance- of but 11 out of 51 entered originally cannot be considered satis■factory. But let us look at what has dropped out before proceeding to consider 'the prospects orthose left in Merganser was the first defection from the original handicap, and then we come to Prime i ..Warden, whose party are evidently waiting for Dunedin, which is nearer home for them. A good many backers burnt their fingers over Stepriiak, but they have only themselves to blame, as they knew that he had-I ut recently hit himself in a gallop, and therefore was hardly likely to be well enough so soon. I threw out a note of warning in this direction last week, when I reviewed the handicap. Kulnine was hardly expected to make the journey from Christchurch, and Fraternite is, as far as I know, still on the sick list. The journey is a bit too far for Hippomenes, as I pointed out when reviewing the handicap, and the fact' of Mr McKinnon scratching Scot Free and leaving Loch Ness in shows which he considers the best in at the weights. ’Johnny Faa is a cripple, but I thought Cretonne would have accepted. However his owner has left Boulanger in, ‘despite the vigorous denunciations of the j Wanganui scribes as to the way Mr Evett had handicapped him through Crackshot. Sword Belt’s owner evidently prefers the ; shorter races on the day, and so does the owner of Free Lance. Dilemma, Thame, North Atlantic, and Strephon are under suspicion, so their absence is easily accounted for. St. Katherine’s owner intends having a cut in for some of the shorter races at the meeting. Awarua ' Rose hurt himself in the N.Z. Cup race, blit Crown Jewel was nicely handicapped, and her absence leads me to the conclusion that she cannot be quite herself just now. Whakawatea we know to be “ off ’colour,” and as Saracen is trained in the same stable as Prime Warden, it is fair to presume that he, too, is holding off pending Dunedin Cup time. The non- - acceptors below Saracen can easily be accounted for, and none of them would, in’ all probability, have affected the re•sult. So that after all, perhaps, the 11 •that have been paid up for are nearly as ■many as we could expect. The handicapper is, of course, not responsible for •the crippled state of several of the competitors, nor for the fact that there was a terrible lot of modiocre horses engaged. Now let me come to the point though, and deal with those that are left in. Last week, in commencing my review of the handicap, I expressed myself thusly with regard to Boulanger, who now heads the list of acceptors : —“ Boulanger, up to the present season though showing himself to be a brilliant horse up to a mile and aquarter, did not seem to relish the task ..of getting further than that, but he rather unexpectedly stayed out the New Zealand Cup distance so far as to get into a place with 8.4 up. A knock, however. debarred him from starting again at the C.J.C.’ff meeting, so we are left in ignorance as to his prospects and present condition. But if he be landed fit and well at the post I shall have him on my side.” At the weights given him I certainly thought Cretonne was well in, but as Mr Paul has taken him out and left Boulanger in, I shall certainly have the latter on my side now. In reviewing the whole handicap in the last issue of •the Sporting’ Review, I picked a septette to supply the winner, of which four remain in, viz. : —Crackshot, Rosefeldt, Revolution, and Loch Ness, and adding Boulanger to these, I shall place Crackshot .. .. .. 1 , Rosefeldt .. .. .. 2 Boulanger .. .. .. 3 with Revolution close up. Out of seven entries for the Nursery Handicap of lOOsovs, 6 furlongs, there are six acceptors. In giving Westmere M 9.0 think Mr Evett gave this real good colt every possible chance. Noyade,

7.7, has already won this season, and seems smartish. Busybody, 78. was a strong tip "or the C.J.O. Welcome Stake weeks before it came off, but she did not run up to expectations. Persuasion, 7.8, on the score of being a full sister to Cajolery, should be fast, but I shall stick to public form and go for Westmere, and Noy -de and Busybody may fill the other places. After a Hack Handicap comes the Welter Handicap of 80sovs, one mile and a quarter. Torpedo is top weight with 9.12, but he may have had a race out of him, added to which I think the journey is a bit too far for him. Bay King, 9.7, generally runs well under welter weights, and I look upon him as very dangerous now. Others I am partiol to are Paradox, 8.10, and Revolt, 8.4, and I shall vote for Bay King, with Revolt second, and Paradox third.

There are nine acceptors for the Telegraph Handicap of lOOsovs, 6 furlongs, with which the day’s sport concludes, and as the majority of them have engagements earlier in the day, it is very hard to pick it. At the present weights, however, I like Dreamland and Loch Ness best, and one of these may win. I cannot deal with the events of the Wednesday, because the handicaps are not due till mid-day on Tuesday.