WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 140, 30 March 1893, Page 4

WELLINGTON.

March 27. The thoroughbred stallion Lebel, who has been purchased from Mr G. G. Stead by Mr Goodwin, of Waitara, arrived from the South by the Te Anau last week, and has been taken home by his new owner. The horse was stripped for my inspection, and looks exceedingly well. There is very little sign of the leg ailment which has prevented him running this season, and Mr Goodwin says it is not impossible that after a season at the stud he may put him into training. Mr Tate, who latterly had the Railway Hotel at the Hutt, attended Mr W. Douglas’ sale, and purchased a wellgrown three-year-old colt by The Mute— Scratch He is now in Wellington, and will probably be put into training. At the last meeting of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association Committee a deputation from the Hutt. County Trotting Club attended, and a discussion took place as to the terms upon which the Club should have the right of holding their meetings on the Show Ground at Petone. A resolution was passed that the Trotting Club be granted the use of a track at for one year, three meetings only to be held during that period, being charged for each additional meeting of the Trotting Club. The terms offered by the Association were agreed to, and it was decided to take immediate steps to form the track and make other arrangements for the opening meeting. During the discussion between the Club delegates and the Association, the delegates stated that they wished to take the ground for one year only at first, as they had heard from outside sources that there was a chance of the totalisator being abolished, and if that were the case they would not be able to bear the cost of renting the grounds. Upon this the Evening Post has a most virtuously indignant article on the encouragement of gambling. It starts by saying that the discussion was eminently instructive as to the influence of the totalisator on

gambling’. It was admitted (says this censor morum) that the existence of the trotting clubs must depend on the continuance of the totalisator. If the totalisator were done away with, the club could not hold meetings or pay its way. It then preaches a sermon on the evils of gambling, which is calculated to fetch the “ goody goodies,” but to people of common sense is humbug. It says that the club made no secret of the fact that the three meetings it proposed to add per annum to the numerous list of other opportunities for turf gambling in the neighbourhood of Wellington were to be purely totalisator meetings. There was no pretence of their being for the encouragement of horse breeding or the promotion of genuine sport; they were to be founded on the totalisator, and if there was to be no totalisator there would be no trotting clubs and no meetings. Now, as a matter of fact, I may say that the club simply took the proper precaution of not entering into an agreement which.in the event of a certain contingency they could not carry out. Has the editor of the Evening Post been doing a Rip Van Winkle sleep that he has only just discovered a Racing Club that depends upon the totalisator for the main portion of its revenue ? Every man who is wide awake knows that this has been the case with nearly all the Racing Clubs for years, and that all of them would have to draw in their horns if the machine were abolished. Mr Evett’s weights for the Thompson Handicap, which were published on Friday last, have not been very favourably received. It is considered that he has made great mistakes in giving Boulanger as much as The Workman, and giving Krina only 7.12, or nib less than St. Katherine after Krina beating her saintly stable companion at only 71b the other day at Napier Park. My idea is that The Workman 9.3, Thame 8.0, Kulnine 8.0, Krina 7.12, Heather Bell 7 to, Rebellion 7.7, and Sword Belt 7.6, are the pick of the handicap. The racing track at the Hutt has been imptoved by the recent flood, and is now in capital order for racing. The Johnsonville and Hutt County Trotting Club holds its Easter Meeting next Monday. If Dakota were well and in good condition he would have no difficulty in winning the Easter Handicap, but I doubt his being so ; and next to him I like May Queen and Rob Roy, both with zosec. The following are the handicaps:— Maiden Handicap, two miles (saddle or harness). —Flirt, The Snail, Guarantee, Guy, Speculation, Buckley, Mabel, Nelson, Lulu, Taneru and Logic, scratch; Whakatea s sec > Dodger sosec, Porirua issec, Gift 11. 3osec. Pony Trot Handicap, two miles (in saddle). — May scratch, Starlight 11. 2osec ; Hokimai, Ceres and Hickory, 25sec; Folly and Winnie, josec; Darkie and Donkey, sosec; Nellie 6osec, Lady Gertrude 6 5 sec. District Race Handicap, two miles (in saddle). —Conway, scratch ; Whakatea and Mabel, 3osec; Deception and Buckley, 35sec ; Director. 4osec ; Porirua and Dodger, 45sec; Donkey, Gift 11. and Kitty, bosec. , Easter Handicap, three miles (in saddle).— Dakota scratch, Prince 11. ssec, Fragment losec, St. James and Sultan, 25sec; Gold-dust and Granny, 3osec; May Queen and Rob Roy, 4osec ; Flirt sosec, Co’-way 6osec, Countess 11. 6ssec, Speculation 75sec. ' Selling Handicap, two miles (in harness or saddle). —Sultan scratch, Gold-dust Bsec, May Issec, Flirt 2osecj; Bob and Snail, 2ssec; Speculation, Hakimai and Taneru, 35sec; Director 45secj Gift 11. bosec. Stewards’ Handicap, two miles (in harness). — Dakota, scratch ; Fragment and Prince 11., losec; Logic 3osec, M.N. sosec, Hokimai bosec. At Tauherenikau on Saturday my selections are : —Hurdles, The Dromedary ; Hack Hurdles, Jimmy; Flying, Thalia; Trial Hack,;.Alma; Easter Handicap, Viola IL first, Violence second, and Thalia third; Easter Hack Handicap, Brookfield ; Welter, Mutineer or Dromedary.