WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 144, 27 April 1893, Page 6

WELLINGTON.

April 18. Mb S. H. Gollan’s three, two-year-olds The Possible (by Nordenfeldt —Realisation), Kempenfeldt (by Nordenfeldt — Bianca), and the Newminster —Beryl colt, which lately returned from Australia, were brought down from Napier last week and shipped to Sydney on Friday by the Mararoa en route for Caulfield, where they will join Percy Martin’s team. They are all fine-looking animals, and Ben Nicholls, who is in charge, has them in robust health.

A pleasant little incident took place in the stewards’ room on the second day of the Wellington Autumn Meeting. Mr N. Grace, of the Wairarapa, who has been a steward of the club for many years and was for some time honorary starter, was presented by the President, Mr H. D. Bell, on behalf of the club, with a handsome gold chronograph, valued at sixty guineas, in token of their recognition of the good work he had done in a thankless billet, and of their

esteem for him as a sportsman and a gentleman. Mr Bell made a very eulogistic speech in making the presentation, and said that as Mr Grace had now undertaken the office of timekeeper they thought the most suitable gift they could make to him was a stop watch, which they all hoped he would live to use for many years. Mr Grace, who was quite taken by surprise, and was greatly affected by the gift and remarks of Mr Bell, returned thanks, expressing his keen appreciation of the kindly feeling which had dictated such a very flattering testimonial. He had always tried to do his best for the club without fee or hope of reward, and he hoped to be long spared to still be of service to them. There were general congratulations all round, and Mr Grace at once put on the watch and used it for the remainder of the afternoon in timing the races. He is one of our most popular stewards. The Marlborough Autumn Meeting is attracting a lot of horses from this side. W. McMorran has taken over H. Parata’s Primus and Manawanui, and to-day the Rotorua took over Mr Freeth, accompanied by J. Reed, with Revolt and Violence; Messrs E. Cutts and G. Matthews with Awarua Rose, Princess Cole, Stockfish, King Harry, and Von Tempsky (the two last mentioned are being returned to their homes to be turned out) ; Wi Hutana with Tuhitarata ; W. Davies with Ken,t and Sweet Dream ; and Gravestock with Mr Tancred’s Princess of Whales. Gooseman is training Stockfish for Mr N Nathan, but he having to return to Napier, the horse has been taken charge of by E. Cutts for the meeting. Mr S. Kohn, watchmaker and jeweller, of Lambton Quay, some time ago promised that when the new stewards’ stand at tho Hutt was erected he would present the club with a 2ft dial clock for it. He has kept his word, and the clock was in position on the second day of the meeting, and was greatly appreciated. [The above was unavoidably held over from last week. —Ed.] 22nd April. The Marlborough Meeting is over, and the local and Southern contingent have returned. Cutts landed the Cup and Welter with Awarua Rose. The victories were very popular, and Mr Henry Redwood, the veteran breeder and owner, who was present, was cheered to the echo. It is very remarkable that this disappointing horse should show his best form and win two races at his owner’s headquarters. Cutts also landed the Wairau Plate for Mr Nathan with Stockfish, who was also second in the Cup, the Welter, and the Riverlands Handicap. Mr Halward’s Kent was heavily backed in town for the Wairau Plate, but he was not placed. Tuhitarata and Violence were greatly fancied for the Cup by the Wairarapa contingent, and they were also doomed to disappointment. Freeth landed the Flying with his Treason colt Revolt, who was reckoned such a certainty that it was impossible to get £\ on him with any of the ‘ books ’ in town after 11 o’clock, and I am surprised that under the circumstances he paid even money. Primus, who was reckoned a good thing for the Hack Hurdles, went down before Langley the Devil, who was giving him 2 stone all but a pound, and he cannot be so good as his party thought him. He had a win in the Hack Flat Handicap, 11 miles, on the second day, and as he only paid £1 15s it is to be supposed he was heavily backed. He is a shapely and well bred horse this Primus, being by Natator from a Day Dawn mare, but is a bit shifty, especially in his jumping. Langley the Devil is the horse which got the stakes in the Hack Hurdle Race at the Hutt when Marinej - (with over dividend) was disqualified. He must be in rare form now, for besides winning the Hack Hurdle Race he also appropriated the Half-Mile Hack. Flat. Ashe paid £j 4s in the Hurdles and £5 is in the Flat, his friends who stuck to him must have done well.

The Saddle Trot was won by the scratch horse Cable, a well known local performer, who gave some of his opponents as much as 75sec in the z| miles, getting home in ymin 56 j-ssec. The Hutt stable got a win with Kent in the last race, the Farewell Handicap of zosovs, 1 mile and a distance, but I hear they did not get a fortune out of the machine. Mr Tancred was again unfortunate, the best performance of his mare Princess of Whales being a third in the Welter Handicap. The weather at the meeting was -howery, and this made things generally , ery slow. • • . .

The programmes of the Wellington Trotting Club for a meeting on the 24th May, and of the Wairarapa Trotting Club for a meeting at Carterton on the Ist June, are issued. The Wellington Club are giving in stakes, the principal race being the Club Handicap of 6osovs, 2 | miles. The meeting is to be held on the club’s new racecourse at Miramar Park. The track is situated at the head of Evans’ Bay, onlv a few hundred yards from the. Kilbirnie' Hotel. The property has been secured on favourable terms of lease from Mr H. D. Crawford, and is in every way suitable for the purpose. It comprises about 30 acres, and as it is only a few minutes’ walk from the tramway terminus at Newtown, will no doubt be largely patronised by the public, as the expense of locomotion will be almost nil. The club is offering liberal stakes largely in advance of anything yet offered in the district, and these should bring together some of the best performers in the colony. The Wairarapa Club’s programme is less pretentious, the stewards deeming it prudent for a start to limit the added money to £lOO. They have a capital track on the Wairarapa A. and P. Association Show Grounds.

The newly-formed Upper Hutt Trotting Club elected their officers at a meeting held at the beginning of this week. Mr H. G. Rawson is president; Dr. Purdy, Messrs. C. Rawson and A. A. McCulloch, vice-presidents; judge, MrW. Connell; hon. treasurer, Mr G. Brown; timekeeper, Mr C. Rawson; handicapper, Mr Alfred King; secretary, Mr Chas. Williams. The programme for a meeting to be held about the middle of June is to be issued immediately.

| BY WIRE. ]

April 24. The Programme Committee of the Wellington Racing Club met to-day, and decided to hold their Steeplechase Meeting on Saturday, July Bth, and to allow the United Hunt Club the Hutt Course for their Steeplechase Meeting on Wednesday, July 12th. They also drew up a programme for the Wellington Steeplechase Meeting. It is the same as last year, except that the stake in the Wellington Steeplechase is reduced from 225 sovs to 200sovs, and the Ladies’ Trophy is to be called the Bracelet Handicap, and to be in value 50sovs, instead of 60 sovs, and instead of as last year being an open race it is this year to be confined to horses that have never won an advertised race of any description, exceeding 26sovs in value, at time of entry. The added money is thus 550sovs instead of 585 sovs. Entries are due on Tuesday, June 18th, and the weights immediately after the Hawke’s Bay Winter Meeting. The Committee also passed the programme of the Kotahitangi Maori Hack Racing Club for a meeting to be held on the Akura racecourse, near Masterton, on Thursday, May 18th. The sum of 170 sovs is to be given in stakes, and the following are the names of the races :— Hawaiki Hurdles, Rongokaka Hurdles, Hinemutipo Bracelet, Kotahitangi R.C. Handicap of 50sovs, Huia Maiden Tiritiri-Waitangi Flying Handicap, and Matariki Farewell Handicap. The total amount paid by the Wellington Racing Club over the lawsuits anent the Summer Meeting entries was £226 7s, less £l4 ss, which the Hon. Captain Russell declined to accept. None of the other owners sent back their cheques. Mr E. F. Yuile, the well-known bookmaker, has sent a cheque for £2O to the secretary of the Free Public Library as a donation to the funds of the institution.

Wet weather on Saturday caused a postponement of the United Hunt Club’s meet at Taita, and also of the Amateur Athletic aud Cycling Club’s sports. According to the Woodville Examiner the Pahiatua Jockey Club intend holding their first meeting in November As their programme was recently rejected by the Metropolitan Club, it would appear that they do not intend to use the totalisator.

During the winter the Masterton - Opaki Jockey intend to make great improvements on their racecourse. Drains will be cut to carry. off the water from the low-lying lands, and the track will be top dressed and sown with grass seed and bonedust.

At the sale of Mr Henry Redwood’s stud at Spring Creek, Marlborough, on Friday last, the total amount realised was 887 gs. Among the lots sold were eleven brood mares, and the following prices were realised : —Wainui, by Ravensworth —Waimea, with filly by King Cole, Mr Hayward, 15gs; Zealandia, by Maroro —Toi Toi, with filly by King Cole, Mr

0. C. Coulter, 16gs; Amy, by Daniel O’Rourke—Toi Toi, with filly by King Cole, Mr G. Sheridan, 20gs; Awatea, by Ravensworth —Skybird, Mr E. Cutts, 10 gs ; Rosalind, by Albany — Red Rose, with filly by King Cole, and covered by Catesby, Mr Budge, Hawera, 80gs ; Wai, by Anteros—Wainui, Mr F. Budge, 70 gs ; and Contessa, by Puriri—Countess, Mr R. Rose, 39gs. The stallion Topsy Turvy went to Mr W. Attwood, for 31gs. Of the two-year-olds, a colt by King Cole from Lake Superior went to A. McCowl at 42gs; colt by King Cole —Contessa to Mr R. Rose at 33gs; filly from King Cole —Queen Margaret to Mr A. Ward at 32gs. Eight yearlings were sold, those which fetched 40gs or over being colt by King Cole —Wainui, Mr E. Cutts, 40gs ; colt by King Cole—Wai, Mr H. Redwood, 40gs; colt by Louis D’or — Awatea, Mr A. Budge, Hawera, 100 gs ; gelding by King Cole—Lake Superior, Mr C. Cress, 52gs. The three-year-olds Prince Cole (50gs) and King Harry (lOOgs) were purchased by Mr A. Farmer as agent. After the stock sale the farm was put up in three lots. For 177 acres. £3,000 was bid but refused, and the other lots were also passed in. The Messrs Redwood entertained a large number of the visitors to lunch.