Auckland Racing Club’s Winter Meeting.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 150, 8 June 1893, Page 6

Auckland Racing Club’s Winter Meeting.

First Day.—Wednesday, June 7TH.

A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE. .

[By

Sir Launcelot.

The Auckland Racing Club had no alternative but to postpone in the heavy downpour that occured on Saturday afternoon last. The course was practically submerged, and under the circumstances it would have been dangerous to life and limb for racing to be carried on. The stewards met on Saturday morning and decided to postpone till Wednesday and to take the following Saturday for their Steeplechase day, which Saturday had not been appropriated by any club in the neighborhood of Auckland. The weather on Wednesday was beautifully fine (with the exception of a slight shower just before the decision of the Grand National Hurdle Race), but the attendance fell a bit short of expectations. How ever, those who were there were evidently good sportsmen, for the totalisator receipts showed a substantial increase on those of the Grand National day last year. Time was well kept up to, and with the exception of the runaway of Mutiny in the big race good sport was witnessed. .

The Maiden Steeplechase of Bosovs, about two miles and a half, saw seven out of ten come to the post. Chester . was made favourite, and next to him in the betting was the Taranaki representative Despised. As soon as they got to work Maritana made play, which in the state of the going and the fact that she was giving a little weight away to all her opponents, seemed to me rather indiscreet. Passing the stand the first time she had a good lead of Chester, Bombardier third. Isidore stopped at ’the water jump. Maritana increased 1 her advantage the further they went towards the back of the course, Bombardier and Chester being her most immediate attendants at that stage. There was little alteration in the positions coming along towards the stand, but by the time they had passed the stand again Chester had supplemented Maritana in the lead, Bombardier lying third close up. Chester preserved his lead till the back of the course. where Despised ran up to him and held command upthe hill. Bombardier joining them, the trio came down the hill together, but Bombardier fell at the bridge at which Neli came to grief and Chester and Despised from that stage of the race fought it out between them. A‘‘ bumping ” finish ensued, both rolling from sheer distress. Chester seemed to have the advantage half way up the straight, but Despised came strongly, and was only beaten by a head. Carronade finished third at his leisure. Time, 7min zgsec. Dividends —Inside, £2 13s; outside, £2 ss. 1 '■ • There was only one absentee from the Winter Handicap of 50 sovs, one mile, The Dancer’s half-sister Vivat, 10.0, ing installed favourite, with Master'Pat, 10.11, next in request. Ida and Lady Belle were responsible for most of the running, and as they rounded the home turn the names of both were freely shouted, and a good race homeended in Ida winning by half a length from Lady Belle, with Tulloch just catching St. Kilda in the last stride and *gaining the barren honors of third place. The dividends were—lnside, £1; outside, l6s. f The Grand National Hurdle Race of 250 sovs. two miles, was the piece de resistance of the afternoon’s sport, and when the numbers were hoisted it ,wa? seen

that .Mangere, Try Fluke, Tattler, Des-; pised; and Criminal were absentees, $ which left the following to face Mr Halstead Kulnine 11.12, I iritca 11.5, : Marechai Neil 10.9, Belmont 10.0 Kapua 9.8, Ingorina 9.6, Flukem 9.5, and Mutiny . 9.4. Kulnine was the centre of attraction for those who had not seen him before, and he was made a warm favourite. No horse could have been turned out in more pink condition. When thesonofCadogan and Caprice left the paddock the “ gape seed ” was very much in evidence. There was a strong Auckland contingent behind Marechai Neil and Belmont, and a good many had a sneaking regard for Flukem, whom his trainer, Stenning, asserted had a big show, judging by the form he had displayed on the Kohima<rama training track with Mangere. Messrs A. Ellingham and W. Douglas ..are too good judges of hurdle racing to bring such horses as Tiritea and Kapua from Napier without they think they have ..ja .chance, and their Hawke’s Bay friends backed their representatives up to the handle like plucky men. But there was a Taranaki contingent waiting with a vengeance. I had read Mutiny’s performances (as detailed in another column by our Taranaki correspondent) and I had , also listened to “ Jay’’ Russell’s eloquent discourse on the merits of this Taranaki “ hack.” But I and lots of my friends • did not appraise him at his true value, with the result that we saw him romp ■ home as he liked from Belmont and Ffapua. , Such a lace as the Auckland .Grand National Hurdles is one that •generally furnishes the turf scribe with a good deal of pabulum. It cannot be , said that such was the case this year, for ..it,was practically a one-horserace. At the end of the first mile Mutiny had dis,poped of Fl akem, who was the only pne \ who had been able to get near him, and ..it was almost the proverbial guinea to a gooseberry on him from that out. I feel sure it was a false-run race, but that was only to be expected the condition the track was in. Belmont, who won the " same race last year, ran a good . horse, but. like the winner, he was 'ffayoured by the heavy going. The winner had a bit of good fortune in ' that Marechai Neil and Kulnine both met with mishaps. The Marechai jumped inside the rails at an early stage of the , journey, but though the pace was made strong throughout Clark never , kept Kulnine far away, and I fancy the*, top weight would have gained .a.place had he stood up. He came down at the second fence from home, and lay .stunned for so long that it was generally thought he had broken his back. However he recovered sufficiently to walk ~back to the paddock, but Mr D. Rutherford, his owner, had not, we are thankful jto say. to witness the death of his horse on, the occasion of his first visit to Auck- ■, land. Mutiny was protested against by >,Belinont’s owner on the ground that he r, weighed out 4 J lbs over without . .. declaring it in accordance with the Rules. I The, protest was dismissed, but as the j A.B.C.’s stewards did not allow the Press representatives to be present at their . deliberation I am unable to say on what grounds the decision was arrived at, or to express any opinion as to the j ustice ...thereof. Mutiny paid dividends of £ll #l7s and £ll 18s. j The Colonel and Recruit were taken i out of the Selling Steeplechase of 6osovs, three miles, half a dozen thus being the :strength of the field. Hurricane and Gceola made most of the running, with , Auctioneer in attendance till they came x ;to the water jump the last time round, .when Auctioneer ran into the crowd. t Hurricane and Kate were then seen in . the van together till entering on the last . .round, when Kate drew clear, and pre- . serving her advantage, won as she liked .from Hurricane. Long Roper was third. ,The . dividends on the winner were £2 inside and /'3lls outside. A field of five faced Mr Halstead for the Maiden Hurdles of 60 sovs. one mile and three quarters, Little Tom and Despised being the absent ones. It furnished '-• a rattling good finish between Kapua and Fright, and the latter, who was giving Kapua 51bs, did not disgrace himself in ‘..his maiden essav over the little sticks.

Fright, is not such a ‘fright’ as ?<I expected to see. He is a big ’un, but is by no means one of those slab-sided sort that I imagined he was from all I had heard about him. Unless I am much mistaken he will be a serviceable horse to Mr L. D. Nathan ere next racing . season is over. • Kapua, who is a halfbrother to Waitiri, being by The Mute—- '< Uira, belongs to the Hawke’s Bay sportsman ,Mr W, Douglas, and his victory j will be a bit of consolation for the death jpf JEing Boae, .through falling in a hurdle

race at Wanganui the other day. The dividends, on Kapua, though, were but small, being only £2 Ils inside and £2 8s outside. Four out of five coloured on the card came to the scratch for the Ladies’ Bracelet of 40sovs ; for the nominator of the first horse, and 1 Oso vs for the nominator of the second, one mile and a distance, Fright being the missing one. Ida, 11.3, and Lottie, 10.10, had the last six furlongs of the race to themselves, but Ida came away opposite the Derby Stand, and won with a bit in hand.