WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 151, 15 June 1893, Page 7

WELLINGTON.

|BT

WIRE.]

Tuesday.

Sporting news in Wellington is at present very scarce, and the entries for the Steeplechase Meeting of the Wellington Racing Club, which are received to-night, are quite a godsend to sporting scribes. The Racing Club’s stewards, I am glad to say, have decided not to allow owners and trainers any ground of complaint at there being insufficient training facilities. In spite of the heavy weather lately the training gallops are fairly good going, and schooling jumps, incuding hurdles, a ditch and bank, and water jump are in course of formation for general use. The Course Committee were out on Saturday inspecting the work and giving instructions for several improvements in the course over which the races will be run. Several of the local hunters have already taken up their quarters near the course, the latest arrivals being Mr. Hawke’s Moonlight, with whom young Walden, the well-known cross-country rider, is busy, and Mr. Lucena’s Tally-Ho, who is having the finishing touches put upon him by Hilder. Mr. J. Freeth, the owner of Rebellion, Violence, Revolution, etc., is at present in Wellington. He tells me he is thinking of leaving the Wairarapa and bringing his team to the Hutt. At present he is undecided whether he will lease stables or buy a piece of ground and build. A good sportsman is Mr. Freeth, and he would be an acquisition to the place as a local owner.

There was a lot of betting done in Wellington on the Auckland Grand National Meeting, and of course the bookmakers had all the best of it. I have ascertained that about four of our local metallicians laid between them no fewer than £350 Kulnine in the Hurdles. What price would he have started at had they all been put in the machine ? They did not escape altogether in this race for Mutiny was fairly well backed, but not a single one laid the double, Mutiny and Despised, and I have not heard of one who laid Despised straight out The Press Association telegram which arrived the night before did not include him among the probable starters, and this doubtless put people off. There was great surprise at his paying such a dividend after the form he has lately shown.