THE C.J.C. MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 171, 2 November 1893, Page 5

THE C.J.C. MEETING.

The big New Zealand Meeting opens on November 7th, and speculation is very brisk over the principal events. Good entries have been received forthe various items set down on the cards for the three days’ racing, and there appears to be every prospect that the success of the gathering will be fully equal to that experienced in past years. Of course the bulk of the interest centres in The New Zealand Cup.

This race has been attended with many surprises through the scratching of so many popular candidates, and when it is all over there will probably be a further surprise experienced, for the race at present cannot be looked upon as a comparative certainty for any candidate. The acceptances narrowed the issue down to eighteen horses, viz., Stepniak 9.1, Prime Warden 8.7, Clanranald 8.6, Boulanger 8.4, Hippomenes 8.3, The Workman 8.3, St. Katherine 8.2, Dilemma 7.9, Skirmisher 7.7, Rosefeldt 7.7, Pegasus 7.6, Thame 7.3, Liberator 7.10, inc. 71b penalty, Melinite 7.2, Response 6.13, Ich Dien 6.12, inc. 51b penalty, Beadonwell 6.1 1, Ua 6.1 1, inc. 31b penalty. But there may be a further thinning out, although it is not probable many horses will be affected, as to-day is the date fixed for the final payment. Treating the horses as they stand in the race at present, I cannot say I fancy Clanranald, St. Katherine, Rosefeldt, Liberator, Melinite, Ich Dien, or even Pegasus. His stable declares he will win, but all the same I prefer The Workman of the pair. Stepniak has been firmly supported by the public, he has trained well, and on his Randwick running should win. People say 9.1 will stop him, but fit and well I don’t think the impost will materially affect him. Prime Warden and Boulanger are a couple of warm ones, and Dilemma, Skirmisher, and Thame will fight hard for victory. Response at 6.13 may upset many calculations, and as she has been backed for a tidy lump by excellent judges, her chance must be a good one. Speaking before the final acceptances have been filed, I should look to find the result as follows : — Stepniak or The Workman .. 1 Boulanger .. .. 2 Dilemma .. .. .. 3 with Prime Warden, Response, Thame, and Skirmisher close on their heels of the first three. The Derby and Oaks. The acceptances for the Derby and Oaks, narrow the competitors down to four in the Derby and four in the Oaks, not very extensive fields. For the former event the names of those left in are Errington, Pegasus, Skirmisher, Noyade and Reflector. Errington is a fine young horse, but his performances do not warrant a belief he can win. He was nowhere in the Selling Two-year old Race at the D.J.C. Autumn Meeting with 8.5 up. He ran into fourth place with 7.5 in the Maiden Two-year-old Handicap at the same meeting when Gitano got home with 6.12. He obtained second place in the Ashburton Stakes at the Ashburton Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting with 7.4, following the winner Saracen, 10.0, home. On the second day of the same meeting he won the Nursery Handicap with 7.12. Such a record does not make me consider the son of Gorton—Mountain Lily a likely winner. Pegasus is certainly dangerous, and the Hawke’s Bay Guineas winner will carry a lot of money, but I prefer Noyade’s chance. The performances of

this daughter of Lord of the Isles — Lorelei and her recent form at Wanganui entitle her to a big share of respect. She won the Two-year-old Handicap at the Hawke’s Bay Summer Meeting with 7.5 up; ran second in the Two-year-old Handicap at Napier Park Summer Meeting with 7.12, following Spinaway, to whom she was conceding a stone ; won the Juvenile Handicap at the Wellington Summer Meeting with 7.3, beating Persuasion, Spinaway, Purepo, &c. ; finished a good second in the Wanganui Two-year-old Stakes at the Wanganui Autumn Meeting with 8.3, Strowan, 8.12, being the winner; ran second at the same meeting in the Nursery Handicap to Eve, to whom she gave 41bs; won the Nursery Handicap at Hawke’s Bay with. 8.8 from a big field, to whom she gave weight ; ran third in the Sapling Stakes with 9.4 at the Autumn Napier Park Meeting, giving weight all round ; won the Two-year-old Handicap at the same meeting with 9.3, and again conceded weight to the field ; finished third in the Northern Champagne Stakes at the A.R.C. Autumn Meeting carrying 8.8, when Eve won with the same weight. Then her win in the Wanganui Derby has to be remembered. Providing she remains fit and well I would sooner pick her as the winner than Pegasus. Reflector, who has turned out to be the selected one from Yaldhurst, is training well, and I expect the son of Lochiel —Iris to run very forward. His win at the A. R. C. Summer Meeting in the Great Northern Foal Stakes, when he led home Pegasus, Eve, Royal Rose and Yattenfeldt, was a good performance, and his running, with 8.12, at the same gathering in the Midsummer Stakes when he finished fourth was not bad running. He then gave the winner, Eve, 61b, the second horse, Pegasus, 21b, and the third horse, Captivity, over a stone, advantage. He should certainly obtain a good place. Skirmisher, the Dunedin representative, should provide the winner. The performances of the son of Vanguard—Ouida are :—At two years—Canterbury Spring : Won Welcome Stakes, 4 furlongs, 8.5, Westmere, 8.5, second, Loyalty, 8.5, third; won Juvenile Stakes, 5 furlongs, 7.10, Westmere, 7.6, second, Geraint, 7.0, third; nowhere in Electric Plate, w.f.a., 4 furlongs, 6.9, won by Westmere, 6.11. Dunedin Spring: Second in Dunedin Stakes, 5 furlongs, 9.3, won by Outpost 8.7 ; third in Musselburgh Plate, w.f.a., 4 furlongs, 6.6, won by Strowan, 6.6. Canterbury Autumn: Third in Challenge Stakes, 6 furlongs, 7.7, won by Loyalty, 7.4. He is standing his preparation well, and should fill first place. Given a start I would place the judge’s reading of the race — Skirmisher or Reflector. Forthe Oaks the runners, in addition to Noyade, are Ich Dien, Busybody and Persuasion. Ich Dien, I fancy, will win, and the next best I take to be Persuasion or Noyade. The daughter of Apremont — Flattery has a good list of performances against her name. At the start for the Selling Two-year-old Race at the C.J.C. Spring Meeting she ran off the course, ' but being put after the field ran into fourth place carrying the same weight as the winner Busybody, and conceding sib to the second horse Zodiac. She won the Kindergarten Stakes Handicap at the Plumpton Park Spring Meeting with 8.1, heading at the post Miss Lochiel with 7.3, and Busybody with 8.3. She ran fourth in the Nursery Handicap at the W.R.C. Summer Meeting with 7.8, when Westmere won ; ran second in the Juvenile Stakes at the same meeting with 8.0 when Noyade won with 7.3 ; ran second to Lochiel with 7.4 in the Middle Park Plate at the C.J.C. Summer gathering, the winner carrying 7.5 ; finished third in the Railway Plate at the D.J.C. Autumn Meeting with 6.1 1, when Response—not a bad one—won with the same weight; ran second at the same meeting in the Hopeful Stakes with 7.7, when Au Revoir won with sib less; won the Russley Stakes at the C.J.C. Autumn Meeting with 8.5 up, leading home Busybody with 7.0 and Taranna with 7.8 ; finished third at the same meeting in the Autumn Nursery Handicap with 8.12, the winner being Geraint with lolb less, and the second horse being Ich Dien with 6.10. Busybody, another Apremont filly, has ran well, but I prefer Persuasion of the two. My selection is— Ich Dien 1 Persuasion 2 Noyade 3 The field for the Welcome Stakes of 2 5 osovs, four furlongs, comprises Pompom, Nixie, Watchword, Golden

Fleece, Cleopatra, Searchlight, Strath Braan, Philson, Wedlock, Versailles, Lady Lear, King Wai, Fair Maid filly, and Georgie Sharp. Over the four furlong spin I prefer Pompom, and the next best I take to be Searchlight and Strath Braan, who has been showing good form at Riccarton. This race, however, like the Cup, Oaks and Derby, may be affected by the payments due to-day. The Stewards’ Handicap of zoosovs six furlongs, has attracted the following field: —The Workman 9.8, Skirmisher 8.7, Vogengang 8.6, Foresight 8.4, Rebellion 8.3, Lady Zetland 8.2, Au Revoir 8.0, North Atlantic 7.13, Warrington 7.11, Thame 7.11, Bay Belle 7.9, Beadonwell 7.8, Kate Greenway 7.5, Swivel 7.2, Geraint 7.1, Addington 6.12, Chaos 6.10, Busybody 6.7. The Workman will, I feel sure, go for the Cup, and if he wins it there is rolb penalty hanging to the victory. If he fails in the big event I regard him as a hot thing for this race. Skirmisher rightly heads the eight stone division and will make it warm for the field, and Vogengang will be well in at the finish. Thame at 7.11, and Geraint at 7.1, will require some beating. Busybody is the light weight, and has ran well at times, but I don’t look for a surprise in that quarter. The Hurdle Race of isosovs, two miles, has eight in it. Norton, 12.3, is the top weight, and with Empire, 10.12, and Smuggler, 10.3, should furnish a dangerous trio. The Steeplechase has the same number as the Hurdles, and Waterbury, at 11.8, and Clarence, at 11.2, should have a show for a good place. The Welter Handicap has 34 horses in it, and Reflector, with Persuasion and Rangiatea should be well up in the leading flight. The Ladies’ Purse will be contested by eleven horses; the Criterion Handicap has 29 in it; the Epsom High Weight Handicap has three dozen; the Spring Nursery has sixteen; and the Electric Plate has seventeen entries.

I shall have something further to say regarding these last races in our next issue.