NAPIER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 180, 4 January 1894, Page 8

NAPIER.

December 30. Premium, the hurdler, is again lame. Mr Gollan has named Loyalty’s full brother (by St. George—Fair Nell) Bonnie Scotland. St. Malo will never race again. He * put his foot in apost hole at the Mohaka races and could not be taken home. He will be henceforth used as a hack. The filly by Nordenfeldt out of Tirailleur’s dam, Florence Macarthy, which left Hastings for Melbourne recently, has been named Tireuse. The annual meeting of the Onga Onga Club was held on Thursday. Shearer won the Hurdles, paying £2 16s. Dainty, Alecto, and Waiwaima also started, but the three of them came to grief. The Maiden Flat Race fell to Repo, who won by about eight lengths in the easiest possible fashion. Harbinger was second and Wabbler third. Stoneycroft was the only other starter. Dividend, £5 9s. The Onga Onga Handicap was the next event, and it produced a great race. There were only three starters. Brown Bell took the lead until the back was

reached, when Zaccho drew ahead and led into the straight. Como then came * up and a great battle took place, Zaccho winning by half a length, Como and Brown Bell running a dead heat for second place. Dividend, £4 8s The Hack Handicap was an easy thing for Lobelia, who beat Cold Steel and Ergot comfortably, paying £1 12s. She won hard held. The Onga Onga Cup was the

next race witnessed. The starters were Waitress, Kiritae, Unfortunate, Wabbler, Frantic, O’Rorke and Repo. The last named led at the start, but Waitress soon sailed ahead and won easily. Dividend, £2 3s. The winner is in the same stable as Lobelia. The last named also won the Flying Handicap, beating Waterlily, Zaccho, Como and Brown Bell, and paying £5. She got home by a couple of lengths Dawn was lame when he won the two hurdle races at Herbertville and Porongahau. Tres Deuce, who used to race in this colony, will be sent back to Hastings shortly. She has just returned to Melbourne from Adelaide, where she was on a visit to Carlyon.

I am informed that Mr Rathbone intends sending three of his team to Australia shortly, perhaps in the course of a few weeks. They will comprise Merganser (Nordenfeldt — Albatross), Gossander (Nordenfeldt —Albatross), and Riversdale (St. Leger — L’Orient). A. Robertson will take the trio across, but I don’t know who will be engaged to ride th''m, as the chief horseman of the stable, D. Donovan, has left the establishment. The horses will stay in Australia for a year or 18 months. The performances of Mr Rathbone’s animals will be watched with interest on the other side, and I hope his venture will meet with success. We all know what a brilliant mare Merganser is. She is as fast as they make them—a regular greyhound. She is very well just now, and should run forward in whatever sie starts. With a first-class horseman in the saddle she would make anything in the colonies step it out for a mile and a half or further. As for her full sister Goosandra, she is a beautiful mare, and similarly marked to Merganser. Her performances have been below mediocrity so far, her usual place in a race being last. This was instanced at Hastings in the Flying, but, of course, her stable companion won. However, she is on the big side very much yet, and won’t be ready for a while. When she has learned to gallop, and has been properly trained, I predict a good future for her. Riversdale I have written to you before about —a few months ago —when I stated that opinions differed as to his being good or otherwise. It will be remembered that he could not start in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas, won by Pegasus, and he has not donned silk since. However, I believe he is a good colt, and up to a certain distance will prove himself no duffer. He is half-brother to one of the one time speediest horses in New Zealand, Francotte, and as he claims a good horse as his sire in St. Leger, he can’t be said to be anything else than well bred.