Coursing Notes.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 256, 20 June 1895, Page 8

Coursing Notes.

By

SLIP]

FIXTURES.

July 17 and2o—Auckland C.C. Avondale Cup and Puppy Stakes 2l and 24—Auckland C.C. Champion Collar Stakes, Sapling. Stakes, and Recovery Stakes

DUNEDIN. July 3, 4,5-—Waterloo Cup and Trial Stakes August 7,8, 9—Champion and Braclet Stakes

THE A.C.C. GATHERING.

The June Meeting of the Auckland Coursing Club opened oil 'Wednesday of last week, when capital coursing weather was experienced, although the atmospheric conditions were none too cheerful from a sybarite’* point of view. The Management Committee and Secretary Hayr are tp be congratulated on the success of the fixture, and Slipper Ferguson on the fine, strong galloping hares provided, there being only some seven or eight kills during the two days’ coursing. Messrs. J. O. Evett' and J. Jerome, the slip stewards, and Mr J. Martin, the call steward, deserve a word of praise for the promptitude with which-the trials were got off, whilst Ferguson at tfie slips and his brother.-at the boxes conducted their duties in a highly satisfactory manner. The judging of Mr Barr, of Victoria, met with •general approval from the owners, there not being a single course throughout the gathering in which this gentleman’s decisions were questioned. The opening day witnessed the first and second rounds of the Bracelet and the initial round of the June Cup, results of which appeared in our issue of last week. On the second day, Saturday, June 15th, the meeting was brought to a close with the remaining rounds of the above Stakes and a couple of minor events, the Consolation and Supplementary All-aged Stakes. The most valuable stake fell to Mr Martin Taylor, the well-known southern enthusiast, whose brindle bitch, Lizzie Godfrey, proved too strong for the local opposition ; the June Cup to an outsider, Mr W Proffitt’s fawn and white dog White Star; the f avourite, Mr Foley’s brindle and white bitch, going under in the second round, to Freedom. The Consolation fell to Mr P. Quinlan s clever little fawn dog Pat, who went, through the Stake in great style. The Supplementary All-aged was divided by the owners of -Doris and Parnell, after running several undecideds. From this it will be seen that the “ Sea View’& kennels had a a big outing, two of the four events on the programme falling to Mr Fox’s|eharges, whilst a third was divided with Mr Griffith’s dog Parnell. The business of the day opened atone o’clock with the Third Round or the Bracelet. Lizzie Godfrey, beat Ascot, Myrtle beat. Nap, Dora B. beat Lady Guy, Doris beat Raspberry, Pansy ran a bye. Lizzie Godfrey was-quickest out of the slips, and reaching her game put in all the work, never leaving the course in 'dpubt. After an undecided between Myrtle and Nap, in which Nap showed, up prominently, the .first-mentioned got away with a good lead, and’ working closely secured an easy verdict. Dora-B. soon distanced Lady Guy, and closing On 'tier game run up a tidy score before puss reached the escape. Doris and Raspberry were eVtenly-;slipped, and the former soon showed to the front, and after taking a turn or two drove to cover. Pansy ran a bye. Fourth Round. Lizzie Godfrey beat ' Myrtle, Dora B. beat Pansy, Doris ran a bye, Lizzie Godfrey led Myrtle rather easily and turned to her opponent, who got in but did not score, and Godfrey getting in again worked well and drove to cover. Dora B. secured an easy verdict over Pansy, and leading up and working closeh put up a tidy score, Pansy killing. Doris ran a bye. Fifth Round. Lizzie Godfyey beat Doris, Dora B. ran a bye. Lizzie Godfrey got well away from Doris and having the best of the exchanges won after a good course. Dora B. ran a bye. Final. Mr Martin Taylor’s brindle and fawn bitch Lizzie Godfrey (Brewer —Deception) beat Mr H. Petty’s (n.s.) red and white bitch Dora B. (Rockbail—Woolcott) and won the stake. The course was one, and though Mr Taylor’s nomination-had the best of the lead up and worked splendidly Ppra B. ran. gamely and was by no means disgraced; in the ensuing exchanges. Had the slipbeen, trifle, shorter the local bi tehwouldhave troubled the winner, though there i* but,the best dog won, Second. Round of the June Gup. Freedoip beat Cushla, White Star beat White Hind, Stormflend ran a bye. From an even slip Freedom forged ahead of the favourite- and in turning his game fell, Mr Foley’s bitch getting in. After some give and take work, ip which the non-favourite had all the h.C.st W. e deaJ, Cushla, who adopted cunning tactics, got in and killed, though she could not wipe out. Freedom’s score. There was little between White Hind and White Star in the lead up, hut puss doubling through the gorse-covered hurdle Opposite; the Stand, favoured White Star, who getting- in had all the best of the ensuing work, and won with, a bifr to spare. The hurdle misfortune spoiled. White- Hind’s chance, otherwieaaclose go, would have resulted. Stormfiend ran a bye. Third Round. Stormfiend beat; Freedom, White Star ran a bye. Freedom got well'away from the slips but did not long retain his lead, Stormfiend passing him wks first to the hare and working cleverly had the best of the exchanges, winning a good course. White Star ran a bye. s • a • - „ Finai,.. ■ M r W-, Profit’ a faw<n. and white dog White Star (White Rose —Miss Kelly) beat Mr J. W.

Russell’s brindle and white dog Stormfiend and won the stake. The course Was of a highly interesting nature White Star-having the best of ■the lead up by something like a'length. Puss favouring Mr Proffit’4 dog he got in and worked when Stormfiend, who had been handy all the time, seixed the advantage and replaced White Star, but the hare once more favouring the latter he got in and scored, Stormfiend eventually killing. The winner started at four to one against, Mr W. Russell’s nomination being a warm favourite.

The Consolation Stake, for which eight dogs nominated, fell to Mr P. Quinlan’s fawn dog Pat, who was installed a warm favourite and won handsomely. The final course between Pat and Snowdonia (runner up) the latter got away the boat, but the fawn dog soon placed a go-bye to credit and keeping close on his game took a turn or two and working closely drove to cover, Snowdonia never troubling him. The Supplementary All-aged Stake was divided between Doris and Parnell after four or five undecideds, both dogs being run to a standstill before the owners decided to divide. The action of those interested in running the dogs out was cruel and anything but sportsmanlike, and those present gave free vent to their disapproval. This brought the gathering to a close.

Myrtle is a bitch that shows improvement on last meeting, in both pace and working ability. Doris and Nap are a pair that have come on since their last public appearance, and should run well towards the end of the year. Freedom surprised a good many in beating Cushla and Poacher in the June Cup, running a better dog than had been expected. Mr C. Whitten’s white and blue dog Guy Fawkes was perhaps one of the most improved dogs of the meeting, and should run into good money in the near future. Rockbail seems to have fallen away this season, and must be classed as one of the “ has beens.” Ascot, a full brother to Ronda, is a dog for whom I have a liking, his running on Wednesday stamping him as a ve”y fair dog on his first appearance. Mr Martin Taylor’s two candidates, Lizzie Godfrey and Kathleen, were shipped South by the s.s. Takapuna on Monday last. Doris and Parnell, who divided the Supplementary All-ag* d Stake, ran five no courses before Mr Gus. Coates, the owner of the former, agreed to divide. Bo(h dogs were completely beat and could not get near their game, Doris having run some eight or nine courses. Mr W. Profit, owner of White Star, is at present in England, and the dog’s chance in the June Cup was thought so little of by local coursing men that be was not once coupled with anything in double books, or backed straight out for the stake, though a long price was on offer by our pencillers. This would not have been the case had “ Bill ” been in our midst, as this good old sport never lets anything belonging to him run without a tidy bit on it. It was only a week or two back that White Star came back from Dunedin, where the Challenge Stake had been his mission, and went into W. Fox’s kennel at Avondale. At the meeting he looked on the big side, but was seen to be improving with every run, with the result that the final in the June Cup saw him beat Mr J. W. R issell’s smart brindle dog, Stormfiend, after a clinking course, 4 to 1 being offered about his chance with no takers.

Mr J. Jerome left for Sydney on Tuesday last. I understand that caretaker Ferguson has been invited to slip for the Hawke’s Bay Coursing Club’s forthcoming meeting, and will accept the invitation if the club can spare him the necessary leave of absence. His experience should prove of great service to the Napier Club. This club would do well to secure the services of Mr Banas judge, as his decisions at our own meeting met wi*h general approval, and a reliable judge goes far towards the success of a meeting. Mr Martin Taylor, our only southern visitor, annexed the Bracelet with Lizzie Godfrey (Brewer —Deception), a full-sister to that grand bitch, Bess Morley. She is a shapely looking brindle of between two and three years old, a good galloper and a keen worker, and should beat more than beat h®» in the Champion Stake do,wn South, which I understand is her next mission. After the first day’s coursing Lizzie Godfrey was offered for sale with engagements for £3U, and though no response, was made result shows she would have proved a cheap parcel at the price. Kathleen, Martin’s other Bracelet nomination, was put out by that clever little bitch, Doris. Mr Taylor left on Tuesday last for a trip through the Hot Lakes district and expects to arrive back in town early next week, when he will return South.

Mr H. Petty’s (n.s.) clever little red and white bitch, Dora 8., acted as runner-up to Lizzie Godfrey in the Bracelet, and it was no disgrace to have had to play second fiddle to Martin Taylor’s nomination. Her party say they would like to have seen a shorter slip, as she is a good worker, and they think there would have been nothing in it. Frank Baker brought her to the slips thoroughly wound up, but had to cry content with second money again, the last instance being when Ronda ran up Cushla in the All-aged Stake in May. Stormfiend, Mr J. W. Russell’s well-known brindle dog, looked through a slip for the last time on the Plumpton on Saturday, it being the intention of his owner to devote the dog to stud purposes, where his fashionable breeding should find favour.

The local, club intend promoting a Challenge Stake for June, 1896, with the tidy stake of £lOO. The idea is a good one and will doubtless meet with a ready response. Mr Martin Tavlor has already opened up on the Auckland Club’s Challenge Stake of ’96, laying 100 to ! about the chances of several local dogs. ' "■ ■

The Auckland Coursing Club will add a Maiden Stake at £1 10s to their July- programmed ■

At last Mr P. Quinlan has been rewarded for the consistent manner in which he has run the smart little, fawn dog Pat (Blue Cap —Ruby) by annexing the. Consolation; Stake, and all coursing men will join with me in congratulating him on his change of fortune. Though the stake will not buy My Quinlan many hogsheads of beer it must be gratifying to that gentleman to have a win with Pat, who, though a fast little dog and keen on his game, has, up to the present time, always met with a misfortune of some kind or another when well into a stake, and it was only on Saturday, with a good hare, that we have seen him at his best.

The locally owned pup, The Fiend, reached Auckland in the Takapuna on Saturday morning last looking none the worse for his Dunedin trip. He has gone back to Mr Fox’s Sea View Kennels at Avondale.

White Hind, who won the Maiden at the May Meeting, was running well into the June Cup, but lost his chance when the hare, which he and White Stai- were slipped to, turned into the gosscovered hurdle opposite the Grandstand and favoured White Star with a tidy lead, which advantage he maintained. Several local coursing men have been making inquiries re the forthcoming stake at Morrinsville in August, and should this meet the eye of any of our Morrinsville enthusiasts the particulars of their intentions, if forwarded, will find space in these columns.

Mr Wilson, of Proffit and Wilson, turf commission agents, etc., and Free Holmes, the crosscountry rider, who steered Liberatoi- to victory in the National Hurdle and Steeple double, were amongst the visitors at the Plumpton on Wednesday and Saturday.