TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB SUMMER MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 289, 6 February 1896, Page 6

TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB SUMMER MEETING.

Another Great Victory by Fabulist —Lady Anna Smothers the Ttvo-year-olds —Garbuncle creates a Surprise — A Curious Rumour —A Bad Day for Favourites.

Glorious weather was experienced on Wednesday, January 29th, for the opening of the Takapuna Jockey Club Summer meeting, and the gathering proved eminently successful. The attendance war very satisfactory, albeit a trifle smaller than was the case last Anniversary Day, but there was small cause for complaint. The arrangements in connection with the meeting were admirably conducted by Mr Wynyard, the secretary, and the judging by Major George and Mr Duder was well carried out. Mr Knight’s handicaps panned out very well, many of the finishes being very close, and Mr Halstead’s starting gave complete satisfaction. The racing was of good quality, the finish in the Cup being particularly so, and it again demonstrated what a game horse our Great Northern Derby winner is. He had St. Clements behind him and a fly-away pace-cutter in front of him in the shape of Eve, who compelled a very fast gait right through the journey. Taking into consideration his weight and the unsuitable nature of the course for a horse like Fabulist, his run was quite up to his Derby exhibition. To cover twelve furlongs at Takapuna in 2.42 takes some galloping. It was one of the finest cups ever fought out at North Shore, and adds another garland to Fabulist’s crown of triumph. The only unpleasant feature during the day was a complaint made by the trainer of Fabulist against tne rider of Eve who, it was alleged, had struck Fabulist across the face with his whip when the winner was making his run from the turn for home. If such really was the case it shows what a courageous colt Fabulist is, for such an act would stop nine horses out of ten. When the complaint was considered on the second day of the gathering the stewards decided to administer a severe reprimand to Hall, the rider of Eve. The lunching arrangements were in the capable hands of Mr McEwin, and Mr Blomfield’s efficient totalisator staff bandied £5412 during the day. Racing opened with the Maiden Plate of 30 eovs, one mile, which brought out a. field of a dozen. Lord Dunluce and Commodore were heavily backed for this race, but neither showed up during the fight. Lady Agnes, Frontignac, and Captivity were first away, and kept in front of the field until the back stretch was reached. Here Frontignac was taken to the front, and although Captivity made game efforts to get up she was three lengths to the bad when the post was reached, Lady Agnes third. Time, Imin 47sec. Dividend, £5 7s.

Ladybird was a strong order for the Hurdles, and Bombardier, who was steered by his new rider, R. Wright, was made second favourite, but none of them could trouble the leaders at the finish, Bombardier in particular running a very bad race, being rearward all the way. Ika Vuka and Knapsack led the field at the jump, the lat ter cutting out a pace that quickly left the heavy-weights behind, Ika Vuka being the only one able to hang to him. Disturbance kept in a fairly handy position throughout, but Bombardier was far in the rear and never close enough up to make a bid for victory. At the finish it was a nice race between Ika Vuka and Disturbance. Nearing the home turn the latter rushed up to the leader, ard in my opinion was winning when the pair of leaders rose at the last hurdle, which he had the misfortune to strike. This mishap lost him his chance, for Ika Vuka never touched wood, and reached home two lengths to the good, Knapsack third. Time, 4min. Dividend, £6 13s.

The Zealandia Handicap of 40 sove, five furlongs, attracted eight sprinters, of whom the uncertain Miss Nelson was considered the best. But throughout the race she ran like a jade, and never once made alight of it. St. Kildaand The Sharper were first off the mark, and led right to the home turn. Here Peerless, who had run her party a very good trial, came through from the ruck, and quickly cutting The Sharper down, tried hard to reach St. Kilda. But though she made a game fight, the old horse beat the mare by a neck, The Sharper, who is returning to form, a good third. Time, Imin ssec. Dividend, £7 19s. Seven hordes weighed out for the Cup, viz., Fabulist 9.4, St. Clements 8.8, Three Star 8.2, Yattenfeldt and Retaliation 7.10, Repeater 7.4, and Eve 7.0. The last-named had a nice racing weight, and the game little mare had many supporters. But Fabulist was always in strong demand and left the post a G to 4 chance, with St. Clements close up in the market. Many would not have this horse on the ground that he would not stay, but wise turfites remembered that up to date he had only been asked to get a mile and a quarter, which he had done in brilliant style. “A good sprinter can generally stay,” such people argued, and the race proved the correctness of their surmise. Eve was fldgetty at the start and when the barrier went up she slipped off in smart fashion and soon had twolengths the best of the field. St. Clements was next to her, then Retaliation and Fabulist. The Nordenfeldt gelding, Repeater, quickly broke down in the race and was pulled up by his rider, who brought the horse back to the paddock on three legs. When Eve turned into the back stretch her rider steadied the mare, and Retaliation rushed to the front at a pace that quickly broke her up. Eve then went ahead again and galloped on in great heart six lengths ahead of St. Clements ; but Fabulist was soon shaken up by Taylor and de-

posed the St. Leger horse from third place. Up (lie back for the last lime F-bulist and St. Clements commenced to overhaul the leader, on whom the pace was beginning to tell, and when she reached the mouth of the s'raighi her lead had been reduced to a couple of lengths. From this out it was hammer and tongs betw en Eye, Fabulist, and St. Clements, and it was not far from the post when the Derby winner gripped the mare and succeeded in beating her by a neck, St. Clements half a length away in third position. A better Cup was never witnessed at the Shore, and the winner well deserved the cheering which greeted his return to the paddock, while Taylor was applauded for the masterly manner in which he had handled the winner. Yattcnfeldt was fourth, Retaliation fifth, and then Three Star, who quite failed to show any of the brilliancy ■ with which he had been credited His failure could not be attributed to condition, for Wright had the roan gelding in a very forward state. The mile and a half was covered in 2min 42sec, good time for the North Shore course, and the dividend was £2 13s. The two-year old race, the Calliope Handicap of 50 sovs, six furlongs, was the easiest of victories . for the Sf. Leger filly Lady Anna, who simply walked away from her opponents She was sent o it at 6 to 4, and amply justified the confidence of those who took the short pree offered. Nestor ■"< wa's''second favourite and acted as runner-up. Antares, who had returned from Wellington the '-day before, jumped away at the start, with Porangi Potae and Brigantine on his quarters. .•.■■Lady . Anna-, allowed Antares to keep the lead until the top stretch was entered, at which stage of the'rftce she made a run that smothered all opposition and cantered home a dozen lengths ahead of the field, Nestor and Antares in the places. "Time, Imin 2)sec; dividend", £2 10s. Glenlora and Kingswood were strongly supported ,for the Maiden Steeplechase of 40 SO'S, about 'three miles, and" Othello also had good . backing, the rest being po rly supported. One of the contestants was Carbuncle, the pony raced ~ 7by Mr; Massey Baker a couple of seasons back, and she was destined to bring about a sensational win and also give rise to a very peculiar rumour. Glenlora and Knapsack i-ut out the'pace at the ■ start; -and Kingswood 1 kept close to the pair. 'Awayyifar" iti s the van, was Carbuncle apparently cbeateiU'for^pace,-and' when she'baulked at the ..water the second time round it was thought the ' •last had been heard of her. Imagine our surprise when Othello, who had early deposed Glenlora ' and’ Knapsack from the Lad, found himself tackled in desperate style by Carbuncle when running the last half-mile of the journey. A great struggle between the pair resulted in Carbuncle getting home by a length in the respectable time of ifirtiin 36sec, Othello second, and tka • Vuka-< third. Dividend, £34 18s. After the 7 meeting the rumour crept around that Carbuncle had only traversed two circuits of the course instead of threej and while stating absolutely that I have eno reasonable grounds for'believing the truth of such a startling statement, I may say this without in the least wishing to discredit the win of Mr. Martin’s mare. I was standing on the other side of the brush hurdle by the water whefe"’Qarbuhcle refused, and to the best of my ' knowledge I did not notice th- mare cross the brush after baulking. In fact when she suddenly darted to the front of the field when they crossed the brush for the third time, one of my acquaintances exclaimed “ Hullo, where has Carbuncle sprung from.” Of course the mare may 'have taken the jump the second time unnoticed • by us us we would naturally be looking across the course watching the leaders. It is certainly surprising to find Carbuncle winning over country in her first effort in the same time that Bombardier took to win his Maiden, and Mr Martin is tb be congratulated on gaining such a bargain for 12. guineas. A< to the rumour, L take the fact of none of the jockeys protesting as proof that she did accompish the full journey. They would have known had she missed one circuit and cut in at any stage of the journey. jValencia was favourite for the First Pony ’ Handicap of 40 sovs, six furlongs and a half, with

Silkworm and Mavourneen next, in favour. This was an easy win for Mavourneen, who got home in 1.28 a length in front of Valencia, after whom came Silkworm. Dividend, £G 17s.

The concluding rice —the Stewards’ Handicap of 50 sovs, six furlongs and a-half —resulted in another surprise. On her Cup run Eve looked the best of good things, and half way up the straight appeared a certain winner, but here her stable companion (Lord Dunluce), who had failed badly in the Maiden Plate, came along in very determined fashion and fighting out the issue in plucky style beat his stable mate by half a length, The Sharper, who is returning to form, half a length behind Eve. Time, Imin 27sec. Dividend, £8 Bs.