HAWKES BAY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 348, 25 March 1897, Page 7

HAWKES BAY.

Napier, March 22. Glorious weather, good fields, and excellent racing was the portion that fell to the patrons of the H.B.J.C. last week. Speculation was brisk, £11,588 going through the machines for the two days, being a slight advance on the amount put through for the autumn fixture of 1896. Sport commenced with the Autumn Handicap, for which six out of the eight coloured on the card faced the starter, Petroline being installed favourite, heading Golden Plover by a solitary pound on the tote the ultimate winner, New Forest, coming third in the public selection. Always in a good position, Newminster’s son shot to the front in the straight, and although Derrett (on Golden Plover) exercised all his judgment and finesse, Connop’s horse was not to be denied in gettipg there half-a-length to the good, with Martyrdom third. When New Forest was making his run he crossed Petroline slightly, interfering with her, but I do not fancy the mare would have won. Anyhow, O’Neill (the rider of New Forest) had a caution administered to him by the stewards. Dividend, £4 14s.

All the acceptors lined up in the Hurdle Race, Secrecy having a big pull in the betting at fiagfall. The Foul Shot mare was at the head of affairs, and throughout the race was never far ■ away from the lead. Just as steam was being turned on, Kalmea passed out at a hurdle and old Tiritea ran round the corner of the same obstacle. Half-a-mile from home Secrecy had the field at her mercy, and it was only a question of standing up for her to win. A furlong from home Tenby, who had struck the initial hurdle badly and as a result had occupied a rear position up to this, suddenly shot past Tally-ho and Britannia, but failed to reach Seerecy, on whom McTaggart was sitting, like a statue, winning with points in hand by a long neck, Tally-ho a fair third. Dividend, £2 Bs.: Eight was. the main for the Cup, Blarney being the punters’ pick, The Shrew and The Brook occupying second and third choice. From a capital dismissal, Haria assumed control, the favourite being very slow to move. Passing the stand for the first time the order was—Haria, The Shrew, Strathbraan, The Brook, and Daystar, on whom Gallagher seemed to be pulling double. Blarney and Daystar, as they reached the back, got away from the field in pursuit of Haria, who at this stage had a good three-lengths lead. The Flintlock f Jibrse was first into the straight, closely followed by Daystar and Strathbraan, Blarney having melted away just previous to the home bend being reached. Up the straight Daystar got on terms with Haria, who, after a short go, subsided; and allowed Mr Morrin’s colt to take command of affairs, Strathbraan having given way to The Shrew; On they came, Daystar saluting the man in the box by a good half length, The Shrew three lengths away third. Dividend, £6 10s. Seven faced the music for the Welter Handicap, the Gisborne mare Huna being made favourite, but at the finish she could get no nearer than third, Leontine and New Forest being a dead heat for first honours, Leolinus’ son payed £6 3s and New Forest £3 6s. In the baby’s struggle seven juveniles lined up. Dauntless’ brother, Daunt, being made a red-hot favourite, he carrying £363 out of a total of £7Ol invested bn the machine. Haria’s brother, Picklock, hopped off smartly at the word “ go,” and led inta the straight, attended by Nightingale, St. Conon next, Daunt following, his rider seeming (o think that he only had to come to win, but instead’ of his field coming back to him he had to go up to them, with the result that St. Conon won ■ by a nose from Picklock, the same distance between second and third. Dividend, £lO 10s. Eight weighed out for the Trial Handicap, the start of which was greatly delayed by the vagaries of Te Ngaehe, who took charge of his rider and did about three miles on his own, Mr Piper having at the finish to despatch the field without him. The winner turned up in Mr T. H. Lowry’s Belford, the favourite, who won easily from Popgun and Straybird, paying the dividend of £2 7s. Although Te Ngaehe did not start in the race, the £154 invested on him went to swell the dividend for Belford. I am quite aware that the executive of the H.B.J.C. had the laws of racing on their side; still 1 think, under the circumstances, that they would have been justified in returning the money to the investors on Te Ngaehe, whose supporters, really speaking, had no chance to win. The concluding item of the

day effected one of the biggest surprises of the meeting, Torpina easily defeating the eight opposed to him in the Railway Handicap, Sedgebrook, who was served up a very warm favourite, having the bad luck to twist one of his plates just after the start. Although Torpedo’s son paid the nice price of £l7 14s, the stable did not benefit to any extent by his victory, The Shrew, on whom Derrett had the mount, being the one they selected to overthrow Sedgebrook. “ Dad” Kingan, on Torpina, never gave anything a chance, taking his mount to the front at the word “ go.” He made every post a winning one, getting home easily from Forest Rose by three lengths, Sedgebrook, about the same distance away, third. On the second day of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey. Club, hostilities commenced with the Autumn Handicap, for which seven was the main, Huna being selected as the correct thing and accordingly installed favourite, but she had to strike her flag to the over-night winner, Torpina, who, splendidly handled by Derrett, carved out the mile in Imin 43sec ; Martyrdom was a good third. Dividend, £5 12s. Had Huna, on the previous day, been slipped for the March Handicap in preference to the Welter, she, and not New Forest, would have annexed the stake.

Seven lined under the starter’s care for the Hurdle Race, Secrecy, on the previous day’s performance, being made favourite, but she failed to gain a situation. Douglas’ half-brother (by Foul Play),- Prince Charlie, came out on top, Tenby and Britannia filling the positions. Dividend, £B.

In the Hawke’s Bay Stakes half-a-dozen opposed Mr Stead’s colt, Multiform, who looked the beau ideal of a racehorse. He was made a very hot favourite, more than half the total amount on the machine going on him, and what a snip this race was for him. Always on the premises, from the fall of the flag, he romped home an easy winner from Sir Launcelot and St. Conon. Dividend, £1 Ils.

Five got under way for the next event, the Pacific Handicap, the erratic bolter of the previous afternoon, Te Ngaehe, being one of the number. Despite the fact that he had that good horseman in the pigskin (Charlie Parker), he was not satisfied till he had a flutter of six furlongs on his own, but Parker, sticking resolutely to him, soon had him under control, the public cheering him to the echo for his finished style upon the cantankerous brute. Harry Piper, watching his opportunity, splendidly got them away in a beautiful line, Belford going in advance of his field after a few lengths had been gone, a position he and Straybird maintained to the home turn, where Te Ngaehe raced up to them and soon had them in trouble, reaching the vantage point three lengths to the good, Straybird second,

Popgun a similar distance away third. Dividend, £4 6s. The big event of the day, the Burke Memorial Stakes, was the next item for consideration, nine having cried content with their burdens, The Shrew having a big pull in the betting, Haria being the next best supported. From an excellent dismissal, The Miser and Strathbraan were the first to show out, but rapid changes were the order of the day, first one and then another having a cut at the lead. Sweeping into the home stretch Golden Plover had a trifle the best of The Shrew and New Forest, and when half the distance up the straight had been reached it looked a good thing for The Shrew, who was going at a great bat, but New Forest and Golden Plover, sticking to their toil like Britons, forged ahead of the little mare, the Newminster horse, putting in some good telling strides at the finish, landing the stake from Golden Plover by a bare neck, the same distance separating The Shrew from Plover, The Brook fourth. Dividend, £l4 13s. Nansen, the bearer of the “ all cerise” in the Juvenile Handicap, was made a strong order on the tote, but he didn’t justify the confidence reposed in him by his followers, as he failed to reach Wakelyn and Nightingale, the former just beating the Somnus filly by a bare head, paying the handsome dividend of £l7 15s, the best, by a shilling, for the meeting. H. Holmes, who had the mount on Multiform, rode Wakelyn, who, by the way, is a son of Dreadnought from Lady Florin, by Musket—Florin, by Traducer —Rupee. Five toed the mark for the recovery stakes, the Farewell Handicap, Sedgebrook filling the position of favourite, and he didn’t make any mistake upon this occasion, reaching the convincing point in the easiest possible manner from Huna by three lengths, Drury Lane third. Dividend, £2. Mr R. J. Mason, who was up in charge of Multiform, during a chat I had with him, informed me that since New Forest had left the establishment presided over by him he had been backed by him for good bets, and upon the occasion of his dual success unon the first day he did not have a penny on him, but he had an investment on him when he was victorious upon the second day. One of the features of the meeting was the non-success of the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s team, but this is accounted for by the fact that the principal members of his string are on the sick list, and, when I saw that some of his entrants had been supported in doubles for the Great Easter and Autumn Handicaps, it would be just as well to draw backers’ attention to the fact that they are improbable starters for those events. Mr F. Moeller’s racing-stock was cleared at auction by Mr Cohen on Saturday, the purchasers

and the amounts being as follows .- —Torpina, Mr W. Douglas, 280 gs ; Trilby, Mr R. Gooseman, 50gs; The Shrew, Mr Moeller, 150 g s; Little Billee, Mr Shirley, 65gs; Victoria, Mr G. E. G. Richardson, 30gs; Twilight, Mr M. P. Donnely, 29gs ; Clara, and foal, Mr T. Quinlivan, 10gs ; Clarisse, Mr R. Gooseman, lOgs ; Middle Park, Mr W. Black, Bgs; a yearling, Mr McNamara, Sigs.