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New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 388, 30 December 1897, Page 9

Relative to the crop of foals at Mr R. Peck’s Howbury stud, the special com mission er of the Sportsman (England) says : —“ Some of those by Haut Brion are so good that Mr Peck never ceases regretting that, he sold that fine son of St. Simon to go to Australia.” Haut Brion is now located at Mr S. S. Horden’s Wilton Park Stud.

Venus, the Tasmanian mare that was recently taken to New Zealand has been returned to her home. The daughter of Mozart and Stars and Stripes suffered from a bad cold while in New Zealand, otherwise it is thought she would have displayed form that would have justified the trip.

The Woodville District Jockey Club is to be congratulated upon the excellent programme which appears elsewhere, for the meeting to be held on the 9th and 10th March next There are sixteen events, with added money totalling £1,025. Six races are open, the added money for which amounts to £s6o—the chief item for each day being the Wbodville Cup Handicap £2OO, and Autumn Handicap £l5O, respectively. The other ten races are confined to horses which have not won a race exceeding the value of £4O hack and hunter races excepted. This is a very liberal programme indeed, and a decided advance on previous years. The dates should suit horse owners, falling in as they do between the Wanganui and Hawke’s Bay Jockey Clubs’ Autumn Meetings. Railway communication between Wellington and Woodville via Wairarapa is now complete, and we have no doubt that owners from the Hntt and all up the Wairarapa will send to Woodville. The handicapper for the Club is Mr J. E. Henry, and the starter Mr H. Piper.

To-morrow (Friday) Messrs Hunter and Nolan will offer for sale the bay colt Hylas (by St. Hippo —Cantiniere), the bay filly St. Innis (by St. Leger —TnnisfH.il), and the chestnut filly Presentment (by Richmond). The two former won races at the spring meetings of the Auckland Racing Club and Avondale Jockey Club. These horses will be sold at Sylvia Park after the yearling sales.

At the Durham Yards on Friday Messrs Hunter and Nolan will dispose of some young bloodstock got by The Dauphin, Howitzer, Brigadier, Pleasanton, and Handsome Jack. Several wellknown brood mares, with foals, are in the private sale list.

Though,-perhaps it is scarcely necessary to call the attention of racing men and others to the fact that that the sale of the Sylvia Park yearlings takes place to-morrow (Friday), it may be as well to again mention that this is the first opportunity of obtaining any of Seaton Delaval’s stock. Seaton Delaval is descended from the great sire families on both sides, so that his progeny must be invaluable to New Zealand breeders, as well as excellent for racing purposes. There is sure to be capital competition for these yearlings, for besides New Zealand buyers, there are in Auck land representatives of Australian horse owners. After Messrs Nathan’s yearlings have been disposed of, the Motu-Korea youngsters will go through the auctioneer’s hands. The yearlings sent up from Brown’s Island by the Messrs Alison are principally by Regel and Seaton Delaval.

The programme 7 for the Wellington Racing Club’s Summer Meeting, to be held on January 22 and 24, is published elsewhere. On the first day'the Wellington Cup of 500 sovs is run, also the-Wellesley Stakes of £250 and the President’s Handicap of £l5O. ; On the second day the principal events are the Wellington Racing Club Handicap of £250 and the Wellington Stakes of £2OO. Wednesday next, January 5, is the general entry day, and a glance at the liberal programme will" serve to show 'that it is deserving of the patronage of owners.

Mr Abe Moss, the well-known Dunedin bookmaker, is amongst the visitors at present in Auckland for the Summer Meeting of the Auckland Racing Club. He will remain in the city until after the sale of the Wellington Park yearlings, and when he journeys South again it is to be hoped that he will enjoy safer transit than he did when he last visited Auckland. It will be remembered that he was a passenger in the ill-fated Tasmania when she went down. Another prominent Southern bookmaker at present in Auckland is Mr Martin Taylor, of Christchurch. He has been here for some weeks, and prior to the Summer Meeting he has been enjoying the health giving quality of the waters of the Rotorua Springs, and his shadow has not grown less.

One of the most important sales of yearlings that has ever been held in the colony will take place at Wellington Park on Tuesday next, 4th January, when Messrs Hunter and Nolan will bring to the hammer some youngsters declared by Mr Morrin to be the best ever bred at Wellington Park. The victory of Antares in the Auckland Cup, and of Eton in the Trial Stakes and Railway Handicap, should enhance the value of the Castor youngsters, while the progeny of another Wellington Park sire (Hotchkiss) won two races, namely, Lady Harriett and Swordfish. What price the Hotchkiss —Frailty colt after this when intending buyers remember the deeds of Multiform, Uniform, and True Blue. Other youngsters that will bring long prices are the Lady Cureton colt, the Cissy colt, and the Hilda filly. There is not a bad one in the whole collection, and a good all-round sale should be the result.

An announcement on Wednesday that Antares would be submitted for sale on Friday by Messrs Hunter and Nolan created considerable surprise, but it is understood that a dissolution cf partnership is the cause. Hylas and St. Innis are also in the list for sale.

Entries are due with Mr Percival on Friday, Jan. 7, for the Great Northern Derby of 18991900 and the Great Northern Foal Stakes of 1899-1900. The conditions cf both races are advertised, as also those of the Royal Stakes of 1899 and 1900.

It is a peculiar feature of the Auckland Cup race that young Sceats, whose excellent horsemanship and finishing ability on Antares was a strong contributing cause to the defeat of St. Paul, is in the employ of Mr John Chaafe, the lessee of St. Paul. He has ridden the game little St. Leger horse, and the brilliant nature of the work he has do e on the training track was such as to cause him to think he had only what is called “ Buckley’s show ”on Antares. It, therefore, was a matter of surprise to find Antares catching St. Paul when he called on him to make his effort, and he was still more surprised to find him beating him. Sceats’ performances this season have been of a highly meritorious nature, and if he is careful in steering past the “ big head shoal” hie success will not stop at Monday’s win.