After the Races.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 429, 13 October 1898, Page 12

After the Races.

WANGANUI J.C. SPRING MEETING. [By Our Own Correspondent.] The Wanganui Jockey Club was not favored with the best of weather for their spring fixture, a high wind blowing both days, whilst heavy showers fell at intervals during the first day’s racing, but fortunately kept fine the second day. The going was good, and the ornamental ground® and appointments were in apple-pie order. Totalisator investments were—First day, £5089; second day, £5248, making a total of £10,337 for the two days, as against £10,544 for the corresponding days last year, being a decrease of £207. The racing throughout, with the exception of the Guineas, was good, most of the finishes on the second day being keenly fought out and in doubt right to the post. The Spring Handicap, one mile and a distance, served as the introductory item to the day’® racing. Primula (8.5) was withdrawn, having gone wrong at the last moment, whilst Tupuhi was also pulled out, being kept in reserve for th® six-furlong flutter at the end of the programme. Ever since the Rangitikei meeting, where Penroa® won the mile and a quarter so comfortably, th® event under consideration was looked upon as the best of good things for the son of Torpedo and Primrose, and when the machine opened punters expressed strong confidence in him, and he was sent out at much the shortest price, the only others that were reckoned at all likely to upset the good thing being Crusoe (7.12) and Light (7 0). Lindsay declared 41b over on Penrose. Crusoe and The Miller acted as pacemakero,. whilst Light and Penrose were content to waitThe Miller died away at the home turn, when Penrose and Light joined issue with Crusoe, but Lindsay was sitting still on Penrose, whilst theother two were hard at it. Penrose won very comfortably at the finish by a length, Crusoe and Light respectively in the places. All the seven acceptors were saddled up forth® Trial Hack, one mile. First Shot, again on Rangitikei form, was reckoned the pick of the bunch,, and next to him the well-bred Dreadnought— Muriwai horse Toa, whilst The Miser’s halfbrother, Gobo (by Natator), was not altogether neglected. He is a nice cut of a horse. To*, Gobo, and Lightning acted as Delaney keeping First Shot behind, evidently content to wait. Half a mile from home First Shot commenced his run, which he proved quite capable of sustaining, and was in front at the home turn. Gobo, however, came again, and Delaney had to shake First Shot up, an interesting finish seeing him get home by a long neck, with Toa close up third. The Wanganui Guineas proved the blot of the meeting, and the management of the club had good reason to feel disgusted at seeing a £2OO stake produce such a wretched field. A day or two previous to the fixture a rumor gained currency that Captain Russell’s Dreadnought filly Tigress had gone wrong and would not see the post. She, however, turned up all right, and was sent to the post with both fore legs bandaged. Needless to say she was a warm favorite. The race proved a. regular procession, Tigress going, clean away from the other two at the start, and neither Victoria Cross or Scotia could live with her. For the First Handicap Hurdles, Torpina (10.11) was put about as good goods, whilst Nor’West had many friends, and, strange to say, Maid Marion, who had not previously competed over the small sticks, was considerably better backed than either Marina or Troubadour. Pokomoko and Nor’-West acted as pacemakers for the first mile and a half, wi'h Troubadour and Torpina not far away. Half a mile from home George Laing got to work on Troubadour, who soon had Nor’-West and Pokomoko in trouble, and going as strong as a lion the much improved son of Sou’ Wester —Betty got home comfortably by three lengths from his full brother, Nor’-West. The top-weight (Marina, 11.8) was never prominent, while Maid Marion made a very poor display, finishing a bad last, and the wonder is how the Forester mare met with so much support on the machine.

A giod field of nine was sent out for the First Hack Hurdles, which, on his good go at Rangitikei when Pokomoko just beat him, was reckoned a fair thing for the nice-looking Cuirassier gelding, Sabreur. Taravento came next in demand, while Cairo, with his big burden of 12.5, had a good many friends by reason of his two very easy wins at Hawera. Papa threw out at the first fence, giving the unlucky Bill Better a nasty fall. Discord also came to grief at the same fence Papa, when he fell, knocked the hurdle up and with it the dangerous iron spike used for fastening the hurdles down. Discord managed to strike the iron, resulting in her fetlock being broken and her immediate dispatch necessary. Mangamahu forced the pace soon after they got going, Nayborn and Cairo being his nearest attendants. Half a mile from home Percy Johnson shook Cairo up, and he quickly passed Mangamahu and Nayborn, and, coming on full of running, nothing had a chance with him, winning easily by two lengths from Nayborn and Taravento. Owners were busy with the scratching pen for the Hack Handicap, one mile and a distance, Toa, Gobo, Ponaturi, and Lightning all being withdrawn, cutting the starters down to the small total of four. Taplow (8.0) was entrusted with most support, with The Thrush next most fancied. Shearsby’s Louis d’Or gelding rushed away to the front and led till three furlongs from home, when Taplow asserted himself, and from the home turn never left the issue in doubt, winning comfortably by two lengths from The Thrush and Derry. Penrose, who was very dotty on his pins after his Spring Handicap win, was scratched for the Flying Handicap, leaving eight to go out. The ■Wapiti — Rangihau horse, Tupuhi, on tn® strength of his numerous easy triumphs under heavy imposts in hack company, was looked upon

as a real good thing with 7.10 at his first attempt with the cracks. Titoki was reckoned the most likely to upset the supposed good thing. When the barrier went up, the promising Cuirassier horse, Chasseur, hopped off the mark and led the field all the way till just turning heads for home, when he swerved slightly out from the rails, and before Delaney could get him back, White, with his well-known judgment, got Titoki up on the inside. A slashing go took place right up the straight, White getting home by a short head. Chasseur was not much fancied, and would have paid the long price of £l9 4s. good price of £7 18s. The small field of five saddled up for the Hack Flying, six furlongs, and First Shot, with his steadier of 9.6, was voted the pick of the bunch, whilst Gobo, with White up, ran the speedy roan son of Armament pretty close in the betting When the tapes went up, Vapour shot to the front, Lotion’s half-sister by Vanguard acting as pacemaker till well round the home turn. The fine-looking Dreadnought horse Toa, however, had Vapour in trouble before heads were turned for home. The Don joined issue half way up the straight, but Toa held him safe, when a fresh danger threatened him, First Shot, from right behind, coming with a great rattle from the distance. Toa, however, just lasted long enough to win by a bare half length, and, although in the judge’s opinion The Don was Second Day. Splinter was the only withdrawal from the opening event on the second day, 1 eaving a field of eight to face the starter. Titoki, with all his 3.13, was the public fancy, Indian Shot coming next in favor, whilst the supposed “ dead bird ” for the six furlong event on the first day, Tupuhi, was supported in marked contrast to when he was sent out at his fiast essay in big company, when he carried £368 out £IOO4, whilst only £73 out of £643 was entrusted to him in the event under consideration. After Titoki had shown the way fo- the first furlong, Tupuhi shot out, quickly getting a good lead. Titoki was hard ridden from the turn, but for all the impression he could make on the runaway, White might just as well have sat still, as Tupuhi romped home in hollow fashion by four lengths. No one was surprised at finding a protest for inconsistent running entered against Tupuhi. At the enquiry held by the stewards, the Wapiti horse’s failure on the first day was accounted for by his connections owing to Jenkins’s saddle breaking early in the race. The stewards accepted the explanation offered as satisfactory, and dismissed the protest. Tupuhi paid the the runner-up, First Shot unquestionably got into that position, and a stride or two more would have seen Toa defeated. First Shot, on returning to the paddock, was very lame, and had to be scratched for the second hack event. Despite his failure when sent out favorite for the Hurdles on the first day to run into a place, Torpina was again entrusted with most money for the Secend Hurdles. Possibly the fact that the distance was shorter had something to do with it, although Torpina simply walked in on the second day at the Wanganui Winter Meeting over two miles. Troubadour was sent out second favorite. Little Alpine, as she generally does, tore away to the front, and lepping her fences in great style she was soon a bit to the good. Torpina was Alpine’s nearest attendant passing the stand. Going into the back Moore took the favorite to the front, and his numerous backers felt pretty confident. Torpina was still several lengths to the good half a mile from home, when Troubadour, who, I fancy, George Laing kept rather out, made a forward move, and though at the turn he was close on Torpina’s quarters, Moore had only to ask his mount a question and he came right away again, winning comfortably by three lengths from Troubadour and Alpine. Neither Nor’West or Marina were ever prominent. For the Second Hack Hurdles punters again displayed a strong liking for the good-looking

Cuirassier gelding, Sabreur, a stable companion of Tupuhi. Perhaps the fact that Billy Higgins was up had something to do with it, yet it certainly looked strange to see them flopping it on to Sabreur, and there were just twice a many tickets on him as on Nayborn, who donkey-licked him the first day. Avant Garde, who I fully expect to see pay his way later on, acted as pacemaker, Taravento, Kapo, and Sabreur lying next, as they came down the straight. Six furlongs from home Morris started to vigorously punish Kapo, who, under that treatment, took up the running, showing the way to the home bend. Sabreur, however, soon got to business, and fairly galloping over everything was in front when heads were turned for home. Nayborn was the only one that made any attempt to make a race of it, but her efforts were quite useless, Sabreur winning very comfortably by a length and a half. Kapo was a long way out third. Homes had again to appear before the stewards to explain Sabreur’s running as compared with the first day, his explanation being that it was attributable to indifferent horsemanship the first day, and the stewards dismissed the protest. Only five were saddled up for the big event, the Wanganui Stakes, one mile and a half, and it was almost unanimously agreed that it would prove a somewhat uninteresting event, and was looked upon as the best of good things for the top weight, Boreas, despite his heavy impost of 7.4, the fast work Sou’-Wester’s son having done on the local tracks precious to the meeting doubtless inspiring confidence in his ability, his only two likely opponents being Crusoe and Light. However, the unexpected happened. It was a peculiarly run race, a nd furnished a most exciting and thoroughly well-contested finish right from the home turn. Fadladeen got well away, whilst Crusoe was badly left. Fadladeen fairly bolted, and passing the stand must have been fully twelve lengths in front of Boreas, the leader going very freely. Fadladeen was still ten lengths in front with six furlongs to go, and a doubt began to exist as to whether the runaway would be overtaken. White was the first to give chase on Boreas, whe sprinted a couple of furlongs at top, getting to Fadladeen before heads were turned for home, and when “ Boreas and nothing else ” was the cry, Light and Crusoe put in an appearance. All three horseman rode for all they were worth from the turn, and a slashing race saw the Wanganui owned Light, on the rails and well handled by George Price, defeat Crusoe by a length, with Boreas only half a length away. The win was a popular one, and was a bit of a surprise to Light’s owner, who had half a mind to scratch his horse for this event, and reserve him for the Marangai Stakes, one mile, at the end of the day. First Shot being withdrawn from the Final Hack, and Toa having to put up a 51b penalty for his previous win, Taplow was reckoned the pick of the five starters, which included the Gipsy King hurdle horse, Cairo, to whom a good many pinned their faith. After Taplow had settled down, after fighting hard for his head, The Thrush took up the running at the six furlong post, but Cairo put in a fast sprint and quickly gave The Thrush the go by. Going to the home bend it looked as if Cairo would win all the way, but Jenkins had a bit up his sleeve, the Dreadnought horse getting to Cairo at the distance, and then there was a battle royal. In a punishing finish Toa squeezed home by a bare neck, Taplow being a rather indifferent third. Tom Bristol was not having any 71b penalty with Light for the Maranyai Stakes, one mile, Splinter also being scratched, leaving the good field of nine for backers to worry with. Tupuhi was reckoned another real good thing, and punters whacked it on to him in real earnest. Indian Shot (8 0) certainly read well and he was next best supported, Percy White being up on Torpedo’s speedy representative. Acme and Rubin also carried a fair amount of money. From an even start Rubin and Indian Shot were first to appear in front. Entering the back

Guardfish shot out into the lead, but he .was not there long when Tupuhi made him retire. Ihe Wapiti horse had a clear three lengths lead from the others two furlongs from home, when Indian Shot was seen coming fast, and before the corner was reached he had Tupuhi settled. Acme and The Hempie also came fast in the home run, but could not get to Indian Shot, who won fairly comfortably by a length from Acme, with The Hempie a good third.