After the Races.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 452, 23 March 1899, Page 12

After the Races.

HAWKE’S BAY JOCKEY CLUB’S AUTUMN MEETING.

[by OUR NAPIER CORRESPONDENT.j

First Day—Wednesday, March 15.

For several days previous to the fixture the weather was of a kind that did not generally present a favorable outlook. However, the morning of Wednesday, the first day of the races, showed out in great contrast to that of the preceding two days, and patrons of the Metropolitan’s trysting grounds had a delightful day granted to them. In a brace of the contests, the Hurdles and the Trial Handicap, interesting finishes ensued, but in the other races the winners proclaimed themselves a long way from the convincing time. The takings from the machine did not reach last year’s total for a similar meeting by £l6l. Nearly every jockey riding wore a crape band on his arm in memory of the late Mr H. C. Edwards. The officials responsible for the administration of affairs successfully acquitted themselves in the execution of their duties, and when it is said that starter Piper got his fields away in his usual conmmendable style, race frequenters, who have seen the king of starters perform, know right well that means good work. Prior to the Hurdle Race being run the committee held an enquiry into the ownership of Voltaire. The only evidence before the committee, and which was accepted by them, was a letter from Mr J" W. Card, in which he stated that he was Mrs W. Donald’s solicitor, and that the horses were her sole and absolute property under a legal transfer dated Ist February, 1899, and that E. Cundy, the nominator of Voltaire, is a bailee under a registered bailment from her filed in the Supreme Court, Wellington, on the 14th February, 1899. Business started with the Autumn Handicap, the Vanguard horse, First Blood, being the only elimination from the eight figuring on the card. Indian Shot’s sister, Tortulla, had the greatest number of fanciers, and the betting was a good prognostication of eventualities, as the Porirua trained mare took charge at the home stretch and won, pulling double, by a bare length, the Lochiel mare, Lady Lorne, beating Jadoo (who had met with a rough passage) by three lengths for second money. The Frenchman, the second favorite, was never in the chase, but his inglorious display can be accounted for by the fact that he was run out at several stages of the game. Scotia, the third favorite and who was well backed by the right sort, performed badly, for she only managed to get fourth. The winner paid £3 7s, but her connections could not have amasssed any wealth by her victory, for just as her trainer was leading her out on to the course he received a telegram from the controller of the mare, telling him to scratch her for all engagements. It was, however, too late for the instructions to be carried out.

The quartette of acceptors in the hurdle event lined up for the despatch of matters, the figures on the machine denoting that the majority of investors considered that Ruby was the gem, Voltaire having £l4 less recorded against his name. Barbarossa, as usual, struck out from the fall of the flag, and led his field from start to finish, although H. Moore, on Meerschaum, gave him a task for half the distance of the straight. The big handsome Flintlock gelding, Meerschaum, did not jump any too clean, or if he had he would, I think, have turned the tables on Connop’s gelding. Voltaire seemed to be unlucky in the race, for he made a couple of bad jumps, and his rider appeal’d to bring him for his final spurt too far from home, and he faded away a furlong from the post. Ruby at any part of the performance was like the man who fell out of the balloon, “not in it.” The winner, who is a half-brother to the gigantic Steepler, Morag, paid £4. For a big stake like that added to the Hawke’s Bay Cup it was naturally expected that more than three starters would be in evidence, but such was not the case, only Douglas, Castashore, and Explosion getting under weigh for the contest. Douglas, with his Wanganui Cup honors to keep him before the public, was decided by strong first favorite, the Auckland colt, who looked as if he had been roused along iu his previous efforts, his sides bearing evidence of the contact with the “ hooks,” had a bit more than half as much recorded in his favor on the stationary provider of odds. Castashore, who, though he looked well, had to be eased in his work just prior to the Wanganui fixture, was £72 behind Cuirassier’s son in betting transactions. Explosion headed his antagonists up to about a mile, when he cried enough, and Douglas pulled to the front, and from this out he had the softest of snaps, winning as he liked from Castashore, on whom Lindsay was busy at it with the flail, Explosion a very indifferent third. On returning to weigh in the winning horse and jockey came in for a great round of cheering, and Messrs Richardson and Donnelly’s friends were busy congratulating these couple of popular owners for some considerable time after the decision of “ All right’, from the weighing-room. £1 17s was the amount Crawford Priory’s son paid, which must be considered to be an extremely satisfactory return for speculator’s money when everything is taken into consideration. Douglas’s go was full of merit, for he carried within a pound of 9st and cut out the trip in 2min 37 l-ssec without being squeezed. If pressure had been brought to bear u-. on him it is only feasible to expect that he would have fractured the one mile and a half record.

Eight lined up for the High-weight, Palaver being backed in a right royal manner, £277 out of the total of £658 contained m the machine over the event being invested on her chance, none of the other contestants reaching three-figure quotations. Coolgardie, the second favorite, paid £7 4s, the favorite, who was badly hampered right through the race, coming with a great burst when she got free, and gained third position, just behind the consistent Daphne.

The large field of eleven proceeded to discuss the Nursery Handicap, but though the field was-, so numerically strong Rosella and Seahorse were the only two that were at all well The latter got well away, but after going about three furlongs, in front he wilted rig nt out, and after this he took no further part in the argument. Temeraire, a big bouncing daughter of Dreadnought and Sister Mary, attended Rosella home, and had she been able to triumph would have paid a thumping dividend, as there were only nine investors on her out of a total of 707 ; but as it was, Rosella was miles ahead of anything else in the race as regards pace, and she ; never gave her supporters any uneasiness on her account, for she won in a common canter by three good lengths, Mistra coming very fast at the finish and getting third position. Seaton Delaval’s daughter paid £2 Bs. The peculiarly named Clack-na-Cudden, which in Gaelic means a resting stone, got left at the post; Fleka, who, by the way, is a half-brother by St. Andrew to Zanella, Blarney, and Palaver, carried Mr Rathbone’s colors in this race. Fleka is a Spanish word, and means to caress or fondle, and as his dam’s name is Flatter, it must be allowed that his cognomen is apropos. Gold Cup, The Dude, Hinepara, Corydon, and Baccarat composed the field for the Trial Handicap, the first-named being installed a first choice selection, The Dude and Corydon following next in public estimation. The good looking son of Strephon, for whom I have always had a good word to say, managed to break his maiden status in this race, though he had to undergo the ordeal of a protest before he was declared the winner. The grounds of the objection, which were laid by the rider and trainer of the third horse (Gold Cup), was that he had crossed, but the stewards, after consideration, decided that though the interference had taken place it was accidental, and the judge’s verdict was not disturbed. Hinepara, Mr Kaiwhata’s representative, was second, and though his horse’s chance of success was greatly destroyed by the crossing over of Corydon, he viewed the matter in the light of an unintentional interruption, and declined to protest. Though he has not been long at the game/ he has proved by his actions in all respects regarding the spinning out of his horses in their essays that he is a real good sport, and in declining to consider the entering of a protest he has further proved that he does not wish to win on a quibble. Had Hinepara won it would have made a difference of a century to him, for I know he supported her for a good stake. Corydon paid £4 10s, which, considering that it was his first win, was none too good a price, more especially when it is remembered that all his opponents have at one time or another been returned winners.

The Epsom Handicap only attracted three runners, and the game and consistent Daphne again proved her sterling worth, as she won comfortably with a lot in hand. Her owner, Mr J. T. Blake, piloted her, and the flattering reception that he met with at the termination of the event ; should most certainly prove to him that he has a big hold on the sympathy of followers of the industry. Had bis mount been a favorite, one would

have been prepared for the reception that greeted hi m when he returned to scale, for as a general rule where your money is there goes your verdict, but in this case matters were reversed, for Daphne was the outsider of the trio. His admirers were not satisfied with cheering his efforts, but several of them insisted on carrying him shoulder-high to the dressing-room. Anyone that has, got the bullion can race, but it is not everyone who. can claim to be such a popular man at the industry as J. T. Blake. May his shadow never grow less, and I hope it may many a time and oft be my pleasant duty to record wins in his favor. The six-furlong dash, the Railway Stakes, brought the day’s festivities to a conclusion. Castashore was the only one who declined the contest of the eight figuring on the card. Tauhei was dropped upon as the safe permit out of the difficulty, and the betting foreshadowed the affair, for the grey mare took charge a quarter of a mile from the winning post and waltzed home the easiests of conquerors by four lengths from Miss Emmy and Whitirea, the former of whom came extra fast in the last fi ty yards The Gisborne mare paid £2, which was not a bad price when the fact is taken into consideration that she ha& been winning all along the line, and that in good company too. The usual scramble for accommodation took place on board the train,lbut the railway authorities have not yet mastered the solution of placing a dozen people where ten could only be accommodated . If it were a private concern there would be guardians of the public, who would look and see that matters were better attended to for the convenience of their patrons. , , Second Day—Friday, March [l7. Another fine day saw out the conclusion of the autumn meeting. Engagements started with the March Handicap, for which the main was eight. The Gisborne-owned mare, Tauhei, monopolised the betting, and the forecast thus given was borneout in the decision of the race, for the grey mare won without an effort, the consistent Jadoo getting second place, with Whitirea, the second fauorite, third. Palaver got badly interfered ■ with in the race, and her chance of success was thereby killed. The winner paid £2 7s. Missfire was selected favorite of the six comprising the Hurdles contestants, but the Maxim gelding, who had not been out of a walk since the Wanganui Meeting, could not foot it with Voltaire, who won with ridiculous ease by a dozen lengths, pulling up, Ruby beating Missfire for second money. The winner performed much better than he did in bis initial effort on the first day. and on returning to weigh in a protest was entered against him, but the stewards, after hear- , ing the evidence, which was mainly to the effect that he had rapped a couple of the hurdles badly on the first day, and thus knocked himself about, was accepted, and his supporters received the dividend (£4 7b) on his account.

St. Mark and Hastings were the only withdrawals from the acceptors in the Hawke’s Bay Stakes, Altair, who looked well to the eye, being first choice, Rosella, with £l3l less invested, on the machines, following next in public estimation. Then followed Oingo and Ideal in that order, the remainder of the field being at a write-your-own-price ticket. Rosella was always there from the fall of the flag, Derrett being hard, at work on the favorite from the word go, and after going a couple of furlongs he seemed to find the pace too hot, and dropped astern. Beaching the entrance to the straight Oingo made his bid, but though he approached closely up to the filly, he could not stay there, and was soon superseded by Ideal, who threaded her way through, .and tried ineffectually to get up to Rosella; but it was of no avail, and Seaton Delaval’s bonnie daughter received the honors of the race 6y quite a couple of lengths, without pressure, from Ideal. Altair was making up his leeway quickly as the post was reached, and there is no doubt that the training for long distances that has been his portion lately has somewhat dimmed his brilliancy. Rosella paid £4 2s. The top weight, Brennan-, simply played with his opponents, The Dude, Gold Cup, and Hinepara, who finished in that order in the Pacific Handicap, Torpedo’s big son never having to put his beet foot forward at any stage of the race. Gold Cup was favorite, and the winner, next best fancied, paying £3 15s, but though returning such a good price his immediate connections did not profit much by his victory. Explosion had always the beet of Castashore in the duel for the Burke Memorial Stakes, the Auckland owned colt romping home the easiest of winners, paying £2 9s in a field of two, which must be considered very satisfactory. St. Brigid, the half-sister to Martyrdom, Sabreur, and Bulrush by Dreadnought, had a soft snap in the five furlong dash, the Scurry Handicap, Nina and the first favorite, The Frenchman, filling the positions. Dreadnought’s daughter ranked a second choice, and rewarded her supporters with £5 9s for each sovereign invested on her chance. | {[Another of the Karamu contingent triumphed in the Juvenile Handicap, this being the slashing fine youngster Temeraire, who had run second to Rosella on the opening day in the Nursery. Upon that occasion she was the rank outsider of the batch, but to show what a difference a race in public makes, she was now installed a warm first favorite, and she did not give her partisans a moment’s uneasiness, for when Davis let her head go it was all over, and she won j ust as easily as her conqueror, Rosella, did on Wednesday. Clack-na-Cudden was a fair third, with St. Mark, who had got well away and who led for about three furlongs, fourth, with Black Jacket fifth The winner paid £1 16s, which was the smallest dividend of the meeting.

Nine lined up for the Farewell Handicap, investors tumbling over one another in their anxiety to back Miss Emmy, who carried £469 out of a total of £BB9 on the machines. Mr Nathan’s representative was. always prominent, with Amoureux as her attendant for four furlongs, when the latter faded away, Whitirea, First Blood, and Waterstone then running next. A few lengths from the post First Blood headed Whitirea and Waterstone, and was just up to Miss Emmy when she crossed over and palpably interfered with him. After this mishap she just managed to gain the verdict by a bare margin, Whitirea and Water stone running a dead heat for third place about a couple of lengths in the rear. Mr B. J. Platt, the owner of First Blood, protested against Miss Emmy receiving the stakes on the grounds of a cross, and the stewards upheld his complaint and paid out on First Blood. Dividend, £2l 12s. Miss Emmy would have paid £1 14s.