After the Races.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 494, 11 January 1900, Page 12

After the Races.

THE HAWKE’S BAY JOCKEY CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING. ["By Our Napier Correspondent.’] First Day—Monday, January 1. FINE WEATHER AND GOOD RACINGThe opening day of this club’s fixture was a roaster and no mistake, Old Sol evidently taking a chance of beginning the New Year by shining in his very best form. Certainly it was a deal better that the weather should be fine, in preference to some of the mixed samples of climate that have been going round here for some time past, but there is no getting away from the fact that it was particularly sultry and uncomfortable. Anyhow, it’s said that it is an ill wind that blows no one any good, and the lessee of the booths (Mr S. Charlton) bad an extra heavy demand made upon his liquid refreshments, so that he reaped a rich harvest as a result of the tropical weather. In consequence of climate good times were registered for the various events, for a number of private watch-holders, who are good hands at the clocking business, made the times occupied by the contestants several seconds slower than the official records for the trips. Mr Harry Piper was, as usual, au fait in the accomplishments of his tasks, and the other officebearers of the club were assiduous in the discharge of their many duties. Mr George Cross, the courteous, prompt clerk of the totalisat ors, was, I am So ry to say, not an assistant at the just concluded meeting, as he was confined to his room suffering from a very serious illness. Mr Vautier, who filled his position, ably discharged his labours with dispatch and correctness. One of the features of the first day’s racing was the success of the horses owned by Mr W. Robinson, of Te Ante, as he carried his bat out; for out of four starts he won upon each occasion, and the hearty way in which the spectators cheered when weight was declared right showed that his straightforward . efforts were recognised. The Te Aute sport has been going for a great number of years at the game, but be never had such a triumphal march as he had on New Year’s Day. A.s he bred the winner of the big race (Te Hapuka), he must have felt all the more gratified at his victory. Will-o’-the-Wiep was bred by Mr H. Broughton, and was purchased, along with his dam, from Mr R. Gooseman, who had bought her and her foal at the break-up of Mr Broughton’s stud. Lady Lome, winner of the Rouble, was bought from Mr George Hope by her present owner a couple of seasons back, and has proved a remunerative speculation. The totalisator investments were £650 behind that of a similar fixture for the last season, the figures being —1899, £9333; 1900, £8683 4s. A start was made with the New Year Handicap of one mile, the half-dozen coloured on the book filing out for battle. Palaver, who had won a seven furlong race at Palmerston the previous, week, was made strong first favorite, Pistol Grip coming next in favour. Punters, however, failed to locate the result in this race, for Will-o’-the-Wisp, the second best supported of the contingent, hit the mark by a couple of lengths easily. St Brigid, one of Renown and Jabber’s stable companions, was elected first choice for the First Haca Handicap, Hila, with a trifle more than half the amount invested on the cerise bearer, coming next, the ultimate winner (Lady Lome) being third pick. Nukurau held command, attended by tit Brigid, for about five furlongs, when the Lochiel mare strode to the front and had no difficulty in beating Uila and Gold Cup, who finished second and third respectively. Te Hapuka, who had run second to Boreas in the Mam*watii Cnp on Boxing Day, was pounced upon as favorite for the President’s Handicap, Tirade being next best supported, Jadoo coming next. Te Hapuka had a bit of luck in winning, for at a critical stage of the race he got hemmed in, and it looked a fiver to a fig that he would not be able to get through. Tirade was second, and Daphne third. Five youngsters ranged out for the fray in the Two-year-old Handicap, The Shannon having a slight call over Heiress in the betting, Paphos, a son of Robinson Crusoe and Aprodite, hailing from the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s stable, filling third favorite place. Heiress was quickest off the mark, and led to a furlong from home, when The Shannon threw out a challenge, and after a bit of a tussle headed her off, crossing the line quite two lengths in advance of Governess, who had only 13 tickets invested on her chance out of a total of 363. She is one of Mr W. Rathbone’s breeding, and will be worth keeping an eye on for future engagement. The winner is getting better looking every day, though she has been suffering for some weeks past from some skin disease, which has had the effect of making her shed her coat. Her owner (Mr Watt), or lam much taken in, made a good purchase when he secured her, for she is undoubtedly the makings of a great mare. She paid £2 14s. Sirius, the other starter, is by Dreadnought from Planet, a Castor mare who was a terrible frost at the racing game. He finished last—a position his ma often used to occupy.

Barbarossa, Chance, Treed, and En Avant comprised the field for the Hurdle Race. The latter was favorite, Chance following with £37 less against his number on the machine, Barbarossa being third selection, and Treed (who belongs to D. Munn, the tr finer of le Hapuka, Lady Lome, and Will-o’-the Wisp) ranking as the outsider of the quartette. Barbarossa led for a mile, when his stable chum Chance, ridden by his owner, T. Connop, assumed control. At the last fence he was joined by En Avant. The pair made none too good a job of their negotiation of the obstacle, giving Barbarossa a chance, which his rider, O. O’Neill was none too slow to take advantage of, Crusader’s son coming on full of running, and capturing with a pull on by three lengths. A trio faced the starter in the Christmas Handicap, six furlongs, which was only an exereiee gallop for the winner, Autaia, who was an odds-on favorite. For the Welter Hack Handicap, one mile, five contestants —Uila, Mystify, Whitirea, The Miner, and Florentine —wended their way to the post, the first-named being a strong order, Whitirea, who looked very big and lusty, coming next. Mystify, who won a double last week at Porangahau, was slow off the mark, but after going a furlong he took charge and won in a ridiculously easy manner by nearly half-a-dozen lengths from Whitirea, who was a couple of lengths in front of The Miner. Sport for the day was brought to a conclusion with the Maiden Handicap, five furlongs and a half. Mongonui was the only scratching from the nine original acceptors. Though Lady Lome had her original impost increased to 10.2 as the result of her previous win, she was selected first favorite. Condor, a good-looking three-year-old gelding by Dreadnought from the Malua, Maluri, a member of the Karamu string, had the next best following. Condor was quickest away, and led for five furlongs, when Lady Lome came up, looking a certain winner. A few lengths from the post, however, The Dude came with a great rush on the rails, and had he not got jammed would have about won. Lady Lome only got there by a long neck, Condor half a length away third. Second Day—Tuesday, January 2. Another scorcher, with a strong wind going at top, favo red the patrons of the club on the concluding day. The attendance was very moderate, but this may be in a measure accounted for by the non-observance of the day as a holiday by the majority of the business people at Hastings and Napier. Five first favorites got home, but the racing was not particularly exciting or interesting, the majority of winners having the race in their keeping a good distance from home. The January Handicap, one mile, set the ball rolling, a field of four weighing out for the event. Palaver, who ran barefooted, never gave the opposition a chance when the distance post was reached, and coming on strongly from this point, vfon without any apparent effort by a couple of lengths from Whitirea, who was a bare length in front of Will-o-the-Wisp. The big field of eleven weighed out for the Scurry Hack Race, and the good response that owners give this class of race should conclusively prove to the H.B. Jockey Club that they have in the past been laboring under a delusion when they omitted these events from the programme. Spark, a maiden three-year-old gelding by Seaton Delaval —Thyra, was made a good solid favorite, and backers picked it correctly, for he scored in a very resolute manner from the rank outsider, Blank. There were only three tickets out of 618 on the second horse. The official time was given as Imin Isec—not bad for a hack —but I was standing alongside a good time-taker, who is as correct as they make them, and his dial showed Imin 2 4-ssec.

The weak field of four got under way for the principal event of the day, from a monetary point of view—the Summer Handicap, one mile and a quarter. Tirade’s forward running on the previous day had the effect of making her favorite, for there was no. Te Hapuka in evidence. The betting forecast the result of the encounter, as the horses finished in the same order as they were backed, Tirade, practically speaking, having the award in her keeping from the send-off.

Another soft snap for the favorite (Whitirea) followed in the Epsom Handicap. Armourer’s black son was opposed by Windfall, Davey Jones (Dreadnought—Lorelei), and Money Musk, and he he never gave the opposition a chance when the pace was turned on full speed ahead in the last furlong.

A quintette saddled-up for the Second Hurdles. Roller, who had not been a contestant the previous day, being installed favorite. Unfortunately for his backers, he never gave them a gleam of hope, as he occupied a position in the rear for the whole of the journey. Barbarossa, notwithstanding that he carried 12at 81b, won just as easily as he did the previous day with a stone less on his back.

Punters were trotting over one another to get their bit on The Shannon in the Nursery Handicap, who was opposed by Nobility, Heiress, and Sirius. On the first day the Shannon and Heiress were on the same mark (8.2). On this occasion the latter had the best of the weight by 131 b, Sirius having a 271 b pull in the avoirdupois assessment compared with the first day’s go; but the distance was increased by an extra furlong, and as Heiress had seemed to be tiring at the end of five furlongs on the opening day, it looked the best of good things for The Shannon, who had seemed to improve the further she went, There is no getting away from the fact that had The Shannon been better ridden she would have won, but Lord (her rider) evidently appeared to think that Heiress was no class as compared with his mount, and trifling with her all the way up the straight, she gave

her the slip a few lengths from the post, and before The Shannon could get properly at her the judge’s box was passed, Heiress having a head advantage. Heiress, who was bred by her owner (Captain Russell), is by Gold Reef from Huerfana, and is the first of the English-bred sire’s stock to win. She'is trained by R. Gooseman, and for some time back has been doing creditable work on the track. Hila, Mystify. Gold Cup, and Florentine comprised the field in the Second Hack Handicap, seven fuylongs. They were backed in that order, and finished as they were supported. Hila and Mystify got a big break on Gold Cup right from the fall of the flag, Florentine tailing away directly they got going At the home turn the leaders ran out, thus allowing Gold Cup to make up her ground on the inside. As they came up the straight Hila seemed to bore Mystify right out, and the pair finished up under the judge’s box, Hila just getting the fiat, Gold Cup a good third. Pistol Grip was the only scratching from the seven acceptors [for the final item of the two days’ card, the Grandstand Handicap. Fleka was the selected one, Palaver, who had incurred a 71b penalty as a result of her win in the Janu- . ary Handicap, bringing her weight up to 8.11, having the next best following. The favorite kept handy until half a furlong from home, when Lord sat down on Palaver and drove her along, and she was soon on terms with Fleka, who failed to respond to his rider’s call, and victory rested with Apreinont’s daughter by a length and a half.