WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 499, 15 February 1900, Page 13

WELLINGTON.

. GENERAL GOSSIP. Wellington, February 10. The committee of the Manawatu Racing Club have been considering the advisability of securing a new course for some time past, the present site being an undesirable one for many reasons. A meeting was held the other night to discuss a proposal to secure 100 acres of a property owned by Mr Baker, but no decision was come to on the matter, the question being reserved for a future meeting. Of course all the small punters here had a trifle on Coronet for the Taranaki Cup. It wasn’t a hard race to pick, and people who make a rule of waiting for good things, made a few shillings by the success of the Aucklander. Aide-de Camp should pay his way down in Otago—his new home. A visiting sportsman fancied the horse at Pahiatua, and secured him from Mr Cress. The son of Hiko is of the useful sort, and should score often in a district where good horses are scarce. Mr Coffey, of Hawera, has sold Sentry to the , local sportsman, Mr D. Gordon, and the horse is now being trained by J. Prosser at Porirua. So successful was the late meeting at Pahiatua that the club will be able to pay off its overdraft, and take over the whole of the debentures issued some time ago. According to a return just issued the Treasury benefitted to the extent of £13,694 19s 4d through totalisator commission last season —a very respectable amount One hundred and forty-four permits were granted for races, which extended over two hundred and fifty days. The The religious bodies, during the same period, were granted forty permits fortheir beantitul art unions. ' The Foxton Club is waking up; the course is to be considerably improved, and next meeting it will likely be connected by telegraph. Okoari was well backed for both her events at Taranaki on the opening day. There was nothing much in it, because she was beaten by Gowrie in the Stewards, and pain a small div. in the Flying. Boreas has had an easy time of it since the Hutt Meeting. He will not be taken to Christchurch. The unfinished improvements on the Wellington Club’s course are being dealt with, and it will not be very long now before they are finished. February 13. Mr J. B. Vallance (the well-known amateur rider) and Mr Pringle (the secretary of the Otaki club) have been finally selected for service in the Transvaal. The sub-committee appointed by the committee of the Wellington Racing Club to consider the question of disqualification of persons and horses ■ for having taken part in unregistered meetings in this district met yesterday, and decided to remove all disqualifications up to date.