WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 522, 26 July 1900, Page 12

WELLINGTON.

GENERAL RACING GOSSIP.

July 19. Wellington is conceded to be the most centrally situated city in the colony —a half-way meeting place between the North and South. The trotting delegates considered this at the Conference, and decided to hold their deliberations in the Empire City again next year. A filly by Quilt —Waipurata, purchased at the the last Te Mahanga sale by a Palmerston North sport, has been placed in J. Maher’s hands to be trained for her two-year-old engagements-

Leah won her first race for Mr Prosser on Wednesday, after many dissapointments. Her owner had only £4 on her on the machine. D. Laing had a very comfortable ride on Cairo in the Maiden Steeple at the Hutt. Gipsy King’s son jumped the country like a deer, and scored an easy win. Silver Ray lay too far behind at th® outset, or he would have been closer. Old King’s Bowman was tbe least fancied horse in the W.R.C. Stewards’ Handicap, and ran where he was expected to —last. There ought to be a race or two in the chestnut yet though. Mr E. D. Browne, of Palmerston North, has sold his mare Niobe (Lordof the Isles Lorelei), purchased at Captain Russell’s sale, to Mr Currie, of Kai Iwi. The usual remarks were heard after the Chevalier —Hauriri dead heat at the Hutt in the big hurdles, the backers of the horses expressing opinions according as their money was invested. Personally I think it was the fairest dead heat I have ever Couer de Lion is not quite conditioned yet, but should be in much better form by.. National time. Freely alleged that more than one competitor in the Winter Hurdles at the Hutt could have done better on a dry ground. Tbe “ wet track - ” excuse is an old one, but always serves on such occasions, when the riders are not anxious. . The New Zealand Cup candidate Volley shaped very indifferently in the Parliamentary Handicap on Wednesday, not getting a place. She collided with Temeraire at the hill bend just after the start, and this may have affected her chance to some extent, but it did not appear to injure the prospects of Mr Ormond’s mare. Arnott was thrown by Menaderva prior to the start for the Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase at the Hutt, and the mare galloped to the back of the course, but she won the race nevertheless. Arnott had his spill before the contest, and the other jockeys had their’s during its progress. Arnott is most unfortunate. He has come to regard spills as a matter of course. His last was in Auckland, when The Guard came down with him.

Transvaal got blocked shortly after the start for the First Hack Handicap at the Hutt, and was never seen in a prominent position afterwards. . .

Will-o’-the-Wisp is a rattling good finisher, and his win in the Parliamentary Handicap wa» a most meritorious one. At a meeting of stewards of the TaratahiOarterton Racing Club on Saturday Mr W. Armstrong resigned the position of handicapper. The Committee expressed regret at losing Mr Armstrong’s services.“Mr J. E. Henrys will, in future, handicap for the first day, and the Committee for the second day’s events. The evils of reducing distances of races were referred to by Captain Russell at the Racing Conference when moving that race programmesshould not contain more than two races, exclusive of juvenile events, of less than a mile on any one day. The captain remarked that contests had been gradually reduced in length for years past. He believed that short races paid clubs better than long ones, but if they attempted to legislate in any degree in favour of getting a good class of horse they must lengthen the distances. At present they were getting a speedy class of inferior animals, and the improvement of the breed of racehorses was not considered. The Hon. George McLean spoke strongly against the resolution averring that metropolitan clubs should be allowed to look after their own programmes. 1 He protested against the Conference meddling with them. Delegates, however, carried the m ition in modified form.

The Hon. George McLean says with regard to the proposed apprenticing of jockeys it is hard enough to get good lads to enter stables without binding them. There was a time, he said, when this was not so, but latterly boys were very scarce.

Mr J. Dalrymple has been appointed to the vacancy which recently occurred in the list of stewards of the Taratahi-Carterton Racing Club. Messrs Deller, Franks and Hodder have been appointed a track committee.

A little feeling was imported into the discussion on the proposal to establish a Jockeya and Trainers’ Provident Fund for the colony at tbe Racing Conference. Mr Nolan commented upon the fact that some of the metropolitan clubs did not wish to part with the fund money in their possession. He hinted that they applied it to their own purposes, and said it was a rascally thing that it .hould be so. This statement caused a commotion, and there were cries cries of “ Name! Name !” Mr Nolan did not comply, however, but said he was quite satisfied that the funds were ufed by clubs, notwithstanding what was said to the contrary. Mr Petrie followed and combatted Mr Nolan’s statements in a most vigorous speech. The betting steward was the subject of a speech by Mr T. Duncan, of Masterton, at the Trotting Conference. He coincided with the remarks of the Chairman in the latter’s opening address on the subject, and said that a man who was principally interested in a race should not sit in adjudication of protests. It might be said that he had only ten shillings on, but if ten shillings why not £lO, and if £lO why not £100? It was the principle of the thing, not the amount staked that should be considered. The Conference passed a motion on the subject, but it was pointed out that exception was not taken to stewards betting, but to them sitting on cases in which they were interested. According to Dr Connolly, quite a number of young men in the Wanganui district apply and are granted gentlemen rider’s certificates. They own horses but are apparently frightened to ride them in races, and put up some one else. Why they desired gentlemen’s rider’s certificate he did not know, unless it was the pleasure they experienced at seeing their names in the official calendar.

Sir George Clifford was the only Racing Conference delegate to vote against the totalisator-

bracketting system, which will now bs universal throughout the colony. July 21. The annual report of the Manawatu Racing Club stated that the Club was in a prosperous condition. Notwithstanding that they had given £2BO extra in stakes last year, operations showed a considerable increase over those of last year. Out of the eighty clubs racing in New Zealand this club stands ninth in numerical order for the magnitude of operations and the amount given in stakes. During the year the Committee had purchased land for a new racecourse at Awapuni at a cost of £4OOO, of which £IOOO had been paid. The new course would provide facilities for training which were not at present enjoyed. In addition to the above amount of added money, the Committee had donated £64 to the Transvaal War Belief Fund. The Committee concluded by trusting members would be satisfied with the Club’s management, and confidently predicted a prosperous year’s racing during the coming season The balance-sheet showed that the gates and stands produced £827 ; sale of booths, £179 ; sale of cards, £181; tea room, £33; entrance money, £675 ; subscriptions, £141; totalisator (gross), £2785; total receipts (with lesser items), £5875 8s 41. _ The expenditure showed stakes, £3830; totalisator tax and working, £746; purchase of land, £IOOO. Other items bring the total up to £5879 84 4d The Club began the year with a credit balance of £BO2, and closed it with an overdraft of £IBO. The New Zealand Stud Book is in the hands of the printers, and will be issued shortly. The estimated cost is £SOO, and the profits, after payment of expenses, will be divided between Mr Wanklyn, compiler, p,nd his assistants, who have had a great amount of work to do in connection with the production of the volume. Sir Geo. Clifford says that Racing Clubs welcome the proposal to appoint Inspectors of the Totalisator. It would very much add to the popular confidence in the machine. They had nothing to fear, and if there was any Club that had anything to fear the sooner it was exposed the better. The Hon J. G. Ward mentioned at the Conference that the complaint appeared to be that at some club’s Meetings money had been rung on after a race had actually started. The complaint had been made in writing, but the name of the club had not been disclosed, and he had written asking for that information.