WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 539, 18 April 1901, Page 12

WELLINGTON.

ITEMS FROM THE FEILDING MEETING-A • NEW STARTER AT MANAWATU - THE TARATAHI -CARTERTON MAKE A MOVE- - THE NELSON WEIGHTS—VOLTIGEUR AS A SIRE—THE SHANNON HACK R.C- MEETING -REFLECTIONS ON THE THOMPSON MILE WEIGHTS-MANAWATU R.C. ENTRIES

Wellington, April 15.

A pot of Wellington money went on Fashion for the Feilding Cup. but the Hutt horse, although apparently well, didn’t show up at all. He was a hot favourite for the event on the course, and his bad display is inexplicable. He

wasn’t started on the second day. Mr J. George, who scored with Crusoe, has now won this cup four times, and if he backed Satoria’s son on thi < occasion must have had a good win, the dividend being £8 14s. Had Sylvia Park got a better start the result might have been different. The Porirua hsrse Ostiak succeeded in winning a double at the meeting, notching the Flying under Bst 91b, and the Denbigh Stakes with 9st 7ib up He won both rather easily, and had a goodly number of supporters in Wellington. Stepniak’s son showed great improvement on his Napier Park running of a few weeks back Mamaku paid a good dividend in £5 12s in the big hurdles on the first day, but Vanquish, who ran third, paid a better in £6 19s on the day following, a protest for inconsistency being dismissed.

The Napier horse Svlvanus, who won at Napier Park recently, wasn’t any way dangerous on either day. It was thought that the handicapper gave Boer too much in lOst 31b for a maiden on the first day. but he won and got home again on the cor eluding day. He promises to be pretty good over sticks, and should be worth following this winter. Plaidie, who paid £5 19s in the Onepuhi Welter, is Hawke’s Bay bred, and is raced by Mr Macara, of the Wair.rupa. Lethargy (now Dormitory) was another from this district to surprise the natives, paying £22 3s in the Bewa Hack Flat on the second day, beating a dozen others. Lethargy is raced by Mr H. O. McPhee.

Bona Fide is a horse who pays a good dividend at decent intervals He popped up again at this meeting, and returned £7 in a field of four —a good price. The event was the big money (the Easter Handicap) on the second day. Fide’s son had a nice weight in 7st 71b. Crusoe, who was only beaten by a length, was conceding him nearly two stone. Lady Bell by Lebel —Cocksure mare, showed her galloping ability in the Winter Oats, which she won by a neck from Lady’s Link and five others, I aurestina being third. The coastal mare paid £6 9a. D. Scott had a ]ook-in with Gold Cord (Gold Reef —Cordelia) in the Onga Flying, Bowsprit and Poataniwha being in the places. The dividend was £l2 odd.

The i empie scored once out of three starts at the meeting, getting home by a nose from Gipsy Queen in the Makino Handicap, paying £2 Bs. There were only two other starters The Final Scurry fell to Breeze, who beat eight others and paid £3 18s Rosella was well backed here for the Auckland Easter Handicap. A lot of money went on Melwood, the Hutt horse, for the Christchurch Easter event, but he failed to materialise, and was withdrawn from the mile and a-half race on the second day. There was a lot of speculation at Feilding, £13,672 being put through the machine, as against £10,985 last year. At the Wairarapa £679 was put through over the amount machined last year.

Tne Wellington Racing Club lost the nominations of three horses —Rebounding Lock, Forest Oak, and Mackintosh —for a number of events at its forthcoming meeting, the reason being that the persons concerned, instead of telegraphing or writing, came to town by train and expected to be in the city some time before entries closed. But the train was unfortunately delayed, and the secretary refused to accept the nominations when it did arrive. This comes of leaving things until the last moment. The three animals mentioned are very fit just now, and may have shone to advantage at the Hutt. Mr T. Cameron has been appointed starter for the Autumn Meeting of the Manawatu Racing Club.

The South Wairarapa Charitable Trotting Club has eliminated the flat events from its programme, drawn up recently, and will now submit a bill of-fare consistirg of seven trots, value £l4O.

The concluding day’s trotting of the Welling ton Trotting Club takes place on Saturday at Petone.

The committee of the ” aratahi - Carterton Racing Club proposes shifting the t-cene of its racing operations the present course possessing many disadvantages. The club’s lease has twenty months still to run, but as it will take some time to get the new ground in order. A general meeting will be called shortly in order to consider the proposal Mr Henrys has placed Will-of-the-Wisp at the head of the Nelson Cup list with lOst 131 b, or almost a stone more than Ruamahunga. I do not think there is that much difference between them; the Mystical horse cannot concede that poundage to the son of Voltigeur. A mile and a-quarter shouldn’t be too far for Dewdrop, who ought to win with 6st 71b. The top weight is giving her as much as 4st 61b ! Then, again, in the Grandstand Handicap, of six furlongs, Dewdrop ought to have a big chance with 7st 31b, but his stable mate Osborne, on the same mark, is well t.eated, and one of the pair should win. Dialogue looks best in the District Hack event, Stage Whisper and The Pearler 1 in the Hope Hack Handicap, Bulrush in the Scurry Hack Handicap and Pukana in the Hurdles. The Two-Mile Harness Trot may fall to Honduras or the scratch horse Simon.

F. Higgott has now got Bata in hand. Infantry broke down in the Welter Hack Race at Tauherenikau.

The Hutt horse Hauriri was taken down to Christchurch for the hurdle events. He went

out in bandages, but broke down before the last hurdle was reached on opening day. Voltigeur sired no fewer than eight winners at the Wairarapa Meeting. April 16. The Shannon Hack Racing Club’s Meeting was a pleasant little function, and those who attented enjoyed the sport. There was no totalisator, but a number of the odds’ fraternity were in attendance and did well. Mr J. D. Scott’s Blueberry (by Flintlock —Mistletoe) star'ed the ball by annexing t ie Short’s Handicap, of seven furlongs, getting home very easily from Waitohi and Mata and six others, including Phyllis, who fell. The winner’s price was 2to 1 on. Blueberry also won the Hurry Scurry, once round, beating Victor and three others, and again starting at 2 to 1 on. Prior to this event, however, he bad a ehot at the big money, the Shannon Handicap, but could do no better than third, victory resting with Mr J. O Lambert’s chestnut Kawana, by Administrator, the Natator mare Lockade being second. There were eight entrants, Kawana’s price being 3 to|l. With a 71b penalty later on, making his weight 9st 21b, Kawana also accounted for the Flying Handicap, beating Marionette and five others. Another animal to notch a double was Mr C. Riseley’s Lockade, by Flintlock—lvy Leaf, who won the Maiden Hurdles, his only opponent, Victor, falling at the back jof the course, his jockey (Attwood) being slightly bruised and shaken. The betting was evens on the winner. Lockade’s other victory was in the Easter Handicap, when he landed an even money chance from Ash Leaf and two others. The District Bace went to Mr S. Carter’s Marionette, by Forester, who beat Lancer and three others.

The weights for the Thompson Handicap, to bs run at the Wellington Racing Club’s fo’-thcoming meeting, have been eagerly scanned, and the pto? duction hasbeen very favourably commented upon. The Auckland Century Stakes winner, Battleaxe, has pride of place with 9st 101 b, Boieas, who ran second to him the other day, being conceded a pound. I do not think either of them will finish in front of Pamper > 121 b) if he starts. However, the Dunedin horse appears to be a weight carrier, and as he is in good nick may be expected to run prominently. Rosella, Tortulla, and Crusoe have been placed on the same mark (Bst 71b), and of the three I prefer the firstnamed, who will probably be the stable choice. Her ma e Beddington has only a pound less to carry. Cameo, The Shannon, and Cannie Chiel are bracketed on the Bst 41b mark, and on his Christchurch running the first-named would appear to have the better chance. Mr Harrison’s horse should be very dangerous when the whips are out. Okoari didn’t run up to expectations at Auckland. She isn’t as reliable as she might be, but has won on this course before, and her fullbrother Waiuku annexed this identical race three times. Eight stone six isn’t too much of a burden for MuskebMaid’s daughter, and if she doesn’t win this race she may be worth following at the meeting. The Hutt-trained Melwood may be trusted to run respectably under Bst 31b, but I reckon the pick of the Handicap to be Palaver, who is aspeedy mare ever a mile, and has been let in very lightly with 7st 121 b. ’Tis true that she failed in the Great Easter Handicap at Christchurch, but in the Great Autumn Handicap she had a comfortable win, and if well on the day will take a power of beat ng. I cannot believe that Fashion was any way near himself when be raced at Feilding, where he shaped execrably, but he will likely strip a very different horse in the Thompson Handicap with 7st 91b, and I will have him on my side. Of Stead’s pair, Skobeleff and Field Rose, the latter reads best. Amoureux is certainly well in with 7st 41b. She won this race two years ago with 6st 91b, but her career since has been the reverse of brilliant. This notwithstanding she looks the best outsider. The best five in the race in my opinion are Palaver, Rosella, Pampero, Amoureux, and Cameo. Acceptances are due this Fridav.

T. Wilson rode four winners at the Shannon races, McConnon two, and F. Cochrane one. Passion Fruit, Selkirk, and Mongonui, who are entered at the Hutt, also appear in the Waipawa Racing Club’s list, and may be kept at Napier for the local gathering. The Manawatu Racing Club received fine nominations for the forthcoming meeting, the total being 217, or about 25 more than last year.