WELLINGTON

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 709, 8 October 1903, Page 8

WELLINGTON

Wellington, October 5. The defeat of Sea Lion in the Wanganui Guineas was not unexpected here. Although the brother to Achilles is concidered a front ranker, there were few who anticipated that he would effect the downfall of Sir Geo. Clifford’s champion. The time put up was good, and the race was run at a solid pace all through. The Hawke’s Bay Guineas and C.J.C. Derby should only be a matter of health for Treadmill. Rawiri won his first race in open company by catching the judge’s eye in the Flying Handicap, but those opposed were not high-class. Gold Seal put up 81b over-weight, and was badly interfered with during the race, otherwise he would, in my opinion, have won, for Rawiri was ridden right out. The following day Gold Seal carried 7st 111 b (including 111 b overweight), and raced the distance in Isec less than Rawiri. As Gold Seal won very comfortably it appeared to me that the owner of Rawiri had a lot of luck to win

The New Zealand Cup candidates that were seen out at Wanganui will require to show a vast improvement to have the remotest chance of beating the Southerners Lady Lillian and Pampero. Shrapnel appeared very gross, and was more fitted for a show ring than a racecourse. Hinetama is improving with the galloping had at Rangitikei, but estimated on her stakes form, -when she failed to give 51b to Windwhistle, she can have but a poor Cup chance. With the exception of Roseal the other Cup horses seen out did not show much form. Roseal, should she train on satisfactorily, will probably defeat the whole of the Cup horses that ran at Wanganui. for he ran the mile and a distance in the Railway Hack Race in faster time than Hinetaura did when she won the Spring Handicap. He won in the easiest manner possible; if a very liberal allowance, is added to his time for the 200 yards which would be required to make up one and a-quarter miles, it only brings his time to 2min 10sec, or 3s.ee faster than the time for the Wanganui Stakes. The pair that '•finished behind Roseal in the race he won, Asteroid and Tirole, are themselves well bred and class enough to win Cups, and as he gave them a most decisive beating, an estimation can be formed of his ability to gallop, moreover he is a nice mover and looks like staying.

The entries for the Wellington R.C. Spring fixture are satisfactory, and the hur.’le handicaps that were substituted for a couple of flat events have filled well. The Wellington ami Pearce Handicaps show a marked increase, and should produce g-ood fields. There seems a dearth of hack candidates this season, for in the four hack events on the Wellington programme there is a shortage of 43 nominations, the sprint events suffering most.

The nominations for the short races at the Otaki R.C. Meeting have suffered in a ’ike manner, three sprint events on that club’s programme showing a decrease of twenty The nominations for the longer distance events all show an increase on last year. This is surely a strong argument in favour of longer distance racing.

Owing to the proximity of the Otaki and Wellington Race Meetings the Porirua stable will not be represented in handicap events at Hawke’s Bay. Boris 1 , a two-year-old by Stepniak—Shepherdess, will take part in the Hastings Stakes. The Hutt-trained horses Hydrant and Black Squall have returned from h anganui, and may not race until the Wellington Meeting ; the former is st.ll very backward.

J. Low’s charges did not display such form at Wanganui as would warrant their mentor making an invasion of Hawke’s Bay. Ringman, however, improves with racing in public, and although he appears to be over-weighted in the King Edward Handicap, he may under more favourable circumstances be amongst the starters on the second clav.

R. Mason passed through on Friday last with the two-year-old colt Silkworm, by Seaton Delaval —-Lady Moth. Mr Stead s colt is engaged in the Hastings Stakes at the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting. Wellington residents are displaying- considerable enterprise in the way of acquiring high-class racing stock. Mr E. Cutts' informs me that he recently sold to a couple of Wellington racing men two fillies by Musketry—Nautilus and by Musketry—Dudu ; the latter is a full sister to Lolah. As the whole of Cutts' time is occupied with Sir Geo. Clifford’s large team, he has to dispose of youngsters bred by himself. The fillies; will be shipped to Wellington at the end of the month, and will 20 into F. Hiffo-ott’s stable.