WELLINGTON

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 712, 29 October 1903, Page 8

WELLINGTON

Wellington, October 25. The attendance at the Wellington R.C. Meeting was first-class on both days', Wednesday and Friday .undoubtedly being more suitable than Thursday and Saturday, on which days the dub formerly raced. Country visitors are now enabled to get away on Saturday morning, besides V ellington retail tradesfolk Rave perforce to be absent when racing is held on Sat-

urdays, and they are much heavier speculators on the. totalisator than the clerks and Civil servants, who get their halfholiday on Saturday,. His Excellency Lord Ranfurly and party patronised the gathering each day, and seemed greatly interested in the proceedings. Doth Houese of Parliament were well represented. and as the fair sex were numerous “ everything in the garden may be said to have been lovely." The totalisator turn-over, £20,878, was £7465 in excess of last Spring Meeting, but was just £440 short of the Spring Meeting' in 1901, when the figures were £21.318 for the two days. The meeting should, however, leave a handsome profit. The accident which befell Okoari on the morning of the second day’s races was- a very simple one. A lad was riding her on the Hutt road, upon which some tele-o-raph employees were working. Some wire was 1 laving- on the highway, and in this Okoari got entangled. She plunged and the wire caught her . round the • hock, and before she got free she was’rather severely cut. Okoari will require a few weeks’ rest before going on with her training. P. Johnson, her trainer, informed me that the skin was not cut through, but the mare had a narrow esescape from being ruined for racing purposes for life. Mr Dan O’Brien went home to New Plymouth by Saturday's train. He informed me that Heroism would proceed to Riccarton at once to continue his Cup preparations. The Hon. Geo. McLean in answer to my inquiry said that. Pampero was now doingall right and his accident was nothing serious. Although J. McGuinness, his trainer, had to use hot water fomentations to reduce the inflammation after he struck himself, the horse was doing good work a few days later. Mr A Moss, the owner of Canteen, showed me a wire from his trainer on Thursday, which stated that Canteen had that morning done a good gallop. Mr Moss thinks Canteen will .-.trip quite as well as he did last year. J-Te has backed him to win a fair stake, and makes no secret of it.

The appearance of A.-ailles' name amongst the list ol acce| tors for be th Cup and Stewatds is exercising the minds, of his followers who are not entitled to be taken into the confidence of the managers of the stable. I can only advocate patience : it is unreasonable to expect Achilles’ owner to ‘‘ take on ” at this stage the New Zealand Cup, in face of the good form shown by such horses as Pampero, Melwood, Roseal, Canteen, Hinetaura, Kelburn and Shrapnel. The best of these should cut out the two miles under favourable circumstances in 3min 30sec, a task no four-year-old has ever accom- . plished. in the Australasian colony in the spring of the year. Carbine was five years of age when he won the Melbourne Cup with 10st 51b ; The Grafter was the same age when he won with 9st 21b : Patron, a four-year-old, won the same event with 9st 31b in 3min 30-|sec ; and ’The Victory, also a four-year-old, won last year with Bst 121 b in the fast time- of 3min 29sec. Achilles would have to do better than any four-year-old yet seen out to equal such performances as these with his New Zealand Cup weight. Applications for the position of secretary to the Wellington Racing Club are numerous. 'A number of probable aspirants were to be seen during the recent Wellington races busily engaged takingnotes of the club meeting, with a view probably of improving thereon when they hold the reins of office. Ex-secretaries from North and Sauth are amongst the applicants. It is needless to add that the committee entrusted with the selection have no small task before them. Pending settling over the Wellington Meeting the betting- market is quiet. Canteen, Melwood, Roseal, Kelburn and Shrapnel all have friends. Wairiki is not fancied here. Pampero's admirers are quiet till they see him sale over his recent trouble : 6 to 1 on the field is obtainable. Ringman, Heroism, Mars and Strathavon are friendless.