WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 717, 3 December 1903, Page 9

WELLINGTON.

, November so. Mr Friedlander, the owner of Gener d Symons, passed through on his way home from Auckland last week. Tht mission of the Metropolitan winner wilt be decided shortly, but it is just possible General Symons will be engaged at the Manawatu' Racing Club’s Boxing Day Meeting. The first news of the withdrawal of Mr Stead’s horses from their handicap engagements reached here when the .Canterbury weekly papers arrived on the Wednesday following the scratching. Some surprise was evinced that the Press Association did not chronicle with their usual budget of news the fact that sucu important scratchings had taken place The metallicians here, not knowing of the withdrawal of Machine Gun, Bagpipes, and Lolah, from the Railway Handicap, were at a disadvantage, as they were quoting prices for the double that they certainly would not have quoted had they not thought the trio mentioned were still in the race. The defection of Grand Rapids mattered bu’. little, as no one asked his price after his handicap was published. The Marlborough Spring Meeting was somewhat of a fiasco, being held onlv a few days prior to the more important meeting at Feilding. Very few outside horses were engaged, except in the trotting events. The sprint events on eacn day brought out two starters, while the more important races were but slightlr better patronised, four starting in the Blenheim Handicap, and five in the Riverlands. The class engaged may be estimated when it is noticed that Hinokoa, only a moderate animal, was able to concede as much as sst 11b to some of the runners. Hinekoa won with list 81b, the next highest in weight being

Heritas, who had Bst 71b. The appearance of such animals on a racecourse is anything but an edifying spectacle, and contests’ between such certainly canac-t be said to conduce to the improvement of the breed of thoroughbreds.

The poorness of the fields at Mar 1 - borotigh was taken advantage of by toe “crooked brigade” to attempt to brim; off some clumsily concocted coups. Heavy commissions were worked away from the course for horses which certainly should not have been favourites on their merits. The Stewards had the: suspicions aroused, and on the first iav suspended the jockey Gillett for noi;. riding Hinekoa out in the Flying Handicap. Subsequently wires reached the course to the effect that heavy investments had been made on the only other starter Rukura away from the course The Hinekoa party, however, with a boldness worthy of a better cause, elected to compete again on the second day . and as Hinekoa then easily defeated Rukura under similar conditions. The Stewards had no option but to place the owner, horse, and first day’s jockey under the ban for twelve months. Mr D. Frazer, the breeder and owner oi the champion Advance, has been most adversly criticised in sporting circles foci ©grading the gallant son of Vanguard by allowing him to appear in a cir< : .< ring. Many admirers of a good horse feel pleased to think that Advance ”e--sented the indignity that was nut upon him. The whole incident is consider! somewhat discreditable, and numbers of Wellington sportsmen, who saw’ Advance carry his icst 41b and win the Wellington Cup, read with much disgust of his subsequent appearance in a circus ring a position certainly only one step higher than the shafts of a cab.