WELLINGTON

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 724, 21 January 1904, Page 8

WELLINGTON

THE WELLINGTON R.C. MEETING.

Wellington, January 17f

The forthcoming Wellington Racing Club’s Summer Meeting promises to be fairly successful. The field for the Cup is certainly very disappointing, but if Melwood stands his final gallops the eight acceptors will probably face the starter. Canteen has arrived and is galloping in his best style. His owner has accepted all the available odds about him and has advised his friends that he expects him to run well, if not be returned the winner. Gladsome is still under the care af Mr R. Mason and she is striding along in her gallops in a most pleasing manner. Her mentor, although he considers that she has her full share of weight, is hopeful of her repeating her Auckland Plate performance.

Cannie Chiel arrived to-day. The son of Clanranald is thoroughly sound, and when I viewed him to-day in his box looked fit to run for a kingdom. The travelling and racing at Manawatu has tightened his muscles up, and, although his mentor ventured no opinion, I predict that he will strip fitter than we have ever seen him.

Convoy will arrive on Monday and, as he put up a sterling performance on New Year’s Day at Rangatikei, he must be in good trim. Melwood (I regret to find that in referring to the handsome little son of St. Leger I shall have to use some “ ifs and buts ”) if he stands a final genuine gallop or two will take a power of beating, but since he had a gallop early last week he has been treated to hill work only with the; exception of a sharp spin over five furlongs on Saturday afternoon. I shall feel sorry but not surprised to find him a-non-starter. nv;

Float arrives on Monday with a couple of others owned by Mr Watt.

Ghoorka is reported well, and as he is a sound horse may be counted a sure •tarter.

Delarey, in charge of J. Taggart, arrived this morning and is also a sure starter for the Cup. This colt looks in capital trim. The racing on the West Coast and walking exercise he obtained travelling home from Greymouth to Christchurch has lightened him up and he will strip a fit horse on Friday. Delarey ia credited with having run ten furlongs in 2min llsec at Riccarton prior to being shipped for Wellington. From the above readers will gather that the contest for the Cup is going to be a good one and those who are putting the race down as a certainty for Gladsome may be a bit out of their reckoning. With th« exception of Melwood a better conditioned field never started in a Welling--ditioned field never started in a Wellington Cup, and if the present weather continues there is no reason why the time put up by Advance last year should not be nearly equalled. Staying, I think, it-i Canteen’s forte, and in a small field he may be able to force the pace and wear the others down. If the race is run in •low time I would take Cannie Chiel (who will have the services of Hewitt) to beat Canteen, and when one considers that Sir -George Clifford’s horse is in receipt of Tib and three years from Mr Reid's filly ■Gladsome it would seem that her task is beyond her. I cannot bring myself to believe that she is a Cruciform and for that reason I predict that she will be beaten. I think that the Wellington Cup of 1904 will go to Sir George Clifford. I place Cannie Chiel 1 Delarey 2 Gladsome ‘3

The following are my selections for the -other races :—Anniversary Handicap : Rawin’, Lollah, Secret Society. Ruapehu Handicap : Pokeka, Black Squall,. Immer.sion. Wellesley Stakes : Mr Stead’s selected. Electric Handicap : Ballarat, Te Taraha, Ostiak. Tongariro Handicap : Tarcelet, Clovelly, Spoil. Nursery Handicap : Novgorod, Solution, Tessera. Telegraph Handicap : Full Cry, Golden Vein, Exmoor. -E. Cutta has a team of six quartered at the Hutt, viz., Cannie Chiel, Windwhistle, Golden Vein, Brave Heart, Stronghold and Tessera. It is somewhat .singular that the whole of his team claim Clanranald as their sire and five ■out of the six are chestnuts and are marked with the white stocking of their •ire. Windwhistle and Golden Vein look fresh and well and have each done good work since their arrival from the North. Brave Heart is a fine-looking filly, but her legs fill all round when standing in her box, and although she is working and walking sound she is causing . her mentor some anxiety. Stronghold is a ■wiry high-strung colt and . (although rather highly assessed in being pitted against Golden Lily and Silkworm should win two-year-old handicaps. Tessera is a fine upstanding filly. Her second to Purdey in the Irwell Handicap on the second day of the C.J.C. Spring Meeting demonstrates that she has the gift of galloping and a win at the meeting may be in store for her. Mr Stead’s pair of two-year-olds were doing walking exercise inthe presence of their trainer and an admiring crowd when I looked them over. Golden Lily seems to have quite shaken off her cold and will start in the Wellesley Stakes and Stakes. appears strung right up with the galloping he had at Auckland, and as his stable companion lacks his condition through having been idle during the time she « was affected with a cold it would not surprise me to find him the better of the pair this week. As the two will probably measure strides at the meeting the result will be watched with interest. Mr W. J. Jorgenson informs me that the whole of his twenty-two boxes are engaged. S. Waddel brings three of the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s horses, probably Idea, Galahad and Trent ; T. Quinlivan (Mr E. J. Watt’s trainer) has engaged boxes for Float, Albufera and another ; Secret Society, Convoy, Catspaw and a number of lesser lights will also be quartered at Mr Jorgenson’s. Pokeka and Coxwain, the property of Mr Jorgenson, secured three hack events at the Nelson Meeting. The former, a full sister to Plaidie, is a fine upstanding mare and should be heard of in better than hack company before the end of this season. Coxwain is a son of The Workman, and although rather small and light fleshed is a speedy customer. The pair look none the worse for their efforts at Nelson. C. Pritchard’s team consists of Delight. Black Squall, Lissa, St. Ludulum, by St. Hippo —Morning, and the hurdle mare Levant. The latter knocked her hind leg rather hard at Greymouth, and will require a short spell. St. Ludulum is engaged at the forthcoming meeting and seems a useful sort. Black Squall is much improved since I saw her last. Lissa and Delight also look in capital nick. Pritchard has half-a-dozen nice boxes and -should win a few races for his patrons -ere the season closes.

The veteran Tommy Cotton and one of his sons, V. Cotton, visited the Nelson Meeting. Young Cotton is a smart-look-ing lad and as he has been very successful recently should get plenty of riding this week. Visitors to the Nelson J.C. Races are of the opinion that the stewards are ill-ad-vised in choosing the early part of January for their Annual Meeting. Horses racing on the West Coast and around Wellington at New Year time were unable ( owing to their want of rest to compete at Nelson. With a few exceptions, therefore, the meeting was entirely made up of local horses. When outside owners are unrepresented it invariably follows that only local sports attend the meeting and the tc'tahsator receipts in such cases are bound to show a falling off. As no horses of note were engaged at the meeting if is needless to say more than that those who did attend were favoured by good weather and witnessed good, if not high-class racing. Betting on the Wellington Cup has been fairly spirited. Prior to the acceptances Achilles was heavily supported by a number of brokers who like to forstall owners, and as short a price as 5 to 1 was eagerly snapped up. Subsequent to the acceptances Gladsome was backed at 3 to 1, and at the present time 2 to 1 is the best price obtainable. Canteen is next in favour at 4 to 1 ; Ghoorka and Cannie Chiel have supporters at 6 and 8 to 1 respectively. A considerable amount of double betting has taken pl’acql .at from 100 to 3 to 100 to 5. ‘ Golden Vein,, Ballarat, Ringlet and Full Cry are favourite selection# for the Telegraph Haddicap.