WAIKATO HUNT CLUB’S MEETING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 810, 14 September 1905, Page 9

WAIKATO HUNT CLUB’S MEETING

On Wednesday last, September 6, the Waikato Hunt Club neld their annual meeting, and the attendance was largely in excess of last year, this being, no doubt, due to the fact of having a special train from Auckland, which picked up passengers all along the route. The train arrived punctually to time, and set down the patrons of the sport on the racecourse by 12 o’clock, and also arrived back in town to. schedule time, 9.40. The judge, Mr. James Taylor, was not called in for any close decisions, as most of the races were won without the semblance of a struggle. The two open races of the meeting were won easily by the well-treated Millie and her stable mate, the unknown and unperformed Miss Winnie, who made her debut on the racecourse for the first time. The latter has certainly the knack of galloping, and easily held her field in both races. Mr. Chas. O'Connor was hardly so successful with the flag as he generally is with the barrier, but this was caused principally through the fractiousness of some of the performers. Patrons rolled in well from the surrounding districts, and over 100 came by train. The club had to guarantee 80. which left no liabilities in this direction. The club received altogether £5O for the betting privileges from licensed members of Tattersail’s and unlicensed Waikato bookmakers. The gathering of the Waikato Hunt Club will long be remembered by the pencillers, for. as one of the number jocularly called it, the meeting was Hannon’s benefit, horses hailing from this lucky owner and trainer capturing no less than seven out of eight events on the card. The stewards and all the officials were untiring in their efforts to make the meeting a success, and everything went off without a hitch. There was an absence of delays common at most country race meetings. Six faced the starter in the Hunt Club Hurdles, in which Liberator, an evenmoney chance, literally ran away from rhe weak opposition. Flower of Gold finished second on three legs, having struck herself in the race. Baritone was a bad third. Nine started in the Maiden Welter, where Lady Clements ruled a hot evenmoney favourite, but this was another runaway race for Hannon’s stable, Miss Winnie winning pulling up, with Haeremai second, and the rest, a very moderate lat, nowhere. The winner started at 6 to 4. There were only two horses backed in the Hunt Club Steeples at 2 to 1 each, these being Lady Web and Pierre. This pair were together all the way, and fought out a fairly good finish. The race was won by the superior riding of Deeble. Baritone again finished third. The Bardowie Handicaj) (open) brought out a field of six, in which Kola Nip got a break at the start, but when Millie got alongside the son of Soult, the race was all over, and the little daughter of Tasman romped home in the good time of Imin 20sec, Kola Nip second, and Fieramosca third. The fifth event, the Hunters' Steeplechase, was the first time the favourite was beaten, as Pilot, a 3 to 1 chance, just got home from Whare, the favourite, by a very small margin. The Ladies’ Bracelet was a one-horse race, Liberator winning by 20 lengths pulling up. The bookmakers demanded 8 to 1 on the winner, consequently no business resulted. Two others started. The Electric Handicap had the decent field of eight runners, but was the worst start at the meeting, the winner, Miss Winnie, getting a break, and was never afterwards troubled. Kola Nip was left at the post, and the second favourite, Celerity, ran second. Lady Clements again ran badly. The winner started an even-money favourite. The curtain was rung down with the Maiden Steeplechase, and a poor field of four was all that faced the starter, which was won by the moderate Sol, after the favourite, Pierre, had fallen at the sod wall. The old grey, Adele, laid too far out of the race, and must have won had he kept nearer the front. This was the only race of the day in which the bookmakers got a few pounds, and they nearly all lost on the meeting.