WELLINGTON

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 814, 12 October 1905, Page 9

WELLINGTON

Wellington, October 10. The number of horses nominated for the Wellington Spring Meeting show a decrease of 27 as compared with last year. The falling off is entirely in the hack ranks, there being a shortage of no less than 32 hack candidates in the list of nominations. The Wellington Club is not singular in this respect, as the Marlborough Racing Club's nominations were 28 short of those received for their last spring meeting, while the Masterton Racing Club and the Otaki Maori Racing Club have also received poor nominations for their hack events. This may Le accounted for by taking into consideration the fact that a large number of hack racers are now out of hack company by reason of their having won the sum which debars them from competing in hack class. There are, of course, a number of young horses coming on, but few of them are forward enough in condition to race in October, so that later in the season hack events will fill better. The nominations for the open handicaps at the Masterton meeting are very good, considering that the date of the meeting is unsuitable for horses claiming engagements at the Canterbury fixture. Black Reynard, Flamen, Jeanne d’Arc, Veneer, Ropa, Douche and Ngatarua were all considered class enough to be engaged in the New Zealand Cup. Exmoor, Assayer, Whakawehi, Rustique, and Prelude are a useful lot of sprinters, and some interesting racing should be witnessed at the Masterton meeting . The handicaps for the Wellington Racing Club’s Spring Meeting have made their appearance. For the principal event Achilles has been given every chance, as he meets the majority of his New Zealand Cup rivals on much better terms, viz., G’old Crown 111 b, Mystification 161 b, Boomerang, Black Reynard, Armistice and Ghoorka 71b, St. Joe 51b, Flamen 41b, and Blythemaid 21b. Should the top weight suffer defeat at Wellington his prospects in the New Zealand Cup will not look very bright. Fit and well on the day of the race it would be difficult to pick a horse to beat him in the Wellington Handicap. Melodeon, Boomerang, and Armistice may prove the Porirua stable’s most formidable rivals. The Flying Handicap would have read better had it been framed on a 41b lower scale. Exmoor has done nothing over six furlongs to justify his being asked to concede so much weight to a number below him, but Boris on last year’s form is well handicapped. He carried 9.5 and allowed King Billy 161 b when he defeated Mr. Watt’s colt in the Hawke’s Bay Stakes last May. The latter, according to w.f.a., should have improved 91b in the interim, but with Boris at his best Mr. Watt’s colt has a lot the worst of the weights on form. Ballarat seems highly assessed considering that she was unplaced with 8.9 behind Chivalry 19.0) and

Solution (8.10) in the Borough Handicap at the Wanganui Winter Meeting. As many of the horses engaged will be benefited by a gallop or two in public prior to going to the C.J.C. Meeting, the fields at the Hutt should be good. The disappointing displays by Mahutonga at the Hawke’s Bay Meeting has caused his New Zealand Cup supporters to look rather glum, and many are energetically trying to unload their wagers. Those who saw Mahutonga race aver that he is very backward in condition, and the racing at Hawke’s Bay and Wellington should effect considerable improvement in the Cup horse, but unless he shows better public form he will soon be relegated to the outside division. Melodeon made a fair showing, and with the Yaldhurst horses out of the way he might have a chance in the Cup, but the others that ran at Hawke’s Bay were not up to Cup form. The Hutt t: ning tracks are in fair order, and most trainers are getting strong work into their charges. F. Higgott’s team has been bowling along since Wanganui, and Shrapnel Shell, Hydrant, Togos and Petticoat have been taken to the Otaki meeting. AV. Davis has gone to the same meeting with Black Reynard and Alexief. This owner’s mare, St. Winnifred, has again gone wrong, and Mr. Davis has decided to put her to the stud. Field Battery will probably be selected as her consort. Betting on the New Zealand Cup is quiet. Messrs. Ross and Bradshaw report Nightfall 5 to 1 (taken), Noctuiform i to 1; 10 to 1 is on offer bar these two, but there are very few inquiries. The double—Cup and Stewards—is being freely laid, and a large number of sprinters have been coupled with the Yaldhurst pair, while Chivalry, Solution, Achilles, Boris, and Cuneiform have supporters.