Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW AND Licensed Victuallers' Gazette. With which is incorporated the Weekly Standard Thursday, November 16, 1905. THE GREAT NORTHERN GUINEAS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 819, 16 November 1905, Page 6

Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW AND Licensed Victuallers' Gazette. With which is incorporated the Weekly Standard Thursday, November 16, 1905. THE GREAT NORTHERN GUINEAS

People who are in the habit of going racing constantly are never really surprised at what may happen on the running track, because as horses are not machines their performances cannot be gauged with clockwork regularity. Now andagain what seems on paper a certainty proves just the reverse, and this the glorious uncertainty of the game,” contributes in no small measure to the popularity of the sport. A good instance was to be found in the race for the rich Great Northern Guineas, on Thursday last. If ever there seemed what is usually termed “a really good thing” it was King Billy in this classic event. Had he not time after time on the training track and with the colours up proved his superiority to his stable mate Boomerang ? The latter last season gave both weight and a beating to the best of the two-year-olds we could send against him, so that King Billy’s winning prospect looked of the very brightest, and backers were but following form when they laid odds on the Hawke’s Bay representative. He not only failed them, but failed badly, for the colt never once looked the least dangerous, and although he finished in fourth place it was a long way behind the winner. A bolt in the saddling paddock did him no good, but his showing was very disappointing. Prior to the race the opinion was generally held that Annette could not stay out a mile, especially in rather heavy gning. That this idea was a fallacious one Mr Arnold’s filly proved in the most conclusive manner possible, for jumping away infront she remained there until the winning post was reached. Of the eight other runners Multifid was the only one who worried the winner at all. The Multiform colt responded very gamely to the call of Taylor, his rider, but he could never reach Annette, who won by over a length. With his companion settled Boomerang made an effort to catch the leaders, but the black son of Merriwee could not reduce the gap by any appreciable amount. Annette was bought as a yearling by her present owner for the small sum of 75 guineas. She was got by Soult from Miss Annie, by Seaton Delaval from’ First Love, by Nordenfeldt, and is therefore a younger sister of that good mare Lady Annie.