WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 842, 26 April 1906, Page 9

WELLINGTON.

Wellington, April 25.

Locally-owned racehorses, although not very successful during the Easter meetings, did not all return without earning a winning bracket. The Porirua stable was represented at Riccarton by the evergreen Achilles and the hack racer Tetai. Mr. Monk’s champion was set a severe task in the Challenge Stakes, as owing to Achilles recent victories he had to carry 71b in addition to weight-for-age, whilst his opponent, Porcelain, claimed a 71b maiden allowance. The ccntest is considered one of the best ever seen in the colonies. Jumping off together, the pair were never separated by more than half a length, and as the Porirua horse only prevailed by a head, some idea of the excitement of those who witnessed the struggle may be imagined. The riders of the winner and loser were alike greeted with enthusiastic cheers when they returned to the weighing enclosure. Veteran racegoers declared that the race was alone worthy of a visit to Riccarton, and such contests will go far towards popularising weight-for-age and classic races with the public. The Porirua trainer, J. Prosser, was greatly disappointed when the news was wired that Marguerite would be unable to continue her A.R.C. Easter Handicap. The wire briefly explained that Marguerite was unable to feed owing to some injury to her mouth, and consequently would be a non-starter in the Easter Handicap. It subsequently transpired that an abscess had formed in the filly’s mouth. The discontinuance of her engagement was a disappointment to Marguerite’s many Wellington followers, who had supported her solidly with S.P. men in the absence of information as to her indisposition. Gold Crown, another Poriruatrained animal, was heavily supported for his engagements at Wairarapa. He lost several lengths owing to afaulty start on the first day of the meeting, and finished out of a place, but under much more favourable circumstances Gold Crown caught the judge’s eye in the principal event of the second day. Some of the Wairapara Club’s officials thought Gold Crown’s two performances inconsistent, but when the increase in the weights of his opponents, together with the fact that Gold Crown’s rider was amongst the first away on the second day is considered, there did not seem much for his rider to explain, and no action was taken. Ailsa and the maiden colt Monsieur Beaucaire represented the Porirua stable at the Feilding Easter meeting, but both returned without a win, as did Marguerite, and the two-year-old colt William, who assisted at the A.R.C. Easter meeting. Achilles’ victory at the C.J.C. meeting, and Gold Crown’s win at Wairarapa, repre-

sented the total successes of the Porirua' stables, which’ had representatives racing at Riccarton, Wairarapa, Feilding, : and ... Ellerslie on Easter Monday.

W. Davis took Black Reynard, Kohiriui, arid Armamento to the Feilding meeting, but although the trio ran prominently during the meeting, they failed to earn travelling expenses, and in addition lost their respective owners considerable surns which were invested on their prospects of .winning. Mr. “J. S. Thame,” a Wellington sport, : who - some time back bought Black Reynard from Mr. Dugald Thomson, resold the horse prior to the Feilding races back to Mr. Thomson at a considerably reduced figure, and Black Reynard ran at Feilding in the latter gentleman’s colours. Black Reynard is still an inmate of W. Davis’ stable, but it is not improbable that the black horse, together with Kremlin and some other horses trained by Alick Hall, will be shortly sent to Sydney. Acceptances for the Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting closed last evening. Seventeen horses remain in the Thompson Handicap, which promises to be something of a puzzle for backers. With representatives from all the leading stables the contest should be. quite as interesting as did the Wellington Cup. The majority of the horses engaged have arrived, and are now quartered either at Trentham or the Lower Hutt. Their recent form having been fully exposed, their respective partisans are freely supporting their chances for the double event — Thompson and Railway Handicaps. The odds quoted range from 500 to 2 to 500 to 15. Signalman, Delaware, King Billy, Starshoot and Mobility appear to be the favourite selections for the mile event, whilst Glenowlet Ailsa and Medallist are in demand for the Railway Handicap. Master Alix, Ballarat, Convoy, Prelude. Boris, Beau Seaton, Tikarawa, Spoil, Zetland, and Declination, who were engaged at the W.R.C. meeting, are.all at present too unsound to continue their engagements as the result of recent racing. This is hard luck for their respective owners, who intended racing them at Trentham this week.

Mr. St. John Buckley will be represented in the Thompson Handicap by Starshoot, whom he purchased during the C.J.C. Easter meeting from Mr. E. J. Watt. H. Goodman, having sent Convoy and Master Alix home to Oamaru, came straight on to Wellington with Starshoot.