WANGANUI.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 852, 5 July 1906, Page 8

WANGANUI.

Wanganui, July 4. There is little or nothing doing in the sporting line in Wanganui at the present time. Harry Jackson’s team continues to do serviceable work. The New Zealand Cup candidate Armistice is going on satisfactorily, and is gradually fining down. Providing Jackson succeeds in landing the daughter of Mahaki at the post at Riccarton as fit as she was at Ellerslie last summer, she will be very hard to beat. Ben More was taken to the Napier Park meeting, and carried a deal of Wanganui money in the Bracelet on the strength of some good work which the gelding had been doing on the local track. However, the old fellow could only manage to run third. Defoe has not got over the injury he sustained in the big Steeples here sufficiently to be put into work again yet, and “Mr. Whitney” has had the gelding blistered and turned out. He will not be taken up again until the spring. , „ Local sports were glad to see H. Alexander score a win with Albuera in the Settlers’ Handicap at the Napier Park gathering. Harry has taken a lot of pains with Mr. G.M. Currie’s mare, and well deserved a win. . , The grey gelding Rangiwhenua was taken over to the Napier Park meeting by Walter Raynor, who had the son of Rangipuhi in his very best possible form. The gelding, however, was not class enough for the opposition and finished amongst the unplaced division. During the meeting Rangiwhenua was sold by Mr. nnnmbes for £l5O to Mr. Mackersey, a Napier sport, and in future the grey will be trained by Hickey. Though the price is a very good one, the gelding might prove a good investment if properly placed, and not asked to tackle horses like Exmoor, Shrapnel and Co. Walter Raynor’s many friends were pleased to hear of his win on Faro at the Park. This was his first winning mount since he had his collarbone broken at Feilding, when Science met with his untimely end. With the death of that horse and the sale of Rangiwhenua, this popular trainerrider is left without any horses to look after, but such a reliable and painstaking mentor is not likely to be long idle. Word reached Wanganui last week that Kuroki, which arrived in Sydney in good condition, had had his name altered to General Kuroki. The Fiske gelding, we have learnt by cable, ran second on Saturday at Warwick Farm in a two-mile hurdle race. Frank Lind, who took Kuroki to Sydney, has been offered the mount on Mercury in the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race, to be decided next Saturday. Mercury is trained by W. Kelso, and is reputed to be above the average. Handsome Rose was well backed locally in each of his engagements at the Park, but the Fordell-trained gelding could only manage to run second each day, and his backers had not the satisfaction of getting any of their money back owing to there being no second dividend in either race. His owner (Mr. W. Chapman) had a good bet on his horse each day, I understand, but the gelding quite failed to run up to expectations, his jumping being very slovenly. Mr. B. T. Bennett’s fine-looking gelding Waione is stil being hacked about at Kai-iwi. The rising four-year-old son of Waiuku and Leone started to grow too fast, and was therefore given a good spell. Waione will, I hear, be shortly put into commission. The El Draque mare Ellady is being qualified for the forthcoming Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club meeting. The half-sister to Pokomoko can both jump and gallop. Mr. J. Belcher is handling a rising three-year-old chestnut colt by Sylvia Park from Wangaehu’s dam. The youngster shows plenty of quality, and can, I understand, be purchased for a reasonable sum. A well-known sporting publican sent a cheque to the widow of the late Sam. Fergus, which was suitably acknowledged. Others endowed with a fair share of this world’s goods should go and do likewise.