HAWKE’S BAY JOCKEY CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 879, 10 January 1907, Page 7

HAWKE’S BAY JOCKEY CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING.

As might naturally have been expected with the seasonable climate and the' festive season in full force the metropolitan club of this district had a successful re-union on Tuesday and Wednesday last. No doubt the rac-

ing at Auckland and Wairarapa attracted a number of horses who otherwise would have been seen out at Hastings; and then again what probably accounted for the non-attendance of several of the local-owned horses was the arduous tasks that had been gone through by them at the Manawatu and Ashhurst gatherings. Though class was not a very high grade, the evenness of the fields engaged produced several exciting finishes, and Mr. Coyle came in for hearty congratulations on the equitable manner in which he had apportioned the weights. Mr. H. Piper was, as usual, au fait in the discharge of his duties, which at times were of a very trying nature; but his patience and talent pulled him through with flying colours. Notwithstanding that Mr. P. Martin had some tight finishes to decide, his fiat, was given with promptitude. Mr. W. J. Stratton had his team of workers well in hand, and their hearty co-operation with their chief resulted in good results for the benefit of patrons to the pretty rendezvous of the club.

One of the local owner-trainers, J. Rollo, secured the biggest winning cheque, through the success of Oasis who scored in the President’s and January Handicaps, and both of his successes were gained by the narrowest of margins, for Jet Dean’s son just conquered in the last stride. In the President’s Handicap, Oasis bolted for quite a mile before the start took place, but while it apparently did not affect him his vagaries caused his owner to lose the chances of backing his horse, for all his attention was taken up with his charge, and none of the good dividend paid was participated in by him. In the event Lady Warwick and Ito made it willing, but the latter gave in at the home bend, and with Lady Warwick steaming along in good style

it looked as if the verdict was in her keeping. The last bit found the little mare out, for she stopped to nothing a few lengths from the post, and though Oasis just blew her out on the post she was lucky to get second honours, for Mystification came with a desperate rush, and a stride over the mark was a head to the good of Lady Warwick. Hipporofla, the favourite, was never prominent, and Ladylike, who was also well supported, never appeared to have a winning chance at any portion of the game.

Later on in the afternoon in the New Year Handicap Ladylike came to light as a winner, and then without much effort, for though Sweet Helen stuck to her task well she was no match at the thick end of the wall for the Gisborne-owned mare. Followers of coincidences had a turn up on Thursday, for with Oasis failing badly in the Summer Handicap\ the big race of the afternoon, he, like Ladylike, came out and conquered in the final item of the programme, the January Handicap, and paid the surprising price in a field of three of nearly 5 to 1. Like the President’s Handicap, the contest for the Summer Handicap was full of excitement, as King’s Lynn just beat Immolation as the post was reached. Both of the abovenamed had been victorious on the previous day, Kings Lynn having secured the Maiden Hack, and Immolation the Welter Handicap. Form as regards the pair was therefore well borne out.

Kings Lynn, who used to be the property of Mr. T. H. Lowry, has proved a good source of revenue to his new owner, who bought him some time back at a very low figure. Though slow to begin he is endowed

with a great dash when once into his stride, and the resolute style in which he got to and silenced the opposition stamps him as a determined gelding. He had none the best of the luck in the Summer Handicap either, for when coming to the home bend his prospects seemed to be obliterated, for he got hemmed in there and had some difficulty to extricate himself. Gold Dust carried his bat out in both of his starts in the hurdle races, and at no time ever looked to have serious troubles ahead of him. He fenced somewhat inartistically the first day, but on Wednesday there was no fault to be found with his fencing. Jack Pot, who was giving Gold Reef’s son 251 b on the concluding day, that being his first start at the meeting, was made too much use of in the early stage of the contest, and when it came to the pinch at the distance post was a gone coon so far as getting the first award was concerned.

Golden Gate, whq /started upon a couple of occasions, easily secured the verdict in his first start, the Christmas Handicap, the second •berth going to Contender, who appeared to move as if he was sore. On Wednesday Golden Gate was again one of the runners carrying the steadier of 9.5, a 141 b rise over the weight carried by him in the Christmas Handicap. This was in the Grandstand Handicap, in which the Merriwee mare Sweet Helen turned up trumps. Mr Lowry’s representative paid a good • jfrice when the fact is taken into consideration that she had the previous afternoon ran a second to Ladylike in 1.29 2-5 for seven furlongs. In the event she won she had 41b less to carry and a furlong less to travel, and previously she had shown a partiality for a short dash. Though there was nothing remarkably brilliant seen out in the baby races they proved interesting, the top

weight Pearl Reef mastering the opposition in the first day’s event with Niwaru, a sweet looking daughter of Torpedo and Lady Heart second, and Tigris, of the Birkenhead clan, third. Next afternoon, with a furlong further to go, and a big pull in the weights, Tigris, who is the property of Sir Wm. Russell, accounted for her two previous conquerors, the verdict being achieved by the very barest of margins as it looked from the press stand as if she had just won by a wink. Clochette, one of Mr. Lowry’s team, was second, Pearl Reef third, and the favourite, Huiani, badly beaten. Tigris is rather a weedy-looking filly, but her efforts proved that she was better than she looked in the event won by her. The first of the Renowns made his debut. This was Research, a goodlooking gelding out of Searchlight. Goldfield and Linkless had a strong argument all the way up the straight in the Flying' Hack, honour coming to the former by the shortest of heads. Linkless had her turn next day in the Scurry Hack, for she then turned the tables on Goldfield, who was one of the also started, while Linkless just got there from Robin Link, the pair being half-sisters; Linkless being by Daunt and Robin Link, owing her existence to the mating of her dam with Robin Adair. Both of them were bred by the late Mr. G. E. G. Richardson, and are out of Link, a mare who in bygone days used to be hard to silence in her class.

Assayer, who carried the big load of 13.2 in the Epsom Handicap, was never asked for bis best, ajnd won as he liked from Waiteke, a half-sister to Float, Good Intent and Splendid Idea.

The Matapiro Handicap caused a bit of unpleasantness, for Soultite, who won with the greatest of ease, was protested against on the grounds that her jockey had not weighed in with the breastplate used in the race. At a meeting of the stewards, Sir Wm. Russell presiding, the protest was sustained, and first place accordingly went to Te Uira, Merriwing getting second berth. According to the rules of racing the stewards had no alternative but to disqualify Soultite, whose party stood in for a good win over the affair. While it can be said thus two wrongs never made a right, I saw another mistake of the same thing occur during the meeting, but no protest was entered,accordingly no action was taken. Mr. Donnelly was not evidently cognisant of the fact that his trainer Percy Johnson had entered the protest, for on meeting Mr Stratton, the secretary, when calling the meeting of the stewards, he asked what the meeting was for. Mr. Stratton produced the written protest when Mr. Donnelly remarked that the thing was trifling, and that he did not like it. Mr. Stratton then pointed out that the stewards would have to meet, as the protest, when once lodged, could not be withdrawn, except by permission of the stewards in accordance with the rules of racing. As Mr. Donnelly took no further action the matter was not reported to the stewards, and the protest was considered in the ordinary manner. It has been reported that Mr. Donnelly has instructed the secretary of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club to pay over the stakes awarded to Te Uira in the Matapiro: Hack Handicap to Mr. Lewis, owner of Soultite, who finished first in that race, but was disqualified through a technical breach of the rules of racing. The winning horsemen at the meeting were headed by W. Kirk, with

four succeses, Paramo re, D. Price, T. O’Brien and H. Fairbrother coming next with a brace of scores a-piece; R. Hopkins, F. Porter, T. Jones and J. Percivale each steering a single winner. The totalisator investments for the two days amounted to £14,159, an increase of £74 over the amount handled at a similar venture last season.