RANGITIKEI R.C. JUBILEE MEETING.

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

RANGITIKEI R.C. JUBILEE MEETING.

The above club were favoured with fine though intensely hot, weather for their Jubilee Meeting, which was held on the ist and 2nd, and which proved a great success. There was a record attendance, record tote figures, and record hea:, so that the gathering was certainly a noteworthy one. In addition, a New Zealand record was established for a mile and a quarter by Marguerite in the Jubilee Cup, which was only fitting. The Rangitikei Club is one of the oldest racing institutions in the colony, its inaugural meeting having been held on January i, 1857. Thanks principally to the untiring efforts of the courteous and obliging secretary (Mr Harry Goodall) the gathering was conducted all through in the most praiseworthy manner, and the officials of the club are to be heartily congratulated on the success achieved. This will probably be the last meeting the club will hold on this course, as the club’s lease has expired, and they will have to find another course on which to race in future. If it is possible for the club to secure a suitable piece of ground nearer the railway station the many visitors will appreciate the change of venue, as the drive from Greatford to and from Bulls is something to be remembered by those who have had to endure it in the past.

• The track was exceedingly fast, as would be seen from the wonderful times recorded. However, everything was in favour of record-breaking, and therefore it is quite possible here was nothing wrong with either the watches or the course. Marguerite put up a great performance in the Cup, as the daughter of Stepniak hopped ou. in front and remained there all the way, cutting out the mile and a quarter in 2.6 2-5 —a record for New . Zealand. It is s ated that the mare had a few mornings previously, covered the distance on the plough in 2.9, and she proved by her win in the Greatford Stakes the next day that she was in brilliant form. Her success in the Cup was a popular one, and compensated Jos. Prosser in some measure for his bad luck m losing Gold Crown he day previous. The handsome cup which went with the stake was presented by Mr Prosser to ' ‘charie Jenkins, to mark the appreciation in which the Bulls horseman is held by Prosser. Unfortunately Jenkins was unr able to ride at the meeting, owing to the injury he recently sustained to his leg. ' The Lark ran a good race in. the Cup, ■’ but had an outside berth along the back " stretch, and hence, got into some very rough going, which caused the son of Nestor to lose a bit of ground. In any case he .would hardly have beaten .Marguerite, but might have run second. As ’ it was The Lark’s stable mate Apa filled that position, as he had also done in the Ashhurst and Manawatu Cups the. previous week. Apa was made favourite at Bulls, but though he..ran well never had a chpnce with the, winner. The latter ' won-the Stakes the same. day. just as easilv. She is in tip top form, and, .would ' have been very dangerous., had, she been " erigaged in the Auckland Cup. If she is entered for the next N.Z. • Cup she will

rot want for friends. There were several, non-triers at the meeting, and one or two most glaring instances of pulling were observed, though evidently these escaped the eyes of the officials. In one event one jockey found he had been shot out of the barrier with a lead that he did not at all relish, as he immediately took a hold which enabled the one wanted to get up. Ballarat won the Flying in 1.14 2-5,

from three others, paying £1 18s. Chinchilla was made favourite in the Maiden Hack, but Catapult proved too good, and secured the verdict from Chinchilla, cutting out the five furlongs in 1.3 2-5. Catapult is a four-year-old chestnut gelding by Musketry out of a Natator mare, and belongs to Mr Frank Moore. He is a good one, and should win again before long. Conquest, a two-year-old filly by Conqueror out of Waiwera was reported to have done some good work in private. This is a nicely shaped thing, and has a lot of pace, but ran a bit green. Tn the big Hurdles only three went to the post, and Rookby had no difficulty in winning, though what might have happened had Weary Bill not fallen at the last jump it is hard to say. The mile and three-quarters occupied only 3.15, a remarkably fast go. Flimsnap had no difficulty whatever in repeating his Palmerston and Ashhurst successes in the Carnarvon Hack Race, the six .fur’ongs being run in 1.15. Flimsnap is a low set, but miiscular ' chestnut gelding, by Sylvia Park—-Mahi, three-years-old. He has a most resolute style of galloping, and will more than hold his own in open company, I fancy. He is trained by Mr Fred Tilley, and is owned by his breeder, Mr Allan Cameron. His dam is by The Workman —Romp, and is therefore half-sister to Camomill, Norton, and The Hempie. The Hack Hurdles was a gift to Peruvian, who cleared the obstacles in great style, and ought to make a name for himself at the steeplechasing game next winter.. Buccleuch easily won the Mokowai Welter, and then The Dane scored in the Pukenui Hack Welter. The St. Clements gelding is trained by Fred Tilley. Fishermaid was second. She is a five-year-old mare by / Fiske out of- Walto’nia, and is trained by Walter Raynor, who ought to score, a race or two with her later on. The dividends in this event were the best of the day— £s ns and 15s. Fishermaid ran third in the first event of the second day, the Telegraph Hack Race, which felt to Kitchenmaid, Wfi’itati finished very fast and got second. Aeolus won the Clifton Handicap by about half-a-length from Fireiron. Rookby scored another easy win in the Sandon Hurdles, and Peruvian also registered a double by annexing the Hack Hurdles. Marguerite was credited with running the mile and a distance in 1.56 in the Greatford Stakes, in which she was followed home by The Lark. Victoria Park paid £9 19s in the Ruamai Welter, a very good price considering the form the Sylvia Park mare had been showing. The six furlongs were traversed in 1.15. The last event of the meeting was carried off by Little Mary, who never gave her opponents a chance, carving out the four fur’ongs in 47 4-5560,

and paying £3 The winner is a neat looking filly by Merriwee —Moira, and judging by the amount of money wired away to bookies in different parts the win must have been anticipated by a number. She started in the Maiden on the first day, but never showed any form there to justify anyone in backing her on the second day. She is owned by Mr W. Homes, and is trained by W. Kraft. Though the fields were very small in several events at Bulls this was no fault of the handicapper, Mr Ulic Shannon, whose adjustments left little to be found fault with. The horses were there, but the course was too hard for owners to risk starting anything which had a suspicion of unsoundness, and the four days racing of the previous week had told a tale on many of the horses. WHATAWHATA MEETING. The annual meeting of the Whatawhata J; C. took place on New Year’s Day, and was well’attended from outside districts. The club were lucky in the rain keeping off till the later end of the day. A good number of penoillers were present, paid the club -£2 each to do business, and seemed to be doing fair business. The club made a nr stake in having eight events on the programme, as six. or seven are ample without the totalisator. Six went to the post in the Handicap Hurdles, and the veteran The Frenchman proved too good for the other moderates; Fairy and Stepney 'filled the places. Stepney . supplied "the favourite at evens, 2 to 1 Fairy, and 4 to 1 the winner. , Six again faced the starter in the Maiden (Plate, with Harkaway and Pitoitoi 2 to 1 each, the rest from 4 to 10 to 1. Harkaway came away a furlong from home, and won easily, while the rest of the field were strung out. Six was again the number for the Whatawhata Handicap (1% miles), and the public selected Te Taniwha at even money. 2 to 1 each Agrapus and Lunetta, 4 to 1 Geologist and Matahura, 8 to 1 Stepney. The favourite had no trouble in winning easily. For the Galloway Handicap four started, and Pitoitoi, who was at even money, won hard held, with Ngawai second. Out of 14 carded only four went to the post for the Hack Race. Anna Lombard at 6 to 4 ran off, and Nokinoki a 3 to 1 chance, got home from Golden Gem, who was well supported. The winner of the Whatawhata Handicap, Te Taniwha, was made a red-hot favourite for the Ladies’ Bracelet, and ably steered by Fred Tonge won a good race by a couple of lengths from six others. The best field (13) started in the Handicap Trot, and Mr. T. Barnott’s No Name was favourite at 2 to 1; but Mr. A. J. McGovern’s Myrtle Grove (40sec.) won pulling up, and paid the nice price of 4 to 1. The field were

strung out for half a-mile. Another good field of nine started in the concluding event of the day, the Flying Stakes. Fieramosca was pounced upon at 2 to 1, and even, 2 to 1 Agrapus, from 4 to 20 to 1 the others. The favourite got well away and won with something to spare. Seven others started.