WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 914, 12 September 1907, Page 7

WELLINGTON.

Mr. Fred. Martin’s Success—The Date Hon. W. W. Johnston—Charlie Jenkins Fined at Marton—W.R.C. Committee Meeting—Training at Trentham—Zimmerman, Buccleuch—Boniform v. Elevation in the Cup Handicap—Betting on N.Z. Cup

WELLINGTON, September 11. The Marton Racing Club’s meeting, which was held last week, enabled one of Wellington’s most consistent sporting men to open his racing season with a win. Mr. Fred. Martin, owner of the Daunt —Kalmoe gelding Moata (winner of the principal handicap at Marton) has during the past twenty years always kept a horse or two in training. Retina won the Wellington Cup in 1893 in his colours, his trainer at that time being T. H. Hill, who six years previous secured the same race with Pasha. By the unexpected demise of the Hon. W. W. Johnston racing loses an influential patron. The late hon. gentleman was one of the few who bred and raced his horses for pure sport. A busy man in his younger days the late Mr. Johnston had but little time for pleasuring, and although he had bred a useful class of horse on his station, it was only of late years that he became a breeder of bloodstock. Flamen is perhaps the best he bred and raced, and with him he won the Feilding Easter Handicap and other fair stakes. Truce and Kitchenmaid were purchased during the autumn on the advice of his trainer, Mr. Alf. Shearsby. The former won the Wanganui Cup, whilst Kitchenmaid secured the Manawatu Telegraph Stakes and the Otaki-Rangiuru Handicap. The turf can ill spare patrons such as the deceased gentleman. The strenuous efforts of the well-

known jockey, Charles Jenkins, to annex a race at the Marton meeting resulted in the stewards inflicting on him a couple of fines of £5 each during the meeting. The first fine was for attempting to beat the starter at the barrier. Later on Jenkins finished up a race in the centre of the course, and having concluded he was first past the judge’s box was much, surprised to find his mount placed second. Jenkins expostulated with the judge in the most emphatic manner, but the placing remained, whilst Jenkins was called before the stewards and fined another fiver for affronting the judge. The newly-elected stewards of the Wellington Racing Club met on Monday last, when the business transacted was of a routine character. Subcommittees were appointed to attend to the various phases of the club’s ramifications, one of the most important being the arranging of the programmes for the season 1908. The club’s stipendiary officials were all re-elected, and a suggestion that a paid clerk of the scales be appointed will probably be acted upon. The Trentham training tracks present a fairly busy appearance just now. F. Higgott and J. Lowe have between them somewhere about 18 horses in work. Moata, a winner at Marton, who was trained at Trentham, was probably one of the fittest horses seen out at the meeting. This alone speaks volumes for the Trentham training tracks. The Coffey Bros, are also exercising a number of horses at Trentham, and when W. Davies removes to the same locality there will be between 30 and 40 horses in training at Trentham.. As neither Prosser, Higgott, Low or Shearsby have engaged their horses at the Rangitikei spring meeting, and as W. Davies has only engaged Ancycle in a couple of hack races, it is evident that the Wanganui spring fixture is the intended rendezvous of the trainers mentioned. With so many meetings following close on each other, trainers are enabled to pick and choose, and as both the town of Wanganui and the officials of the racing club are exceedingly popular, meetings there usually draw good nominations. The New Zealand Cup acceptances were eagerly scanned when they made their appearance. The withdrawal of the Porirua mare Marguerite caused no surprise; the absence of the name of Sir Tristram cost a few early backers a tidy sum. The Sir Launcelot gelding was considered the better of the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s pair over a distance, but evidently Stuart Waddell has formed a better opinion of Zimmerman than his last season’s form denoted, and his acceptance for the Cup may result in the Birkenhead colt displaying the galloping ability his earliest efforts promised. Fireiron has dropped out in favour of his extremely well-treated stable mate Buccleuch. This half-brother to Welbeck has been selected by shrewd judges as one likely to play a prominent part in the settlement of the Cup problem. Auratus being unsound is not in training. Boniform was considered badly treated compared with Elevation. The former may be a smasher all right, but his one moderate performance does not stand out so prominent as the really sterling performance of Elevation, who crowned his meritorious earlier efforts by winning the C.J.C. Fifteenth Challenge Stakes of seven furlongs, and the Hawke’s Bay Stakes of six and a-half furlongs, beating the best horses in New Zealand in each event and displaying great staying powers. Of the defections lower in the list Montigo alone had any pretentions to be considered a Cup horse. The only wonder is that a number of other animals with much lesser credentials have continued their Cup engagement. Betting on the Cup is quiet. Master Delaval would be backed were anything better than 7 to 1 on offer. Elevation has been befriended by the public to such an extent that some local metallicians have laid them full books, and decline further quotations. Buccleuch, St. Joe, Armistice, and Downfall have friends. Local backers are standing off Seal Rock, although it is reported that the Yaldhurst colt was solidly supported by a firm of metallicians in Canterbury. Seal Rock’s St. Leger form was too moderate to gain him supporters here.