WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 923, 14 November 1907, Page 8

WELLINGTON.

North island Horses at Riccarton— C.J.C Meeting- — Taratahl-Carterton Meeting, WELLINGTON, November 13. Local race-goers who attended the C.J.C. Spring Meeting with but few exceptions, have made the return journey, and are settling down after a week of pleasurable excitement; the presence of the North Island horses at Riccarton race meetings acuses many visitors to remain during the whole meeting who otherwise would not feel sufficient interest in the racing to induce the indifferent accomodation provided by hotel proprietors, who can only offer shakedowns to visitors and charge first-class rates for third-class lodgings. An analysis of the C.J.C. Spring Meeting goes to show that North Island owners: play a prominent part in the settlement of events decided on the Riccarton Racecourse. The following races fell to horses bred and owned in the North.— New Zealand Cup, the Stewards’s, Metropolitan, Epsom, Criterion, Randolph, Otaio Plate, Ladies’ Purse Handicaps, the Derby, Canterbury Cup, Jubilee Cup, Ma : den Plate and three out of four of the hurdle events. A glance at any of the handicaps declared i discloses the fact that the majority of the top weights hail from the North, these circumstances make it’ perfectly obvious that any well organised, racing: club in the North Island imbued with sufficient enterprise; could easily competes successfully l ', with the

C.J.C. owners, would not risk sending their horses a sea trip were they offered equally valuable stakes nearer home and without the assistance from the North the C.J.C. would quickly become a much less important racing function. On the conclusion of the C.J.C. third day’s racing the bulk of the North Island visitors, together with a number of racehorses, their attendants, and owners, returned by steamer. Full Rate, winner of the Criterion Handicap, with his rider, S. Reid, and the jockeys G. Price and A. McConnon, proceeded direct to TaratahiCarterton Meeting, which opened on Saturday in fine weather. Quite a number of Wellington sports took advantage of the excursion train, and the attendance on the Taratahi course was a record one. The opening event, a Hack Handicap, fell to the Manawatuowned mare Probability, who defeated Erl King and a few other useful animals. Probability has not won a race for over twelve months, consequently her victory was considerably overdue. That muchadvertised gelding, The Stake, put down a good field, including Full Rate, who, including ylb penalty, carried 9.7 for the Railway Handicap; the consistent Gawain filled second place. Thera, a filly by Amphion, had an easy victory in the Wairarapa Hack Guineas ; the filly is the property of a popular Masterton boniface, Mr. James Cress, who also secured the King Edward Hack Handicap with his ster’.'ng mare San Julie. The Wairarapa County Cup was an easy victory for the Hawke’s Bay gelding Moral, who was fortunate in getting into the handicap at 7.10. Riflemaid seemed the only opponent able to pace it with Moral, who ran the mile and a-quarter in 2m. 95., and should hold his own in better company.

The Hack Hurdle Handicap fell to Black Squall, a half-sister to Shrapnel, who eas’ly defeated the opposition after Matakokiri had fallen.

The Hack Welter was a good race between Volume’s brother Sylvan Park and Rangikiata, a five-year-old son of Rangipuhi, the former staying the longest and getting the judge’s verdict. King Post, a useful ge'ding by Seaton Delaval—St. Edith, ridden by G. Price, easily annexed the Hack Trial Plate from ten others.