WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 938, 27 February 1908, Page 7

WELLINGTON.

WELLINGTON, February 23.

The Woodville Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting resulted in a successful gathering viewed from a financial standpoint, the increased totalisator turnover being as compared with the corresponding meeting ’ast year. The executive of the club demanded ‘he maximum fee from bookmakers, with the result that only three turned up to bet. If the sum handled by the machine is any guide, there should have been amp’e business for

I suppose it would be impossible to visit any racecourse about Auckland without coming across Harry Hayr, who is one of the best known and best liked sportsmen in the district. Although one would hardly think it to look at him, H.H.H. is within a year of fifty, and is an Aucklander by birth and education. With a keen love for the water, young Harry got his first billet in a congenial sphere with the New Zealand Shipping Company, which was not the company that bears the name today, but a much smaller one, running the Taranaki, Ladybird, and two or three other steamers. After a while these were added to the “ red funnel ” fleet, and Harry donned gold braid, and went as purser on the Taranaki. This boat was lost off Tauranga a good many years ago, but no one was drowned. Soon after H.H. proved again that he was not fated to feed

the fishes, for after being on the illfated Taiaroa, he fortunately left her just prior to the time she was wrecked with such heavy loss of life. His next boat was the old Wanaka, since lost, and after this a much bigger boat, none other than the well-remembered Pacific S.N. Co.’s mail boat Zealandia. She was a comfortable old boat, but not an express, and when the Alameda and Mariposa came along could not pace it with them. Both the Zealandia and Australia were purchased by the Spreckles Co., and for years ran between San Francisco and Honolulu. Mr. Hayr remained on the Zelandia for four years, and then, tiring of the sea, purchased the Scott Printing Co. He commenced the publication of the “ Sporting Review,” and ran it for five years before selling out to the present proprietor. Mr. Hayr was largely instrumental in promoting the Avondale Jockey Club, which, starting in a small way, has now become one of the best managed institutions of its kind in the colony. From its inception to the present day he has acted as its secretary. Indeed, secretaryships would seem to be a good deal in Mr. Hayr’s line, as at one time or other he has acted in that capacity to the Pakuranga Hunt Club, the Auckland Coursing Club, the Amateur Athletic Club, and the Auckland Tattersails Club

Time was when Mr. Hayr used to run a few neddies of his own, the best of them being that honest bay gelding Fishmonger, a son of Isaak Walton and Accident, who, with Sam Fergus in the saddle, in the early nineties carried Mr. Hayr’s colours, salmon and blue hoops, often to victory in jumping events round Auckland. One or two fairly smart greyhounds also ran for him in those days. Although the expression to run like a hare was perhaps hardly due to H.H.H., yet in his younger days he could leg it with the best of them. Older residents will remember Grahams Gardens, long since built upon, and the first mile race ever run on the old sports ground was won by young Harry in 1877. At the present day it is perhaps as a totalisator proprietor that Mr. Hayr is best known to the majority of racegoers. For years he has run

the machines at the Auckland Racing Club, Avondale Jockey Club Meeting, and several county clubs, and has invariably given satisfaction to . clients. It may appeal- to many that it is an easy matter to work a totalisator, but this is very far from being the case. Under the old system, with eleven machines going at once, there was mighty little breathing time for H.H., who was going at top all day. Now and again all that hard work was wasted, when it was found that some employee had paid out a big dividend on the wrong ticket; yet Harry would stand the loss with unruffled composure. We can all win, but a good loser is rare — the ex-purser is as good a one as ever stood pat on a pair of twos. Mr. Hayr’s favourite relaxation is a return to the old love —the water —and to enable him to do this he had the cruising oil launch Waitiri built. Many a day among the schnapper has he had on board with friends. Not having done amiss himself in the capture of the golden shekels, Harry is always in the first 'flight if an appeal for help comes along for some sportsman in low water, and he is ever ready to head the subscription list or take it round. If for no other reason than this (and there are a dozen others), Harry H. Hayr will always be looked upon as one of the best of the “ Men We Meet ’ on a racecourse.

three times that numb x of layers, and although the licence fee was a heavy one, they probably would have come out on top. It is obvious that money is p’entiful in the neighbourhood of Wellington, and the privilege of laying the odds here is good value for £2O, as compared with clubs in the South Island, where money is scarce and speculation mostly limited to silver wagers.

Class was not too well represented at Woodville, but the evenness of the runners, rendered the racing interesting. The useful Seaton Delaval mare, Loiret, beat a moderate field in the Cup, the distance being covered, according to the club’s timekeeper in 2min 8 3*ssec. Kairoma did not run up to his party’s expectations, and King Lynn and the constant Waipaku filled the places. Gauge, an occupant of the Porirua stable, won -the President’s Handicap of 7 furlongs, beating the Gold Reef mare, Ballarat, at a difference of only nib, but the latter is not a good animal under welter imposts. Playboy, whom Prosser purchased out of a selling race at the recent Trentham meeting, soon got his new owner a return of his purchase money by' annexing both hurdle events. Kurawaka was the third of Prosser’s charges to score. This she did in the principal event of the second day, the Autumn Handicap. The halfsister to Mahutonga has not proved too remunerative to her plucky and enterprising owner, A. L. D. Fraser., M.P. There was, however, but little merit in her win, as her opponents were well loaded with weights and at the same time were recruited from the ranks of second raters.

The times put up during the meeting were phenomenal, and either the track was fast or the timist’s watch was slow. The time for the Hack Scurry, five fur’ongs, was given as imin 2 3-ssec, and that for the Hack Handicap as imin 1 2-ssec. This was capped by Gyrene carrying Bst 81b, who was credited with traversing five furlongs in 60 4-ssec. A change of trainers has effected a marked improvement in the Otago-bred horse Armamento. For nearly three sasons, Mr W. Davis has persevered with the son of Lord Roslyn, but failed to get him to the post in winning form. Fina’ly, this fine-looking horse was discarded from the stables as a waster, and remarkable to record in less than three months he picks up a Dunedin Cup with a fair impost on his back. Armamento was bred in Otago by the Hon. Geo. McLean and prior to going into Mr Davis’ hands, was tried to stay well. The latter probably tried to make a sprinter of the horse, and discovering he lacked pace, possibly neglected to test his galloping abilities over longer courses.

Messrs Prosser and W. Davis will make a move towards Wanganui early in the week. Both trainers wiT take strong teams. Gold Crest. Marguerite, All Red, and Swimming Belt will be included in the Porirua team ; whilst Davis will take Ballarat, Yosami and perhaps a third.