THE FEILDING J.C. EASTER MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 947, 30 April 1908, Page 6

THE FEILDING J.C. EASTER MEETING.

The FeHding Jockey Club’s Faster meeting of 1908 was certainly the most successfu lin the history of the club, which should have a handsome surplus over the gathering when ac counts are squared up. The weather was fine on the opening day, Easter Monday, and the attendance a record one. The track was in fairly good order, though a bit heavy, the fields large, and the racing excellent. Added to this the management was firstclass, and the day’s sport was there fore most enjoyable from every point of view. The tote returns for the two days aggregated £31,633, or £97 ahead of last year’s total. In addition the bookmakers’ fees received for the two days amounted to over £4OO. The starting by Mr. T. Cameron was fairly good in some of the events, but on the whole was not up to the mark, two or three races being quite spoilt by the uneven despatches. Proceed ings opened with the Trial Plate, for which Separator, a two-year-old gelding by Seaton Delaval —Brown Alice, owned by Mr. E. J. Watt, was made a strong favourite. He ran well, but was beaten a head by San Jose (by San Remo) after a fine race. R. Cameron rode a good race on the winner. This was Separator’s first appearance in public, and he should be worth watching in future. Gold Thread was the most fancied candidate of the seven engaged in the Wanganui Stakes, and the daughter of Gold Reef —Pursering duly won, though had Dusky Morn got under way a bit smarter the result would have been different. Aorangi won the Kawakawa Hurdles in fine style, and the Merriwee gejlding should be heard of in some of the big hurdles later on. Gold Dust ran a capital race with 11.4 on his back, being a good second. Prospector jumped splendidly and led the field in the early stages, but then tired. In the Hack Hurdles we were introduced to The Stake, Defeat, and Catapult as three likely hurdlers, and they shaped well for novices. Catapult jumped neatly and quickly, but faded away at the finish. The Stake also jumped well, and when more seasoned will be hard to beat. Defeat finished second to Commander, and thus two sons of The Officer paid the dividends. The winner is out of Nixie, and is a five-year-old gelding owned by Mr. A. F. Douglas, whilst Defeat is out of Queen of Trumps, and is owned by Mr. J. Maher. Defeat won on the second day easily, Commander being unplaced. The Dark was the popular pick for the Cup, and ran a sterling race, but had to be content with second place, as Bourrasque won rather comfortably. There were ten starters, and the time was 2.39 3-55.. The Lark appeared to be in a bad position until the bend for home, otherwise the little son of Nestor might have won. R. Cameron again displayed capital horsemanship on the winner. Mr. A. F. Douglas’ mare Ikon carried top weight (1.4) to victory in the Hack Welter in a fiei’d of seven, including Mahoe. The latter ran well for three-quarters of a mile, and the Sou’-wester geldin gpromises to be in good fettle in another month or so. His leg is all right again, and there is every probability of him figuring prominently in some of the forthcoming big hurdle events. In the Halcombe Welter Silver Lead was made favourite, but the winner turned up in Probability, the daughter of The Possible just getting home from King Post. Had Litt’e Mary not been left some six lengths or so, she must have been very close up. The Ongo Hack fell to Chase Mab, a five-year-old daughter of Chasseur, owned by Mr. A. E. Tucker, of Wanganui. She was somewhat lucky, as she got all the best of a bad start, and won by a length from Vasa, who, with Miss Advance, was left badly. Dusky Morn led off by winning the Denbigh Stakes on the second day, when the weather was again fine. The

Sou’-wester gelding had no difficulty in beating Gold Thread at level weights. Flingot annexed the Hack Welter from six opponents. The Musketry gelding was ridden by R. Cameron, who thus scored his fourth win for the meeting. Gold Dust (well ridden by Jerry O’Connell- scored in the big hurdles, in which the Gold Reef gelding carried 11.5, winning comfortably. He is a wonderfully consistent gelding, and the victory was a popular one. Compass, which won at Patea the previous day, acted as runner-up to Defeat in the Hack Hurdles, the pair being well ahead of the other (seven) starters. Tangimoana won the Easter Handicap for Mr. D. Buick, cutting down The Lark and Belario, which pair led into the straight, and getting home by half a length from the Fordell-trained horse. Belario ran well, as he was expected to do so by those who had seen the son of The Officer working previously. As stated elsewhere, the St. Clements mare Nicotine placed the Rewa Hack to Mr. R. Johnston’s credit, cutting out the six furlongs in 1.17 1-5. This mare had been doing splendid work on the Wanganui tracks, and she ought to score in almost any company. Whetumarama (by Advance — Endeavour) got all the best of a very bad start in the Scurry, and won comfortably. The curtain was rung down on a highly successful meeting with the decision of the Makino Welter, which fell to Climax comfortably from a field which included Silver Lead, Irish Rifle, Moscow, Gleam, Miss Vera, Somali, and Hatley. Irish Rifle ran very disappointingly.