WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 975, 12 November 1908, Page 9

WELLINGTON.

? WELLINGTON, November 8. The result of the New Zealand Cup and Stewards’ Handicap was well received here. Downfall was well backed for the Cup after his victory at Hawke’s Bay. The Steward’s Handicap winner, Penates, is highly thought of by local sports, and as his owner “ Mr Barclay ” made no secret of the fact that he had coupled Penates in doubles with the Cup favourites, the local metallicians found plenty of takers for doubles ending with Barclay’s horse, and quite a number have landed nice little wagers. “ Mr Barclay,” having coupled Downfall with Penates in consequence has experienced a good win. Penates has now won each of the last three races which Mr Henrys has weighted him for. These, added to the Flying Handicap annexed by Penates, make four wins in succession and stamp the son of Ruenalf as a horse of more than ordinary merit. Mr T. H. Lowry, owner of the Cup winner Downfall, only returned on Wednesday last from a visit to Sydney. He had a fair wager about Downfall for the Cup and also stood to win a good stake with Downfall and Bobrikoff. The latter’s chance in the Stewards’ he thought more highly of than he did of Downfall’s Cup prospects. Bobrikoff was last to leave the barrier and with such a large field to get through was never really dangerous. F. Davis, who trains for Mr Lowry, rode Bobrikoff and his explanation of the favourite’s defeat is that Bobrikoff is not a good beginner, and with a packed field in front of him, at the end of the first funong, prospects of victory were hopeless. Messrs Whitworth Bros., owners of the Royal Artillery filly Artillerie, landed a good stake over their filly’s victory in the C.J.C. Maiden Plate. This filly, it will be remembered, was taken to Sydney by J. W. Lowe and was given a run in the Epsom Handicap. She however was not quite herself and ran unplaced. Later in the week she finished second in the Grantham Stakes, cutting out her mile in about lmin 41sec. This was considered sufficiently good form to warrant her being entrusted to win the C.J.C. Maiden Stakes, and as the good thing came oft Messrs Whitworth’s friends are jubilant. Eye witnesses of the race for the New Zealand Cup do not speak in flattering terms of the judgment displayed by the rider of Master Deiaval. The Auckland horse was allowed to get too far in the rear in the early stages of the race, and although he finished strongly he had far too much leeway to make up in the last three furlongs. Master Delaval finished fourth, having passed a large number of horses in the straight. A large proportion of the horses that contested the N.Z. Cup obviously had no credentials for a two mile race, nearly half the field being hopeless’y beaten ere one and a-half miles had been covered, and several finished half a furlong behind the winner. Such animals could not have been

tried to stay and had such a course been taken they would not have made the final payment. The Wellington Racing Club’s programme for the Summer Meeting will

shortly make its appearance; the added money to the Wellington Cup will be raised to 1000 sovs. The value of a number of other races will be increased in proportion. Hurdle events will not appear on the Summer programme. A suggestion to substitute flat races for jumpers seems to find favour with owners of the jumping brigade, and some such events may appear on the programme.