TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 10 November 1910, Page 7

TURF TOPICS.

Weights for the Takapuna Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting are due to appear on Monday next, and acceptances for same fall due the following Friday.

The spring programme of the Thames J.C. appears elsewhere in this issue. The meeting extends over two days, December 26 and 27, a sum of £945 being distributed on the 16 events. The chief events are the Goldfields Cup of £ll5. Thames Stakes of £9O and the two steeplechases. each worth £9O- Nominations for all events close with the secretary, Mr. W. H. Potts, P.O-.' Box No. 7, Thames on November 25.

Alawa has now won the C.B. Fisher Plate three times in succession.

The New Zealand Cup meeting will be brought to a conclusion on Saturday next.

IE was the popular \op-inion that, the New Zealand Cup field comprised a lot of moderates and yet the winner registered 3-25 for the two miles, and at least four others would get inside the previous record.

Paul was shipped back to New Plymouth by the Rarawa on Sunday, after competing unsuccessfully in the Maiden Hurdles the previous day-

To fill the roll of runner-up in the Hastings Stakes- Wellesley Stakes. Welcome Stakes, Juvenile Plate and Nursery Handicap is indeed bad luck, but such can be written of Miscount, the Hon. J.- D. Ormond’s two-year-old. A win for the son of Birkenhead in the Great‘ Northern Foal Stakes would be pleasing to chronicle.

Delegate ran a good race in the Maiden Hurdles, in which the son of Phoebus Apollo finished up his journey well, gaining second place. With a little more improvement dn his jumping. De.egate should soon get his name enrolled amongst the winners.

The Gisborne horse, Continuance, was sent out an odds-on favourite in a field of 13, in the Maiden Hurdles on Saturday, but the nearest he got to the winner was third His running did not satisfy Mr. G. Cutts, lookout steward, who reported accordingly. The stewards after hearing the statement of the horse’s connections, deemed all satisfactory.

From the easy way in which Miss Winsome settled her opponents at Ellerslie on Saturday, we may expect the little daughter of Soult to be with the best of the southerners at the Summer Carnival of the A.R.C.

The Otahuhu Trotting Club will inaugurate their Spring meeting on Wednesday and bring the same to a conclusion on the following Saturday.

Mr. Greenwood’s Achilles filly, Peirene. had to be content with third position in both the Welcome Stakes and Juvenile Plate, at the C.J.C. spring meeting.

The A.R.C. will bring their spring meeting to a close on Saturday, when the principal event to be decided will be the Ascot Handicap, one mile and a-quarter.

Mr. E. J. Watts’ horse Bridge won the New Zealand Cup, leaving the two miles behind in the sensational time of 3.25. The time is easily an Australasian record, and beats the 3.27 down against Tartan, by two seconds. The time registered by Bridge is hard to swallow.

As was the case at the Spring meeting last year, Regain let his backers, who were numerous, down badly. He was a strong favourite in the Tradesmen’s Plate, but was never sighted near the front. He appears to be a bit unreliable, but fast enough to win in any company.

Danube again silenced a field of three-year-olds on Monday in the C. J.C. Derby, and it looks as though the Great Northern Derby will also fall to Mr. Greenwood’s colt. King Soult appears to be a useful sort, and maybe he will prove equal to stopping Danube, although his chance of doing so does not look too good.

Waimangu continues to run with bad luck. In the City Handicap, the brown horse was left and he was still last when the back stretch was reached. At the half-mile post he began to make up his ground fast, but he had to put up with second place three lengths behind Uranium. While I do not think Waimangu would have gained the verdict had he moved off with the others, there can be very little doubt but that he would have been closer and the finish more interesting.

The Waikato mare, Uranium, must be given credit for a capital performance, when she so decisively settled the opposition in the City Handicap, Brady, as usual, took her to the front immediately the barrier went up and there he kept her to the end. North East was always within striking distance, but the last furlong found him out, the 9.3 in the saddle and each furlong being cast behind in a fraction under 13, telling a tale. Uranium left the full distance behind in 2-9 4-5, and beat that unlucky horse, Waimangu, by three lengths.

One of Auckland’s best punters, landed £260 over the Bridge—Equitas double. Others supported the successful combination, but only for small amounts.

Apelion had been doing such poor track work that it was no surprise to see him start one of the outsiders of the field in the Great Northern Guineas. In the race he never looked like having a hand in the finish, and he was a long way behind the winner when the box was reached. As a three-year-old it looks as though he is going to be a disappointment when opposed to class.

In the Hobson Handicap, Michaeloff was putting in some very tellingwork at the end, and if the bay gelding could be relied upon to do his best he would not be long in getting, his name in the winning list. Miehaeloff is one of those horses who may bring off a surprise at any -time.

Horses trained by R,. Hannon played a strong part in the opening day at Ellerslie. King Soult won the Guineas, Uranium the City Handicap, Salute the Flying, Kanewarra deadheated in the Hobson, while Miss Winnie was just beaten a neck in the Shorts by St. Bill.

Alter winning the Maiden Hurdles, Black Northern changed owners, but the son of Salvadon will remain one of J. Williamson’s string.

The dSTeat of Maxwell, Soultline’s brother in the -Hobson Handicap on Saturday would be a severe blow to those connected with the stable. The big horse had been doing such good work that the heads would not hear of him being beaten, and short odds were accepted about his chance, notwithstanding that there were 19 runners. M. Ryan got the son of Soult off with the others, but he did not appear to find his feet and the end of the first furlong saw him about sixteenth, with no possible chance of getting through. He had worked his way up a little when the straight was reached and as the field swung out Ryan brought Maxwell along at a great bat, but the break the leaders had obtained was too much and without being ridden right out he finished fifth. Under the circumstances Maxwell’s performance was a good one and there appears every reason to expect him to be out of hack company in a very short period.

In the Hobson Handicap on Saturday, J. Brady, on Taka, drew the inside berth at the post and P. Brady, his brother, who rode Kanewarra,

drew the outside position. They changed places at the post for which the stewards after considering the matter imposed a fine upon each of £lO. Taka ran nowhere, while Kanewarra dead-heated with Spectre for first place.

111-luck still follows Le Beau. Yesterday in the Onehunga Steeplechase Mr. McMiken’s gelding was; about 10 lengths in front of his field at the top of the hill and a victory for him was freely proclaimed. However, a faulty jump brought him down and Antarctic was left to come in on his own.

The Aucklander, Master Paul, won the Suburban Hurdles at Riccarton yesterday, returning a good price. This is surprising as the distance of the race was only once round and a distance.

The Jockey. Club Handicap at Ric- • carton yesterday fell to Sir Geo. Clifford’s filly Madam Madcap, the Hon. J. D. ...Ormond . supplying the g second place with Formby.

Salute was made an odds-on favourite for the Epson Handicap yesterday, despite :the fact that she had 9.12 to carry. She did not get a good passage and coupled with this the weight told its tale, and although finishing strong, she failed to gain a place. Had the brown mare not been chopped out at the start she may have been a lot closer.

The’ victory of Diabolo, in the Canterbury Cup yesterday is a pleasing item. This black horse has been running with the worst of luck in big races, and yesterday’s win is only what is due to his owner.

Continuance, whose failure in the '< Maiden Hurdles on Saturday was a big shock to stay at home betters in the South made some amends for his defeat by capturing the Manukau Hurdles yesterday. While giving Continuance every credit for his win I am inclined to think that the falling of Black Northern made the way easy for him. As the latter fell early in the contest, it is hard to say how the result would have gone.

That Waimangu was the unlucky horse of the City Handicap there can be little doubt, after witnessing his performance in the Birthday Handicap yesterday. Always holding a prominent position he won nicely from Sedition. At the same time a close scrutiny of Waimangu during the race left the impression that he is not a genuine horse as his rider at times appeared to be having a hard job to keep the black horse going.

Regain, who was backed for a ton of money in the President’s Handicap, on Saturday, but made a poor showing was sent out favourite for the Maiden, at Ellerslie yesterday and he had matters all his own way at the ' finish. This is one of the fastest horses working at Ellerslie, 1 but his running is a little erratic. Regain it may be remarked won the same event last year.

Masterpiece won the Nursery Handicap at Riccarton yesterday, with the unlucky Miscount second. ■

Emblem, although she jumped off well in the Epsom Handicap, finished last, and it does not appear as though she will win at the present meeting.

Black Northern made his appearance for his new owner in the Manukau Hurdles, but the son of Salvadan came to grief at the third fence when in front.

Kapanga was the last to finish in the Guineas on Saturday, but the little son of Soult ran a different horse yesterday, when he made hacks of his companions in the Hobson Handicap.

Capitol was sent out a strong favourite for the Onehunga Steeplechase, but the big chestnut was always making heavy weather of it over the last mile, and a very poor third was the best he could do.

Visitors to town should call on Mr. P. B. Hume at City Chambers, where satisfaction in the tonsorial line is guaranteed. Mr. Hume being an expert in the art of hair dressing etc.

Herb Price, the well-known mercer and tailor, 54 Willis Street, Wellington, intends giving two more 18ct. gold chronometers to the most successful jockeys over the fences and oh the flat for the season 1910-11.