HAWKE’S BAY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1112, 3 August 1911, Page 6

HAWKE’S BAY.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

HAWKE’S BAY HUNT CLUB’S ANNUAL MEETING.

NAPIER, July 31

In weather of a nasty dreary, grey nature, the hunting folk of this district pulled off their usual yearly race meeting last Wednesday. The attendance was poor, only a handful of spectators patronising the affair, and I do not think that the climate was responsible for the meagre attendance, the cause, no doubt, being due to the fact that outside of sweeps there was no legal chance of speculation. It is all nonsense saying that people will go to race gatherings just for the simple reason that they wish to witness the bouts amongst the geegees. Nothing of the sort! Something else is required, and that is a zest and flavour must be given to the game, which is obtained if reasonable facilities are provided for backing the fancies of patrons. That the death blow has been administered to registered clubs by the removal of the bookmaker is an assured fact, and there is no gainsaying that statement. For outside of the opportunity to speculate upon the various events being removed, where is the revenue to come from to provide stakes? There can be no fees collectable from bookmakers, and it is apparent if they are not there the attendance suffers. Hence (he gatemoney falls below zero, and no adequate financial returns can bo looked for from that quarter. Therefore it. seems only reasonable to assume that the decline of the non-totalisator clubs la the biggest certainty outside of death that can bo reckoned upon. It Is to be regretted, for many of those meetings were patronised by a class who rarely ever attended any other fixtures, and they wore looked upon as yearly reunions productive

of the continuation of good fellowship amongst the country folk. They were also the means of giving the man of small means an opportunity to see his horse carrying his colours, as he could train him and ride him himself, while in addition it was very often the means of introducing a horse who otherw.se would have wasted his powers in a hacking sphere of Lfe, but who, with the reasonable cheap facilities afforded by the registered clubs, was able'to demonstrate that it was worth while entering him. or her for more pretentious events. •Though the penciller is not a recognised medium, there were a number from all around the country present at Hastings last week, but the. v.g.lance of the representatives of the law Ind order prevented them from supplying those who were anxious to speculate on the contests. Under the disheartening circumstances the executive of the club did their best, but there is no getting away from the fact that it was a doleful job they had to perform. Mr A. J. Ellingham filled the judge’s box with credit, and Mr A. Goodwin wi s very equitable in the manner in which the fields were sent on their missions. Owing to a slight attack of illness Air W. J. Stratton, the secretary, was not able to put in an appearance. Business commenced with the Hunters Bracelet a quartette going out to battle for supremacy, there was nothing of an exciting nature in the go, for Morihiko led from start to finish, walking in by a good ten lengths, second place being by Til e Ranter, Watershed third. The winner i s a rather good cut oi a gelding by Catesby (the closely related relative to Trenton) out o* Ariel mare. He is owned by the hunting enthusiast Mr H. Hassall, and was ridden by Mr Harry Jago. the Karamu establishment supplied the conqueror in the First Open Flat ■Kace Ortygia, the three-year-old daughter of Birkenhead and Arethusa being the medium by which the annexation wa s secured. F. Jones rode a nice patient race on the winner, lor he allowed Scots Fusilier to carry on the running to the distance post, where he rem.nded Ortygia that she was wanted on the voyage, and replying in a solid fashion, the filly scored by a bar e length from the son oi iJOcir Heart s, who w<<s half alength in advance of Loch Maben, there were seven other runners including Amato and Wirral, but neiof the brace were conspicuous throughout the joudney. The Chief, Ever, and Wizard were the bunch that got under weigh for the Hawke’s Hunt Club Steeplechase- The Chief was always master of the situaton, and clearing out early i n the route, won by a hundred yards from Ever. , The victor is an aged son of Jet d’Eau, who has now won this event three years in succession He is the property of Mr W. A. Tod, of Waipawa, who only starts the chestnut gelding in Hunters’ events. Air Harry Jago piloted the eapturer, and Had a very nice comfortable ride, for The Chief is an accomplished fencer.

An all cer.Se bearer was again to the fore as the pole was reached in the Trial Hack Race, the successful one being Vega, a good looking two-year-old filly by Birkenhead—Lynette. She was steered by F. Jones, who never had anything difficult to do during the trip for .the filly was quickly out, and kept her position all along the piece, The Nut, a fullbrother to Appin, second, and Florence Nightingale, a three-year-old filly by The Officer—Ambuscade, third. Amongst the starters was a half-brother, by St. Ambrose to Mahutonga and Kopu, called St. Elm, a full-sister to Thrave (Torpedo— Carnelian), Opaline, and a half-broth-er by Sylvia Park, to Amato, Otama. The trio are all two-year-olds, and their outlook is sufficient to augur well for their future prospects when they get ripe and ready, which they were not the other day. The Ranter. Impessa, Alorihiko, and Ruataniwha. weer saddled up for the [Hunters’ Flat Handicap. The Ranter was always in a handy position, and when well in the run to the chair, he asserted himself, and the award came his way by a good head Impessa. an aged gelding by Captain Webb, second, and Alorihiko a poor third. The winner was artistically handled bv his owner, Mr J. B. Gaisford.

A dozen proceeded to the post to argue out the question in the Second Open Flat. Race, Scots Fusilier turning up trumps at the conclusion of the bout, Stourton second, and Amato third. Burton hit. out like a scalded cat. when the signal to go was giy-m, and led for three furlongs, when he

cried sufficient, and Scots Fusilier and Stourton were left in command. The former just managed to squeeze home by a long neck from Stourton, Amato close up third. Bruntsfield, a younger half-brother by Renown to Faunus, Seraphic, and Longboat, the full-brother to Dorando, were amongst those opposing, but their prospects at no portion of the game were at all entrancing.

The sport was brought to a finale with the Hunters’ Final Steeplechase. Five out of the ten coloured on the card went out for the fray, the runners consisting of The Chief, Watershed, T Wizard, Impessa, and Ever. The former, who had the tidy poundage of 13.4 up, registered a comfortable score by a length and a-half from Watershed, to whom he was giving 20 pounds, The Wizard an indifferent third. Impessa and Ever fell at the sod wall. Mr H. Jago directed the efforts of the capturer, and this popular gentleman jock got a hearty round of applause when he came back to weigh in.

The winning horseman roll was headed by Mr H. Jago with three wins, Mr J. B. Gaisford being the only’ other amateur to record a victory. In the professional ranks F. D. Jones came out on top with a brace of successes, W. Kirk adding a single victory to his record.

Luring the progress of the Hunt Club Meeting several trainers had the baby■'members of their strings in the enclosures, getting them acquainted with the surroundings, and during one of-the waits between the acts the juveniles were spurted on the tracks. T. Quinlivan, junior.;.- slipped along a trio of juveniles, his band consisting of Orlay (Royal Artillery—Aralene), Bon Bon (Boniform —Barley Bree), and Merton (Merriwee —Rose Seaton) . The lot all looked forward, and hit out at a merry W, the first named more particularly so. C. L. Lagor had a couple of Mo'noform’s out. They are both fillies, one being out of Amorelle,' the other claiming the Cardigan mare Cardbon as her Ma. They are a handsome pair, and moved in an attractive style. The Hon. J. D. Ormond was represented by Fasnykle (Birkenhead —Outer), a full sister to Formby and Kirkby (Birkenhead —Gladisla), a filly by Birkenhead —-Eona, mia a filly by Gold Reef —Mandola, by' Birkenhead —Banjo. They were an attractive appearanced contingent, who stepped out freely in their . exercises, the nicest mover of the quartette being the Gold Reef filly. Mr E. J. Watt experienced a slice of bad luck last week, for Brown Alice, the dam of Cheddar, slipped a filly foal to All Black. Bonnie Boy, who downed the opposition in the Maiden Flat at the Manawatu Hunt Club gathering last week, is a half-brother by San Fran to Tangimoana. R. Barlow passed through here last Thursday in charge of a yearling colt by Multifid out of Lady Nell. Birkenhead —Lady Helen, the youngun was bred in the Gisborne district and is owned by a client of Barlow’s, on the West Coast of this Island. Kildonan, in charge of T. Quinlivan junior, left Hastings on Friday, en route to Riccarton. The one-eyed gelding looked in prime order and condition, and judging by his recent performances on the preparing circuits at Hastings must have more than an outside chance in the Grand National Hurdle Race- His immediate connections give him more than that, for they aver that whatever masters him will have an excellent chance of scoring in the big hurdle event at Riccarton next month. Mr H. M. Campbell, one of the Hawke’s Bay stewards and a prominent man in racing circles in these parts, is one of the starters in the Parliamentary Stakes, v hich is lined out as coming up for decision next November. He is sure to get the hearty support of all the sports in the Hawke’s Bay electorate, for on every occasion he hrs been foremost in advancing the interests of the sport.

Mr J. Adams, owner of Merrie Zealand and others, passed through here last week on his return from Gis-

borne, where he has been on the look out for an hotel. Should his mission turn out productive it will be good business for the Poverty Bay district, for he is a keen, shrewd follower of the racing industry.