HAWKE’S BAY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1135, 11 January 1912, Page 11

HAWKE’S BAY.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

NAPIER, January 6.

In consequence of no general holiday being observed on Tuesday the number of patrons who rolled up at Hastings for the second day of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club meeting were not as numerous as had been the case on the opening afternoon. Still there was a Aery good attendance, and there was sufficient proof that they had come well provided with the need ful to support their choices. The tote officials handled £10,769 as a result of the. day’s business, being £3250 in advance of the amount passing through the machine at the New Year meeting in 1911. It might truly be said that it was. a day out for the supporters of first favourites for .five of the events were secured by the first choices in the betting market, and two other absolute primary picks in Stellaris and Mere Mere got second money and dividends. In no case did the favourites that • won pay under level money, so the punters who went for the first choices got a bit to carry away with them. A sovereign invested on each first selection during the day would have shown a profit of £5 17s, and it must be admitted that good interest, was obtained for the investments. Matters were made pleasant for patrons by the methodical management of W. J. Stratton. The only hiatus in connection with the afternoon’s racing was the indifferent starting apparent in the majority of instances, unequal dismissals being the rule, not the exception, throughout the course of events. The small field of four —Donzel, Polynices, Fond Memory, and All Trumps—got under way in the Aotea Hurdles. Fond Memory was established a good favourite and All Trumps the outsider. The unexpected happened, for the latter, in a rough and tumble at the last fence, got out of it the best and across the mark by a long neck from Fond Memory. The mare paid the price of the meeting, but unluckily for her connections was not supported by them, although they had entrusted her with their conodence and coin on _ the previous day. A protest was entered' by the trainer of Fond Memory for interference, and after a lengthy consideration the fiat "-went forth to pay the winner. Seraphic, who looked none the worse for his winning exertions on Monday, was made favourite for the Grand Stand Handicap, Winning Post coming next in favour. The victory went to Seraphic, with Winning Post second and Pot Luck, the Australianbred gelding, third. Half a score faced the starter in the Scurry Hack, Easy having command of the speculation, Thrave and First Marshal coming next in favour respectively. Easy, who hit the turf directly the tapes swung clear, landed the stake, Thrave just mastering First Marshal on the line for second place. The winner wno is a full-sis-ter to Cork and the defunct Floater, is now running in the interests of Atlas White, who had none too good a time of it for several moons past, and therefore the win would be most acceptable for him. Divinia gave another of her circus performances, and her owner, W. J. Douglas, who went down to see her at the start, told me

when he came back that he wished he had a gun and he would have her on the wing with the first barrel. As it was she went skirmishin g about among the trees and the wire fence at the back of the course,, and her half hundred odd supportersgot no sort of a run for their money. Gold Circle was selected as a moral for the Summer Handicap, in which only apprentices had a seat, and it was remarkable that the handsome chestnut horse paid over level money. He was a good winner all along the route, for he was first off and was never headed and got there comfortably from Iney, who was a long way in front of Peacemaker when the deciding point was reached. Clarence Rollo, who piloted Gold Circle, is only a wee bit of a chap, but he demonstrated by the ' capable fashion in which he rode G. P. Donnelly’s horse that he is well endowed with brains. His dad is the old-time horseman ‘Jack” Rollo, and like father like son seems to apply in his case. They were not a very classy assortment that weighed out for the Nursery Handicap, the mob consisting of Bandore, King’s Favourite, Waimahora, Elevator, Warlike, and Merton, the latter being a very pronounced first selection, Bandore coming next in estimation. With the exception of Merton, who was given about a dozen lengths advantage at the barrier, every other one had his or her prospects obliterated by the shoddy start. Merton, practically speaking, just walked in. Bandore was second, and Elevator third. The winner is owned by E. J. Watt, and is a son of Rose Seaton by Merriwee. Stellaris was sized up as the goods ; in the Epsom Handicap, in which the contestants were ridden by gentlemen riders. And by the same token some of them should get wise to the reality that they would be all the better if they tooK lessons from some competent adviser, regarding what they should do and what they should not do when they get up in the pigskin. Some of the exhibitions that they gave were, to say the least of it, dreadful. The best the favourite could do at the conclusion of the fray was to run second; in fact, throughout the trip he was held in check by Merrie Valet,, who was the leading number directly the field had settled into their strides,, and he kept the position to the end. The favourite just managed, to get second, for he was nearly snuffed out for the berth by the fast-finishing Mozella, who was paying a ni n e bundle for a win.

Mere Mere, ’ who had run third in the President’s Hanaicap on the opening day, was the pea for the Matapiro Hack. Loch Mabin won handsomely at the nnish, an outsider in Trieze securing third shop. The nnishng up event, the January Handicap, produced some spirited speculation amongst Ariom, Vi, and Cork, the former winding up a slightly better favourite than the other two. A strenuous battle for nearly all the journey between Ariom and Vi resulted in the former’s favour by a nose victory. Cork was third. W. Kirk came out on top as the pilot of the most winners. He got four of his mounts home first. H. Lorrigan and H. Griffiths each rode three conquerors.

Cullinan ran in the interests of a client of J. --Griffiths in the January Handicap at Hastings on Tuesday, J. Hennah, who recently acquired the son of Bijou from Mr. Lowry, having quitted him for £3O. P. Neagle is putting the. work intoEvadne (King’s Guest —- Heavenly Twin), and Diavolo (Wehikore — Heavenly Twin), and the pair seem tn be thriving upon their tasks. Corazon was brought in from Sherenden Station, where he has been having a holiday, for., the last four months. The chestnut gelding appeared to be in the best of health, though looking a bit on the bulky side.

Moynihan and La wry have entered into partnership as regards The Nile (Signalman —- Horatio), and High Pressure (Signalman — Cartouche). The pair are two-year-olds, and their conformation and general outlook augurs favourably for their future. Sleacombe, who has been spelling for a long time, was taken in hand by J. Oldfield last week. The son of Birkenhead appears to have got rid of the trouble that necessitated his absence from the tracks for such a long period.