CONCLUDING DAY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1400, 22 February 1917, Page 24

CONCLUDING DAY.

TEKA WINS BIG EVENT. Another large gathering was in evidence when racing was commenced on the concluding day of the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s summer meeting, and a most successful afternoon’s sport was experienced. Good fields were again the order of the day, and the racing proved thoroughly interesting, despite the fact that enthusiasts were faced with a difficult proposition in locating the winners. That they invested their money with good discriminat on is borne out by the fact; that four favourites were returned winners, while three favourites proved runners-up in their respective engagements. As the Stewards’ Handicap, in which the favourite, Downham, ran second, was the only race wherein there was no second dividend, backers of the favourites participated in no less than six dividends during the afternoon, four firsts and two seconds. A fourth, fifth and two third favourites succeeded in accounting for a race each, the dividends in each case being very acceptable. Speculation was very brisk, £20,439 being invested on the machine, as compared with £16,833 for the concluding day of the last summer meeting, making a total of £37,545 as against £31,797 for the 1916 fixture an increase of £5748. Proceedings opened with the Stewards’ Handicap from which Cleft, Hexton and Hythread were withdrawn leaving only a trio to go to the post. Downham was elected favourite, with Colonnade more fancied than Gazique. Dcwnham set off to win from end to end, but once in the straight his opponents were both on terms with him, and in the run to the judge’s box Gazique forged to the front and scored a victory by two lengths from the favourite, Colonnade being a length and a-half away, third. Of the nine acceptors for -the Second Hurdles Handicap, all but Bodenham fulfilled their engagement. Black