WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1466, 30 May 1918, Page 13

WELLINGTON.

Otaki Maori Racing Club’s Meeting— Notes on Intending Competitors— Taranaki Well Represented at the Meeting — Death of Despatch Carrier. WELLINGTON, Monday. The acceptances received for the winter meeting of the Otaki Maori Racing Club, which takes place on Monday and Tuesday next, make very interesting reading, and the club’s officials should be well pleased at the splendid response from owners and trainers. Certainly Mr. H. Coyle has accomplished his handicapping work in most capable fashion, and the satisfactory nature of the acceptances received are a tribute to his adjustments. Given fine weather, secretary Mr. O. J. D’Ath should have a very flattering balance sheet to lay before his committee at the close of the gathering. Proceedings at Otaki will open with the Maiden Plate (six furlongs), weight for age. Idle Talk (Kilbroney —Rumour) is very well just now, and there is just a possibility of this Highden cast-off fracturing her maiden status in the near future. Another useful one engaged is Livland, who ran a creditable second at the recent Hawke’s Bay meeting. The three-year-old Finland gelding will probably be favourite on the machine.

The Flying Hack Handicap (six furlongs) will see some smart hacks measuring strides. Birkenetta (7.12) and Piano (7.6) appear well placed, and on the day the pair should be found occupying a prominent position at the finish.

Arlington (11.9) heads the list in the Taihoa Steeplechase (about two miles and a-quarter). The native meaning of the name of the race appears to be very appropriate, for there is no doubt many of the runners will find the journey very wearisome and will be tiring before the winning line is crossed. The writer looks to Gaekwar and old Union Jack to finish up their tasks in an exemplary manner. The former gave every promise of picking up a hack jumping event after her display at the Foxton meeting -in January. She will probably be ridden by A. Ward. The Raukawa Cup (one mile and a-quarter) has drawn a capital acceptance of 21 runners. That good horse Teka heads the list with 9.0, but the winner should come from the lighter weighted division, and in this connection the pretensions of Bagdad (6.12) and Hydrus (6.10) are certainly entitled to some respect. The going should suit the pair admirably, and they may be found fighting out the finish.

Hylatus (9.0) heads the list in the Otaki Handicap (one mile), and the horse named well deserves all the weight he is asked to carry. The going may be against him, and the result of the race may rest between Engari (8.0) and Cross Words (7.10). The latter is a very promising sort, being a five-year-old mare by All Black from Wordy Warfare. She is owned by Mr. W. Richmond, the wellknown Hawke’s Bay sportsman. The Rahui Handicap (six furlongs) is headed by Waimatao (10.0), who has certainly well earned the heavy impost that he called upon to carry. The son of Achilles, despite his burden, should run well on his own training track, but lower down the list the names of Lady General (8.8) and Lady Black (7.13) are both certain to attract the attention of backers, while Flying Camp (6.11) must not be left out of calculations.

The first day’s racing will be brought to a conclusion with the running of the Birthday Welter Handicap (seven furlongs), in which there is all the element engaged to create a surprise. Arrowfield (9.8), one of Wiri Tokena’s team, will probably be the choice of backers, while Whiro (9.2) will also be well supported by Feilding sporting enthusiasts. It would not surprise the writer to see an outsider get home, and in this connection the choice will fall on Probity, a typical galloper, by Bezonian from Tortulla, a New Zealand Cup winner. The horse named is trained on the tracks by W. H. Bowden, who has on more than one occasion surprised his friends through the large dividends returned by horses prepared by him on the native convincing grounds. New Plymouth is well represented in the acceptance list for the Otaki meeting. Horses hailing from the Taranaki district include: Paraoa,

Piano, Beauforte, Simonides, Rawakore, Movement and Flying Camp, all of whom are thought suscepUDle by their trainers of making a bold showing on the two days.

Braeburn’s connections were not not satisfied with the weight allotted the veteran Sir Laddo gelding in the Great Northern Steeplechase, and he was withdrawn in consequence. Braeburn was allowed to fulfil his engagement in the Wanganui Steeplechase, for which event he was well fancied by his connections, and he duly landed the stake, making his second victory in the big Wanganui cross-country event. The writer called at Mr. W. Murray’s station, “Aparima,” near Waipukurau, last week and had a look over the place. Mr. Murray recently disposed of Conziska, Gold Sign and St. Omer to Mr. H. Mountain, who has the trio in steady work with a view to capturing some stake money early in the spring. While travelling through by motor cycle from Wairoa to Napier last week, over some of the worst roads in New Zealand — which in many places were well nigh impassable—the writer, while at Mohaka, saw Mr. -Archie McDonald on old Full Rate, who did yeoman service for Mr. Foreman, of Masterton, a number of years ago. The gelding was looking very well, and will serve as a station hack for years to come. The writer also learnt that Despatch Car-

rier (Marshal Soult —Castor Lace) had the previous week, while running on the hills around Mohaka, fallen into one of the numerous mud holes in that locality and become suffocated, a fate which nearly befel the writer on more than one occasion during the “bike” ride of 85 miles in precipitous country, which entailed considerable walking. Lower down towards Napier a halt was made at Tiromoana —which signifies in native parlance, “view of the sea” —the country home of Mr. Stanley Bennett, who owned and raced Jadoo (Jet d’Eau—Violet) and Aroha (Sequah—Miss Patriarch), both of whom did well for the gentleman named during their racing career on the turf. Mr. Bennett’s colours will again be carried on the racecourses by some budding youngsters that he has running out on “Tiromoana,” which magnificent homestead is located on the summit of a hill, which commands a splendid panorama of the adjoining mountains and the sea.