WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1474, 25 July 1918, Page 10

WELLINGTON.

H. W. Brown’s Representatives Under H. Eva’s Charge’at Tauherenikau — Death of Keen Sporting Enthusiast —Notes on the Wellington Racing Club’s Winter Meeting —Winter Cup Fancies —Grand National Steeplechase Favourite a Daily Attendant on Foxton Tracks.

WELLINGTON. Monday. After the splendid showing he displayed at the recent Wellington meeting, it occasions no surprise to find Master Strowan a staunch favourite for next month’s Grand National Steeplechase. With this capital ’chaser and Gang Awa’, the Foxton owner, Mr. F. S. Easton, has a couple of horses that should show up well at Riccarton. Kahumangu (Papakura —Anser Anser), bred by Mr. D. Buick, M.P., at the Cloverlea (Ka ranga) Stud, gave a fine exhibition of jumping at Trentham. The black gelding gives every promise of developing into an ideal timber clearer. Mr. Harold W. Brown, well known in local business circles, is getting quite a respectable team together. At present his private trainer (H. Eva), at Tauherenikau, has in work Form Up, Livland, Paparess and a couple of others, all of whom are showing fair form on the W.R.C. tracks. With the horses he has under his care, “Paddy” should certainly fare well next season. Contrary to expectations, the Porirua stable of Mr. J. H. Prosser went through the Wellington meeting without a win. All the horses looked well to the eye, and they should, with ordinary luck, be getting amongst the winners early in the new racing year. Old Undecided gave a glimpse of returning to form when he ran second in the Hack Hurdles on the concluding day at Trentham and returned his admirers a substantial dividend. The gelding has been a use-

ful stake earner for the Willis Street sportsman, Mr. W. Smart, and there is every likelihood of the son of Menschikoff paying his way over the small sticks.

Paraoa gives every indication of paying his way over the fences. With undoubted galloping powers and the ability to jump, the bay gelding should prove a payable proposition when he becomes accustomed to the obstacles. A. well-known horseman, who is well up in the winning jockeys’ list, took a sporting wager of 640 to 40 against Volo for the Winter Cup last week. Needless to say, the horse named is a much admired candidate for next month’s principal flat race. Ormesby ran very creditably at Trentham, and there is just a probability of this six-year-old son of Birkenhead winning another hack and hunters’ steeplechase during the next few weeks. Silver Tim proved a disappointment at the Wellington meeting, but with the two gallops he had the chestnut son of Sylvia Park should soon make some amends for Its recent defeats. Trainer Ben. Bennett had the horse looking in rare buckle. Trainer A. Goodman, at Trentham, is still keeping Mount Victoria busy on the local tracks. The much-travel-led gelding is thought susceptible of carrying his owner’s (Mr. H. Whitney) colours with some success over the hurdles next season. The local owner, “Mr. Loring,” who is a steward of the Wellington Racing Club, does not know what to make out of Seadown, from whom big things are expected in the hurdling business. The sportsman named, who is known for his astuteness in racing matters, is under the impression that Seadown will eventually rank as a splendid type of a hurdler. The future should reveal the Downshire gelding as a useful stake earner. The death of Mr. R. T. Bland, a keen sporting enthusiast of the

Lower Hutt, took place on July 13, after a short illness, at the early age of 36. Prior to coming to the North Island, the deceased resided in Nelson, where he was always foremost in all racing coursing and other branches of sport. He was very much respected, being held in high esteem by all with whom he came into contact. He is survived by his widow, who has the sympathy of a wide circle of friends in her sad bereavement. Tip-up was a much admired southern racer at Trentham, but failed to land the “goods.” The son of All Red looked in fine form, and the Otira owner, Mr. A. Beban, is looking forward to recovering a portion of his lost coin at the Grand National meeting next month. The five-year-old has many admirers for his Winter Cup engagement. Bairnsdale created a surprise when he won the Stewards’ Handicap, and his admirers on the totalisator received a dividend of well over a third of a century as a result of the chestnut’s exertions. The Trentham trainer J. Scott had Sardinia looking really well at the Wellington meeting. The brown gelding should soon be doing Mr. J. Fenwick some useful service. Mr. J. J. Corry, Mayor of Blenheim, had a disappointing visit to the Wellington meeting. The popular “Jack,” as he is familiarly called, is beginning to have doubts whether he will ever win a race with Good Hope, who, since coming into the Marlborough sportsman’s hands, must have cost him considerable coin of the realm. It takes a lot of reverses to dampen Mr. Corry’s ardour for racing, and he may eventually be rewarded with some success with the bay son of Cannie Chiel. Revocation (Cheshire — Applause) is showing out well in his training exercises under E. Kingan’s guidance at Trentham. This six-year-old. who is owned by Mr. “Jerry” O’Meara, of Fashion Plate fame, is expected to be getting amongst the winners early in the new racing season. The well-known horseman, Hector Gray, has been engaged to ride Volo in the Winter Cup. In this capable jockey’s hands the gelding will not lose anything on the score of horsemanship. Master Boris, who returned his

supporters a dividend of close on twothirds of a century at the recent Wellington meeting, is a shapely type of a hurdler. This horse is a full brother to Lady Daylesford, who won a race or two a couple of seasons back and who is at present being trained by A. M. Wright at Foxton. Master Boris is though susceptible of developing into a capital hurdler. Much sympathy is being expressed in sporting circles at the untimely death of Mr. Ormond C. Cooper, of Masterton, who died in Wellington as a result of a motor car accident in Molesworth Street. The late Mr. Cooper was a keen sporting enthusiast and held for some time the position of president of the Pahiatua Racing Club, while since his sojourn at Masterton he has acted as a steward of this club. He was also a delegate to the Racing Conference. The late Mr. Cooper was of a kindly and genial disposition, and his passing away removes a popular personality who will be sadly missed in sporting circles. Master Strowan, looking fit and well, is a daily attendant on the Foxton tracks, and provided nothing untowards occurs in the interim the gelding will be on hand to contest the principal jumping events at Riccarton next month. There are many shrewd critics who are looking forward to Kauri King to give a good account of himself at Riccarton. Provided the trip eventuates, the gelding will have many adherents in events that he competes in. R. J. Horne, at Palmerston North, has in work for next season’s racing a shapely sort of a galloper in Belle o’ the Camp, a four-year-old mare by Campfire from Marionette, the latter being the dam of Birkenetta, who can gallop to some purpose. The four-year-old is undoubtedly the makings of a decent sort. C. Pritchard, at Trentham, has Matatua (Birkenhead —Sunbonnet) looking really well just now. The colt, who will be a three-year-old on August 1, is expected to develop into a top notcher. Mr. Newton King, one of the pillars of the turf in New Plymouth, has the making of a typical galloper in Hallow, a gelding by Hallowmas from White Crane, who later on should prove a payable proposition. Trainer

E. George lias the rising three-year-old fast getting up to concert pitch. Owner J. McKean, mine host of the Criterion Hotel, New Plymouth, went through the recent Wellington gathering without a win, but one of his horses in Primato put up a creditable performance by running second to Royal Park in the Te Aro Handicap in a big field. At Foxton, trainer F. Robinson has Pomeroy looking really well in view of several up-country race meetings coming on in the near future. The chestnut is credited with some galloping ability, and later on owner F. B. Lovelock should be rewarded for his patience. Form Up is being inquired after for the Winter Cup. After his success at Trentham the bay son of Formative — Pursering will not lack supporters in his contests at Riccarton.