WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1498, 9 January 1919, Page 31

WELLINGTON.

WELLINGTON, Monday.

Horses trained on the convincing ground of the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham have fared extremely well during the Christmas and New Year racing campaign. First and foremost the rich Auckland Cup, of 275050v5, and Summer Cup, of 1000 sovs, were won by Mascot, trained by J. W. Lowe, while other trainers who annexed races for their clients during the holidays were: C. Pritchard, H, Telford and H. Kingan, who were successful at the Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay meetings respectively. Friends of F. Higgott, the Otaki trainer, were pleased to see Kiltess doing him some services at the Hawke’s Bay meeting. The mare’s owner, Mr. J. K. Jackson, of Wainuiomata, is a popular identity, and the success was well received in sporting circles.

R. S. Bagby, the capable lightweight attached to Sam. Jamieson’s stable at Opaki, was riding in excellent form during the holidays. At Awapuni his handling of Rienzi, who, by the way, is owned br Mr. H. E. Fuller, was a smart piece of horsemanship. Bagby was also seen to advantage at the Manawatu meeting on Affectation, on whom he rode a splendid race. Courtfield, owned by a leading official of the Wellington Racing Club

who races as Mr. Loring, and trained by J. W. Lowe at Trentham, broke his maiden status at the Manawatu meeting by annexing the Kelvin Hack Handicap in a convincing manner and returning his supporters a dividend approaching a-quarter of a century. The three-year-old son of Elysian— Lady Gwen was ridden a fine race by Ashley Reed. The same horseman was responsible for showing excellent judgment in his handling of 80-Peep, who defeated Croesus in the Palmerston North Stakes.

The New Plymouth horseman, A. Ward, than whom there is not a better judge of hurdling in the country, was mixing his riding during the holidays, for he rode both on the flat and over the obstacles. Albert rode Madam Ristori when the bay mare won the Tikorangi Hack Stakes at New Plymouth, while he steered Polthogue to victory in the Ohura Hurdles at Stratford.

The Wellington friends of Mr. H, E. Troutbeck, who is a frequent visitor to the Empire City, were pleased to see his colours being carried successfully at Hastings last week. The gentleman named was represented by Night Time, who experienced no difficulty in winning the Nursery Handicap, of five furlongs, from a capital field of juveniles, which included ; Asterina, who is a reputed top notcher amongst the younger racing brigade. The time (Imin. 1 l-ssec.) stamps Night Time as being an extremely promising sort. Consultation, owned by a keen sporting enthusiast in Mr. Walter Smart,, got amongst the winners at Hastings last week, while another horse in Pacific Slope, the property of the same owner, ran third in the Summer Handicap. The popular Willis Street sportsman’s luck has been right out for some considerable time, but these seems a reasonable prospect of his horses being seen under brighter aspects during the next few months.

At Ashhurst, the Fordell horseman, C. Price, headed the list of winning riders by piloting two horses to victory. Others to steer their mounts, first past the winning post were: W. Davis, B. Morris, A. Reed, R. Reed, W. Adams and J. Kaan. P. Brady headed the list of successful jockeys at Stratford by scoring on two occasions. Others to win a race apiece were: F. Johnson, L. Nodder, S. Henderson, A. Ward, K. McDonell and W. Price.

Riding honours were very evenly distributed at Marton, for no jockey won more than one race. The successful. horsemen were: L. Proctor, R. Bagby, W. Bell, B. Morris, P. Rayner, and W. McEwan, while the winner (Sonnino) of the Ladies’ Bracelet, for gentlemen riders, was ridden by Mr. M. Short, a son of the popular Parorangi sportsman, Mr. Ernest Short, the win being popularly received. By the way, Sonnino, who ran in Mrs. E. Short’s nomination and is by Signor—Helen Portland, is a fine sort of a galloper, who should in the near future win in better company than he beat last week.