THE WELLINGTON MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1514, 1 May 1919, Page 11

THE WELLINGTON MEETING.

PROSPECTS REVIEWED. The Wellington Racing Club’s meeting this week, commencing on Thursday, promises well. The uncertainty as to what the fields will be like in the -North Island Challenge Stakes and the St. Leger on the first day, and the Trentham Gold Cup on the second day, makes it rather perplexing for those who would like to have more definite information as to the probable runners. It is certain that some of those left in the Challenge Stakes are not going to run, also that some in the St. Leger will not be there, and the same remark applies to the Trentham Gold Cup. Why the owners leave them in is their business, but if they were called upon to pay up or have their horses struck out on acceptance day for first day engagements at least this would be more satisfactory to those residing at long distances from the scene, who before leaving for meetings like to have a good idea of what material the fields will be composed of. The lists of acceptances for the handicaps published below were taken on Monday night. Those in the St. Leger and Challenge Stakes were left in on April 11th, some of them through inadvertence, but most with the intention, which the owners cannot have now, of starting them. The public are thus left in the dark. Those left in the St. Leger number nine, responsible for 6sovs. each to the club. Those left in the Challenge Stakes number eighteen, and their owners are liable for Bsovs. each, but for the Trentham Gold Cup, the most valuable stake, worth lOOOsovs. —-700so.vs. and a gold cup worth lOOsovs. to the winner, and 125sovs. to the second and 75sovs. to

the third —owners can leave their horses in at a cost of lsov. each until 12.30 p.m. on Friday, the day before the race. It was reported that Afterglow would not fulfil any engagements at Trentham, that Sasanof may not start in the Thompson Handicap (though accepted for since), and that Warplane will not be raced again until the Manawatu meeting. ■' Taiamai is to race at Avondale, and that will prevent her being a starter at Trentham in the St. Leger, and the Rokeby—Elysium colt will not be a starter in that race. Star Lady, Afterglow, Lovematch, Esperance (a well-bred one and winner of a small stake), Killowen, Palm Oil and Almoner are the possible starters, but Esperance, who ran second in a hack race in the Wairarapa, is in a minor race with 7.2, and as he is set to receive lots of weight from moderates that would appear most likely to be his mission. Star Lady and Afterglow look best on paper. Spanner may be expected to run in the Thompson Handicap and not in the Challenge Stakes, in which Esperance also figures. Some Kid and Speechmaker are in the Plunket Nursery. The Bezonian —Sister Frances filly, Parorangi, and several others are not likely to start. We have been led to suppose all along that Desert Gold would be reserved for the Trentham Gold Cup, but she, Gloaming and some of the two-year-olds should be in the Challenge Stakes. If sure Deser* Gold would start and Affectation and also Miss Mimic and Lucid, as well as Gloaming, the race would attract visitors from fairly long distances. The Trentham Gold Cup has Desert Gold, Sasanof, Star Lady, Punka, Afterglow and others as possible runners. Yankee Jack may run as well as any of the hurdlers; Amythas, Murihiku and Red Pepper in the Nursery; Spanner, Rude, Marqueteur and Sweet Corn may be seen to advantage in the Thompson Handicap, Risingham and Prettv Bobby in the Silverstream Hack, Taunaha. Lionskin and BoPeep in the Railway, and Esperance, Wonder and The Speaker in the Tinakori Handicap.