WAIPAWA COUNTY RACING CLUB.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1541, 6 November 1919, Page 16

WAIPAWA COUNTY RACING CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING. DORIC WINS CHIEF EVENT. (From Our Napier Correspondent.) After an enforced rest of three years, the Waipawa County Racing Club again held a reunion on their trystin g grounds at Waipawa on Labour Day. Favourable weather prevailed, and a large number of the club’s patrons were in evidence. As might naturally be expected, the track was a bit bumpy in places, for a club that has not been producing any revenue for three years has been placed at a disadvantage in not haying the wherewithal to get their appointments in apple-pie order. There is not the slightest doubt that if the club wants to get and hold a grip upon those interested in the sport from all points of view, they will, in the near future, have to fall into the progressive line and provide better accommodation and facilities for those who patronise their gatherings. This refers more especially to the totalisator department. Whilst it was a strenuous task picking winners, it was ever so much harder to receive dividends, the wearisome waiting experienced at the pay-out windows being enough to try the patience of the most placid backer. It is wellknown —if not it should be —that to get the money invested backers must be able to handle their dividends promptly to enable them to re-invest, for it is not every supporter of racing who goes well enough heeled with the necessary, to be able to lay off ■'nd never mind what time of the day he collects what is coming to him. Many were compelled to do this, for the paying out process was just the outside edge, due, no doubt, to the ■ack of facilities for attending to the requirements of dividend collectors. Another matter in connection with the . totalisator was the primitive mode adopted to signal to the starter that the machine was set all clear. Instead of having a flag run up some height above the totalisator house, there appeared at the side of the building, a few feet above the heads of the public, a party who waved a parti-coloured flag (of the three-for-a-shilling variety), and which was not discernible from any great distance. In fact, if anyone was more than a chain away from it one eye had to be shut to see it. Though the machine investments showed an increase of £1093 over the sum handled at the meeting of the club held in 1916, this sum would have been greatly exceeded had the runners in the County Hack and Flying Handicaps been more than a brace in each instance, and had the facilities for getting the dividends paid cut smarter been available. Fuckers of the prize- goods did not experience the easy money trail, for there were only three first favourites who carried out the opinions of their partisans, and in each instance odds on had to be laid to enable them to bet. Warrawee, .a four-year-old son of Wolawa and Musette, was backed down to a short price in the Maiden, Demon and Woolahara being next in the market. The favourite, who got away badly through not being set when the lever was sprung, never got to the front during the trip, the early running being carried on by Import, with Dunstan Rush and the favourite next. At the. home bend Dunstan Rush had the measure of Import, and came on to win fairly comfortably, Warrawee being a poor third and Demon a worse fourth. The winner, who is trained by S. Waddell at Napier Park, is a younger full-sister to Art and Barley Rigs. Makere was made a hot order for the Welter Hack, the next to command attention being Mumble, the half-sister by Miro to The Speaker. Makere made all her own running and got there by a couple of lengths from Mumble, who was caught in the tapes when they were released. Gatha, the outsider of the pack, came third, and Nicomar, who was running neck and neck with the favourite for three furlongs. had the bad luck for his pilot ito lose one of his stirrup leathers just before getting to the half mile post. Of the half dozen who weighed out for the Waipawa County Handicap, Chillies was the elect of the majority of backers, Maraetotara and Doric being the next best backed in that order. Going out of the straight a bit of a scramble took jilace, with the result that Woodlark toppled over and Retard, who was just behind him,

jumped over the prostrate horse and struck his pilot, Walker, who was rendered unconscious and had to be brought in on a stretcher. After attention and examination by the doctor in attendance he was despatched to the hospital, and at the time looked to be in a bad way, but the latest intimation I lave received is to the effect that he is progressing favourably. Doric hit out solidly when the barrrier lifted, and was attended by Silver Tongue and Maraetotara. At the bend Doric was still in charge, though Silver Tongue had got closer up to him. Once round the corner Maraetotara put in a great run, but the judge’s box was too close, and she could not get up to either Doric or Silver Tongue, the latter going under by a bare length, Maraetotara being in third place, half a length away. The next to finish was the favourite. The winner was bred and is owned by Mr. J. Armstrong, of Dannevirke, and is one of the pupils of R. Goose-’ man, who was not present to lead him in, being absent at the Wellington meeting with Hindi and Voluble. Silver Tongue, under the circumstances, did real well, for he has not done much work of late, as his owner, Mr. T. 13. Whelch, has had him at his station for some time past, where he has just been pottering about. Maraetotara was no doubt handicapped by the sharp turns, for she is a big striding mare, while, on the other hand, Doric is a neat-turned gelding, who swung around the bends in an easy fashion that helped him along the victorious route. Miramar, a stable companion of Doric, was picked as the right way out of the puzzle in connection with the Ladies’ Bracelet, Sensitive beingsecond choice and Patukia third pick. The favourite and Sensitive singled out after the quintette had settled into their stride, but the former was soon in trouble, and with six furlongs to go was falling into the rear, his place being taken by Patukia. At the four-furlong post Sensitive was going so well, with the others labouring, that it was not a question of winning with him, but just how easy he would score. Over the last bit his rider (Tracey) had a big pull on him, and he won with his head in his chest by the best part . of half a dozen lengths from Patukia, Bill being a poor third, and the favourite a long way back in fourth place. Statuette was made a screaming favourite for the Electric Hack, in which she was opposed by seven other contestants, the second in demand being Tonukohe, and third choice Lady Kilworth. The favourite proved what her backers anticipated, for she was first out and first home, and never at any stage was doing her best, winning very easily by a length from the ancient Conziska, with Tonukohe third and Import fourth. The owners of those opposed to Statuette had a lot of confidence in their representatives in taking on the winner at weight-for-age over five furlongs. If it had been a handicap event Statuette would have been handicapped to give every contestant in the race poundage instead of receiving allowance in weight from several of them. Wapping and Demon were the only contestants for the Homewood Hack, and the easy way in which Wapping finished off his opponent, whom he was allowing 161 b. the best of the weights, must have convinced the owner of the latter that as. a racingproposition Demon is an absolute failure. 1 Another two-runner race followed, the 'Railway Handicap, in which Vermillion and Chillies were the contestants, the former being the elect of backers. For the greater portion of the trip the pair were on even terms, but just before rounding the home turn Chillies got his head in front and . kept it there to the finish, the verdict coming his way by the barest of heads. The final event on the card, the Hack Flying, attracted five runners, who had' all been seen in action earlier in the afternoon. Favouritism rested with Mumble, who was but a trifle better supported than Tonukohe, with Lady Kilworth next in the market. Gatha, who was the least supported of the five runners, got hampered at the send-off through fouling the tapes, and was the last to get moving, Tonukohe holding command from Woolahara, with the favourite in third place. Running for the home stretch Woolahara took charge, Tonukohe going back, while a bit further on Gatha came fast, and, settling Mumble, set off in pursuit of Woolahara, but could not even up with him, the son of Wooloomooloo just scraping home by a bare head, with the favourite a poor third.

An inquiry was held by the stewards into the accident that occurred to Walker, the rider of Woodlark, in the Waipawa County Handicap, and after taking evidence decided to reprimand R. Hunt, the rider of Maraetotara, and fined him £lO for careless riding. The most successful horseman at the meeting was J. Mulvihill, with a brace of scores, while the following each secured a triumph apiece: Mr. J. Tracey, A. H. Walker, A. Loader, H.-Griffith, A. Tricklebank, and A. G. Dixon The results were: — MAIDEN HACK of 50sovs. Weight for age. Five furlongs. 5 — -Dunstan Rush 1 7 —-Import I—Merrawee1 —Merrawee a Also started: 2 Woolahra, 8 Joey, 10 Mannikin, 9 Mountain Eagle, 3 Demon, 4 Mahogany, 6 Sweet Rest. Won by two lengths. Time, Imin 1 sec. WELTER HANDICAP of 75sovs. Seven furlongs. 1 — -Makere, 8.10 1 2— Mumble, 7.13 3 6 — Gatha, 7.7 6 Also started: 4 Nicomar 9.0, 5 Potomea 7.7, 3 Patukia 7.7. o Won by two lengths. lime, Imm 33 3— WAIPAWA COUNTY HANDICAP of 200sovs. One mile. 3 —Dorie, S.O 1 s—Silver5 —Silver Tongue, 7.8 3 2 —Maraetotara, 8.0 ••• • • 3 Also started: 4 Retard 9.0, 1 Chillies 7.9, 6 Woodlark 7.2. . Won by a length. Time, Imm 43 2-ssec. LADIES’ BRACELET of 65sovs. One mile and a-quarter. 2 — Sensitive, 10.13 1 3 — Patukia, 10.7 3 5.Ri1l 10.7 3 Also’started: 1 Miramar 10.13, 4 Tipperary Lass 10.7. . Won by two lengths. Time, 2min 7 4— ELECTRIC HACK STAKES of 60sovs. Weight for age. About five furlongs. I—Statuette1 —Statuette . 1 7— Conziska " 3 —Tonukohe •• • • 3 Also started: 4 Karrawee, 2 La d y Kilworth, 5 Import, 8 Sweet Rest, 0 Sunny Smile. • 1 Won by a length. Time, Imm 1 l-ssec. HOMEWOOD HACK of 80sovs. One mile. 1— Wapping, 8.13 1 2 — Demon, 7.7 The only starters. . Won in a cante>- Time, Imin 51Y>sec. RAILWAY HANDICAP of lOOsovs. teix furlongs. 2—Chillies, 7.11 J I—Vermillion,1 —Vermillion, 9.0 The only starters. Won in a great finish by a head. Time, Imin 18 l-ssec. FLYING HACK HANDICAP of 70soys. Six furlongs. 4 — Woolahra, 7.8 £ 5— Gatha, 6.12 3 I—Mumble,1 —Mumble, 9.7 ••• • • o Also started: 3 Lady Kilworth 8.1, 2 Tonukohe' 8.0. A splendid finish. Won by half a length. Time, Imin 19 l-ssec.