POVERTY BAY RACING AND TROTTING CARNIVAL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1551, 22 January 1920, Page 9

POVERTY BAY RACING AND TROTTING CARNIVAL.

Next month will see Gisborne the centre of attraction with turf followers, five days racing being due to take place in the coastal town during the first half of February. The forthcoming carnival constitutes the most important held in the Poverty Bay province during the year, two cups, being set down for decision — the Gisborne Cup Handicap and the Poverty Bay Trotting Cup Handicap —in addition to several other notable handicap events. Judging by the keen interest which is being displayed in regard to the respective fixtures of the Gisborne Racing Club, Poverty Bay Turf Club and the Poverty Bay Trotting Club a record number of visitors can be confidently anticipated at next month’s gathering at Gisborne. The excellent entries received by the secretary (Mr. H. E. Dodd) on Friday evening last for the Gisborne Racing Club’s summer meeting may be taken as an indication that the fields to be seen out at the respective gatherings will prove well up to expectations, both in size and calibre, and the racing on the East Coast next month gives promise of being exceedingly interesting and enjoyable. Nominations for the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s summer meeting and for the Poverty Bay Trotting Club’s annual gathering are due on Friday evening next (January 23), at 8 p.m., when an excellent response from owners may be regarded as certain. Next month’s carnival at Gisborne ’will open on Thursday, February 5, with the Gisborne Racing Club’s meeting, which will be brought to a conclusion on the following Saturday (February 7). On the opening day the Gisborne Cup Handicap of 500 sovs (450sovs in specie and. a cup valued at 50 guineas), one mile and

a-quarter, will form the chief attraction, while next in point of interest comes the Wi Pere Memorial Handicap of 250sovs, six furlongs. On the second day the Gisborne Racing Club Handicap of 300sovs, one mile will, claim principal attention, while the open sprint events consist of the Flying Handicap of 200sovs, six furlongs, and the Final Handicap of 160sovs, seven furlongs. On Thursday, February 12, the Poverty Bay Turf Club will make a start with their summer meeting on the Makaraka racecourse, and will conclude their fixture on the following Saturday (February 14). The leading event on the first day will be the Turanga Stakes Handicap of 400sovs, one mile and a-quarter, while the principal short races are the Telephone Handicap of 200sovs, five furlongs, and the Flying Handicap of 200sovs, six furlongs. On the second day the Sunderland Stakes Handicap of 300sovs, one mile, will come up for decision, while the Publicans’ Purse Handicap of 200sovs, five furlongs, and the Farewell Handicap of 150sovs, six furlongs and. a-half, are

both certain to attract fields of more than average size and quality. A hurdle race is provided on each of the four days at Te Hapara and Makaraka respectively, which fact should prove a strong incentive to owners and trainers of jumpers to take their charges to Gisborne next month.

The intervening day (Friday) between the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s meeting will witness the Poverty Bay Trotting Club’s annual meeting, on the Gisborne Racing Club’s course at Te Hapara. In addition to the Poverty Bay Trotting Cup Handicap (harness) of 350sovs (250sovs in specie and a cup valued at lOOsovs), two miles, a number of other wellendowed events will receive attention, and there is good reason to believe that supporters of light harness racing will accord the club a. wide measure of patronage on Friday next (January 23), on which date nominations must be made to the secretary, Mr. H. E. Dodd.

The gold-mounted whip presented to J. Conquest by the Rotorua Jockey Club was in recognition of his having won six races at the club’s meeting in 1917. The whip had been hanging in the secretary’s office awaiting the revisit of that horseman to the district. Conquest’s achievement was that he rode in the eight flat races, won six, was second in another and on the back of another unplaced. There were four consecutive wins. The horses he won on were: St. Carl, Last Call (twice), Fionnuala, Regio, and Sleepy Jack, a second on Lady Glen and unplaced on Marble Star. At the meeting last week a second on Lady Energy in the Cup, two thirds on Monocrat and unplaced performances on others were registered by Conquest.