WAIRARAPA.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1596, 25 November 1920, Page 12

WAIRARAPA.

Hymestra to Contest Feilding Stakes —Wairarapa R.C. Contemplate Improvements to Course — Rose Wreath Causing Her Trainer Some Anxiety —Lady Witchet Showing ( Promise Over Hurdles —Wairarapa Horses Return From Riccarton — Taratahi-Carterton Club Make Profit of £724 Over Last Meeting. MASTERTON, Saturday. O’Rane was the only Wairarapatrained horse to' compete at Horowhenua, and Mr. Barton’s gelding won the Hack Hurdle event. The son of Elevation —Lethe mare promises to turn out a useful performer this season. Hymestra ran consistently at Riccarton, and although only placed once he was well up in each race he contested. His next appearance will be in the Feilding Stakes. At a meeting of stewards of the Wairarapa Racing Club, held recently, it was decided to make several improvements to the course before the New Year gathering. The course at Tauherenikau is one of the most picturesque in the Dominion, and the club intend to bring the appointments right up to date. Rose Wreath is again giving her trainer a good deal of trouble, and it will probably be some time before she is asked to race again. The daughter of Kilbroney — Christmas Rose had been doing well in her track essays recently. Dunedin was taken to. Riccarton for the Electric Plate, which was his only engagement at the meeting. He did not run up to expectations, and to the surprise of his connections was beaten by his stable companion Weldone. There are a good number of Wai-rarapa-trained horses accepted for at Feilding, and those likely to make the trip are: Lord Nagar, Prudent Lad, Red Ribbon, Tenterfield, Chimera, Missgold, Dunedin, Elcullus, Prince Martian, Raceful, Weldone, Hymestra, Little River, and Vasilkov. Lady Witchet is showing considerable promise in hei- essays over the schooling hurdles, and T. Higgins is hopeful that the mare will prove more successful at the jumping business than when raced on the flat.

Malincourt is one of the Opakitrained horses which is improving in his track work, and the full-brother to Ohiti is to be taken to the Woodville meeting next month.

The caretaker of the Masterton Racing Clubs’ course has been putting in a lot of work on the tracks lately, and the - going is better now than it has been for some months. When the full contingent of local horses are at home they muster about sixty, so the caretaker has his time occupied in keeping the tracks in order. Mill o’ Gowrie has been showing distinct signs of soreness lately, and is not being asked to do much. The daughter of Glengowrie—Millie is looking well enough, and it is hoped she will be able to accompany the other members of W. Hawthorne's team to Auckland next month. Red Ribbon and Tenterfield, two of the five acceptors for the St. Andrew’s Handicap at Feilding, are

trained at Opaki, and have both won over the distance. They will both be well supported by Wairarapa visitors to the meeting. Rebuff has proved a very disappointing horse to Mr. Kemball, and although placed on several occasions the full-brother to Snub is still a maiden. There is no doubt that he is a horse of moods, and when looking at his best and most fancied by his connections he runs his worst race. ~ . ■ Trainers Hawthorne and Gravestock have returned from Riccarton, and gone on to Feilding. The horses taken south by the Opaki mentors did fairly well, winning two races and being * placed on several occasions. Mr. Kemball won just on £l5OO at the meeting, and Chimera’s second in the Stewards’ Handicap and third in the Members’ Handicap credited Mr. C. F. Vallance with £4OO in stakes. The win of Tenterfield in the Metropolitan Handicap was worth £875, and this, with the Australian gelding’s previous winnings, will make him a. cheap horse to his owner. Little River, a stablemate of Chimera, did not run up to expectations, but the gelding is looked upon as one likely to do much better later on. Chimera is now showing good form, and is considered to have an undoubted chance in the Flying Handicap at Feilding, in which race she will be ridden by W. S. Young. The same horseman will be on Little River in the Feilding Stakes. At a meeting of the stewards of the Taratahi-Carterton Racing Club a statement of receipts and expenditure for the recent meeting was presented, which showed a profit of £724 10s. 7d. Reference was made to the totalisator inspector’s report and the mention of inadequate accommodation at many of the tote houses. ,-The drain on the club’s finance by "Government taxes," together with the compulsory increase of stake money, in accordance ■vyith the totalisator receipts, left very- J little. for small clubs to spend on imptQvements. Messrs. Marriott and Fox, of Napier, wrote stating that they were considering the purchase of a larger totalisator, and on account of the expense desired to know whether the club would enter into an agreement for the use of the machine for five years. The matter was held over. The secretary reported that the Govefhment tax for the recent meeting was £ll3O.