DUNSTAN SPRING MEETING.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 261, 29 September 1874, Page 6

DUNSTAN SPRING MEETING.

, The Spring Race Meeting of the Dunstan Jockey Club came off on Friday, 26th inst. Thq meeting was a highly successful one from every point’ of view. The attendance was only fair, perhaps, there being about 150 people on the ground ; but the fields of ■ horses were good, and the races were very 1 well contested.. . The first race was the Alexandra, Handicap, of 16 sovs. Distance, •i three-quarters of a mile. Mr T. Wilkins’ Kathleen, 4 yrs, Bst 71b (Monaghan) 1 Mr T. Keenan’s Pickpocket, aged, fist 21b i- ... (Smith) 2 Mr H, Goodman’s Verbena, 4 yrs, Bst 9lb (J. Fraser) 3 Mr,R. Taylor’s Stanley ... ... . 0 Brunette and Dungi ven Lass were scratched. Mr Cowan succeeded in sending the horses away very fairly, and pretty soon Verbena showed in front. This position she maintained until the straight was reached, when Kathleen and Pickpocket came up and challenged her. Up the straight a splendid race ensued. The three horses named came up in a body, Stanley hopelessly out of it. Kathleen won it by nearly half a length, entirely owing, it may be said, to the superior riding of her jockey compared with that of Pickpocket’s. Verbena was beaten by almost a length. Maiden Plate, of 10 sovs. Open to all horses. Distance, one mile. Weight for age. Mr Keenan’s Jack the Flat, 5 yrs, 9st 121b .. ... .... ... ... (Tiney) 1 Magenta, 4 yrs, Bst 131b (Fraser) 2 Dandy, 5 yrs, 9st 121b (Waddell) 3 Gipsy, aged, 10st lib ... ... (Smith) 0 Coraus, 5 yrs, 9st 121b (Goodman) 0 After rather a straggling start, Jack the Flat showed rapidly in front, and kept that position with ease to the finish. Comus never was in the race, objecting to gallop with the others, but came in a hundred yards ■ov two behind. . Dunstan Handicap, of 20 sovs. Distance, one mile and a half. Mr J. Hazlett’s Brunette, aged, 9st 41b (Waddell) 1 Mr J. M'Oloskey’s Dungiven Lass, 3 yrs, 7st Mr T. Wilkins’ Kathleen, 4 yrs, Bst 71b ... (Monaghan) 3 "Mr H. Goodman’s Verbena, 4 yrs, Bsfc 31b ... Mr T. Keenan’s Jack the Flat, 5 yrs, 7st 121b .... ... ... (Smith) 0 .MrrT. Keenan’s Pickpocket, aged, Bst ... r ... ... (G. Fraser) 0 Great delay occurred in the starting of this race, owing to the difficulty experienced in persuading Dungiven Lass to face the starter. She bolted two or three times, once falling and throwing her rider, who, however, was not hurt, and showed rare pluck for a “ fea-ther-weight.” Eventually, with a deal of trouble, she was got in line with the others, and the flag dropped to a middling start. Pickpocket was not long in making himself conspicuous, and Verbena soon joined him, but after racing a little way, both had to succumb. Pickpocket’s rider lost his stirrup, and had to pull up about half-way. Verbena could not keep the steam up, and, also about half-way, was cut down by Brunette and Dungiven Lass. A very good race resulted between the two, but all the efforts on the part of the youthful mare and her youthful rider were insufficient to cause much alarm to Brunette or her “jock,’’.Waddell,—an old hand, who rides with perfect coolness and excellent judgment. Brunette won by a good length, pretty easily. Many were of opinion that she could never carry the weight to the front, and that she did so may be set down more to the fact of the company being poor, than of the speed being great. Whether Dungiven Lass would have bettered her position greatly if she had not bolted is doubtful; at any rate, it was not possible for her to beat Brunette. Selling Race of 10 sovs. Three-quarter mile heats. No weight under 9st. Mr J. Cox’s Clyde ... ... (Waddell) 1 This race calls for no comment or description. Clyde, the winner of the Maiden Plate at Alexandra, won both heats easily. He was sold immediately after the race for £26, (£ll of which went to the race fund,) to Mr Kidd, of Cromwell, Hurry Scurry, of 5 sovs. No weight under ten stone. Three-quarters of a mile. Mr T. Wilkins’ Kathleen (Waddell) 1 Mr R. Kidd’s Clyde ... (J. Fraser) 2 Wild Manx Boy and others ran. This was the best race of the day, between the two horses placed. Kathleen won by only half a neck, Clyde running a thoroughly game horse, and being under the disadvantage of having just previously ran two heats of threequarters of a mile each. £9 was collected for an Hospital Race, which, however, we are unable to give the particulars of. Kathleen, since the races, we may mention, has been bought by Mr H. Goodman, for the sum of £4O.

In the evening, Dr Carr gave one of his seances in the Town-hall, Clyde. The patronage extended to him, however, was very poor. For the phrenologic part of the entertainment, he was successful in getting an excellent variety of heads for the purpose of illustration, and was very happy in his delineation of character and peculiarities. One well-known sporting gentleman from Cromwell, whose peculiarities* he dilated upon at considerable length, occasionally declared the Dr was “ a bit crooked” in his delineations, but generally speaking his delineations were accepted m satisfactory and truthfal.