THE HUNTERS AS SPORTSMEN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1031, 21 January 1911, Page 18

THE HUNTERS AS SPORTSMEN.

6 : i•1 NOTABLE WINNERS. [WHISPER, CYNISCA, AND JIYSTIFI- - CATION. Although iir. Georgo Hunter has had a closer association with the turf than any other one of his relatives,<his-fath¥r and also his grandfather dabbled a little in racing. The elder mail figured in what is believed'to.' have' been "the first, race meeting held in tho Welling-, 'ton district—a gathering on the I'etono beach, where the family was represented by : Temperance in a ton-guinea sweepstake, run on October 20, 1842. The distance was a mile and a half, and the raco was won by Mr. Watts's Figaro. On another occasion, in the very early days, thcro was a meeting

held at Burnliam Water (Miramar), and Mr. Hunter owned a particular mare which could be handled-successfully only succession, are well known to all readers by a certain individual, who . on that, particular day happened to bo serving Tier' Majesty for the good of his country and without pay. History does not say as to the manner iu which the man was liberated, hut liberated he was, and to rido the mare' in" the race. There is some satisfaction in recording the fact that justico was temporarily • blinded in a good -cause—the maro. won tho race, and later in tho day the jockey returned to the gaol, a hero, in a way, and duly finished'the'period of bis -incarceration.-" • One lias heard ■ sinco of prisoners who have owned racehorses while in duranco vile, but there has probably never been another caso of an individual serving time and being.temporarily liberated to ride a liorse at a race meeting. Sir. George Hunter, of l'orangaliau, has had a long and important connection with turf affairs in tho Dominion, extending over twenty-one years. His successes with Cynisca,

who won the Wellington Cup thrias of turf history, and he meditated £ fourth victory, when . tho . black mara went amiss. Mr. Hunter commenced his racing carecr with Whisper, Lenore, \ and others, and then .followed Cynisca, Searchlight, Munjesta, and Sirius. In : that- time. he won the.- Wellington Cup thrco times, tho Wanganui - Handicap) twice, running with Whisper, the East, er 'Handicap also with Cynisca, tha Oaks (Christchurch), and the Stewards'' Handicap (Christ-church) with Whisper, while he also won two Hawke's Bay Cups, two Dannevirke Cups, and the Egmonfc and Napier Cups. With -Mystification be had many brilliant successes, which in-i eluded -the Pearce, Thomson, President's, Summer,' Burke Memorial, King Edward,' and Herctaunga Handicaps. His best horses were Whisper, Cynisca, and Mystification: Tho last-named won all the principal races at ,the spring, summer, and winter' meetings, in Hawke'g . Bay, at which ho competed. All werg trained by Jf. Gcoseman, at Hastings, who still continues as Mr. Hunter's trainer. .