NTOTES ON THE RACING

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1377, 1 March 1912, Page 7

N T OTES ON THE RACING

(By TeiegrauJi.-Special Correspondent.) Wanganui, February 29. Conditions could scarcely have been more favourable than they were for the opening day of the Wanganui ,T.C. autumn meeting. There was splendid weather, large fields,-good racing, a large attendance, and big totalisator figures. All these factors combined towards a successful beginning of the meeting. Pick-pockets were in evidence on the lawn, and one well-known sportsman had something like XtOO lifted from his pockets early in the day. Interest in the racing centred chiefly on the Cup and I'lying Handicap. In tho former event the redoubtable Highdeu colours were again to the front, while the Porirun stable supplied the runnerup in the Handicap, and the winner of the Flying Handicap. Kanparaha and Kauroa were the only withdrawals from the Stewards' Handicap for which Jargon was made favourite, but St. Felix, Jtiscal, Sea Queen, Golden Loop and Coromandel were all well backed. The big field gave some trouble at the start but, eventually, the horses moved off in good line. Ked Lupin at once went to tho front* and was never headed. With the exception of Montiform, he was the rank outsider of the field, and although his own party were prepared for his victory, the general public expected that the distance would prove too far for him. lie, however, saw the journey out in capital style, and there can be no doubt- that ho is' one of the best ponies over bred in the Dominion. It was in his favour that he drew a nice position on the rails, but the manner in which ho stalled off tho challenges of Sea Queen and Coroinandel made his performance attractive. Jargon and St. Felix were badly placed throughout and never looked dangerous, but Jliscal and Golden Loop . .shaped Well. . • ■ ■ ■■.-'■: -~ - : Niikuatii favourite .in ~th,e .Petre Hack event, I ''biit"that'iv , as only because a , great deal of money was shut out from the machine. The investments on the race were the smallest during the day, nnd most of the money shut out would probably have been for Ineurii whom good judges declared to be the best bet .at the meeting. She is a typical sprinter, and, though a trifle on the small side, she is well up to weight-carrying, nnd the manner in which she burst up the field to-day gave ample proof of her quality. Her backers were cert.iinly fortunate to draw such a gcod dividend.

(,'. Price, who rode Ineurii, also had a winning mount on Captain in the hurdle race. He adopted the,same tactics in both ovents, and was in trout the whole way. Captain, who won quite easily at the finish, is very well just now, and should not be troubled.by a little extra weight, for he ia a line big horse, and may win plenty of races during the season. Waiputere, Leolanter, and Darby Paul had a great tussle for second place, and the first-named only gained a place in the last, hundred yards. Xavior did not complete the course. His rider Inst an iron nt the first fence, and the saddle slipped round. Soon after, Captain Hell hit a hurdle in front of the stand, and unseated his rider, CI. I.ee. The latter clung on to the horse's neck with his feet iu the air,,and brought the horse to a standstill opposite the saddling paddock. He wns warmly applauded by the crowd. Eleven starters contested the Hack Hurdles, Stevens being made a slightly better favourite than Cornelian. The former was beaten out of a, place, while Cornelian won after a good finish with Seaman. , The unlucky horse in tho race was Bismarck, who came from a long way hack at the finish, and was close up third. Sandy Paul shaped promisingly, and should win before long, but Brilliancy does not give the impression that he will over be much good as a hurdler.

Goodwill Park was tho only withdrawal from the Cup Held. Bronze stood above her opponents on the score of condition —that was the gciiur.il verdict as the horses paraded in the enclosure prior to the race. Of the others. Lady Monschikoff looked perhaps the. littest, and then 'Undecided. Dearest, and Maxwell. Domino looked too mean behind the saddle to be dangerous nt the end of the journey, and it was probably because Gray .was riding that the public'made him second fnvouriiu to lironze. It was n. very pretty raco to watch, but, at the business end, Bronze had the race to herself, while Dearest had the remainder of the field well beaten. It must bo said, however, that. Undecided and Lady MenscliikofV, who finished outsido the'placed horses, were full of running at the finish, nntl, had they not been disappointed when making a. run five furlongs from home, they would probably have both been closer up. As was the ea<p in the Wellington Cup last month. Undecided tailed Hie field for the first mile, and it would have, been a wonderful pnrformanco for him to win in the eircumsl anies.

.Inckey \. Oliver seems to be well nigh invincible Iu the Wangmmi Cup he has ridden tho lasl three winners, and was also on Truce when she. scored in 1907. Sanguinary was made favourite in the Juvenile Handicap, with Styx next in demand. Th« latter won nicely from Outward and Topic, but Sanguinary failed to finish among the first half-dozen. Styx has now won three races in succession, 110 is engaged in the Jackson Stakes on Saturday, in which ho will be opposed to Boanerges, Autuinnus, and Krmengardo. Another big field went lo the post for the Wirilon Hack Knee, .Mallow, with 11. Gray iu the saddle, being made tlin biggcsl' favourite of thn day. The Captain W'wbb colt ran u great race, and looked a certain winner when Hileriug the straight, but liqiiuie Hoy ciiine last on tl»rrniN d just got up in liinr Iu win by a head. Tho winner hud previously incurred :i penalty for'the Dauntvirke nitfcliiiu. and in iml. likfly to utnnpeti' on the- lirst dny of that- lixlurc. (irniidce. and MuleIm't, who we I* tlit- iirsl lo show oul from mi fXM'llcut. slarl. bolh ran nipilal luces, bill, lired in 111*- bi-l furliiuK.

ItoiiiiPi'gKs, I he ft In b> lompiiiiinii or the Cup winner, was niiiilr :i lirui fiivimrite in the J-'lviiiK ll'iunliciip, whili . Hit- brurkrlfilpsiii—'.Knyal Srutuli mill Tlir-.nh.n—ivnc-i'l heller deiiiuiiil limn (iip-y Hi-lh 1 . I he liist-iiiimt'il was inn- ' I the lir-l In shunmil from mi uveii .-liirl. [.ml. ilfli-r slmkiiii? nil Hncitlc in I he enrly M;i(;ivs sh» linil siillicivnl -pace in rcwrtc lo >lnll olf ;i slroiiK clinlloißO from Koynl Hcnlch. Hyroii. who fiuished stonily, aained third place ju=f ohonil of Ovation. lloJHcrgrs began well, but was un»blo to go (he pace, ■unci liuished uo closer than Kunc

[of (lie others made n showing that entitled them to mention. The order of Javouiil wii« as follows: —first nice: !) Eli't-lrsikdll', li Cuioiiuindcl, 10 I'lautation, i Hem. Qiiomi. 12 l.'ill. 1 ■I-"-gun, U Montiform, 7 SI. I'elcrsbi'i;;. 11 Kohinuor, 2 St. Felix. II ili.-ral, ■') Gmden Loop, Kl Red Lupin. S .Mult Ami. St'coml nice: 2 liieuiu, 7 .St. Gate, :! Dirsi', « .U«l----liiril, + Itoyul Siiiiuii. 1 Nukiiatii, a Handsome Jlaiil, 5 lilentern. 10 Eastwinil, 12 Awutrix. i:t .Silver l{o.<e. 11 <joverniii«nl, 11 llayadi-re. Thiril nice: (i Iteiimac. 1 Waip'utere, ( r-i'iiliinl.!!-, '.' C'tipluin. 3 -NuviiT, 7 Oapliin Hell. 3 Oarby I'.uil. Fourth race: I Steven--, 2 Conu-liaii. .'i Seaman, \ Sandy "I'aiil. :t Hisinarck, S HrilHiiiicy. li Shilling: Star, II Clemency, 7 Cliuse'Mah, 10 Limuline. !• Supium-e. fit'lli rate: -I I mleeided, — Bronze, li .Midnight Sun, 2 Domino. II Merrivonu, j Deare.-t, I Lady MiMiseliikoir. 7 .Maxwell. 8 Idealism, 10 K'nurou. II thiamin. Sixth race: 1 Sangiiimirv, 3 Outward, 2 Slv.t, li Stcpnev, r.iuly"Volga. 8 Hunlire. 5 l.ockwouil, 7 Topic. Seventh race: 1 .Mauawakaha. 1 .Mallow, 10 .Muleteer, !) .Merrie Emerald. 2 Master Tupulii, II Minora. :t Lady Kilcheruii, li Tiivar'i. 8 Moutoa Girl; 12 Fashion Plate, 7 Ronnie Bay, 5 Leonta, 13 Grnmlce. Eighth race: 1 Boaneiges, 2 Koyal Scotch and Theodore (bracketed), .1 Gipsy Kelle, 5' Crown I'earl, li liyroii, 8 Bootle. 12 Lady Moutoa. 7 Xgntirumiui, 4 Liidy Laddo, 3 Kaiij, r iatun. 14 Merrie Frank, 10 Clemoes, 15 Overtime, 13 Piriwui.