AT WINGATUI

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 58, 6 September 1926, Page 7

AT WINGATUI

A SENSATIONAL DAY

STEWARDS' STAND DEMOLISHED BY EIRE.

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

DUNEDIN, 6th September. It is said that history has a habit of repeating itself, and a case in point occurred at Wingatui on Saturday. History tells that Nero fiddled whilst Rome was burning, an d it also tells of the gallant sentinel who stood to his post when PomFav_ W.Wi emS ovc7 he} med h * moltS, la\a. J_oth ignored what they deemed amor .matters, and went on with the game m one instance, and with duty in OtU h W f AV.} V _ngatui on Saturday the Otago Hunt Club opened a card with !!« ry. Vl°T ct, oi an unprecedented success but the element of bad luck stepped in by the Stewards' Stand catching fire when the third event was coming up for decis.on. While the patrons of the meeting were discussing the youngsters engaged m the two-year-old parade, the result of the President's Handicap, and what might happen in connection with the Jockey Club Handicap, smoke was seen issuing from the southern end of the stewards' stand. The building was completely demolished, but the Dunedin Jockey Club stewards have already taken . steps for the erection of a new building. The old one is gone, and most people hold .the opinion that the fire is a blessing in disguise. Everyone hopes that any bad luck the Dunedin Jockey Club lias experienced was consumed in the flames, which left them temporarily without a homo for officials guarding the interest, of racing at Wingatui. The Otago Hunt Club opened its meeting in line weather, but there was a piercingly cold wind in evidence. There was a large attendance and one could hear congratulations bestowed on the parent club on tho improvements which are on the verge of completion on the course. Nyanza, despite a mistake which cost him considerable ground, won the Hunters' Hurdles in good style. Heather Lad was backed down to an odds-on price in tho Jockey Club Handicap, but he could not act in the going, and Lava won practically from end to end. Although generally deemed short of work, Koseday is not ready, but Kapuna, who has been galloping well, shaped disappointingly. Nyanza tried to shirk ,the' post and rails near the' four-furlong post in the Hunt Cup, and in doing so made a faulty jump and then fell. The race then became a duel between Message Boy and Good Form, and the former had too much .pace for tho latter. The light harness event was run on the inside track, which has become very rough through training operations and undeniably unfit for racing on. The race became a match between Dan Huon and Spring Chimes, and the former stayed on better than the latter. The race should not be accepted as a guide to form. Flourish soon took charge in the Hunters' Flat and nothing in the field proved capable of seriously challenging her at .he business end of the race. Osterman was made favourite in the Brockville Steeplechase, but Cartoon soon established a good lead and left the result beyond doubt a long way from home. Tho card concluded with High Gear winning in attractive stylo after beginning badly. Piton looked dangerous at the distance, but then High Gear arrived on the scene and won well. Rosenor and Sweet Melody, who were the early pacemakers, both failed to stay on, but John

Bradbury under his big load ran a good race in the heavy going. Pink Terrace shaped disappointingly, but it should not be overlooked that she was giving one of her age no less than 181b. The management of the meeting was excellent, as despite the fire the last race was run only a few minutes behind time. The totalisator handled £15,982 10s, compared with £15,076 last year. Results: —• ; . Seaview Hunters' Hurdles Handicap, of 125 soys; one mile and a half. —3 Nyanza, 9.7 (A. Ruthven), 1; 2 Muzzle, 10.13, 2; 1 Bandalero, 0.7, 3. Also started: 4 Rag Tag 9.9, 6 Rod Art i 9.7, 5 Hard Prince 9.7. Won by half a length, Four lengths between second and third. Red Art and Hard Prince fell. Time, 3min 1 2-ssec. President's Handicap, of 110 soys; five furlongs.—3 Dismantlo 8.6 (J. A. Beale), 1; 5 Arrowmlr, 8.0, 2; 6 Dioxide, 8.0, 3. Also start- I ed: 6 Polly Flinders. 8.0 (bracketed with Dioxido 8.0), 4 Sweet Melody 8.11, 3 Taboo 8.9, 1 Real Glad 8.6, 12 Incursio 8.5, 11 Royal Saxon 8.5, 8 Clutha 8.0, 9 Mudlark 8.0, 7 Captain Sarto 8.0, 10 Lady Dilatory 8.0. Won by a head, a length and a half between second and third. Sweet Melody was fourth. Time, Imin 7 l-ssec. Jockey Club Handicap, of 180 soys; one mile. —4 Lava, 5.6 (J. T. Humphries), 1; 1 Heather Lad, 5.9, 2; 3 Monoxide, 8.6, 3. Also started: 5 Roseday 9.13, 7 Coastguard 7.7, 6 Kaimna 7.7, 2 Fairy Tidings 7.7. Won by a length, four lengths between second and third. Time, lroin 48sec. Hunt Club Steeplechase, of 150 soys; two mile and a half.—2 Message Boy, 10.0 (J. T. Humphries), 1; 1 Goodform, 10.4, 2; 5 De Cruse, 10.0, 3. Also started: 3 Nyanza 10.0, 4 Andy 10.0, 6 P'unjaub 10.0. Won by twelve lengths, six lengths between second and third. Andy was fourth. The only ones to finish. Time, 6min 10 4-ssec. Wingatui Trotting Handicap, of 120 soys; one mile and a half.—lo Dan Huon, scr (O'Conncll), 1; 4 Spring Chimes, 21yds bud, 2; 9 Mirella, 72yds Mid. 3. Also started: 11 Red Chequer scr and Wallace Mac scr (bracketed), 16 Tres Bon scr, 13 Royal George scr, 7 Robert Bell scr, 12 Lily Audubon scr, 8 Celestial scr, 5 Chiming King scr, 2 Sandown scr, 1 Dour Days scr, 18 Hereweka 24yds bhd, 14 Black Raven 24yds bhd, 17 Malice 60yds bhd, 15 Locanda Queen 60yds bhd, 6 Wild Flight 72yds bhd, 3 Mountain Chimes 108 yds bhd. Won by eight lengths, twenty lengths between second and third. Mirella was' fourth. Time, 4min 14 3-ssec. , Hunters' Flat Handicap, of 125 soys; one mile and a quarter—l Flourish, 9.7 (J. T. Humphries), 1; 5 Incursio, 10.8, 2; 3 Bandalero, 9.9, 3. Also started: Ahurirl 9.13, 2 Krasnoi 9.9, 4 Hard Prince 9.7, 8 Gold Dollar 9.7, 6 Mataipuke 9.7. Won by four lengths, three lengths between second and third. Krasnoi was fourth. Time, 2min 21 l-ssec. Brockvillo Steeplechaso Handicap, of 125 soys; two miles.—3 Cartoon, 11.4 (C. Dawson), ,1:1 Osterman, 10.0, 2; 5 Goodform, 9.1., 3. Also started: 2 Kipling 11.9, 4 Prize Rose 10.2, 6 De Cruse 9.0. Won by six lengths, twenty lengths between second and third. De Cruse was fourth. Vauxhall Handicap, of 115 soys; six furlongs.—4 High Gear, 7.7 (J. Doolcy), 1; 6 Piton, 7.10, 2; 1 Rosenor, 9.0, 3. Also started: 2 John Bradbury 10.1, 5 Equerry 8.9, " Pink Terrace 8.6, 7 Sweet Melody 8.1, 9 Bachleor Gay 8.0, 10 Prompter 7.10, 11 Captain Sarto 7.7, 12 Mudlark 7.7. 8 Wingatui 7.7. Won by a short length, a length between second and third. John Bradbury was next. Time, lmin 20sec.