SPORTING NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 4220, 5 September 1876, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

The Waitaki Jockey Club have altered the time of their meeting at Duntroon, and have also revised their programme. The first step is a foolish one, the stewards having fixed the races for October 5 and 6, the same days as the Geraldine meeting. The alterations in the programme consist of making the Waitaki Cup (of 100 sovs.) a handicap instead of a weight-for-age race, and increasing the stakes for the Hurdle Race from 20 sovs. to 40 sovs.

The Oamaru sporting community have established a Steeplechase Club, and its opening races will be held on October 13. They will comprise a Maiden Plate, Steeplechase Cup, and Consolation Handicap ; and the day’s proceedings will be wound up with the second match between Mr M‘Kay’s Larrikin and Mr Thomson’s Forest Queen over a two-mile steeplechase course. The turfites in the northern parts of the Province are very energetic in anything they take in hand, and a good day’s sport may be anticipated. A fine programme has been drawn up by the committee of the Wellington Jo.‘key Club, the added money amounting to L 1,250. The various events are substantially the same as last year, but the Wellington Cup is increased to 300 sovs., the J.C. Handicap to 150 sovs., and 100 sovs. is set apart for a Hurdio Race. This liberality is sure to meet with its own reward, and as the races have been fixed for February 8 and 9, more favorable weather may be looked for than prevailed at this" Club’s last annual meeting.

The stewards of the Auckland Racing Club have taken the extraordinary step of raising the price of admission for visitors to their races from la to 2s 6d each day. The Club’s finances are, .unfortunately, not in the most healthy condition, and as the great art union scheme proved to be a failure it is anticipated that increasing the charges at the gates will swell the funds to a considerable extent. 1 very much fear, on the other hand, that the public will not stand such an imposition, and that the result will be ruinous.

Our old-established Dunstan Jockey Club struggles gamely along, and its members intend to have their usual spring meeting this year. The races are to be held on the 29 th instant, and the events consist of the Maiden Plate of 15 sovs, Dunstan Handicap of 20 sovs, Selling Race of 15 sovs, Tradesmen’s Handicap of 15 sovs, Selling Hack Race of 10 sovs, anti Consolation Handicap of 5 sovs. The total is small, but there is sufficient to show that love for the turf is not yet extinguiseed in this once great mining district. The Otematata, Teviot, Cromwell, Lake District, and others of our up-country Clubs are busy with preparations for the approaching season, and their respective bills of fare may be looked for shortly. The Patea (Taranaki) Club have arranged their spring meeting for the usual date, November 9, at the Wairoa course. These races are always successful and well attended, and there is a probability of even more money being given in stakes this season than last. On that occasion Mr J. W. Jackson carried off the two principal prizes with his grey gelding Folly, and the well-known steeplechase mare Medora won the Hurdle Race. The entries for the two big events at the Canterbury Spring Meeting published on Saturday last are not very numerous, but they are almost all of the right sort. Mr Redwood is, as usual, a good contributor to the funds of the 1 lub, he having no less than six horses entered for the Handicap. Of these Huy Fawkes and Korari are well known; Puriri we have heard a good deal ! of, and that of a very flattering nature ; , Maroro, stirabout, and I ara, all three- year- : olds, and almost unknown. The first iof the triplet of youngsters, Maroro, is a chesuut colt by Towton, out of 1 Fair Agnes, and the late Mr Charles Elliott j a few months ago described him as a handsome young gentleman, possessing a good deal of power, capital action, and looking a racehgrse all over. Stirabou'. is a chesnut ! colt by Towton out of Shrovetide, and Tara ! is a bay filly by Towton out of Harakeke—and consequently full sister to the wonderful little Korari. Ngaro and Ariel are no strangers to us, and it is to be hoped that the former has recovered her lost form. Tasso I know nothing of ; but Rob Roy gave us a taste of his quality last May, and Nectar landed the C. J.C. Handicap last year, carrying 6st 71b. Lady Lea is by Sledmere, but I do not know her dam; Fallacy is a bay filly by -ledmere out of Deception; and Danebury is the Traducer—Ada colt, who won the Champagne Stakes and ran second to Guy Fawkes in the Flying Stakes at the last Christchurch autumn meeting. Izaak Walton hails from Auckland, and is by Dainty Ariel sire of Ariel. He has run some brilliant races in the > orth and on the West Coast but is strongly addicted to bolting, Mr Webb’s hr c by Traducer—Lady Klorenco is reported to look like a stayer if not very speedy, but her qualities are as yet unknown. Cloth of Hold, Fishhook, Dead Heat, Templeton, and Pungawerewere require no remarks. A number of the above mentioned > orses are entered for the Cup, and in addition Mr Redwood has Songster, a bay colt by Towton out of Skybird. This colt made his debut in the Sapling Stakes at Marlborough last season, running second to his stable companion Doncaster At Christchurch he was three lengths behind Danebury and Dead Heat in the Champagne Stakes, and consequently is not greatly fancied for either Derby or Cup. We also find iu the Cup a three-year-old brother to Izaak Walton, and a stranger named Wrangler—the latter entered in Mr Webb’s name. Otago will be represented at the meeting by Rob Roy and Dead Heat alone; Right Bower and King Philip not having been put into training yet. Several familiar names are missing from the entries* notably Tambouiini, Daniel O’Rourke, Ranolf, Amohia, Tattler, Hercules, Cocksure, Twitter, Somnambula, Blair Athol, and Parawhenua. The racing career of most of these is, I expect, about finished. Weights for the Handicap will be published on October 2 ; acceptances for Handicap and Cup on October 28, night of general entry. Since the above was in type a telegram has been received in town stating that Danebury is entered for the Cup, although his name was not telegraphed with the others.