DUNEDIN SPRING RACES.

Evening Star, Issue 4294, 30 November 1876, Page 2

DUNEDIN SPRING RACES.

First Bay.—Thursday. The Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting of 1876 opened this day under the best auspices, the weather being magnificently bright and the attendance consequently large. At the height of the day’s proceedings there must have been 4,000 people on the grounds, be* sides some 1,500 on that favorite and cheap resort, the sandhills. The course was in

excellent order, last evening’s showers having, if anything, benefited it. The usual games of skill were but poorly represented ; but the many booths were well patronised, doubtless owing to the warmuess of the weather. The Ocean Beach railway bad i trains running perpetually throughout the day,, each of which up till at least three o’clock discharged hundreds of passengers behind the grand stand. Owing to this new means of reaching the course cabs and vehicles of auy kind were, much fewer in number than hitherto, but there was a sufficient number of private traps drawn up on each side of the straight ran in to present the orthodox appearance of a race gathering. Proceedings opened punctually with the Maiden Plate, lor which Miss Elswick had been most fancied till this morning, when the betting veered round iu favor of Dead Heat, and Glencoe also found hackees. The two last-named ran in bandages. Mr Logan’s was a hollow victory, and his first win on the turf was heartily cheered. For the big handicap Sir William and Fox were scratched, the former being reserved for the. Spring Handicap. King Philip and Fishhook gained, most friends in the saddling paddock, many putting a little on the latter at the last moment.

The following are the results of the day’s events Maiden Plate, of 43 sovs. Entrance, 2 sovs. One mite and a half. Weight for age. For horses that have never won an advertised prize exceeding L 25. Mr T. Logan's b c Dead Heat, S yrs, 7st (J. E. Allan) 1 Mr J. Hastie’s c f Miss Elswick, 3 yrs, fist 91b (J. Hastie) 2 Mr J. J. Doyle’s b g Wild Deer, aged, 9st 71b (Lynch) 3 Mr T. M’Eay, senr’s, b g Glencoe, late Wild Bose, 6 yrs, 9st 71b (J. Cotton) 0 Mr W. H. Taggart’s b f Spray (late Paponui), by Scud— Chloe, 3 yrs, fist 9lb (C. findings) ... 0 Betting: 3 to 2 against Dead Heat, 2 to 1 Miss Elswick, 4 to 1 Glencoe, 5 to 1 iSpray and Wild Deer. Miss Elswick was a little fractions going to the post, but a goed start was effected at the first attempt. Glencoe started off with the lead, but was soon supplanted by Miss Elswick, who in turn gave way to Dead Heat. The colt held a slight lead past the stand, Miss Elswick at his quarters with the inside running, Wild Deer third, Glencoe fourth, f pray last and gradually falling back. Going round Dead Heat gradually increased his lead, and at a mile the whole five were strung out in Indian file. Even this distance from home Hastie pulled out the whip to the filly, but though she answered gamely she could not decrease the distance between herself and Dead Heat, who won, amid loud cheers, in a common canter by four lengths. Wild Deer was a had third, Spray and Glencoe close on to him.. Time, 2min Sl^secs. St. Abdsew’s Handicap, of 100 sovs., with a sweep of 3 sovs., the amount accruing from the sweepstakes to go te the second horse; two miles. Nomination, 2 sovs.; acceptance, 3 sevs. MrH. Teend’s b hj King Phillip. 5 yrs, Bst m (D. Jones) 1 Mr D. O’Brien’s b hj Fishhook, 4 yrs, Bst 101b (Derritt) 2 MrW. Walter’s hr hj Kingfisher, 6 yrs, Bst (Cantell) S Mr J. Stephenson's br g Bob Boy, 5 rm, 7st I2lh (H. Gourley) O Mr G. Coomhe’s b hj Bight Bower, aged, 7et 101b (Smith) D Mr H. Goodman's ch g Glengarry, aged, 7st 101b (T. Allen) 0 Sir William and Fox were scratched. Betting : 2 to 1 against King Philip, 3 to 1 Fishhook, 4 to 1 Kingfisher and Rob Roy, 5 to 1 Glengarry, 7 to 1 Right Bower. King Phillip dragged his near hind leg dreadfully when wn Iking about, but showed no signs of lameness in his preliminaries. After a good deal of fiddling at the post a fairish start was effected, but lung Phillip had advantage enough to jump into the inside running from the outside position. He took the lead, with Rob Roy second, Glengarry third; Right Bower, Fishhook, and Kingfisher forming the rear gnard. Rob Roy, making the pace warm, soon ran into first place, and the two leaders put two or three lengths between themselves and the field. Glengarry headed the ruck, with Kingfisher improving his position at every stride, and Fishhook pulling double. Passiugthe stand, and a mile gone. Rob Roy was still in front, -King Phillip second, Kingfisher had run into thud place; Glengarry and Fishhook next, with Right Bower tailing behind. At a mile and a half the King got on terms with Rob Roy, and at the same time Derritt brought fishhook up level with Kingfisher, and a pretty race ensued, the six horses running in pairs, with about a length between each couple. Fishhook was going so strongly that the race was thought all over, i specially a a Rob Roy had evidently had enough of i* and ‘was falling back rapidly. King Phijlip, however; came into the straight with a clear lead of a length, two lengths separating Fifth-

hook from Kingfisher; the rest altogether out of the hunt. Jones never touched Mr Yeend’s horse with the whip, but was soon busy on Fishhook. A fine struggle ensued up the straight, but the King always had the best of it, and though Fishhook straggled manfully he was shaken off by KingPhillp, who wan an exciting race bv a length. Kingfisher was a good third, Rub Roy (a long way behind) fourth,' Right Bower fifth, Glengarry absolute last. Time, 3min. 45sec. Seeing Handicap, of 50 sots. One mile and a quarter. Nomination, 1 sov. j acceptance, Isov. The winder of the St, Andrew’s Handicap to carry 71bs extra. Mr W. Walter’s br hj Isaac Walton, 4 jrs, 7st 121b 1 Mr A. Smith’s br g Haphazard, aged, 7st 81b ... 2 Mr J, Stephenson’s b g Steamer, 4 yrs, 6st 71b ... S Handicap Tsotting Back, o£ 30 sovs. Three miles. Entrance. 2 sofs. No weight under lOst, optional saddle or harness. Mr T. Milner’s blk g Blackbov, aged, 100 yds ... 1 Mr J. Eeaney’s br g Snip. aged. 300 yds 2 J S.J. Mercer’s br m Mystery, aged, 125 yds... 3 Mr W. Kirkwood’s b g Major, aged, scratch ... 0 Mr J. Gollar*s cm in Po'ly, aged,scratch ... 0 Mr H. Gourley’s b m Lucy, aged, 25 yds 0 Mr J. Wilson's b g Dry Ash, aged. 250 yds ... 0 Mr T. Cotton's br g Dick, aged, 350 yds 0 Mr T, A, Burns’s b g Charlie, aged, 400 yes ... 0