SPORTING.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 62, 14 March 1901, Page 3

SPORTING.

HAWKE’S BAY JOCKEY CLUB.

THE ACCEPTANCES.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

Napier, last night. The following acceptances have been received for the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s Autumn Mooting, which commoncs on Saturday next :

TOLAGO BAY JOCKEY CLUB,

ANNUAL MEETING,

(Special to Times.) Tolago Bay, last night. The annual meeting of the above Club will bo held on the Tolago Bay racecourse on Monday next, when a record meeting is anticipated. The fields in all the events are largo, which is ample proof that the handicapping has met with tho approval of a large majority of owners, and therefore speculation should be brisk throughout the day, for in most of the events Mr Bennett has woll concealed the winner.

NOTES AND ANTICIPATIONS.

Tho programme opens with the Handicap Hurdle Eaco, for which there are five engaged. Cronjo heads the list with the handy weight of 10.4, and on recent form he must run a great horse. Contrabine is well spokon of, and Ikatere, Linden, and Mangamahaki have many admirers. This event should he won by Cronje, with Contrabine as his nearest attendant. There arc seven entries for the Flying Handicap, 6 furlongs, and tho race is very open. Lady Haven, 9st 7lb, is the top weight, and on her recent running the daughter of Lord Raven must take a lot of beating. .Wilson is perhaps the worst treated horse in the race, and can hardly be expected to boat Mr Hepburn’s mare at the weight. Geologist showed what a rrood class of a horse he is over a short course iu the two vficcs he won in „Gisborne, and as he can reasonably be expected to have improved considerably should run well forward. Moonrakcr, 5.7, ran a good second at the recent Turf Club meeting, and might bring off a surprise. Hairtrigger, 5.7, is to be given a trial on the flat, but the distance is a little bit too short, and ho will probably show to better advantage in the Uawa Stakes. Blue Moon and Ariel are the othor contestants, and the former is perhaps the safest to follow for an outside chance. Weighing the pros and cons carefully, I cannot see what can beat Geologist and Lady Raven, and they will probably fiuish in that order, with Moonraker close up. The Uawa Stakes, the chief race of the day, has a field of five. Lady Raven is top weight, and although she has been allotted the steadier of 9.5, she should make a rattling race of it, and about win. Wilson 9.0, Moonraker 8.8, Hairtrigger 7.8, and Killarney 6.7 are the other competitors, and, of the quartette, Hairtrigger is well in. To sum up, the race should end: Lady Raven 1, Hairtrigger 2, Wilson 3. The District race has a large field of twelve, and this is where a good dividend may bo looked for. Thoro are several contestants who have performed well in days gone by. Notably : The Drone, who paid a sensational dividend in Auckland, and ran several good seconds ; Stockville, who has a great Napier reputation; and Derby and Tapuhere, two well-known Gisborne performers. There are also several “ dark ’uns ” from the surrounding stations; horses that are as hal'd as nails,. and accustomed to all weathers, and one of them may come to light. To reduce the number to three, my selection is : Derby, Tapuhere, and Malcolm, and they should finish in that order, but Stockville may be the one to upset these calculations. ....

The Hauiti Handicap has also a field of twelve, and my remarks of the previous race apply to this. The distance is six furlongs, and Derby, Tapuhere, and Malcolm appear to have the best of the weights. ' They should finish in the order named. Ixillarney is the best outsider, and may bring off a surprise. The hack race looks a good thing for Pinepinetekura, and what beats him should win.

THE NEWMARKET HANDICAP. HOW ADVANCE WAS BEATEN. A stiffish breeze sprangl'up as the 18 competitors lined up to the barrier, so that, despite the phenomenal time trials credited to some of the candidates, the record was in no jeopardy. And so the clock showed. The field did not give the starter much trouble. Advance, who was in the centre of the course, maintained his reputation for getting quickly off the mark. He was the first to catch the eye ; while Wakeful, on the extreme outside, and Fulminate, next the inside rails, also lost no time in finding their legs. The trio practically had the race to themselves from the word go, and [although Fortune-teller, The Watchdog, Ferryman, and Hearsay got within striking distance of the leaders at various parts of the run, they never once flattered their respective partisans. Advance, Wakeful, and Fulminate were running so wide apart, covering the whole breadth of the course, that from the stand it was a difficult matter to say which was actually in front. Advance, being most prominent in the centre, appeared to be so, and on approaching the distance he crossed over towards Fulminate, whilst Wakeful con-

tinued to hug the outside rails. In the gap which separated these, there was nothing sufficiently well up to possess a ghost of a winning chance. Immediately behind Advance and Fulminate, Ferryman and Fortune-tellef had also shot their bolts. When well within the distance, Advance and Fulminate, in close proximity alongside each other, became engaged in a deadly duel, and now for the first time it was apparent that Wakeful held a slight advantage. Still, Dunn was driving her along for all he was worth, and succeeded in landing her a winner by three-parts of a length from Fulminate, who defeated Advance by a neck for second money. It was a good race, and Wakeful being such a strong favourite, it is needless to say the victory was immensely popular, cheer after cheer being sent up as the winner returned to scale. Although the spoils of the race wont to Wakeful, the honors of the contest clearly belonged to Fulminate, a mare of her own age, who was conceding 321 b. To run an undoubted flyer like Wakeful to three-parts of a length under such a burdensome handicap, is an eloquent testimonial of Fulminate’s superlative superiority, and there was nothing but unbounded admiration for Gossoon’s magnificent daughter on her return to scale. Neither did the New Zealand champion Advance disgrace himself. He ran a great horse, and had he pursued as straight a course as Wakeful and Fulminate, instead of losing ground by crossing over from the centre of tho ground to the inside, it is more than likely that a big lump of Victorian bullion would have found its way to New Zealand. Advance would no doubt have done himself even greater justice had he arrived here a few weeks earlier. It almost looks ns if a big stake were forfeited by cutting matters so fine with tho champion Maorilandcr, who, contented animal and good traveller though he bo by land and by sea, would have been all the better had lie arrived at the scene of action at an earlier date.

Autumn Han dicap, of 120 so vs ; 1 mile. Materoa ... 8 9 Murmur ... 7 9 Oingo ... 8 6 Dcrringcottc 7 7 St. Mark ... 8 2 ltags 6 7 Armouroux 7 12 First Handicap Hurdles, of 100 sovs ; about 1:| miles. Moifa ... 11 6 NVaitio 9 12 Troubadour 10 11 Sylvanus ... 9'0 Evening Wonder ... 10 11 Hawke’s Bay Cup, of 800 sovs ; 11 miles. Battlcaxc ... 8 10 Palaver 7 11 SkobelcfT ... 8 8 liahuwai ... 6 10 Ideal ... 8 6 Sirius 6 7 Materoa ... 7 11 Welter Handicap, of 50 sovs round. The Ilcmpio 10 12 Now Forest 9 3 First Blood 10 11 Warwick ... 8 10 Jadoo ... 10 8 Passion Fruit 8 7 Derringcotto 10 3 Weaver 8 3 Bonie cl’Eau 10 3 Selkirk 8 2 Donovan ... 9 13 Bags 8 0 Autaia ... 9 12 Eau do Vie 8 0 Nursery Handicap, of 150sovs.; 5.1 furlongs. Nonettc ... 9 11 Tawalia 7 5 Indian Queen 9 5 Lingerer ... 7 2 ltoro ... 8 9 Sunfish 7 2 Destroyer ... 7 12 Mcnura 7 2 Kowhcte ... 7 0 Aprcs 7 2 Comfort ... 7 9 Tigrisona ... 6 7 First Hack Handicap, of 80 sovs., 1 mile. Ngaio ... 8 11 The Pony ... 7 9 Uila ... 8 8 Crown Prince 7 5 Goytc ... 8 5 Katriona ... 7 5 Black Wings 8 5 Packea 6 12 Somnolent ... 7 11 Scurry Handicap, of 45 sovs., 5 furlongs. Warwick ... 9 7 Iiorminus... 7 0 Harmoc ... 9 8 |La France 6 9 Mongonui ... 8 3 Bain 6 9 Queen's Sig'al 8 2 The Tinker 6 9 St. Just ... 7 10 Attolaw ... . 6 9 Bailway Stakes, of 150 sovs., 6 furlongs. Jabber 9 13 Autaia 7 9 Okoari ... 9 4 Kissmary ... 7 8 Oingo ...' 8 9 Ngaio 6 10 Cannic Chicl 8 0 Bobin Adair 0 10, •(•Crawford Priory—Marie Antoinette filly