SPORTING.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 238, 16 October 1901, Page 3

SPORTING.

NA PI lift J'AltK BACKS. • u'J'KS AND ANTICIPATIONS.

(Special to Timk.-k) Napier, last night. Tlio Napier I'urk Racing ( iub will coinincncc their spring fixture to-morrow, ami judging bv tlie largo Holds received the club siiouid come out with a .substantial credit balance. There will no doubt be a. large attendance of the public, as Napier :s full of visitors with tiio intention of being present at the meeting. The tracks are in perfect order, and ouch year more trainers are availing themselves of this place to work their horses. The club offer m stakes a sum of .1'12.2U, and some good racing should be witnessed. The programme opens with tho Criterion Stakes Handicap, one mile for which there arc seven competitors. The Miner and Murmur head the list with tho handy impost of Sst, whilst Lady's Link and Puphno have 7.12, Reliance. The Weaver, and Kowhiti carrying 7.7. A good race should result, and I >aphne, Murmur, ami Reliance should be the placed horses, with preference in i lie order named.

In the County Hack Handicap there is a field of eight, Despatch being topweight with s. 12, whilst Comfort and Cobra are well in. Comfort is showing good form at present, and should give I >espateh a good run for it. One of the pair should furnish the winner. A great field of fourteen figure in the Nursery Handicap, and on no previous occasion has such a fs-diioimbio held of two year-olds stripped on the club’s grounds. There are 11 acceptors and 11 owners, Messrs H. I*. Donnelly, K. J. Watt, and T. 11. Lowry being represented with two each. Apprentice, Hold Seal, Lyonesso, Madrigal, and Balnety have yet to make their public appearance, while the others have been seen out in tho Hastings Stakes and .hivenile Handicap. ( shall expect to see Kland, Kingman, Rajah, and Liquefy run more forward than at Hastings, while Hold L'ursu ran auch a sterling race at Hastings that he must he accounted dangerous even with S.;> up. The race is very open, hut to make a selection 1 shall decide in favor of Id and and Geld Purse. There are seven competitors for the Park States 1 Irndicap, i >kouri heading the

Park States llrndicap, Okoari heading the list with ‘.Uk but us she won tho King Edward Handicap and Final Handicap so easily she must be classed as very danger-

mis. The stulili' h;is taken out Battleaxe, who was only just beaten by Palaver in tin* Spring Handicap with 9.5 on Ills luiek. Cure bus a nice weight at 7.ln’ Perfection ran two excellent seconds at Hastings. Sirius lias Mb more to carry than in the Spring Handicap, when he ran a dead-heat to Battleaxe tor second place. 1 look to Perfection and Sirius to till the first and second places.

The Spring Welter Handicap should result in a good race, and of the nine engaged, 1 like the chances of Warwick and l- irst Blood.

In the Hurdles there are seven engaged. Sylvaims should about win, with Scallywag as his nearest httendant. The Hack Handicap should he won by Assurer, with Mougouui and Oneas close up. The Railway Handicap is me last race of the day, and this will depend in a great measure upon the previous events. Okoari and Jabber are the best of those engaged, and they way probably finish in that order.

AUSTRAPIAX RAC IXG

By Telegraph -Press Association—Copyright

Melbourne, Oct. 15.

Ban Frau covered ten furlongs in 2.21 ; Hautvilliers did slow work, as also did Ibex, Vocalist, and Keck Gun. Australian Colors ran half-a tnilo in 0.55 : Haymaker and Ga.elie did six furlongs in 1.21. Blunderer covered eleven furlongs in 2.36, and Grasspan live furlongs in 1.95. Patronius ran hnlf-a-niile in 0.53. All the money at 9 to 2 against W skein! has been taken for the Caulfield Cup, after which, he hardened at -1 to 1. Ilymenus was well supported at S to 1. Bonnie duel has been backed to win XJOOO, and is now at 12 to 1. Other quotations are : 10 to 1 Grasspan, 14 to 1 George Frederick, 20 to 1 Flagship, Coinhat, 1 lock Gun.

Melbourne Cup quotations : Australian Colors ami Haymaker are equal favorites at 11 to 1 ;' 12 to 1 is offered about Wakeful, 20 to 1 Hautvilliers. I'erby : 2 to t Hautvilliers. 3 to 1 Grasspan. 4 to 1 Ibex. 5 to 1 Haymaker.