HORSES FOR CHAMPION RACE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 85, 30 January 1863, Page 3

HORSES FOR CHAMPION RACE.

No. 2. — Waimea. The subject of our present sketch is a rich diesnut mare, 5 years old, by Sir Hercules, out of Flora M’lvor, and stands 15-2, the property of Henry Redwood, Esq., of Waimea 'West. As a model of equine grace and symmetry, Waimea, in our opinion, is unrivalled by any colonial bred horse that we have ever seen shipped. She has a beautiful, small, and well proportioned head ; fine, clear, full eye ; broad forehead ; well distended nostrils ; small, thoroughbred ears ; in all denoting the excellency of her breeding. Her head is well and neatly attached to a long and tapering neck, springing from a low but very racy forehand, composed of good oblique shoulders, well set back, and promising great speed. She has stong, muscular arms, thighs, and gaskins ; with hocks, however, of a curby appearance. Her back is lengthy but good ; loins apparently rather slack ; good barrel, but not quite as well ribbed as it might be. Her understandings are undeniable —plenty of bone, and as flat as handsaws. Her whole appearance gives one the idea of a lengthy but very racy-looking mare, with a fine, even, sweeping stride, that must cover a large surface of ground. Waimea first made her debut before the public when a two-year old, in 1860, having been taken over to New South Wales by her owner in order to contest tlie second Australian J Champion Race, which was run over Rundwick course, near Sydney in that year. Our heroine did not arrive at her port of disembarkation till but a short time before the even! came off, so that it was impossible to fetch her to the post in tho perfect condition which she required to be in to enable her to compete with any great chance of success among such a field as saddled for the stake. On her landing at Sydney she at once became the observed of all observers ; and her racy looking form, added to the well known excellency of her breeding, immediately made her somewhat of a favorite. Circumstances, however, proved unfavorable to our heroine in more ways than one, on this occasion. Besides being in anything but good condition, tho Rundwick rules necessitated her running as a three year old, their rules dating the age of horses earlier than ours. Added to this, Mr. Redwood was at last obliged to give tho mount to his son, who rode her twelve pounds over weight. It is not a matter of surprise, therefore, that she was unable to get well forward for tho second Australian Champion race of 100 sovs. < a ,-h with 500 sots, added, 3 mile# ; which was won, however, by her own sister Zoo, another New Zealand nomination ; Wildrake being second ; then followed Veno, Deception, Strop, Gratis, Young Morgan, the Don. and our heroine, in the order named ; whilst tho extreme rear was brought up by the favorite Frying Buck and Moss Rose, who pulled up and walked in. Mr. Redwood’s luck seemed decidedly out at this meeting ; for, besides running so badly with the filly, he had the lasting misfortunate to sec his old favourite, Strop, fall down dead, after passing the winning post in the position of fifth. W aimea was not again started in New South M ales, being palpably out of condition, but soon afterwards was re-shipped to Nelson notwithstanding, wo believe, the fact of several tempting oilers being made for her in Sydney. On her return from New South Wales, our heroine was allowed to rusticate for a season ; but was again taken up late tho following year, 1801, and entered for several events in the forthcoming Nelson meeting. Reing out of condition, however, occasioned by suffering in her feet, a complaint common to tho young Sir Hercules’ stock, who generally run better as they get older, she was drawn for all her engagements ; but on recovering somewhat, was treated with a trip to Canterbury in February of the present year for the good of her health, and also, to give the public in that locality a taste of her quality at the ensuing annual race meeting. Here on the first day, she broke the ice and scored her first victory by winning pretty easily the Maiden Plato of 6 sovs. each, with 100 sovs. added ly miles, defeating Market Gardener, , Prunella King of the Gipsies, Moss Rose, True Bill, and Pique ; the time occupied in running the race being pretty good, viz., 2 min. 54 sees. The following day again saw her saddled once more to prove victorious in the Criterion Stakes of 3 sovs. each with 30 sovs. added, miles, which she won alter a good race, defeating in 3 min. Deception and King of the Gipsies. The third day of tho meeting, however, was not a propitious ono for our heroine; for in the Metropolitan Plato, » handicap of 50 sovs., H miles, she was treated with the inconceivable weight for a four year old of 10 st., being 3 lbs. heavier than anything else carried in the race ; the consequence being that when George Cults saw that it was an impossibility to win under this infliction of v.ci-'h.t he very wisely pulled her off. Th esc- four performances show the K only’events that \Vaimea has yet contested, and on each occasion she was anything but fit; so that whatever her owner may know concerning her racing capabilities the public are as yet quite in the dark. We hear, however, from good' authority, that Waimea, is now to use an old plagiarism, ‘as lit as a fiddle and that late trials have proved that she is both able to carry weight and also to stay a distance. Granting such to be the case, and no accident happen, winch ‘the fates forbid,’ we shall fully expect to see Waimea occupy a very prominent position in tho betting ere the time comes round for tho great race to be run ; and wc shall also expect to see, should all three bo,in condition such a finish between old Ultima, Mormon, and Waimea as will form a bright page in tho New Zealand racing calendar for many years to eomo. —Nelson Colonist.