SPORTING MEMS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 88, 13 April 1875, Page 2

SPORTING MEMS.

If the present lovely weather—Nelson's " second summer "—continues over Thursday next, we may expect to see a large gathering on the Wakefield course on that day. Notwithstanding the reduced stake, there is promise of a capital field in the steeplechase — no less than ten horses having entered for it< while six of the number, and one other, have qualified for the hurdle race. Although the names of the.*e horses have already appeared in the Mail, we give them again : — Waimea. South Stakes, of 40 soys, over about two miles of fair hunting ground. Thrte year oldfc, 9at; four year old*; lost; five year olds, lOstlOlbs; six and aged^ list. Mr James Hagan ns b g Kildare, aged „ Green's eh g Sprightly, aged „ H. Warren's bk m Heiress, aged „ J. W. Piimmtr's bk g Sea King, aged „ Jamea Robertson's b g Cloud „ George Newman ns bk g Nigger, 5 yra „ J. fciggtlltow's eh g Sultan, aged „ 3?. K. Rives' bk g ASbat,' aged „ M'lvor'a br g Tommy Dodd, aged „ C. A. Watts' eh g Don Juan, late Wouldn't-you like-to-know, 5 yrs Six of the above are old acquaintances, namely, Sprightly, Heiress, Sea King, Sultan, Tommy Dodd, and Don Juan; but of the ; others we know nothing, so that the raca looks very open. There are chances in a steeplechase for inferior horses not offered in flat racing, otherwise we would say some of the animals on which money has been pai I must have been entered for sport, and not with any expectation of " winning. As the meeting was hHstily got tip> it is probable that none of the animals : will be in very fit condition, except Tommy Dodd, who has been lacing all the season, and if his work on the West Coast has not been too much for him, and he lands all right, the Wairau gelding will be hard to heat. It is said that although good nt hurdles he is of less account across country, but his superior con :i'ion will give him an immense advantage. The next horse likely to get a place is Don Juan (late Wouldn't-you-like-to-know. We are glad this abominable name has been changed.) Wi.en he ran second to Rustic in the Nelson Steeplechase last year, in no condition, he showed himself an animal of considerable promise, and if he go?s to the post at Wakefield better prepared he will have a good chance of taking the race. There is likely, we hear, to he an objection to the Lon's running, on the ground of late entry. The conditions were, that entries should be made to the Secretiry on the Ist instant, or bear the post mark of that day.- The entry of the horse was posted at Blenheim on the day named, but alter post hour?, so the letter remained in the office unstamped until the following morning. The stewards, after satisfying themselves that the letter covering the entry was really posted on the proper day, have resolved to allow the horse to run, and by the Grand National rules, under which steeplechases are run, " the decision of the fetewards is final, and there is no appeal whatever." It would certainly have bet n a pity to see Mr Watt's horse disqualified, for he seems to us likely to bo Tommy Dodd'a most formidable opponent. As we are quite in the dark regarding the condition of the horses likely to start, save Tommy Dodd, and we not speculate further on the probable result of the race, but will pass on to the Hurdle Race, of 20 soys; one mile and a half, over eight flights of hurdle?. Weight for age. Entrances, 2 soys eauh. Mr James Hagan ns b % Kildare, aged „ IT. Warren's bk m Heiress, aged „ J. W. Trimmer's bk g Sea King, aged „ James Robertson's b g Cloud, aged „ ~E. H. BlundelPs br h Don Juan, 4 yrs „ J Siggelkow's eh g Sultan, aged „ M v lvor's br g Tommy Dodd, aged „ C. A. Wntts' eh g Don Juan, late Wouldn't you-like-to-know, 5 yrs For the Hurdle Race, Mr M'lvor's gelding will certainly be a formidable antagonist, as he jumps well and has a good turn of speed, i-.nd is quite at home over timber. We look in vain among the animals he will meet for one that can bsat him. Kildare, it iB aflid, has run well at the Buller, and may bo a good horse ; Heiress haa not the requisite loot; nor has Sea King from whnt we have seen ot hrn; Cloud we JknoW nothing of; Don Juan (Mr Blunder's; has breeding, being by Diotnedes out of Swtep, by Sir Hercules, but he wns badly reared, and was last season at the stud, si can scarcely be in racing condition, even if educated to jump; Doa Juan (Mr Watts') showed good speed last year, an 1, being a young horse, is not so liktly to have grown stale as some of the others, and he may mike it hot for Tommy. But the pnof of the pudding will be in the eating, and we have little to help us to form an opinion. The sporting contributor to the Otsgo Guardian, who suns " Jacket," writing on the races, came to pretty much the fame conclusion respecting the horees in the late Dune- [ din raaeiiup, a 9 was g.ven by us iv a recent ! '"Mem." Speaking of Templeton, he cays, " 1 cannot see in this horse the wonder thit some folks would make him out to be. Taking all his performances throughout the meeting he has dono nothing to samp him as iirstclass for he met a vtry moderate lot of horfe* in the races he won except two or three, and they were so much out of form that it was a shame to ask them t? race, while he was in the very pink of condition " The Otago Jockey Club are determined to put down nil foul prac'ices at their meetings. M'Kay, who roi^e Medora in the steeplechase, which it is believed he intentionally loit, is disqualify d from ever riding again on any course vhwie the Otago Jockey Club rules are in fore/. " No horse his property, or trained by him, or in any way under his care or management," will be permitted to run. This resolution h«s beea endorsed by the Canterbury Club There appears to he suspicion that oth.r hors(s at the Duuodiu meeting were " Equared," but the evidence was not sufficient to biing the matter home. The same writer, like ourselves, takes exception to the weights in the Canterbury " Great Autumn Handicap," to be run on the 24th inst. He thinks the top weights quite out of the race, " unless all ttie hordes below them are broken down or not going en thtir merits." We cordially agree with what he says of handicapping according to condition: — " I fail to see what a handicapper has to do with condition That is a matter for the owner or trainer to Icok after. It is the owners' look out that the hoises are fit and well on the day of the races — not the hamKcapper'e." We ought in a few days to learn the result of the first of the great three-year-old races of the English season — the Two Thousand Guineas, beveral of theprincipal two-year-old performers of last year, and who are in the Derby, have not been entered for the Tv o Thousand, which will rob that race of much of its intetest. Notably, in the absent Us , are Galopin, and Holy Friar — Ihe two leading Derby favorites— the dam of the latter colt is sister to the dam of: Apology, who won the Oaks and leger last year, mid, )ik« the filly, bred and owned by the old Lincolnshiio psrgon, who, when called upon lubs year by h s bishops to give up his *p->it, preferred givii g up his rich church preferment. The wiumr of the Powley Milo may be looked for amorg Craig Millar, Balfc, Cambello, Claremonc, Dreadnought, Gartcrly Bell, Itotherill, or Telescope: but the last named and Cambello are taken for choice.