Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 121, 25 October 1902, Page 25

Turf To pics.

By 'Krect-Card.

The weather was beautiful for the spring fixture of the Napier Park Racing Club, and there was a large attendance. The racing was good, and the winners well concealed. The first contest, for the Napier Stakes, for two and three year olds, resulted in the victory of the Auckland filly Kamo, a satble companion of Sans Peur, and a fullisisteir to Porirua. The Mystical geldmg, Eclair, proved liua efficiency as a jumper, by appropriating both the Hack and Open Hurdles on the first day and the big "leppmg' contest on the second day. The opposition was not very strong, certainly, hut he was credited with cutting out the mile and three-quarters in 3nun 22 2-oth sec which is fairly good going. Eight horses contested the County Hack, run over seven furlongs, for -which Hydrant was a slightly better favourite than Lissa. The latter secured the verdict by a nose, after a splendid finish with Waimoe and Shackle, in the good time of lman 32 2-sthseo. Orloff Mr. Stead's representative, was backed for the Napier Stakes, as if the race was all over bar shouting. But, once again his backers fell in, for he took no part in the finish. Victory Tested with Kamo, who led all the way, and won by a length. Mr. Richardson's representative, Gold Seal, who won the Maiden at Otaki was second, and Opiamist third. The winner paid £5 15s and cut out the distance in lmin 4sec. The Park Stakes brought out a field of eisrht starters. Convoy was most in favour with the public, bat Fakir, Meniira, and Fleka were also well stupport•ed. The latter annexed the stake in the excellent time of 2min 11 2-sthsec, and paid a dividend of £5 10s. The New Zealand Cup candidate Fakir was second, and Menura third. Sirius, another Cup candidate, made a very ingloriousi display, and his chance of suc•oeedang in the big event in November next is a very remote one. Oingo repeated bis Hawke's Bay performance in the Spring Welter, run over seven furlongs and, as he beat a fairly large field, the son of Torpedo must ble fast regaining form. He was followed home b^ Murmur and Inspan. The favourite Reclaimer was amongst the unplaced division. The winner paid £5 Bs, -and backers of Murmur received £3 6s second money. The Hon. J. D. Ormond had a winning representative in Witchet, by Sir Lauincelot— - Elflock, in the Ahuriri Hack. Rajah was made a slightly better favourite than Pantomime, with Muralo next in demand. The winner was always in front, and, as she got got over the five furlongs in lmin 3 2-stihsec, she is gifted with a good bit of pace. The Railway Handicap was contested by a field of nine, for which backers pinned their faith to Westguard. Their confidence was not misplaced, for tihe eon of Vanguard had no difficulty in wearing down the opposition when the business end of the journey was reached. The winner was followed home by Meta Macarthy and Camelot. Reclaimer again disappointed his admirers, but, doubtless, he will do better later on in the season. The first of The Officer's colts to race was successful in the Two-year-old Handicap, on the second day. This was Bandmaster, who beat Can tain Kettle by a length, after leading all the way. For the Racing Olub Handicap, run over a mile and a distance, a field of seven tried conclusions. la was made favourite, but she was closely followed in the public estimation by Convoy and Fakir. Thei winner turned uo in the Apremonit mare Meta Macarthy who went to tihe front at the start, and remained there to the finish. That her success was not anticipated is shown by the dividend returned £10 2s. Ijast season Meta Macarthy snorted silk on six occasions, but was unsuccessful every time. This marked her second appearance in public this season, and, as she had gained a first and a second, there is strong indications that she wall make some amends for her last season's inglorious displays. The Carbine mare, Mongonui, showed altogether different form in her two engagements on tihe second day to that given in her previous essays at the meeting. After running a dead-heat

with Rajah in the Caledonian Handicap, she came out in the Grandstand Handicap, run ever seven furlongs, and succeeded in beating Reclaimer, Hinetiaura, and five others by a neck in the fast tame of lmin 29 4-sthseo, and paid a dividend of £8 s. Mr. E. J. Watt's filly, Good Intent, by Oantain Webb — Bonnie Idee, succeeded in defeating a large field in the Telephone Hack. The race resolved itself into a duel between Good Intent and Witchet and the former, lasting the longer, won an exciting race by a length, in the good time of Imm 3 2-sthseo. ♦ * • The Cuirassier gelding Halberdier, v, ho recently claimed some attention for the New Zealand Cup and subsequently got on the winning list at Wanganui, whene he performed creditably, was picked up bv Mr. Bennett as a threey ear-old for something like. £30. Hal beirdier was bred by the well-known Auckland sportsmen, Messrs Dudeir Bros., who were under the impression thaifc he would prove untrainable, as he had a very suspicious-looking foreleg, and let nun go at the small figure mentioned. The West Coast hotelkeeper, however gave his nurchase every chance to get sound before racing him, and last yeiar the gelding won him £600 in stakes, and has- now increased his winnings by adding the 250sovs attached to the Wangianui Stakes, so that his owner has been well remaid for his outlay « ♦ » The Caulfield Cup is aver for another year, and once acr&in has this race been won by an outsider. Since the inauguration of this event, only once has the actual favourite succeeded in landing the stake. In last Saturday's race, Flagship was a slightly better favourite than! Air Motor with Kilt next m demand. The winner turned up in Lieutenant Bill, who started at the remunerative price of 100 to 3. Air Motor was the first to get away, but after a furlong Oardeaias rushed up and took the inside running, in company with Air Motor. This* pair led to half-a-mile from home, with Footbolt and Omrah close up. At this point Progredior went by, and led to the turn, two lengths in front of Air Motor, with Cardenas and Flagship showing strongly . At the distance Progredior retired. Lieutenant Bill came on the outside with Flagship, and, going very strongly, won by threequarters of a length, the same distance between seoomd and third. The winner out out the mile and ahalf in. 2min 36sec, and. as he is engaged in the Melbourne Cup, his success on Saturday carries 1 with it a 101b penalty, making: his weight in the latter event Bst 21b. • • • Dundonald a four-year-old son of Carbine and Lady Kendal, won the Duke of York Stakes on October 13tih. During the past six years, the sons and daughters of the defunct Lochiel accounted for some 730 races in Australia.. The New Zealand-bred steeplechaser, Kjamate, fell while contesting the Wyuna Steeplechase, on the concluding day of the V.A.T.C. meeting. Wakeful, who is so greatly fancied for the Melbourne Cup, has carried silk twenty-four times. She has won fifteen races, ran second five times, third twice, and unplaced twice. Up to the 23rd of August, Carbine had twelve winning representatives this season on the English turf, who captured twenty-eight races between them of a total value of £16,523 15s. The New Zealand-bred Crusado, ridden by D. Allan, won the Steeplechase at the Ballarat Miners' Turf Club meeting on September 26th. The Cruiser gelding started an odds-on favourite. Three New Zealand Cup candidates, im Pampero, Vladimar and Sarchedon, won races on the second day of the Dunedin Jookev Club's spring meeting, while another competitor in Canteen was successful on the opening day. At Hurst Park, England, on August 24th, Fowling Piece, a son of Carbine, who has won five races) this season, won the Hurst Park Lennox Plate, of 1725 soivs, one mile and a-half, from eight others, in 2miiL 42 3-sthseo, with 9st 111b in the saddle. The Carbine colt Wargrave won the Great Ebor Plate, of 900 soys, one mile and three-quarters, at York, on August 27th. from sixteen others, in the sensational time of 3mins l-2-sthsec. The world's record stands at 2min 58£ sec, put up at Morris Park, America, in 1900. Khaki holds the Australian record, at 3min 2sec. Behind Wargrave in the Great Ebor was Seahorse, who finished at the tail end of the field. The fact that the ring-man who so hastily backed the English horse Simile for the Caulfield Cup, and thus fell in when he was scratched on the 3rd instant, recalls to mind another bookmaker who also fell in in a similar man-

ner. During the early winter of 1889, a then-prominent bookmaker, since deceased, took all the money he could obtain about the "two Dreadnoughts" for the Derby and Cup. 'The colt's owner, the late Hon. James White, upset this little scheme for filtering out the money to the public at a profit by not entering Dreadnought for the Cup, and evervoae gladly — except the "too previous" bookie— anplauded him for his action.

Backers of Mr. C. L. Macdonalds fixer, Wakeful, recedvel a rude shock to their feelings at Flemington recently, when, the black mare, starting at 9 to 2 on, was beaten easily in the October Stakes bv the Derby colt Strata Florida. It is evident that the latter must have been. sbx>rt of work when he was beatetni in the A.J.O. Derby, and, on his latest showing, he will be very troublesome to Abundance im the coming V.R.C. Derby.