TURF TOPICS.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 160, 25 July 1903, Page 23

TURF TOPICS.

By 'Krect-Card.

The winter meeting of the Wellington Racing Club, held last Thursday and Saturday, was unfortunately attended by disagreeable weather. Ihe course was very heavy, and this was the moans of upsetting many calculations. The fields were fairly large, considering the dearth of jumpers, but what was lacking in quantity was made up in quality. Good dividends ruled throughout, only three actual favourites for the two days being successful. For the second day, the weaitlw was fine overhead, but the lawn and saddling paddock were muddy to an uncomfortable degree. Speculation was brisk, the sum of £18,194 being handled, which is £37 more than was put through the machines last year. The arrangements in connection with the meeting were in the hands of Mr. J. v ■ Clarke, which was a sufficient guarantee that nothing would be left undone to make the meeting a success. On the opening day the Stewards' Handicap was won by the Porirua representative, Ostiak, who appears to have regained his form, for he simply made hacks of his opponents. The son of Stepniak fairly revelled in the mud and won hard held from the Auckland mare, St. Olga. Last year the latter annexed the stake, but this time the heavy going seemed to hamper her. Goldspur ran a good race, but failed to come on at the finish, and I think the best has been seen of the old fellow. Mr. R. Knox, who usually brings down from the Wairarapa something pretty pure for the hack races at the Hutt, was to the for© again this year, has representative. Royal Blue, by Merrie England— One Eye, winning by a length from the Porirua representative, Position. The latter is Austral-ian-bred, and was last successful at Otaki. Mr. E. J. Watt's representative, Roseshoot, did not relish the going, and finished last but one. Mr. J. Freeth very nearly effected a sunwise, his mare. Lady Field, running third. Had she been successful, a dividend of £20 would have attended her victory. The Wellington Steeplechase went to the Auckland province, by the aid of Nor'- west, who was also successful in 1898. The aged son of Sou'-w ester looked fitter than any of his opponents, and his success was well received. Last year's winner, Gobo, fell early in the race, and Sultana. — another dangerous opponent — did likewise. What might have proved an excellent finish was robbed of a good deal of interest, when The Gryphon ran off. This left Nor'-west to canter in alone, the rest of his opponents having tailed off in the rear. The big flat race of the meeting — the Parliamentary Handicap — proved the best of good things for Mr. Smart's gelding, Shrapnel Shell. From the rise of the barrier, he went to the

fiont, and stayed there to the finish, nothing else being able to get near him. The Son of a Gun gelding has been a profitable horse for his connections, as he seems to be able to win, notwithstanding how stiong the onnosition, in haid or soft going. He is trained by F. Hi-rgctt, and his condition speaks volumes* in favour of that mentor. Both Ostiak and St. Olga were pulled out to contest this event, but the first race knocked all the go out of the former, while the latter ran well into second place. Sanfoin, looking very well finished third, and will be°worth watching ii the near future. A big surprise was in store for backers of the favourite, Kaiteic, in the Hunters' Steeplechase. The Auckland repiesentative was backed down to 2 to 1, but he could get no nearer than third. The wanner turned up in the ancient Kaloo, who used to be known as a sprinter a season or two back. He jumps all right, and bis pace on the flat was too much for the opposition. Another outsider, in King Lear, occupied second plaoe. On the second day, Kaitere reversed positions with the' w inner, but I think the latter was kept too far back, and did not make his run soon enough. Another runaway victory was w ltnessed in the Winter Hurdles. The Canterbury lepresentative, Slow Tom, went to the front at the start, and never allowed anything to get near him. On the second day, the additional weierht told a, tale, and he finished among the ruck. The winner turned up in Boko a.Wairarapa representative, who paid the laree dividend of £24 16s fid in a field of ten. Last season tins race was won by Osborne, and his victory was attended bv a dividend of £34 odd. Strange to say, both Osborne and Boko were No. 10 on the card, and not a few participated in Boko's dividend on Saturday on that account. When running in the Hurdles on Saturday, Rags lost his rider early in the race, but he kept on his way. All the way round the back he was lying third. Rounding the bend for home, he made his run, and, amid tremendous cheering, passed the post tw o lengths in front of the ultimate winner. Strange to say he galloped the usual distance after the -judge's box is passed, and then pulled up, turned round, and commenced to w alk back to w eigh m. G. Walls, his rider, unfortunately broke his collarbone when he fell off. That speed- gelding, Repulse, credited the Hon. J. D. Ormond with his first win in the Te Aro Hack, for which Clovelly found most support. On the second day, Repulse had to strike his colours to Maituku, Mr. Patersons Gold Reef filly. The same thing occuned at Palmesrston North, when these tw r o met in the autumn. On the first day. Repulse won, but he had to go down before his opponent on the second day. Old Goldspur found most support for the Onslow Handicap, but he could not pace it with Platypus, the Merrie England — Sea.] mare, trained by R. Knox, who went to the front at the rise of the barrier, and was never afterwards headed. Ostiak was raised 111b for his first day's success, and he ran into second place while the consistent place-getter, St. Olga, was third. Mr. J. O'Dnscoll's Commonwealth, udden by Fred. Davis, effected a surpi lse in the Trial Plate by defeating a field of sixteen. The winner is very fashionably bred, being by St. Leger, out of C'antmiere and ought, on those lines-, to be capable of something better than hack company. His ow ner supported the gelding to the extent of

a fher, and Fred. Davis, his rider, had his riding fee on him, and, a® the dividend was £24 17s 6d, they oueht to feel pleased with themselves. Another veteran in Straybird earned off the July Steeplechase, after a good set-to with The Gryphon. Scallywag carried the bulk of the money, but backers did not have much of a ran, for the Turquoise gelding toppled over at the second fence. Sultana also fell, and tins left only three contestants. Pipi was jumping very slovenly, and he was a lone 1 way in the rear when the home stretch was reached. Here Straybird w ent to the front, and finished four lengths ahead of The Gryphon. Two years ago Wanderer's son won the same race, and last year he occupied second place to Plain Bill. His latest success was obtained at Gisborne, where he annexed the big; Steeplechase from a very w r eak field. * ■* # Siege Gun has been awarded Bst 91b in. the Caulfield Chip, and Bst 61b in the Melbourne Cup. If the son of Hotchkiss can be landed at the post fit and well he should have a say in the settlement of the former, but I fancy the distance of the latter will be beyond him. True he won the Auckland Cup over two miles, but it was a slowrun race, and the opposition was distinctly weak. * * * The following special cablei from Paris to the New York "World" gives some interesting particulars) of the exNew Zealander Record Reign — "His Highness the Maharajah of Partiala's entry Record Reign 11. will be the most interesting horse contesting the Grand Steeplechase at Auteuil to-moi-iow. The horse was brought from India, and has won the two races he was entered in. Pie is the most carefully watched horse m France. Whiteturbaned Sikhs guard him constantly, two sleeping in his stall. The Maharajah is a native Indian prince, with a revenue of 2,000,000 dollars a year." Record Reign started second favourite for the big steeplechase. He. was carried off by another horse soon after the start, and fell, owing to colliding with a flag-post. The curtain was rung down on this season's racing at the conclusion of the Wellington meeting. The Grand National meeting, at Riccarton next month, sets the ball rolling for the 1903-1904 season. In the course of a letter on the New Zealand racehorse, in the "Press " Mr. G. G. Stead publishes a most interesting table setting forth the number of times certain horses have started in this colony. The horses at the head of the list aie — Daphne 180, Vandyke 169, Belligerent 126, Wilson 125, Mongonui 119, Haria 118, Skirmisher 117, First Shot 115, Sedgebrook 110, Whitnea 107, Hotu 107, Derrmgcotte 105, Admual Hawke 101, Indian Shot 100. Mr. Stead is of opinion that Daphne's lecoid of 180 races is unparalleled in the history of racing.