Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 264, 22 July 1905, Page 21

Turf Topics.

By the "Old 'Un."

THE Wellington winter steeplechase meetang opened in splendid) weather. The executive of the club made a big effort to render the meeting a success. The race ball was a happy idea, many visitors to Wellington attending the races who might not have done so but for the ball. Athough the class of horses competing an the various races were not highclass, the racing on, some of the events was interesting. Kaitere, in repeating his last year's performance, proved that he is a long way the best steeplechase hor&e out this season. He fences cleaair]y, and' from the way he cut down Waitarere at the business end) of the steeplechase he is evidently possessed of plenty of pace and staying power. Waitarere, in the pink of condition, was well handled by Percy Johnson, and was fairly beaten. The veteran Norwest was. niddem in a most disappointing manner, being allowed to lose a lot of ground early in the race, WiMcih his rider made no apparent effort to pick up. Phaetonitis is a useful out of a horse, but appeared) short of oondiiition for a task of the description he was en>gaged in, and by Grand National d)ay should strip a much fitter horse. The Stewards' Handicap was voted on all sides the be^t of good tibangs for the Hawke's Bay horse, Wet Reef, some of whose best performances the handioapper appeared to have overlooked. The result was an easy victory for the son. of Gold Reef. Asteroid was also picked out as too leniently treated, ana only over-confidence on the part of her ridier prevented her scoring in the Parliamentary Handicap. Carmont, tihe rider of the local -owned horse, Shrapnel Shell, undoubtedly caught Asteroid's 1 rider napping at the finish of the race when her victory seemed assured. Shrapnel Shell's victory was very popular with local race-goers, and botih the rider, H. Oarmont, and trainer, Frank Higgot, were heartily cheered when the numbers went up. Mr. W. Smart, Shrapnel Shell's owner, was fully entitled to a win. He is one of those ' who race for sport, and no horse could have performed more consistently than the son of Dudu, who findished third on each of the three occasions he started at Ofcaki last month. The useful gelding Pushful ran a good race in the Winter Hurdles, in wndoh he defeated' Trumpery, Waiwera, Handsome Rose, and other good 1 performers. Something went wrong with Trumpery's gear, and, from occupying second position, she fell back into last place in a few strides. Old Waiwera seemed unable to pace it with his younger and more speedy opponents. Mr. Lowry, the Hawke's Bay sportsman, was out of luck during tihe meeting- His horse, Creusot (who had none the best of the weights), was unfortunate enough to burst a blood-ves-sel during his preliminary canter, and was withdrawn from the Steeplechase. The weights allotted to the same sportsman's horses for the second day's* racing were not to >his liking, and' the whole of them were sent back to Hastings before the conclusion of the meeting. The second day's racing was remarkable for the number of double winners. Four horses repeated their first day's winning performances. In the other two handicaps decided on the second day the first day's winners did not compete. The public, however, unearthed) the winners all the same, and backed them heavily. The Wellington race-goer is a shrewd follower of form, and it takes a clever weight adjuster to conceal the winner on the Huitt racecouense. The starting-price merchants! are reported to have had all the worst of the week's transactions. The Porirua stable had only one representative racing at the Hutt on the seoondi day. This was the two-year-old Perchance, which ran in tihe Trial Plate, a special-weight race. Jenkins was mtxrusted' with the ride, but found the speedy Hawke's Bay filly, Mobility, too good for his mount. Jenkins wound up the meeting and the season by riding the winner of the last race (Jolly Friar), for which he received' an ovation on his return to the weighing enclosure. The veteran steeplechaser. Nor'-west, was heartily cheered) when he returned fco the scales after winning the July Steeplechase. The old fellow is a great favourite with racing folks.

After his opponent Jaok o' Lantern fell, Nor'-west did not have much to beat, but nevertheless he nan much better than on the first day. His English pilot (J. Morris) rodle with better jud(gment, but, although he' won, his style of riding does not commend itself to colonials. • • # The weights for the C.J.C. Grand 1 National meeting have been declared. The handicapper, evidently profiting by the Wellington weight adjuster's experience, has dealt more* leniently wiith tlhe top weights, and the margin in the Winter Cup and! Hurdile Race is two stone. For the former event, Exmoor has been selected as the best horse engaged, but at; least seven or eight of the horses be^ low him have betteir records, and his trainer will probably not feel grateful to the handicapper for his flattering opinion of his ctharge. Cannae duel has 141b less than Mr. Chadwick allotted him in the Parliamentary Handicap, a race a, distance longer, whilst Exmoor has only 41b less, and) Shrapnel Shell 131b added on. Oanr nic Chiel competed (with 1 list. 4lb) in the Winter Oats Handicap at the Hutt, a race the same distance as the Winter Out). If his trainer considered he had a chance with that impost, he must feel pleased now, when he findis his weioiht reduced by 131b. Convoy, at lib below Exmoor, reads really well. Their imposts in the' Easter Handicap were : Convoy Bst 101b, Exmioor 7st 131b. The latter did not start. Exmoor's successes at Auckland! have seemingly highly impressed) weight adjusters, notwithstanding: that he won by a bare head!, and', with the exception of Paoututu and JRJomeO', who were conceding Exmoor eleven and seven pounds respectively, he dlefeaited 1 a very ordinary lot. Golden Knight, for his one performance, has been harshly dealt with m being estimated as equail to Golden Vein, and superior 1 to Ganmi© Chiel, Master Alix, and 1 Wet Beef. The latter has been given a great chance' wihein his past form is looked up>, and considering he ran Veneer to half-a-len^th when conceding him 271b at Hawke's Bay last May, Veneer does not seem nattered w*hen asked to meet Wet Reef at a difference of lib. The half-dozen whose weights cause them to look well in are : Convoy, Pallas, Red Gauntlet, Golden Vein, Cannie Chiel, and, Wet Reef. The three former at their best would be hard to beat. The Grand National Steeplechase Handicap is framed on flattering lines. Kaitere finished so strongly at the Hutt that 71b' extra should not seriously interfere with his prospects of success. I fail to see how Waitarere is to have any chance of defeating him when, only receiving 31b for_ his Wellington defeat. Kaitere had his measure at the end of two and, a-half miles. As the Grand' National is three and a-half miles, the prospects of Waitarere look hopeless. Slow Tom andi Haydn are in their proper place, and Comfort and Phaetonitis could not have expected' less. Oreuisot is estimated a stone worse horse than the Wellington handdcapper judges him. He has been given a chance, and, should he negotiate the country, his pace would' enable him to defeat most of his opponents. The five top weights' and Nor^-west look most likely to furnish the winner, and, all going well, Kaitere should start favourite. For the Grand 1 National Hurdle Race I would suggest Creusot, Trumpery, Comfort, Tupara, and Waiwera. The novices include Romeo, Convoy, and Regulation, and should tihey jump proficiently they are sure to be amongst the leaders at the end of the race.