Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 272, 16 September 1905, Page 21

Turf Topics.

By the 'Old 'Un."

THE racing season 1905-1906 was opened' by the Marton Jockey Club oai the 6th. The weather was fine, and the fields good, and a successful meeting eventuated. Local owners were not strongly represented, and Wellington's record was a win for Truce in the Trial Stakes and a couple of seconds with Tupona and Tekanm in the sprint events. Truce and Tupona are a pair of filhes that were, with three others, imported from Sydney by Mr. L. de J^eliohet, and sold as yearlings some eighteen months ago .a the Palmer&ton North annual horse fair. Mr A. Mitchell secured Truce, by Graftoi£-Wa-wine, for 150 guineas, and Mr. R. WPaterson purchased Tupona, by Medallion—Patrae, for 180 guineas. The pair show plenty of quality and an their recent efforts at Marton demonr stnuted that they are possessed of plenty of pace. When properly seasonedi, they should more than pay their way. The four-year-old mare, Bed Cross, by Son-of-a-Gun — Oaritas. °aptu*ed a double on the second day of the Marton meeting. Red Cross ran third in the Te Aro Hack Handicap, at the Wellington winter meeting, defeating a lairje field of good horses, including Jolly Friar, Fontenoy, Captain Shannon, and others. It is surprasmg, therefore, to find her allowed to pay such dividends as £12 11s and £8 16s. Red Cross's poor form in the mai Stakes on the first day of the meeting is probably responsible for baokeirs gettine so fax astray. Truce, tihe wunner of the Trial Handicap, had apparently no chance against Red Cross in the Electric Handicap on the second day, the pair carrying nearly similar imposts on both occasions. The Wellington Racing Club, who, it will be remembered, applied to the Racinig Conference for permission to open their spring meeting on a holiday (Labour Day), are to have a holiday tor their meeting after all. Trafalgar Day -centenary celebrations will take place on Friday, 20th October, and the Wellington Racing Club committee have decided to avail themselves of that date for 1 the first day of their meeting. This will suit holiday-makers with sporting proclivities, and the club should be favoured with a capital attendance for the opening day of their final meeting on the Hutt Park racecourse. The- weights for the Rangitakei meeting are to hand. Should the following continue their engagements they will be worth watching: — Flying Handicap, six furlongs. — Jolly Fnar, Kudu, Wet Reef. Hack Hurdle Race, one and a-half miles. — Wild! Cat, Catspaw, Repulse. WiMoWbank Hack Handicap, sax furlongs. — Tupona, Te Kanud, Truce. Rangitikei Steeplechase, two and three-quarter miles. — Playfair, Wi Waka, Jaok-o'-Lantern. Spring Handicap, one mile and a distance. — Ngatarua, St. Joe, Whakawehi. Rangitoto Hack' Handicap, one mile. — Sir Percival, Barca, Kuroki. The Avondale spring meeting opens to-day (Saturday), and my selections are as under : — Avondale Cup. — Apologue or Lycia. Flying Handicap. — Lady Annie or Gladstone. Steeplechase. — Major or Linguard. • • ♦ The invasion of the New Zealand horses into New South Wales has been attended with glorious results. The Canterbury sportsman, Mr. Geo. G. Stead sent a select team of four to do battle for him, and, although oml- the first two days of the meeting are over at the time of writing!, his horses have each won a race, including that covets ed prize, the A.J.C. Derby. Nootuiform's performance, if tlhe time of the race cabled is correct, stamps him as a veritable record smasher, as, making all due allowance for the track being in splendid condition for fast time making, 4£seo better than the previous record is an unheard-of performance. Sungod in running second to Noctuiform in such fast time, and subsequently cantering home in the New Stakes, demonstrates that he is equal, if not superior, to any previous three-year-old seen on the track in Australia.

Isolt by Multiform — Bellicent, appears to have made hacks of the large field opposed to her in the Spring Maiden Stakes, which race she won, by half-a-dozen .Lengths in 2mm 9*see tar the one and a-quarter miles. Nightfall, who, on the opening day of the meeting, succumbed to Emur and Gladsome in the Spring Stakes, at weight-for-age, madle amends by carrying Bst 131 band beating a field) or niteen horses in the Squatters' Handicap, one and a^quarter miles. Her victory was a narrow one, as our did acquaintance, Canteen, was only a bare head behind Mr. Stead's mare. The latter ran his best pace since bis arrival in Australia. Maniapoto, about whose movements New Zealanders were most concerned, demonstrated, by easily annexing the Metropolitan Handicap in record time, that his connections made no mistake when they claimed- that the Soult horse was something out of the common. Prior to his departure, Mr. Prosser was satisfied that there was ample justification for assuming that the Epsom Handicap was within his reach, and his connections made no secret of the fact and sporting residents of Wellington alone would have benefited many thousands of pounds had Maniapoto run up to his Metropolitan form in- the Epsom Handicap. Of course, until full particulars are to hdind 1 , Maniapoto s Epsom Handicap performance will remiain a mystery, and conjecture is mere waste of time, further than, to say that it has again been demonstrated that horses are not mere machines that may be exr>eeted to perform each day alike. Those who supported Maniapoto for the Epsom Handicap were fully justified, after his miserable performance, in leaving him severely alone for the Metropolitan. The Randwick touts and Sydney sporting public who witnessed Maniapoto run in th© Epsom were evidently of the opinion that his form in that event was his best, as witness the price he was allowed to start at, vie., 20 to 1. It is a matter for sincere regret that his connections and admirers had such kttle justification for supporting the New Zealander in the Metropolitan. Indeed,* it appeared quite, illogical to credit a horse that failed to see a mile race out with stamina sufficient to carry him through such a trying race as the Metropolitan Handicap, the distance of which was one and a-half miles, and the time an Australasian record. Machine Gun has proved a cheap purchase for his new owner. Mr. Stead's cast-off ran a capital race in the Epsom, although not credited! with being an out-and-out miler. We are in the dairk as to tihe weight he carried in the Shorts, but it must have been over list, and his victory proves Mm a veritable champion over a six-furlong course. On the strength of a telegram from Sydney, a number of local backers supported Machine Gun, and his starting price, 8 to 1, was a most agreeable surprise to them. The Auckland-owned steeplechaser, Haydn, was also well supported for the first Steeplechase, but he does not appear to have been prominent durimg the race, and followed the three other New Zealand-bred ones, Sniltana, Dingo and TJp-to-dlate, past the judge's box. Taken as a whole, the performances of the New Zealand-bred horses must have been a revelation to Sydmeyites. Eleven horses bred in this colony started on the second day, and our representatives not only captured every race on the programme, but, with one exception, were undefeated by the Austral-ian-bred horses during the day. Grand Rapids, who failed to run prominently in the Metropolitan, was th© only New Zealand-bred one who struck his colours to his Australian rivals.

The wise astronomer foretells The date of each eclipse, The racing man at fingers' ends Has all the latest tips. But we can vouch a fact more true — Can give a tip more sure — If you would of a cold be rid Take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.

RIN