SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4591, 7 December 1875, Page 2

SPORTING NOTES.

m j Tipster). To-day being the first day of the Wellington Annual Race Meeting, I shall try and see if I can pick the probable winners of the first day’s 1 m mff ’~ i C ° c UrSe l V6ry one is a ™re that although a turf prophet may fail to pick one winner m both days’ racing, it does not follow that he knows nothing about it, for you must take into consideration the different difficulties he has to contend against, such as scratchings, caused, say, by one owner having two horses engaged in the same event. Another difficulty is caused by the doubt as to whether every horse engaged in the race will run, as it is called in turf language, on the square. Of course I do not for one moment wish to infer that such will he the case at this meeting, for I have no hesitation in saying that when we see stables represented by such men as Messrs. Redwood, Delamaine, Campbell, and Walker these names in themselves are sufficient guarantee to the public that all the events wifi be nm on the merits of the horses, and that the best horse will win. The Maiden Plate, 1J miles, will be the opening event on the first day, and I absll expect to see the whole of the six that are entered face the starter, and, as they will all represent different owners, I shall expect to see a very good and fast race. Pungawerewere, at the last Canterbury Meeting, was looked upon as something above the common by those who were in the stable ; but, like her dam, she greatly disappointed her backers, and ran as great a cur as ever looked through bridle. The stable say she was out of sorts, so she has got another chance to win back the name she has lost as being a flyer. She is a good-sized mare, with plenty of quality, and good-looking enough to win an English Derby. Cocksure, 3 yr. old, has never started as a‘ 3-year old, but that he is a right down good one I feel certain. However, in Canterbury, he went dead amiss, and his owner very wisely scratched him for all his engagements for that meeting, and whatever beats him will win the Maiden, for I, think he will run first or second. If he was what I might call in tiptop form I should look no further for the winner ; but condition will beat the best of them, and I think there is one who will strip very pink to-day, and that is Tattler, a rare mover, and as grandly a bred youngster as the most fastidious could wish, for his mother was one of the right sort, and gave the Nelaonites a taste of her quality when she ran at their meeting some years ago. He ran a good horse at the late Christchurch meeting, a long way short of condition, when he had to retire in favor of Korari, but I feel quite sure that were the two to meet to-day Mr. Redwood's flyer would have to move himself a bit faster if he wished to hold the good reputation he has earned for himself, so that I shall pick Tattler as my champion for the Maiden ; Banker is a nice useful little horse, but I think he will find Cocksure and Tattler too good quality for him; although he is well enough bred, still his sire was a long way off what I call first-class. Voltarine I know nothing much about, except that she is by Traducer, and her brother ran such a duffer at the last meeting here that I am afraid she will have to be something very good to remove the stigma he has brought on their family reputation. Rady Grey I know nothing whatever about, so that I hope she will turn out a flyer for her owner’s sake, and I shall place them as follows: Tattler, 1 ; Cocksure, 2 ; Pungawerewere, 3. The Wellington Cup, the great prize of the meeting, comes next on the card, and out of the twenty odd horses nominated, only seven have paid up, and I suppose about six will face the starter. That does not look well, and there must be something very bad in the handicap that has reduced the field to such a select few ; but what the Cup lacks in. Mm. bers it has in quality, for with four such flyers as Tambourini, Guy Fawkes, Templeton, and Korari it covers a lot of faults, although I think the youngster holds them all safe at the weight except his stable-companion the Fox, so that presuming Mr. Redwood declares to win with Korari, I shall place him at the head of affairs, with Templeton second, and Tambourini third ; or should he declare to win with the conspirator, I shall place them as follows; —Guy Fawkes, 1 ; Korari, 2 ; and Templeton, 3. For the Selling Race, the miserable entry of two horses should, in my opinion, make the stewards next year add another £SO, and turn the race into a mile handicap, and I am sure they would have a dozen face the starter’s flag. With these few remarks, I shall expect to see Castilian, 1 ; FiretaiL 2. The Provincial Plate, to the best of my belief, will be as follows;—Premier, 1 ; Flora McDonald, 2 ; Princess Mary, 3.