NORTH OTAGO STEEPLECHASE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5407, 26 July 1878, Page 2

NORTH OTAGO STEEPLECHASE

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Oamaru, Thursday. The annual meeting of the North Otago Steeplechase Club took place to-day. The weather was raw and cold, and the ground heavy. The attendance was moderate. MAIDEN PLATE, Of 40 sovs, with a sweep of one guinea for second horse ; weight for age. Distance, 2 miles. Mr. Osborne’s g g Silverstream (aged) .. .. 1 Mr. Hawkins' g g Billy Button (aged) ... ~ 2 Pakeha (aged), Cronie (6 years), Nelly (4 years), Tommy (aged), and Baron (aged) also started. Betting ; .2 to 1 agst Silverstream and Pakeha, 3 to 1 agst Tommy and Baron, 4 to 1 agst Cronie and Billy Button, Nelly made a good start. The two first jumps were safely negotiated by all the horses, Pakeha leading. On going up to the water jump, all baulked but Silverstream, who flew over it in splendid style. * He then took the next gorse, but at the second water jump baulked; at-the*second attempt-he got over, and from thence did not make a mistake, and cantered in a winner. The other horses all stuck at.the first water jump, but after several attempts Pakeha and Button managed to get over. Pakeha baulked at the second water jump, but Button managed to get over, and took all the other jumps, coming in about a mile behind Silverstream. Pakeha got no further than the' second water jump, while Tommy, Nelly, Cronie, and Baron never got over the first water jump. The race thus proved very tame. The jockeys complained that- owing to the awkward appearance of the water jump the horses were afraid to jump. WAITAKI COUNTY CUP, A handicap of SO sovs, with a sweep of 3 sovs for the second horse. Distance three miles, Mr. Powell’s ch g The Agent, aged, 12st 41b ... 1 Mr, Keith’s b g Stockman, aged, lOst 121 b.. .. 2 Ivanhoe (aged, 12st 71b), Shillelagh (aged, 12st 71bs), Jack (aged, lOst 41b) also started. Betting ; 5 to 4 agst The Agent, 5 to 2 agst Shillelagh, 3 to 1 agst Ivanhoe, 5 to 1 agst Stockman and Jack. Jack took the lead when the flag fell, but baulked at the first fence. All the others got safely over.' Jack also succeeded on the second attempt. The Agent then assumed the lead, Ivanhoe second, Jack third, and Shillelagh fourth. The two next fences were taken in this order. At the* next fence all got over but Shillelagh, who fell, but soon got under way again. On passing the stand The Agent led by eight lengths, Jack second, Ivanhoe third, This .order was maintained to the first water jump, where all refused several times. Ultimately Agent led over, the other horses followings at intervals. At the second water jump all refused. Agent, however, got over at the second time of asking, cantered leisurely on, and took all the jumps in the race. Time after time the other horses were rushed at the second water jump, whip and spur being plied in.no measured way, but in vain. This continued for -twenty minutes. The stewards agreed to allow horses half an hour to get in for the second money. After .twenty-five minutes Stockman at last managed to get over, but some timber on the top of the jump was first removed. Jack followed a minute after these two, and safely negotiated the other jumps. Stockman passed the judge’s box minutes after Agent, and Jack a good third ; Ivanhoe five minutes behind him. Shillelagh returned to the saddling paddock. OAMARU handicap, Of 50 sovs, with a sweep of 3 sovs each for second ‘ horse. Distance, 2£ miles. Mr. Powell’s ch g.The Agent, 12st 121 b.. .. 1 Mr. McKay’s b g Shillelagh, list Gib .. .. ‘2 Mr. Hoskin’s b m Brunette, list 3 Theodore (12st 61b) and Silverstream (list) also started, but 'the latter threw his rider at the third fence. Betting : Even money on Agent, 2 to 1 agst Silverstream, 3 to 1 agst Shillelagh and Theodore, 4 to 1 agst Brunette. In order to make the water-jumps easier, the bluegum rails which topped them were removed by the stewards. The flag fell to an indifferent start, Agent leading, „ Shillelagh second, the rest together three lengths away. This order *vas maintained over all the fences to the first water-jump, where they all baulked. Agent wad first over at the second attempt, Shillelagh second, Brunette third, Theodore struck at the water jump, and was never after in the race. Agent, Shillelagh, and Brunette all baulked at the second water jump, but ultimately got over in the order named, Agent leading by ten lengths. When half a mile from home Shillelagh drew up to Agent, both horses jumping splendidly ; but at the second hurdle from the winning-post Agent got ahead, and again won comfortably by three lengths, Brunette a bad third. CONSOLATION HANDICAP Of 40 sovs ,*• acceptance, 1 sov. each, to go to the second horse. Distance, two miles. Mr. Keith's b g Stockman,aged, lOst 71b .. ..1 Mr. Black's br g Ivanhoe, aged, 12st 71b .. .. 2 Mr. Fraser’s b gTommy, aged, lOst 71b .. .. s Brunette, (list), Baron (lOst 71b), Billy Button (lOst 71b), and Shillelagh (list 7ib) also started. Betting :2to lon the field. All cleared the jumps for the first mile, but Shillelagh and Billy Button refused the second water jump, and Baron continued the lead until the third and last fence from home, when Stock□’vah -collared him. The former struck the fence and unseated his rider. Stockman cleared in fine • style, and won easily from Ivanhoe, Tommy a good third, the others far behind.