SPORTING NOTES,

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 994, 3 November 1881, Page 2

SPORTING NOTES,

(From Exchanges.) Mr. Richard Kelly, well known in Gisborne, has been appointed Handicapper for the Waitara Race Meeting, at New Plymouth. What a great show Director would have were he entered for any of the events. The following remarks by “ Sir Launcelot” about the New Zealand horses and the horses placed in the V.R.C. Derby may be of interest to our readers:—

“ Great as is the speculation generally indulged in and the interest shown in connection with the V.R.C. Derby —the biggest three year old event of the Colonies —on uo previous occasion has there been so much excitement here respecting a contest for the Victorian blue riband as now prevails. This is due to the fact that two New Zealand bred animals, Somnus and Idalium, figure in the list of nominations, on which I now purposdto comment. Idalium (by Traducer—ldalia), and Somnus (by Traducer —-Hammock). The two sons of the Libel horse are too well known to my readers to need any comment, further than to say that though I know Idalium was tried very highly before the Dunedin Champagne, I cannot see him at any price in the V.R.C. Derby, and am confident that if the stake is to fall to New Zealand, it will be Somnus we shall have to rely on, and fit and well on the day, he will not disgrace us. Who his pilot is to be, I know not, On that a great deal will depoud, for it must be remembered that there are horsemen in Australia, and with Tom Hales and Yeomans against you in a close finish, you require to have a cool head on your shoulders. Good jockey as Rudings proved himself to be when he rode Betrayer in the Canterbury Cup, I cannot class him with even the second rate boys of Australia, and with him in the” saddle, I am afraid Somnus will not have any the best of it. For this reason, and because I do not think the son of Hammock will be as fit as some to whom I shall presently refer—though the weight will not trouble him—l must reluctantly discard him as my champion. I shall however, expect him to gain a situation. Mr. Dowling’s Santa Claus, by the imported horse Glorious out of Julian Avenel’s half sister, Catherine Seyton) is doing very well at Ballarat, and is reported to be able to “ run rings ” round Nappy Tandy. But this is hardly good enough recommendation for a Derby candidate, as Napper Tandy is far from a stayer. We now come to Darebin (by the Peer—Lurline.) That he will strip as fit as anything ou the day I have no doubt, and I have uo fear of his

staying powers and his ability to hump the weight. My only reason for not recommending him as the absolute winner is that I see quite as good two-year-old performers as he who will be steered by abler jockeys, for Power (who rode here for Mr. Mallock some seasons ago) will have a leg-up on Darebin, and the same remarks I have made with regard to Rudings will apply to him.