Wairoa Races.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1024, 17 January 1882, Page 2

Wairoa Races.

** Old Crossbones ” has dropped us a line about the Wairoa Races. He says the Poverty Bay boys had a fine time of it there, and met with several slices of good luck. Wairoa has earned for itself the name of “ Terror.” This is owing to the awfully stiff hurdles. There were altogether about twenty Poverty Bay “ sports” who found their way there. The races took place on the 12th. Rough southerly weather sprung up on the 11th. This was unfortunate, because the Manaia steamer, which had just come in from Napier, reported two steamers there chock-full of Napier people, bent on coming to the Wairoa to the races. But the sea rose high, and the weather kept them back. They could not get out over the Napier bar, and the Manaia was in the same plight with the Wairoa bar. The former contretemps prevented a larger attendance. The chief part of the racing was contributed by Gisborne and Napier horses ; only three Wairoa horses ran, and they went for the County Stakes. The racing was very goodnghtthrough. Thehotfavoritefor the Hurdles was A.G., and Lizard was a perfect outsider. There was nothing to prevent the favorite from winning, but for a difficulty that arose when going round the course. It was this. On getting to the last hurdle A. G. and Lizard were dead beat, so much so that neither horse could clear the hurdle; the state of the respective jocks corresponded identically with that of the horses. Both horses came up neck and neck to the hurdle, and swerved off, when past the hurdle the horses stood still; however they were linduced to return, and to the delight -of each rider their horses were once more set in motion—but the joy at this feat was too great for the jockeys, one of whom in his excitement to clear the hurdle started the horse to take it at the stand. A. G., having a little pluck left, made an effort to run at it, but broke down everything in connection with the hurdle. He seemed to place his head against the hurdle, and raise his hind-quarters at even a lesser angle than 45 degrees, and came down a terrible crasher upon his rider, Jones, an Australian jockey, who got three ribs broken. While this was going on Lizard slipped through the aperture made by A. G. in the hurdle, and in a woebegone canter, which insinuated “ for this time only,” wriggled past the winning-post. The other horses in the raee had drawn up a considerable time before the incident at the last hurdle, took place, Hfi fully considering themselves altogether out of it. Roebuck’s jockey, however, seeing there was an opening, came spanking along, and now contests the victory of 2nd place against A.G; The Hack Hurdle Race was a novel one of its kind. A large amount of interest was elicited in this race, owing to the utter certainty that surround it. After a while the fixed principle was established that whatever horse jumped a hurdle first, waa sure to jump the next hurdle last. The final result being that the last horse came in a splendid winner.