CAP AND JACKET

Observer, Volume 5, Issue 117, 9 December 1882, Page 204

CAP AND JACKET

NOTICE.

hecrezarisi of Clubs, owners of horses, andfaS are requested to forward announcements and itenu./** for this column. Questions affecting the Turf, etc I'm? 1 gladly answered, and lets decided. "••«i«! l All communications to he addressed to thßiitr

EACING FIXTtfEES.

NEW ZEALAND.

December 22nd.— Queen's Redoubt Raceg. Dec. 26, Jan. 1, 2— Auckland Summer Meeting December 26th.— Thames J.C Summer Meetine December 26th-— Waiuku J.C. Meeting-. s< December 26th. — Mauku Eaces. December 26th.— Hawke's Bay J.C. Summer 3W; December 26th.— Mangawhare Eaces. December 27th.— Drury Eacing Club. December 28— Waiuku Eacing Club.

1883.

January Ist.— Canterbury J.C. Summer Meeting ' January 2ud and 3rd.— Mercury Bay Annual Eaoes Januaz-y 29fch.— Takapnna. J.C. Summer Meeting February Ist and 2nd. — Wellington B.C. Suia fra Meeting. February 21st, 22nd, and 2ifch.— Dunedin J.C. Auto B , Meeting. . m * March Bth. and 9bh.— Wanganui J.C. Autumn M m n March 15fch and 16th.— Hawke's Bay J.C. AiS Meeting. vm April 21sfcand23rd.~AueklandE.G. Autumn Meetb

DATES OE NOMINATIONS, ENTRIES, AKD ACOB?. TANCES. December 15th.— General entries Auckland Sums,Meeting. wa December 19th.— Nominations Hawke's Bay j O c>«, : Club Welter and Napier Handicap, Railway btnV« and Hurdle Race. > January sth.— Nominations Takapuna Jockey CM Handicap and Handicap Stoeplechase.

GOSSIP BY "HIPPONA." 1

— I would remind horse-owners that on Friclav I next, 15th instant, entries for the undermentioai I events, to be run at the Auckland Racin» ClnVs 9 Summer Meeting, must" be made to the Becretan I Mr Percival, before eight o'clock. The several events I and sums required to accompany entrance are as I follows:— w I

Maiden Plate 3 soys Hurdlo Race 3 Soys ' # Railway Plate , 3 soys Derby Stakes 3 soys.' Publicans' Purso 2 soys. Selling Race 3 soys! Midsummer Stakes 2 soys. Grand Stand Handicap ... ... 2 soys.' Nursery Handicap 3 soys. Auckland Plate 4, soys. Stewards' Handicap 2 soys.'

—The work done at Ellerslie during the week has been fairly interesting. On Monday morning among the best spina were those of Amazon and Tim Whiffle: Millison sending: the filly a three-milo gallop, and sle moved pretty free; while Tim, looking: exceedingly ' well, went three miles at a very strong pace; and Lady did walking exercise. Maid of Honour is doing . slow work daily after breakfast. On Tuesday morning Thorpe was the first to put in an appearance. He sent Libeller three times round slow, with Paramena, finishing the last half-mile fast j and Musketeer went a aiDe and a-half at a fair pace. The whole of the team looked well. Virginia "Water and Kingask were sent threo miles, going the last mite aud a-half strongly • while Mavis and the two-year-old colt, Eobina, strode two miles together, both going nicely. Contractor, lookta? '■) very well, but who appeared to move short behind, \?as treated to three miles at a middling pace. Merlin, Lone Hand, and Tricotrin did walking exercise, and DoDald Taylor worked Mitrailleuse, Kalo, and Angler later _ in the day. Tommy Clark's string are all in physic. On Wednesday morning Iming had Dewdros and Kenilworth out, and Rowlands sent Tim Whifflei & useful three-mile gallop,, and Lady, two miles. Profit's, and Donald Taylor's teams also did good work. — The large number wlio patronised the Tata* puna Jockey Club Spring Meeting last week spent a most enjoyable afternoon, the racing in the principal events being first-class, and 1 question if better finishes have been seen on any country racecourse. Proceed* inga commenced with the President's Plate, Merlin and Chanticleer being the only starters, and, as was expected, the chestnut cantered home the easiest of winners. Great interest was manifested in the Hurdle Race, and the old grey, Lone Hand, well handled by Goodman, justified the confidence of his backers by winning rather easily at the finish, despite several efforts on the part of Chandler) .who ran exceedingly well, considering the time he had been up. if cis a real good bit of stuff to look at, and worth watching for Christmas events. Tricotrin, looking " fit as a fiddle," ran a fair third, and Angler was never in the front rank, Six saddled-np for the big Handicap, and Yuba Bill appearing very pink, was served up warmly at even money; 3 to 1 being obtainable about Dewdxop, and ' 4 to 1 Lone Hand. From the start it was a grand race, ail being in the hunt until the last round, when a great fight took place between Mr Lennard's mare and Lone Hand, Dewdrop eventually passing the " man in the box " first by a nose, dozens outside the paddock thinfe ing it was a dead-heat. Laing is deserving of great praise for the way he handled Dewdrop, while FarreU rode Lone Hand in a most determined manner, and I think had it been a few. strides more would have done the trick. Tuba Bill waa third. The Steeplechase created immense excitement, owing to the brilliant manner in which. Harkaway cut down the field opposed to him in the last quarter of a mile ; and on George Rowlands returning to scale he met with a hearty re-' ception from the public for his clever riding of the winner. Mr Dacre and the ofiicers of the club are to be complimented on the way they worked to bring the meeting to a successful issue, and well they succeeded, The scratching of Marquis in the Plate was the onlf blot in the day's sport, — .Acceptances for the Auckland Cup and •Steeplechase were received on Friday night last, and the handicappers must indeed feel gratified at the large number left in.-~twenty-three crying content for tbs Cup, and fourteen for the Steeplechase, The only absentees of any note in the big event that were not, scratched are Sir George, Nonsense, and Hilda, and I understand that two of them, if not the three, are amiss ; while Quamby is the only noticeable name not in the Steeplechase, Mr Butler haying accepted with his other representative, The Agent. As promised when the weights appeared, I will new go through the chances of each engaged, and select those who, I think, have a show of appropriating the prize. In the Cup, Virginia Water, the daughter of Tradueer andWttw,, now heads the list with 83t 121bs, and at the weight she is not badly treated, for although htr performances lately nave been anything but brilliant, it must be remembered that as a three-year-old she was one of the best of her year. There is a do\ibt in some people's minds that she cannot stay, but lam one of those who h6ld a different opinion, for we have only to instance her running second to Hailstorm for the last Wanganiii Cup, 2J miles, and her defeat of The Dauphin in the Hawke's Bay Plate, 2 miles, -weight for age, to prove that she can. If Mr McDonald decides to send bor (the stable have another representative in the raoe> Kingask), she may have something to say in the" finish, especially if the race ia ran at a slow pace. However, I expect t® sea her reserved for some of the other events. Piseatorious (Bsfc 81b), on ptevioun performances, has. quite enough to carry, and since hfe running in the C. J..C. Handicap of 1880 bis done nothing in public to warrant his being one of the first three. Still it must be borne in mind that he is under French's care, and if there is anything in him, he should be able to bring it out. His stable companion, Fitzherculos (Sat 41b), is more to my fanoy, and the. way he ran at the last Spring Meeting, not wound up, makes me convinoed that hie will prove a thorn in t& sidb of the beat engaged, if fit and well on the day. The next on the list is Louie (83t), who is not badly treated on past performances, and if Chaafe only succeeds ia bringing the mare to the post in condition, she will beat more than heat her. , It must be remembered, however*, that it is a bad time of the year for her uoz, Ti» Whiffler, with Bst, ia my opinion is very well tseate*

3j§derinpf the easy manner in which he disposed of Held in the A.R.C. Spring Handicap, and although aVhave their doubts as to his staying abilities', I am Sji»ly of opinion that he can. At the present Spile son of Parachute is in great heart and doing sLlass work, and if Rowlands can only manage to *Thim right ixntil the day, he will prove a hard nut 7sck. Hippodamia (7st 131 b) I have always had a La? for, and the weight should not stop her if she can Kjjp last quarter of a mile. But as before menlL{&, I am not a great fancier of mares at this time of yTjear, and especially over long distances ; nevertheZ, she must be respected, and her chance, on paper, 2>-t3 a fair one. Merlin (7st 101 b) is another good 5r B iil, and I expect to see him play a prominent part in ij -inish; but the "public's favourite," Welcome ,;!,• ("sfc 81b), certainly has enough up for a threeSrvicf to carry on a long journey. Still his V & must not be looked upon lightly, after way he has performed this season. ijte is one thing certain — he can stay the distance, X[ nndoubtedly possesses a great turn of foot ; and his Jjfferent in the Canterbury Cup, 2| miles, it fgiid, was owing to being a "bit off" after the gruelgiie received in the big Handicap. "Cherryripe," and !jt for * ne money, he will take a, deal of beating. After 16 way The Poet ran at the Christchnrch Meeting, and thß Wellington Spring Handicap with Bst 91b up, and ■ race out of him, his impost (7st7lb) should not pre]islii.vn from winning, while he is one of the gamest, )jp (7st 41b) could have done with a few pounds Si and in my opinion will be more at home in the otter races ; but it must not be forgotten that he is Ated to the speedy Australian horses, Gipsy Cooper «1 Eandwick — breeding quito good enough to win arthing. Turquoise (7st 41b), at the weight and on *erious running, is held safe by Welcome Jack, for (jienever they have met this season the latter has iiays had the best of.it. Notwithstanding this, the gao£ Tubal Cain has proved himself a grand colt, and if jt Yallance can only get him up from the South in a ijtbetter form than he did Mtzhercnles last year, I exact to se*e him in the front rank when the final quests is to be decided. Old Soukar (7st 21b), if in condi--1511, is well In, and at present may safely be put among 4e dangerous division ; while the same may be said itout Kingask (6st 131 b), who will probably represent fte McDonald stable ; but Lara (6st 101 b), with the soverbial postage stamp up, could not get in the front jDi. Vortex (6st 101 b), on the score of weight, is in it <np to his neck," and if all private reports as to his aEoping and staying abilities be true, then the Auekji Gnp of 1882 is all over. There is nothing in his »st public performances to warrant the belief that he an win a big race, but the fact that his party have put gown their pieces entitle him to a deal of respect. The {antifnlly-bred irishwoman (6st 101 b) has been running jj well lately that it will not surprise me to see her |jie a prominent part in the finish, and in regard to Bight she has nothing to complain of. Dewdrop jfet 101 b) is also well in, and, if right on the day, may Sedepended upon to run the whole of the distance both fenestly and gamely. Amazon (6st 101 b) was more tin an average two-year-old performer, but has done athing of late to recommend her for the race. Minerva ,53t81b), although she has not a winning bracket to her ame, is entitled to a little respect in consideration of Ser recent Christchurch running ; while Rewi, with & 71b, if he trains on as he is at present, from all acioants will make the best of them travel ; and Moontoe (6st 71b) should be watched. Contractor (6st 71b) afar has done nothing to recommend him; while (SMeroy (6st 71b), on public form, has not the ghost of ishow. When the weights first appeared I selected firelve to furnish the winner, and of the lot only one iv dropped out — Hilda — so it is with some diffidence tot I narrow them down to the following six to win fiemost open race that has engaged our attention for me tune :— Welcome Jack, Tim Whiffler, Tur'ioise, The Poet, Rbwi, Fitzhebcui/es, and prefer lem in the order named, but may see fit to iSer my epinion when making a final selection sarer the day. My fancy for the Steeplechase at the pesent tune is Clarence and Canard, and I shall have ffinetLing to say on the chances of the lot engaged in a tee issue. Considering that none of the Southern kjrses have arrived, the market during the week has S«a pretty lively, but most of the wagers laid are on lie double — Cup and Steeplechase. Welcome Jack till remains firm for the big Handicap, and on Wcdssday night I saw 200 to 40 taken about him that he lins. Vortex has been backed to win 700 at 100 to 7 ; tun Wbiffler 200, at 100 to 6 ; Merlin, 200 ac 100 to B; and Fitzherculea and Rewi £100 each, at 100 to 10 ad 6 respectively ; while 500 to 10 was booked about kra for a place, and " fours " to one Soukar. A lot of snaller wagers have also been laid. In the doubles, 30 to 15 has beea written about Piscatorious and Handler ; 500 to 20 Welcome Jack and Chandler ; 300 bl2 Welcome Jack and The Agent ; 300 to 15 Welcome tck and Clarence; 600 to 18 Welcome Jack and Handler ; 200 to 4 Welcome Jack and Angler ; 500 to 8 fefdrbp and St. Swithin; 200 to 6 Fitzhercules and w Year j 400 to 12 Turquoise and- Chandler ; 100 to 5 itquoise and Clarence ; 400 to 8 Vortex and Chandler. ttkaway has been well supported with mostly everyftag at 100 to 3, and Lone Hand has been nibbled at. are the quotations for the