CAPAND JACKET

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 229, 31 January 1885, Page 4

CAPAND JACKET

By Dainty Ariel,

NOTICE,

Secretaries of Clubs, owners of horses, and turfites are requested to forward announcements and items o e new for this column. Questions affecting the Turf, etc., xcill b gladly answered, and bets decided. All communications to be addressed tc tht "Editor RACENG- FIXTURES. NEW ZEALAND. Feb. 6 and 7— Wellington R.C. Summer. Feb. 26, 27, and 28— Dunedin J.O. Aufcumn. March 5 and 6— Wanganui J.C. Autumn. March 17 and 19— Hawke's Bay J.C. Autumn. March 17 — Henderson's Mill J.O. Autumn. March 25 — Ejjrnont R.O. Autumn. Old Foul Play heads the list with Jf.st 101 b in the Lawrence Handicap. The Takapuna Race Meeting coining off on Thursday precludes my tipping or making any remarks on the events. The Canterbury Jockey Club lost £!")() over their opposition summer mooting. I'm sorry, of course, but not much. The Melbourne Sportsman, of January 21sfc is printed on pink paper, which will be the rule in future. As a sportsman's companion and guide this paper is invaluable and a credit to the proprietory.

The news wired on Sunday that Tigrcdia had hurt her log, and -vould bo unable to go to Wellington, caused many a jaw to drop in Auckland. Tho black mare, as yet unj beaten, had been heavily backed down to a very- short price for the Wellington Grold Cup. Bs r en such an out of the way name as Maud S. has been appropriated for his miserable crock by her evidently caddish owner down Lawrence way. The sooner horses names become copyright the better, as every fools who owns a weedy scrubber claps some good horse's name on him or her and things get mixed. At Vincent Jockey Club's meeting on the Ist and 2nd, £1,300 was put through tho : zator. The crack was a horse called Knickerbocker Sam. which had recently been bought out of the C'tyde pound for £;3 : He made very small potatoes of his iield in no less than four races. Tommy, the winner of ! the trot, paid £-11 14s on tho machine. A. WeJlesly drew his sweep on the Talcapuna J.C. Handicap and Whaleboat Kace on Wednesday morning. The prizes were well- • apportioned amongst the various districts, and every one present expressed satisfaction as to the manner of drawing and the perfect fairness of the transaction. The press w;i.s represented amongst those present. Old Commotion is as great a horse apparently as ever, lie has been backed heavily down to o to 1 for the coming Champion, j

At the V.R.C. Summer he walked over for the Bagot Plate, 325 added soys., and won the Midsummer Handicap of 275 'soys with a sweep of 10 added, I-*- miles, from a field of 14 of the best class o~f cattle in Australia, carrying top weight, lOsfc lib. Cameriue, 7st 91bs, was second, and Madcap, 7st 131bs, was third. The 1 field included 'such flyers as Coulston, Coriolanus, Boolka, Creswick, Conjecture, Impulse, &c. The grand old sou of Panic and Evening Star had a terrible set-to (after being blocked) with Cameriue up the straight, but in spite of his weight, he won by a half head.

The Onehunga Races were not by any means a success. Miserable fields in some of the most important events, a poor attendance and wretched unpunctuality all tended to render the meeting a not very enjoyable one. Then the funny way some owners finnicked their cattle about, scratching them when they appeared to have a show, and sending them for races they could not live in was anything but conducive to good sport. Mr O. C. McGee acted as starter, and gave great satisfaction. Mittvailleuse got all the running taken out of her in the Cup, and was .scratched for the Totalizator Handicap. When she came out for the Publican's Purse she showed the effects of her gruelling iv the Cup, and could only get second to the Cup winner. Worm won the maiden race. Mignonette, after a tough race, pulled off the Totalizator Cup from the only other starter, Victoria, who was giving the pony 2 stone. A great capsize took place over the "pot" on the Hurdles. Alaric was on all hands voted to have this x\ r ice at liis mercy, but his owner, whose freaks with the horse make him the laughing stock of all sporting men,

elected to send the liorse for the Cup, and he was accordingly scratched for the Hurdles. Azim was winning easily, but Mr Whiting-, his owner, who rode him, was in such a weak state — evidently not recovered from his burst at Takapuna — -that he fairly tumbled off in the straight, and Frivolity, the outsider, won. The 'zator paid £S 6's. The Cup was won by Mystery from Victoria ai;d Mitrailleuse. Kalo, Bryan OXynn, and Alaric also started. Perhaps Mr Robertson will a-vvake to the fact that ho is only spoiling a gootl sprinter, when he persists in sending Mitrailleuse on mile and a-half journeys. Tommy Hodson won the Hack Race on Phoebe, the machine paying £8 10s. Little Nell pipped a field of five in the Pony Race, and won a head from Mignonette, the 'zator paying the good dividend of ill-i. Tbe Novel Kace was an easy win for Otara, ridden by Sutherland, and in the Publican's Purse the favorite, Mitrailleuse, was again beaten by Mystery, who had I Gibs the best of the weights. Altogether the meeting was a series of surprises, and betting was very dull. The last race, owing to want of punctuality and the length of the programme, was run in the dark. " Beacon," in the Witness, gives a. partins: eulogy to Welcome Jack and Clarence, and a list of their performances. Clarence is ten years old ! and his iirst win was the Shearers' Pur.se, value lOi ! at .Remvick, in 1878. The old boy's first important win over sticks was when carrying lOst 4 ; he

beat Grey Momus (12sfc 61bs)in the Marlborough Hurdle Handicap in 1880. Since then his performances occupy a column and a-half of closely printed matter, and he numbers among his wins nearly all the big" steeple and hurdle races in the Colony. "We ne'er shall look upon )iis like again." The ' folio wing- is a summary of his starts and wins : SUMMARY. •' Season. Starts. ' . Witts . Scakes Won. 1878-79 3 .'' '2 £18 1879-S0 12 '4 261 1880-81 26 ijj «10 1831-82 24 12 •■ 1,020 ISS2-SJ 11 3 - . ' 510 IKB 84 15 ' 8 1,885 1881-85 1 0 100 Totals ... 93 41 £3,857 He also gives a full list of Welcome Jack's ' performances since 1881, the following table showing them in full : SUMMARY. Season. Starts. Wins. Stakes Won. 1881-8.! 3 o £ o 1882-83 14 9 2 s*l 1883-8* 5 4 "850 188185 G 5 1,314 Totals ... 2S 18 £4,683