THE LOWER VALLEY JOCKEY CLUB MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1269, 4 January 1883, Page 2

THE LOWER VALLEY JOCKEY CLUB MEETING.

(BY A VISITOR.)

If anything were wanting to prove'the popularity of the above Club V annualmeeting the large crowd thai gathered at. Mai tiuborouyli on Boxing Day settles the question. Although the racing appointments are of the most primitive description, the saddling paddock being only a few yards square, enclosed by ti-tree and placed between a sort of two rail fence tied up with flax; the timo honored spring cart doing duty fur tho judges stand; and the course itself almost in ilB natural state, yet, ns 'each Boxing' Day comet round, hundreds of us gladly find our way to the Wharekaka plain, and put in the day under a boiling buii, to witness|be trials of speed set' down for decisiou, returning home -with -pleasurable: recollections of the good'fun'; w,o have witnessed.' I can only .account for the common feeling in favor of Wailieiiga through iti being really a country liieeting. I menu a continuation of what .used to be at Moiki, Moron, Mania, and Hurunuiuraiigi, only the spring trap for the judges, stand has replaced the bullock dray. 'The i very absence of any special privileges to be enjoyed by only a few of those present, the fact that paying the outside gate 'feu makes every one equal, in my opinion goes a long way to making the oniiiifr thero so generally" acceptable. Add to this i hat when there you moet those of the pi nit-sis.\vlii> are still amongst us; or, •their numerous 'l.-scehdantswhowuriltily .fill the old people's places, and I have >aid all, though nut enougli'.to:convmce a'; stranger why Waihengi racos are so popular. But to the fun-I shall , use up all my space, and disappoint those whom' ;I would like to know a little ■ more of what took place than has yet be'eu recorded. There is just one other remark before taking the racing. The Stewards ought positively to close the nominations, entries, and acceptances at 1 certain given hours, and- do away with the old fashioned system; of- accepting letters bearing the postmark" of entry day. Apart from the complications which frequently ariso therefrom, I know many who would have gone to Waihenga' on Boxing day, only they concluded from the miserable list of acceptances for the handicaps, that the meeting would be a failure; Bnd wero not aware in time of those received after the lirst list was,published,; Owners of horses as a rule-are well able to take cave of themselves, and when they know that their entries must be in by a cortain lim'o, the' very. fow,in-; stances of their being late, proves that' the postmark business is unnecessary. Besides isuch a rule iB open to grojsabuse and ought to be abolished everywhere.:

I wiis not thero shod.enough tp.see tho Maiden Plato, and iho old faijiiig of being " teu minutes too'luto" stood rao'in gnotl. Btead this time, for I missed beitit; an eye-witness of wlwt several told me Was a-miserable "dry hash." Whether' Makora could havo won I don't ktibn /but tho general impression was that she-did not trj. "'I confess her fore-legs-aeemed to me so completely,.done that it would have.been more humane had she been al home iii Blinds instead t.f beins; there to run. It is i pity, too, for' she has ijrown into a nice iilly, and her form in the Spring Maiden Slakes testified to her ability to:race;, Makora's conqueror is a ■ Mangle colt, engaged iii our next Derby, and some (anguine admirers think lie can win it right off, I did'nt see tlie young sufficient of Mr Buckcridgo tu admit that nenthmaj} before wljoin ljomp, Administrator, eto., are to go down, but we Ijqow his oattle are always among the dangerous division, and it did not. surprise me to hear that he is likely to be in the front rank again. Hiß liberality in giving £lO towards a.stake fur Mange's two and three-year-old'a was only rewarded by two entries, of which one beloiitied, to the donor, and as she won, the cheque ■returned to Mr B't purse. This event was an,instance nfthe glorious uncorlainty of the turf. - Although Mr, Buckeridge!s filly made the pace all through, Mr Eaton's colt always, had a trifle the best oi it, and after entering the straight was soon leading by somo lengths. The result looked the biggest, certainly possible, when,, without the slightest warning,- he slewed, off and 'ran into the crowd j leaving the, filly to win, : After Libel's disinclination to pass the crowd' alone when taking his preliminary canter, it did surprise me to seo the boy eome away at the top. tern. Had the colt been held back to the filly he would have raced as kindly, past the second time as he did the 'first, audi hive won'jasily. Libel is in the next Derby, and as most of the, good ones are crooked I fancy Mr Eaton has a good ; outside' show. " Libel's 1 .dam was a rare stayer,.and When the colt gets another six weeks,Vood work his say for the iIOO should' be a : big'onei' ' s ••VNjjt came tlie handicap Steeplechase,' willjbe evei;:'memorable tome,as the event which saw sucli an occo'ispltijied hnrteman as^Jaok 1 Desmond 1 pipped on tl}e' Ipoßt „by a Maori, It was.;Wrlh a barelfooted pjlgiimage |o witness tne ttruggle,,. lorprimacy ; j)i}iweej)'thpJ two men;; Most of us know what a'finisher •Desmond ut on any horse, but on old ]Kaiigaro6. over\jumps, |at welter weight, 'isthere<a mai)iin-tlia.idist»et.hvould .have believed that a Maori oi( Kohai pqtjld beat' Desiiiond bv 'a ; ; he'adt J Mbn' 'we ssiw-Bucket(he-has^another-namejjut.is, _ ■kiiown as Bucket) rirfe ooi on al) considered anything: possible buf hii, winning. _He was quite the outsider, ijAd I 'yaj pleased to ijnd that tho Maoris |)acke| their •wort;' Tljpre Steve' Half is Ijei.ng! Q|}. Express-a very nice mare gl)o js foo—and Albert Lyfora onNiJtau:. fhe juipping wjjg not so good at last year, but tlie pace was be'itpr. Stevp Harrja evidently thinking that

wai the only way to settle Desmond and Kangaroo, went to the front, and made the running till coming to the wall the second time, tha others (excepting Nikau, who stack un at the fourth fence) following in single file until the big jnmp wai again .before them,,when Kohai iwerved, taking Express with him, leafing' Kangaroo; who was behind, to " dear the obstaole, amidst great cheeting, ? ? and aßsumo'dohtiuaijil/.C'Buoket wit not him: up, ithe'Flat-Point: horie/fluw the wall and went in pursuit of Kangaroo, iwho .wsi; now. cantering, i leisurely along, ;■ - Some eay Desmond should hare made (he*; / « raoat of his advantage, and raced aw«y, ; malting it more of-an, effort/ijr Kohai to ;- v Uao!i.him.iHowßTerh^diSVt ( 'Bndbe)!9i ; e7ii many hundred yards were covered it was ibon seeiiHbdtlbar' aiioideiita we were in hi ,'r struggle;. ArKohai fipproiched, war pulling veryhafird,-got -X a little more jreiii the pace becumihgi'ood, and :as . each?lot of ww succeßsfully negotiated, the enthuiia'smef ■■ •* the crowd- of horsemen who followed ' inside gave vaiit. : "Bravo Jack;"V Seiid T: ■ a.- ?•• him.'at it. Bucket," ■ "Well done old ■■ man," Ac., &0,, was to be heard on ovsry side, whilst othen of Bucket's mindful of how Steve Harris w Kohai- ut lost .it last year, roared out in English" Look out, Bucket, for ! at the double," but Bucket needed no • .warning. He was evidently, riding a 'well; considered race; Taiid .sjekdfasllj') { 'Y ; ? refused to accept Desmond's invitation to ' como up alongside, lie rode a wailing, .!' , race Bplindidly, giving Kohai every advantage . of his wonderful jumping, l Ability, always landing ali.ngsi.de Ktnparoo,jumping the last fenoe of the double .tojjeiher. . Thß excitemont was intense-as Desmond . * " left thi;* Maori, but it was not over yet,' riilUnolber fence before the final jfinish. Deiiiibiidby this time knew more of. bis opponent, and taking the old veterab by his: head, went for the' post and r^ils, war,at;_hira' ih an instant ..*nd "gaiking almojt. a length advantage over, tho jump fiat down to ride us for his life. \ Desmond, ton, rode'old Kangaroo dtaper* \ ately, and they came-down, the straight i doing theirutmnst to get horne.. Bucket'? | luck was in thounh, for ho just did it by a 1 nose, another stride and it would have / been reversed, It was lock for < Desmond, and a big victory forthoMaori/ who received universal praise for his gotfcl 'horsemanship.. The Maoris nera jubilant and well they might be. Dot h olders'wore very muolrexhauste'd, their looks betray-.. ingi huw; vigorously they had worked to win. ; .

The L V.J,O. Handicap was another': • i'i' interesting event, and served to iliow that i ? - when in anything like condition Treasurer " is not 8; coward, if .not as j>opi as we thought hewouldbe. Tiiat fini-h"at Opalcl fiiv the consolation net a coWard'i worki, I ktiow Orphsn gave him si 10l pf ; weight and'a beating, still'TreiiW did' : } '. not shirk it for aii instant, and onlyyoung Hayward'a superior riding won it, When I saw that Joe Lloyd w'ai again in 7 chart;i; i.f Treasurer I said that wo should see Mr MaoaraVfaVorito under di(ferqnt> -' <7 circumstances in the event under liotioe, 1 ' i and was laughed at for my prediction, -r"J v ' Kore Bst 131b, Gentle Annie Bst 21b, -■* \ and Kakapb 9jt 71b opposed 7reo»iner'7st/ '-.r> : and the top weight: wSs booked a qcf-f. ' iJ • lainty, for .it ; < Somehow Geiitlo Aniiio-" •wasriot in favor,ihou<li taking her Derby performance .asa guide this ought to have .. • ' been within her power. lWe's Bst 18lb}V ; was too-much for the little marc, and iti;,-i is to be hoped that our handieappers willi>now cease to handicap Mr Dillon's horses V .i.> out-of everything.; Treasurer was first-' s?» away and led. a a)ow.run 'race the, turn, where Kakapo, who .had running last, had orders to go to the front,:-,..' and in lees time than it lakes to write it: he was amongst ■ them, and. Tommy,.,,, r , Winteiiiigham's orders -Uingi Treasurer poiog, TUkapo's million 1 it#."* s not easily:accomplished, still the latter seeuiad to havo the test of it, and threo -qiisri«rs .of;a mjle,,from home Treaaurtt 1 - ~was being riddon. Didn't it look a.cer-:;: tainty for the Tarafahi'. horse' th'eii Gentle Annie and Bore being thus out of it., iTVith, as;itr'proved, good judgment, Tommy Wintering hata kept shoving his

horse to keep pace vtjili Kakapo, and to •' everyone'* amazemeut the reputed coward answered ovary call, gallantly contesting every yard jvhjle the other horse wit ip- > , pa'remly pulling over him. Turning ifito . , the Btraifjbt, Treasuror on (he inside got • ■ an advantage, and his jockey laying lha '• whip mi, he came away and won by two ' or tin uelengchs, to the evident satisfaction : ol those who care to seo Rood spo[tsinen ~ rewarded; ,Whfn (he wfeloo'me Vallriitty" was pronounced at the scales a hearty. Cheer greeted tlie yutqr and Ji.o Lluyd was doiervedly upon the nilproved form displayed by,, the wiuner. What a dividend rouldil'ayii had on the tutalisalor I - This is only (he second race Treasurer lias .won; the' first .being s* * ihe.Opaki Produce, when, under the.pre- „lsent trainer's care, as a three-year-tild fie gave promise of ripehinjj ihto'a rao'ehor'se. How Wliitau wore him down in the" Derby of 1881 ia history now. There is no doubt about tho gameness of Mr ' BuckoridgeV innj-e, but I thiijk when, , tboy meet at the SW.J.C. Autumn mitt.? $ iug, if Treasurer t;ika« kindly to tight " liaiid running, we shall find him quite; Vi able to hold his own-with his. former victress. I did hear a friend of Mr James Mftcai'alfl away for a-doit, and. thop shunt the dog,'! .. ... :I hope ho. won't, .until Lloyd lias had ' .mother six weeks at him, ai I firmly believe he'only want* condition tc> show us still further that he iB not a coward.' The Hack Steeplechase was a laughable affaii'i only, two ofUhe four could get over tl(« sod wall, and they.belonged to • 1 Mr J. lienall, who leeured tho services . of Bucket to steer Mountain Beer to: •victory. ; ' The Handicap Hack Bace was a Pawa,'about 'which.l' shall have some' : thing to say in ft future contribution. ' : Next came the Flying Stakes, and luoh '" a race, it wai-sevari of them—Kakapo ojt. iOlb, Rore Oat, Comua ,Bit., 91b, Wailangi W.Blb,'Putangitarigi7stißomp^' s *' fiat". 61by aud Bamboo 6st. ! 41bi I have heard a. few' handicaps criticised but none so severely as this one was, and yet it-resulted id the best finish I ever saw in the Valley; There was only i head between the first three, and three of the others' w.ere;|6 closo that it was impossij)ler pOH to place-theirL Mr Hu'sh * well aifordio smile at hisdetraotora when" I: J.' snoh a result accrued from his handiwork. *., Oomns was fiMt-awaiy, followed. and Kakapo, end; made'-the"- tadit qf J.- • his advantage, foir nothing' 'ever eMst'\ him till they were" rotjnding the L straight^ n . and then'he wis leading;,butljie others were to close thai n'tf pne.colildfeil ' who -woiild wat shepherdinc <tlie Oomut 'jould nqt'; |ut |t' was a.trtmeoi': ' dotjs race ilietufn h%e,>|d;soM' "~j~ . who came in fitl)., a; -p sail," juii managed to ptjt her whjtetfa'ce home ffrst, scoring another victory ''for Joe Lloyd, I W noUe(i^oi^|»^o',t.|ie Bee, r and qnleu would n6t>ttetoptl'(i!iay-j but : i &atof"'*'Etrgament -.resulted: frotttrthe 1 jullgei. diet, many Merring'; won. :.I believbf Frank IPeUing-th ••v be had won, and it-was holding hit field* < Ijttle too cheap that' lost' it' for himbut '* f ' inyotje not in the* judge's position'»t. ' ■ to nnt ifoly ljad fornj,,butsl]e^r,ignpfanc0 i rf ( tbfl. . fßo'tage nepekaary : tfj >JeF]|SM M •'• «q to pyenjy gift s'goafrWfth ' - i|} itidge, on? might reasonably expeot an - error, " bnt 'Mr SValJape Bmjth ha; decided tog

. . fllose racea Buccessfully ffir rao ti> question ' hU deciflion. ' . . , Onljr Nikmi mi eiiteredfor ' latioii/iind'Bhc v'nlkcd over,: ' • " ''■ A 'Hack Rufo followed and concluded inolhof suc(jOEß(ul nico' iiic lor t'uo Lower. Vulloy .Jockey Club. W|;nii next there be another Steepleohase with KanRaroo anil* Kohai-respectively steered by Desmond and may I be Jheye to we it lj «e bail!! - ■