A RECORD OF SPORT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 742, 20 March 1877, Page 2

A RECORD OF SPORT.

WRTTTBN EXPRESSLY FOB THE ' WAIKATO TIME*.' " ViTES " ON, THE DUNEDIff CUP. The Dunedin Cup, the race which m New Zealand, assumes tho foremost position among sporting events, like the Melbourne Cup m / Austral ja, is to be ran next Thursday, the 22nd mat, and the readers of the Times may be interested to know what horses are likely , to contest the valuable prize and what m ra y opinion are the ; chances of success possessed, by each. The. D.unedin Cup is a handicap race, run over n, course at Farbury Park two miles a "i a stance long. The, prize is £4UO, added to a sweepstake of 10 soys each ; the second horse receives £50, and third .£2O from the stakes, .Che original entry this year comprised about forty of the best horses m the colony, together with three or four candidates, from Australia, none of whioh, , however, have accepted. The final payments which were received on the Bth inst, were made -on behalf of exactly a score of horses, which, of course, represent the number now qualified to compete m the race. These, with their weights, are as follow :— Mr Redwood's Guy Fawkes, syrs, lOse 2lb (including 71b penalty) ; Maroro, f fu S> ? ™ llb ; and Puriri ' Syra, 7st lib- Mr . Delamain's Templeton, 6yrs, 9st 31b ; Pungawerewere 4yrs, 7st 91b; Elfin King, syrs,7st 61b ; and Titania, 3yrs, 6st 121 b : Mr 0 Brien's Fishhook, syrs, 7sfc 111 b, Mr Hive's Danebury, 3yrs, 7st 111 b; Mr Yeend'sKWPhillip 7st 71b ; Mr Logan's Cloth of Gold, 4yrs, 7stslb; and Dead Heat, 3yrs 7st lib ; Mr Corsun's Stormbird aged, 7st 61b ; Mr Coombes' Hi^ht Bower, 7st 31b; Mr Ray's Fallacy, 3yrs, 7 s t 21b ; Mr Walters' Hippocampus, 3yrs, 7st lib; Mr Gilhga.i's Stirabout, 3yrs, 7st : Princess Mary, syrs, 6st 10lb ; Mr Goodman's Stanley,, a^ed, 6st slb ; MrTaggart's Spray, 3yrs, sst 91b. S:xof the.se ran -m this race last year— namely : Guy Fawkes, Pungawerewere (the winner), Right Bower (second), King Phillip (third), Fishhook and Cloth of G .Id. 'Ihe difficulty of picking this year's winner is considerably increased by the fact that Mr Redwood and Mr Del amain accepting with nearly the whole of their strings. Almost immediately ihe weights appeare i Maroro jumped to the front m the betting, being backed from 30 to 1 clown to 10 to lin one rush. This is a chesnut colt by Towton— Fair Agnes— and has never yet appeared m public I A rumour was circulated to account 1 tor his favoritism, which was that he had beaten Guy Fnwkes at 71b more than weigh b for age, which would have been quite good enough, if true. But as, time went°on Maroro's name gave place to others, and at the present moment his stable companion Puriri, a chesnufc colt by Towton out of Waimea— I another maiden— heads the quotadons. ■ Mr Redwood is a splendid hand at ringing the changes m the market, and Maroro appears to have taken the place of Amohia last year, and the probability i 3, that like her, he will prove but a phantom. Guy Fawkes with his original weight of 9st 91b, would hare been a very hot Favourite, but he went for the money at Wellington ad his victories m the Cup and 0 J Handicap there, have given him another 71 t>s to carry which bring him up over 10 stone, a weight, great horse though he is, I can hardly believe m his carrying successfully over such a long course. It speak 3 well for the chances of Maroro and Puriri that Mr Redwood should have sent Guy to Wellington as it seems probable he was at°the time under the impression that he could still keep a rod m pickle for Dunedin. Very little reliable information has been allowed to get abroad about the two sons of Towton, but from the tone of the market I think Puriri will be found to be the Simon Pure of this formidable stable. Mr Delamain's quartette are bound to supply something very hot beforo tho start, and at present it is doubtful which it will be. On public form it should bo Pungawerewere, who has got m remarkably well considering her easy victory with only 7lbs less last year; and though after her triumph she went all to pieces and got beaten by all and sundry — it must not be forgotten that when a maro or horse haa shown good form if only once he may show it again, and for that reason I should be disposed to esteem the chanco of Punga very highly especially as I hear she is going very well m her training. About* Templeton the most contrary reports are circulated. Mi- Rives, the owner of Danbury, who is m Auckand at the present moment, say he w.is all wrong m his back sinews when he saw him at Wellington. He has probably picked up sine?, for today's telegrams speak of him as having done some good gallops. In the C J C Handicap he carried 9st

91b.«, and ran second, to Guy r .Fawke3 9.st 9!b, on\f ;r bea^ a after raiikiug , oH, !i ]$ running, and^ if he"is v n6w m that' farm ha 'wOrholdj " tbaQonspirator" safe enough and most. of the other candidates as l well* j:ifin Kihg^ strongly fancied by a good nrrt.iVjl, '^ He is a' good 1 fair hbrse n rid lias some creditable performances to point .bnek, ,to, about, the, jbest .of them being'his win in" the Metropoli^n n handicap, nt Chris,tchurch, m "November, i 875, when he beat TamiTO.nrine, Guy JFawks,- Templeton, King Phillip and others, over a mile and a 'halt,' 'But' the weights were all m fm favour. Titania is not'-?mention'ed, '■ aud • it ' would 1 be a raifeo tui*n«u p if ' sho 'were to win; ;as she has done nothing* to recommend; her. I may say, at once, that I thuik Mr D'eiamktn holds tHe, key of the positio ! nj ' J a'nd whichever :he selects ,i as ; champion,; ; will be there.'QrjyihereaVpA^ 8 ' A DOU t Ifish- ; hook' 'there , is. just. the same big talk that ;th ere iwas last yeary when he ,starfced first favbrite; and finished' nowhere/ '^MeWiti," tlie sporting writer fovjfo*^ Ota^d My^ Times,'' says '"' r<f>i 'h'e Ifas improved very' much since the spring, putting on plenty of muscle, and showing less daylight than he used .tb^; He;jesU|nates his ehanoe vSry4Jb!igfli^iind^qaot : es' : liis sjjMpd; i^pjJKing. Phi.llip,i wjth, Bst lOlbVin the Dunedin Spring HandH o^p this season, ; as a sveryy 'meritorious performance, as it undoubtedly jVasJ VlflPhis bblt ? has a splendid tarn/.of Jspeed tip to !a mile and a ha^lf* ;and ieith i the -^ exception just .noted; l. has -.jnever ! proved r his ability to get a long coiirsej at the game^time 1 tie^hair a^ lighi; weighty and he js. bpun4 to, TjUn well, -,-. ffing Phillip'lias" 7iriess.".to carry than he had last year, Wefi He ran third, and "mast be "considered ■■ treated,^espe'cialiy when' his spring. 1 form this seasoni is I taken into account. After Dunedin, he was raced-allover 1 tH'e 'South Island last season, but thw! year v he has been kept : Vith Vview'tb this race, ancLtha^, l^end, means , mischief .there is; no 'doubV J Jifr " Logan has both Cloth^b^^Gfola^d^Paid; Heat' engaged, and the markqt points to the lattißr'-TJeihg the J , selected of the stable. His form in J the Christ church Plate was.not lOlbs behind Daneb,iiryi;attdi as' Mr -Rives newpurchase is not m particularly good fettle acco^dirigltb all iaccqunts,, Dead Heal; oaghttlp llpjjl him pafe .enough. Mr Carsans candidate*, Stormbird, is a very rancietit- Mariner being 15^s old?.«^ 'We'- u yir6n !1 ' ; th'e f Chrifetchur^h' Pl^^n 186^' ! ah<3 I^e Canterbury Oaf fa iMV -"Hb c will have toy beia veritable " BifeWeiV?: or' "Reindeer" to have! any tchance* ' Right Bower has already run second twice, and he is of course more heavily backed for " sitiuatidh^fth'a'n 1 <any- ! hbrse-ih the' race. I do,. l; not, believe m him to win. Falacjr has shown herself a smart mat;e ri bu^ her forte, like Fishhook's is supposed to be a mile. There are mysterious whispirings about her,, but I cannot fancy at ill'. 1 'hippocampus is the horse we iii Auckjand feel most, interested m. There is no doubt he is a good colt, arid Mr Walters hai Wied hini satisfactorily, so far as ho could with such uicertain cattle" as Kingfisher andjjs^c Walton. Conflicting- reports are received from Dunedin at the present time as to his condition, and I am compelled to say that the most reliable do not draw a very flattering, piciure. ; I ■ should very mqch like to see. Mr falters Be^ftjßPl^T«'B e^ftjBPl^T«'M r ?*".*^>i VelieTe if the col t, were ( tight he would show all of them' 'his heels* but m the face of theMU^n^ours afloat I regtfet that I can|i<o 1 t r ,a^l^ 1?M Mm y absolute champiipn,/ though I should take him m any i lot 'against the field. 1 Stirabout/, 0 ' Princess^ MaVy, Stanley, aiid Spi l^ l^shill dismiss virith the brief remark' 'tliat ithey are not good enough for the company, and having now gone through, .the lot; it remains for m^/.tp f make ; a , final selection. £{Ie naif dozen Vi like.vbest are : Fishhook, Pungawerewere, King Philipj^jxvivh jHippocampus, i and; Dead Heat^, ; ,f p pick; one outright I shaHUke Mr,, Delemain's selected, , which I have little: doubt will be Pangawerewere. As a second string commend me to King Philip. Vatbsr