A BECORD OF SPORT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 751, 10 April 1877, Page 2

A BECORD OF SPORT.

(Written specially for the ' Waikato :V ■ Times' Office. : Auckland, 4th April. Ttaiß ..Dunedin Autumn meeting is over/ and the full accounts have reached us in due course ; and as it has been in many respects the most interesting meeting ever held in New Zealand, I presume my readers will expect me to review it at some length. . To start at once with the Cup, I am very sorry that Fishhook won, for two reasons, one being that there, is very little doubt the owner got his horse in at a light weight by unfair means, and the other that, but for liim Auckland would have scored a victory with Mr Walters' splendid colt Hippocampus. Dan O'Brien must chuckle to himself over the success ot his little game horse, and Mr Moore, the Dunedin handicapper, must feel proportionately small. I must confess to having been incredulous of the rumours which for the last six months have beeu afloat about Fishhook*^ having been " run dark " in the CJ C Handicap and other races, but the result of the Cup leaves very little dou'it as to their truth. Under any circumstances, to put only 7st 121b on a 4-year-old horse of h}g breeding — Traducer out of Laurel by Peter Flat — was very unwise, and the handicapper must admit that he made a big mistake. It will be seen that Fishhook also won the Forbury Handicap, carrying 141b more than he did on the Cup, and the Flying Stakes, carrying 191b more, performances which show what a good thing the great race was for him. He was ridden by Derretc. Hippocampus was ridden by a lad named Allen, who cannot be complimented on very judicious tactics, for he seems to have set his heart upon keeping the lead right through, and when it came to the finish the colt had too much taken out of him to struggle successfully, Second in the Qhristchurch Derby, second in the Dunedin Cup, and ihird in the "Hunedin Derby, Hippocampus is indeed an unlucky colt. Mr Walters is like a player at poker who holds four kings and always finds some one against him with four aces. There seems to be a difference of opinion as to how " the Hook " won. One account says he won hands dpvvn, and another speaks of both horses being beaten, For my own part, I am inclined to think he had about 71b in hand. A certain trainer, in my hearing yesterday, offered to back Hippo — of course if he had the training of him) against the Hook over the same distance and at the same weights for £50q, but this must go for what it is worth. For the last mile the rice lay between these twq horses, and the only one which might have stood a chance of beat - them, >had all gone well, was the

"Evergreen Bight Bower, who has finished' sedona >ii>wfceH«lready,| and who was coming" up fast when he dislocated 'h^sK^^:;''' $h l e,day was wet ,ant(r;tliß .course greasy, which, to some/extent, explains tlve reversal of form witnessed in subsequent races at the meeting. Taking the state of the course into bonstaer-, ation, the time — 4rain ssec— was ■ very good* ; : Wis 1 $*ec sloWer than Lurline's tim,^ bu.lj §|se& faster than Templeton's \ time, and zjsec faster than Punga;w.er.ewere'a. It is worthy of note that Mr- Redwood and Mr Delamain, whp,«haye. r bither.to kept *:he race to theinpelyes, , and .who were powerfully represented on this occasion, could noL'everi " place " one of their Candida^. $Fm% was an immense; amou^ti K©f 'imyatery about both teams, and it really looks as if ihey ipifrfwsely [ played into the hands of 1 the bookmakers. A large amou^ of mtfney must have been lost oyer^he. guflndajna favour ite, Marorb/ out just such another phantontnas Amohia last year. After these two samples, the public will be V&f chary of backing Mr Redwood's early favonr-. ites. One I)uiieplirf^)aper says, at the last an.'imjpressioli^had gained ground that Maroro'wasa veritable r «£tiost, and the' 'beiief ! was,v ifchat amongst horses he occnpied a similar position ux % lJr Mrs' : 'Harris. amongst wqmanpndrrjin fact " they; didn't believe /, '^th^re. .. no such hanimal?' ,' jHis non eappearance with the { rest, of the. Nelson string^ confiriftea' this idea, but it was dispelled op ,the morning 1 of tlie race when the mysterious candidate landed: from %he Taranaki. He ran, and\t^at\is t all that can be said, for he was. never. prominent in the race. Puriri looked like coming to the fore . at , one time, but* the r ground shut' liW'up, and he gave*' no .sign of the^form Jbe r exhibited the following day. '.'- Mr Delamain elected to be represented by;Teriipleton and Titanis, and the little old "un" was a great favorite^ai/^tHe' ritarl;, ' but the day was . a . bad,j One->for ,the heavy weights, and tHough? he ran well and, , finished fonr.th,rhe nejJrerilooked like winning. Titaj)i# was fifth, Guy Fawkes, who carried his crusher of lOst 21bs ma^uifipeStiy, 'siitb ,jand '■'' King' Phillip.J.eventh, The only prominent candidate I*> have not referred to, is Falladyj'whoße'positioa at the finish/^oAly^halfl;^. length behind , Hipp^aj&pss^^ the same mistake^bad ibeen made,, „ about her as about the winner. She : has always borne thd'sti^ma of being a non-stayer, but, singtfL'drly enough, it was only J^y; her race sticking powers that she. ran_w)iere.- she-did. She completely snuffed out Danebury, who apjjeajed; ; Jtp a | advantage' for a mile and a fialf, when he retired, r. I neverlread: gfreiter rot than the betting quotations, appended to this and the other'races 1 at 'the meeting by the Dunedin papers. Here are two samples, and half-a-dozen . might be given. q- r J iUvnA-^r :^ ; . The Cup.— "The betting was:' 10 to 1 against Fisli hook 10 to 1 against Hippocampns,: 1 2 v tpj,;against Fallaoy 8 to 1 against Guy Fawkes, 6to 1 against King Philip, Titania, and Princess Mary; 4.^^,1, against Puriri, and long odds against all the other horses," :; , I.s.uppofle Templeton was not worth mention. The Derby.— "All tho horses started. Hippocampus was the favorite, but the three first horses -were equally backed, 3 to 2 being offered against them. ! ' Against the, others long odds were given. Betting : 4 .t0 lon the field." Thff last is particularly refreshing. ; / The following ' ' were ■ thli prizeholders in Tonks'Perby^.Sweep of £2000 on the Dunedin Cup, drawn at Grey month. j - ...

First prize, £1000 : John Wallace (postmaster), Black's Point, Beefton. • J

Second, £400 : D. H. Alexander, Caplestown, Reeftonv M

Third, £200 : D. Jones (trainer of Xing Philip), Danedin; In the Publican's Plate, Guy Fawkea had no difficulty in carrying his lOst to victory. The great race of the second day was the Derby. This is the first time such a race has been included in the Dunedin programme, and it was a great suwess, in fact it was the only Derby which has produced a decent race this season. After Hippocampus' ranning in the Cap, the race was generally voted a good thing for him, but, as he had conceded 31bs to Fallacy, over a distance more suited to the mare, and had to meet 'Danebury on lOlbs worse terms, it was not considered by. any means a certainty, and the bookmakers fielded strongly. The field numbered seven competitors, and they were all backed except Spray. Puriri, Dead Seat, and Bribery were the three besides the four I have mentioned, but few thought that the winner was likely to be one of them. The Victory of Puriri v as a great; surprise, Very few fancied him, after his moderate display the day before, bat he not only won, but won in a canter, without even being asked to gallop, This is an instance of how a wet day complicates the form. There is little doubt Puriri would have gone very nearly winning both events, had the ground been hard. Hippocampus did not fulfil the expectations formed of him. He was probably foot-sore after his Cup exertions. At any rate, he was scratched on the third day for the Forbury Handicap, and I notice in one of the Christchurch papers that fcg iq spoken of as lame. I sincerely trust it is nothing but 'a little stiffness that is the matter with the horse, for we shall want him here at

the Autumn ! 3tf4eH^, to preyeht the. Southerners taking away our; '&€. Ledger, aiid, I believe when he is right, none of them will be able to touch him. In the Derby field; Tradiicer had three representatives, Danebury, Bribery, and Dead He^t, Towtbn one, Puriri, Dainty Ariel ; one, Hippocampus, Sledmore one; Tailaby, ; and J the ! Scud one, Spraiy:, ;The ,winner ; is a big chesnnt, with 1 a tremendous stride, and on firm ground he, will always be hard to beat, but, in dirt he cannot act. He had cleaned out Redwood's lot before , the Chip, and was heavily backed for that race. If the defeat of JEEippocampus was a : surprise in the Derby, a still greater was in store the next day "■■ Puriri met Templeton and Pungawerewere in the Queen's Plate the newly instituted weight for age race was over the Cup , course. The Cup running pointed W Templeton as the winner, the , weights being prepqrtinately , aboye the sanie, namely: 9st 91ba, and< 7st 91bs; but this form was voted all wrong, and people prefered looking at the Derby test. So they laid^ 4 to. 1, or semething approaching those odds on the youngster'. Tenpleton ran in quite his old form: and won hands down. Here was a com-; plication witha vengeance. According , to.^.Dei-by criterion: , Puriri should ,have .won the Cup ina canter, and on the Queen's Plate result nothing, 'bukht '; to have stood a chance vvith, Mr'DelaDQains horse. Templeton^ Tictory was the more unexpected because he had sustained an easy defeat from Guy Fawkes kt a difference ' ; - of 61bs in the^ D. j. : C

Handßcap. In this race, however his owner declared to win with Pungawerewere and- the game son of Traducer and Belle of the Isle lay. too far back throughout the first mile 'arid a half to catch Gify at the finish; 1 In the great Autumn I Landicap the two meetagain on ■ the same terms, and I shall expect to see the form feWised^ ; : The 1 time of the Queen's Plate' was :4min 3£secs, ,pr as ! good as Lurline's over the ;same course three years ago. Of the ; horses from,' whom', great- things were ex. pected before the races, King Philip, Cloth of Gold, Titania, Elfin King, Dead ; Heat, and. Tadmore, . all ran badly*-^ ; ■•.- ■; : -- ; ;'; : ;- : "' •••^• ;:; -■■'•■• ;; : .

, The weights for the great Autumn Handicap are now published. Out of the 38 nominations I shall pick the following dozen againgt the ,field,: v Gny Fawkes, ; 9st 121b } j'Tempietonl 9st 6lb V Rbrari, / Bsti 51b j Ariel, .JBs.t . 21b; Tambouriui, I Bst ; Falacy, 7st 41b; Kin ff Philip, 6st 121b ; ;Dead Heat, 6st 71b | Mangle, 6^ . 61b ; Titania, 6st 6lb; an<i ! Mardro, sst 51b.. Ori his Sumimerj ■ Meetings form with Danebury, Ariel ought to have aigreat.sholw forihe gave. that colt 161bs then and a beating 1 , and he has now only to concede 61bs. . : He has not yet gone South, but he has arrived from .Jtfapier where: he was only temporarily amiss,: and, will, I believe, be jent. Kingfisher with 7st 21bs and Isaac. Walton with 6st

lllbs are too uncertain <to be trusted. Hippocampus with 7st 9ibs will run well if he goes. Fishhook is taken proper care of this time, and if he succeeds in getting home with 9st 51bs be is a wonder. Ariel, Templeton, Gny Fawkes, and old ' 'lam' are my fancies in the order named. :,.- - ; : ..-•:-.■. ."■' Vates. '