WAIKATO TURF CLUB MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 881, 14 February 1878, Page 2

WAIKATO TURF CLUB MEETING.

THE FIRST DAY'S RACES.

Thn Summer meeting of the Waikato Turf Club is looked forward to as the local Derby, and to compare small things with great is the cause of quite as much expectation and excitement. Yesterday the day broke anything but favorably. At six o'olock the wind was m the north east, and a drizzling rain began to fall, and many faces no doubt looked blank with disappointment, but, between eight and nine o'clock the wind veered slightly round and the rain cleared off. As it was no more rain fell than would make the course springy and lay the dust. There was quite an excitement m Hamilton for a couple of hours m the morning, from 9 till 11 o'c ock, by which time the public coaohea, private vehicles and horsenen and horsewomen had cleared oat for the lace-course. The main street from Pearce's Commercial Hot-.l to the P»st Office was like a country fair crowded with people on horseback and on foot, getting ready for the start. Anaougst them too, a large number of Aucklanders whom the railway had enabled to attend our local sports. Amongst these we noticed Messrs Pnrcival, Isaac Grwynne, Gardner, (lapt. Wvnyard, Cellars, Rogers of Otahnhu, M >rtoa, Lewis, Thorpe, Edgnr, MeG jo Hunter, Jas. Stewart, Kndpp, A. V. MacD riald, Bishop, our oil sporting friend, W. J. Marks, and a number of others well known m the sporting world. At half past ten o'clock some little excitement was caused by Owen McGee posting up a nooice m front of the hotels thnt Perfume was scratched for the Hurdle Race. Mr McGee considered the mare altogether too heavily weighted at I2st. lib. She his, he sitys been never weighted beyond lOst lib. all down the coast where she has been rnnuing lately, and has been beaten even at that. Mr Edgar's Don was also posted up *s scratched for the Hurdle Kace. By half past elev it, Hamilton so ately crowded was the picture of Goldsmiths' desorted village excepting when at intervalsa buggy ora trap and a few horsemen passed through from the ferry crossing", where as usual from ten a.m. till no .n, a string of carriages and horsemen were kept waiting 1 on the East side for their turn to cross. Many Cambridge people came this way though the greater number, on horseback, crossed the Cambridge bridge and came by Walkers' gully. From all parts of the district, the settlers came trooping on horseback, and m vahicles, till by one o'clock there was as large and gay a crowd upon the course as we ever recollect seeing, even when a review lent a double attraction to the race day. Nor were our Maori friends unrepresented, The Maori is by nature a horsey man, and there is always a special race provided for him at our local events. There were a large number of nutives on the ground yesterday, and conspicuous among them was Te Ngakau, the prime minister of King Tawheas. The course was m excellent order and. kept clear by the indefatigable exertions of Messrs F. Pilling and E. B. Cox. As far as sport is concerned, too, Waikato has always been famous for its race meetings. The people,|sportsmen and spectators, go into the thing" with a zest, and the stakes- though this year the Turf Club has been enabled, to increase them some 2Q per cent, all round — aie fortunately not sufficiently larga to attract the few crack horses m other parts of the colony which might h-ve no other engagements at the time, and, therefore, there js none of that certainty about Ihe results, none of that unevenne.-s of running v/h eh takes away all intelesfc m a race, except with those who have been lucky enough to find flats to take odds against the favorites. So far, the summer meeting of 1878 has been as givat h success aa its predecessors m every respect. Tho course was crowde-l wi.h spectators, the day fa'uly fine and, tue racing close and good, 3

The first event was the— Handicap Hurdle Race, of 40 soys.; 2 miles; over eight flight of hurdles, 3ft. 6Fn. high ; 30s on nomination; 2| soys. on aooSptance. Kre horses only came to the saddlis* paddook, Perfume and Whitefoot havkil been scratched. ■ Mr S. Crowther's chg- Steel OVao aged, lOst. . . . . Ft i %i Tkwo °V*<&g'Lo*ter t aged', lOst. 7lbs. . . «> Loafer, Sportsman, Tui, Count, and Steel Trap came to the post. All looked 6t, except the latter, who appeared a trifle stale and listless. i A good start was effected afc the second attempt. Steel Trip took the lead, followed by Toi and Loafer. Count fell at the first hurdle, coming over on to his rider, b. Bond. In the first round, Tui shaved the post at the inside of the hurdle, and was out of the race. When coming to the last hurdle m the first round, Sportsman's saddle slipped round, and he went kicking away from the course. His rider, P. Bond, stuck to him m the most plucky manner, re-mounted, and started m pursu-t of the leaders^ The same accident, however, hap** peoed to him two hardies further on, and he was out of the race. Loafer and Steel Trap went the second round, the latter leading, and, though well challenged by Loafer, he kept the le id, and won by three lengths. A protest was entered on the ground that Steal Trap had twice crossed Loafer. Loafer was well ridden by Higginson m a 4-lb saddle. One of his stirrups was broken during the race.

Maiden Plate, of 30sovs.; weight for age; 1£ miles; for horses that have never won a stake exceeding lOsovs.; entrance, 3sovs. Mr R. W. Hammond's eh g Trathful James ; aged . . . . 1 Mr Kurukuru's bg Master; aged .'.' 2 Mr P. Connell's g g Rattler ; 5 years . . 3 Nine started. Venus and Marigold led at tho start Master quickly forged to the front, and led m passing the stand the first time, but Truthful James collared his horses early m the first round, went away, and was never again canght, winning m a canter. Master was second, and Rattler third. The winner was loudly cheered. Truthful James is the property of a local sportsman.

Tubp Club Handicap, of lOOsovs.; 2 miles; nomination, 3dovs.; acceptance, ssovs.; 10 per cent of the stakes to go to second horse. Mr W. L. Marfcyn's b m Memento, 5

years .. .. j Mr W. Walters' br h Kingfisher, aged 2 Mr Edgar's The Don, aged . . 3 ' All nine started. Magician started with the lead. Half way round the course, Prima Douna came up and took the first place. This continued until ju t past the stmd, wMen she boited from the course, struck Knot h«r horse, and threw her rider. Memento thea shot to the fore, w&.s never collared, and won m a cmter by four lengths. Kingfisher was secon.i, and Don third. The winner of the race, the little tuare Memento, seemed very popular, au 1 there was considerable chewing.

Waikato Staki-s, of 25sovs; 1| miles; entrance, 2£<ui».; welter weight f>r age; s«ovs. f out of stakes to go to second horse; horses to be the ho&a fi.ie property of WaikatD settlers one month previous t> the data of advertisement. Mr J. 8. Buckland's blkf Queen Mab, 3 years . . „ . . 1 Mr R. Kirkwood's Tui .. j There was nothing m this race from the commencement to the finish. Queen Mab won as «asily hs she liked ; Tui second. MastowotiKrved m coming up the straight, and threw his vi.lw -Craae. A. protest was entered on the ground that the owner of the mare was not a bona fide Waikato settler. Wamba Purse, of lOsov*.; presented by Major Jackson, to be run by horses the produce of Wamba; 1| miles; weight for age; entrance, ls®v., 2nd horse to save stake. Mr A. Kay's b g Orakau, 4 years . . 1 Mr T. Bond's Little Dick . . 2 This was the fastest race of the day. Both horses ran, after the first hundred yards, almost neck and neck, although at the start Orakau held a commanding lead. This horse's jockey, also, alllowed his opponent to get the inside running. Loud shouts were heard from the partizans of each animal as they came together up the strait, but m the last few strides the magnificent, jockeyship of McCabe prevailed, and landed Orakau a winner by a abort head. Maori Race, of ssovs.; 1 mile heats; horses to bo owned and ridden by Maoris; post entries; entrance, ss. Wananga .„ „ ..1 Blue Gum . . . . . . 2 papier .. .. ..3 This afforded great amusement. Blue Gum was the favorite, with Master close up. Master, however, refused to face hfs horses, and was, of course, out of the race. Afer the three heats had been run, victory remainpd with Wunanga. Loafer's protest m the Handicap Hurdle B»ce was disallowed.