SPORTING. Waikato Turf Club's Spring Meeting.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1315, 2 December 1880, Page 2

SPORTING. Waikato Turf Club's Spring Meeting.

President : Lieut. - Colonel Lyon. Stewards : Messrs J. M. Carpenter, C. J. Storey, W. Taylor, J. B. Whyte ! (M.H.R.), F. R. Claude, H. W. North- j croft (R.M.), Major Jackson, P. A. Whitaker (M.H.R), and J. S. Buckland. Jn»OE : Dr. Waddington. Starter :MrC. J. Storey. Clerks of the Course : Messrs 0. F. Pilling and James Taylor. Handioappers : Messrs K. Hill, W. C. Breakell, and Thomas Wetherill. Clerk of the Scales : Mr S. McLernon. Hon. Treasurer : Mr K. Hill. These events came off on the Ohaupo racecourse on Tuesday, the anniversary of the patron saint of Scotland. The weather all day was beautifully tine, and the course was in the best order, being neither soft nor baked. The people of YVaikato have been indulging in so many amusements lately, and the minds of so many are occupied just now in a certain direction, that a large attendance of the public was scarcely anticipated. There is another circumstance which will always to a certain extent militate against the attendance on the Ohaupo course, the great distance between it and the nearest centre of population preventing any but those who can find the means of conveyance from attending. Bearing all this ie mind, the attendance was not very disappointing. There were probably 400 peoplo on the ground, amongst the number being a fair proportion of ladies*. With the exception of a brief pugilistic encounter, the utmost good order prevailed amongst those present. The Stewards and the energetic Secretary, Mr Bradley, are deserving^of much commendation for the admirable manner in which the arrangements were carried out. As a rule, with tew exceptions, country meetings are remarkable for the bud effect they have upon the patience of the visitors, but on Tuesday nothing of this sort occurred ; the events were all run to time, and every information required by the public was promptly and courteously afforded. The catering was in the hands of Mr W. Buck, of the Waikato Hotel, Hamilton, and gave great satisfaction. The Ring was not very numerously represented, nor, so far as could be gathered, were their transactions very large, though this could not be set down to any want of zeal on their part. While on this subject, it might be just as well to remind the officers of the Club that the practice adopted by the bookmakers here of rushing about the Grand Stand during the progress ot a race shouting in their peculiarly melodious accents, "Two to one I name the winner," etc., etc., to the annoyance of ladies and others, is one which is not tolerated elsewhere, and should be put a stop to in Waikato. There were on the ground several professors of the science of "under and over," and other innoceut little games of a like character, possessors of talented canaries, and a solitary totalisator man, who, to all appearance, passed his time in the contemplation of nature ; at all events, little in tlie way of business troubled him. The Hamilton Lightlnfaniry Band assembled in force, and under the able conductorsliip of M. Calon played a number of selections in a very creditable manner. The band, thanks to the care which the new master takes, is rapidly improving and deserves to be better supported by the public than it has hitherto been. The racing itself calls for little comment. Indeed, only two of the events can be said to have possessed any interest at all, namely the Mai Jen anil the Spring Handicap, though the latter, as was foreseen from the first, was a gift to King Quail. The Hurdle Ra;e was a perfect farce ami the Cavalry Handicap and Novel Race possessed scarcely any interest. Appended is a more detailed account of the events : —

HV>'DICAV lIITBDK RA.CK Of 30 Boys. ; second horse to receive 5 soys. from stake. Two miles over 8 flights of hurdles, Oft. Gin. high. Nomination, I soy. ; acceptance, 2 soys. Mr W. 8. Rutherford's eh q Sportsman, aged, list. 71b-*. ... 1 Mr E. B. Laxon'd Young Sledmere, lOst. 91bs 0 Loafer, Harold, and Nellie, wera scratched. Opinions were pretty evenly divided as to the re*ult of the race. A good start was effected by Mr Storey, and Sledmere sprang away with the lead, commencing a very eccentric carreer, however, by refus'njf the first hurdle, and allowing Sportsman, who was going in splendid form, lo paHs him. Getting 1 over the obstruction with some difficulty, Sledmere sped along the flat gaining rapidly on his leader, but the second jump appalled him, and his rider, after half-a-dozen attempts, succeeded in rushing him at it, the result being that he dropped on to the hurdle, throwing the jockey over his heud. By this time the Te Awamutu horse had performed the circuit of the course, clearing all the timber without the slightest' hesitation, and Sledmere 's lider adopted a plan which it had beeu well to have followed at the start. He allowed Sportsman to take the lead over the second hurdle, and followed Then he unwisely pressed Sportsman, seeing which Wilson drew in the old horse, and Sledmere being deprived of his lead balked as a matter of course at the fourth hurdle, Sportsman cantering by him and round to the post, arriving a winner by about a mile aud a-half. Sledmere was ultimately taken over nil the timber, and arrived at a later period of the day at the post. If it had no other merit this race was certainly very mirthprovoking. MAIDBX PLATE. Of 20 soys. Weight for age. For three-year-olds and upwards that have ne v er won a stake exeeding 10 soys. Distance, one and a-half miles. Entrance, lsov. Mr J. Lennard'a eh f Sunbeam, 4 yw., Bst. 9lbs 1 Mr D. McKinnon's b c Strathearn, 3 yrs., 7at. 4lbs. 2 Mr 0. Gayer's br q Stanley 6 yrs. 9st 7Jba ... 3 Mr Robinson's Nellie, and Mr Booth's Marchioness also ran ; Emu and Vanity were scratched, and Mother Bunch's Baby, for reason* given, did not put in an appearance. After one false start Mr Storey got all the horses away well together, Nellie taking premier place, which she maintained for about a quarter of a mile, when she was collared by the Marchioness, with Sunbeam close behind. Strathern then came through, and passing the Stand was leading, with Stanley second, and Sunbeam third. This order was maintained for some distance, Sunbeam slowly decreasing the distance between herself and the leader. About a quarter of a mile from home the tormer forged ahead, and won by several lengths, with McKinnon's colt second, and Stanley third, Marchioness and Nellie bemg altogether out of it. Time : 3min. Jaec. WAIKATO TURF CLUB CAVALRY PLATE, Of 10 soys; second horse to receive 2.V soys out of stake. Distance I.V milesj Welter weight for age. Entrance, ten shillings. Mr G. Wilkinson's b q Orakau, aged, 12st. lib. ... ... ..! ... 1 Mr E. Pilling's b q Emu, syrs., list. 51b 2 There wore only two entries, aud the

race turned out to be a perfect gift to Orakau, who took the lead from the first and gradually increased it till the finish. SPRING HANDICAP,

Of 50 soys. ; second horse to receive 5 Boys. from the stake. I - miles. Nomiuation, 1 soy. ; acceptance, 2 soys. Mr S. Horsfall's br h King Quail, syrs., Bst. 101b 1 Mr I). McKhmon's b c Gilderoy, 4yrs., 7st. 61b 2 Mr J. Lennard'a oh f Sunbeam, 4yrs., 6at. 101b 3 Mr John Smith's Xantippe, Mr Byers Golden Crown, Mr Laings Harold, and Mr Fulton's Ellesmere also ran. The betting was 3 to 1 agst the field, bar King Quail ; even about King Quail. The horaes wont away with a good start, Harold and G-ilderoy racing for the lead, thn rest following in a cluster. At the half-mile post, Golden Crown forced his way to the front, Harold and Gilderoy keeping well together in his rear, with King Quail, fourth, going easily. Passing the Stand the order was — Harold, Gilderoy, Golden Crown, King Quail. At the mile, the Crown's jock commenced to whip, and it was fi'lt that the old horse was out of it. King Quail now went forward, and at the mile aud a quarter was leading, with Gilderoy second, Harold third, Sunbeam fourth, Golden Crown fifth, and the rest nowhere. Tnen endued a very pretty race between the four latter for places it being the opinion of everyone that King Quail could not now be overtaken. Coming up the straight, the positions of the four were slightly altered, the order on passing the Judges' box being — King Quail, Gilderoy, Sunbeam, Golden Crown, Harold. The winner was not asked to go, and may be said to have won with ease. The race was extremely interesting, and was well ridden throughout. It was, moreover, perfectly square, a quality which indeed it is pleasing to feel belonged to all the other events of the day. Time, 3uiin. 2 1 sees NOVED HANDICAP, Of 25a0v8.; distance, 1^ miles; nomination, lOn ; acceptance, lsov. Winner to be the property of the Club. Mr 0. McGeo's b q Bundara, Bst . . 1 Mr F. Goldsmith's, b f Ninette, dst . . 2 There were only two entries, and both horses got away well together, maintaining an equal pace for some distance. At the £-raile post. Ninette went to the front, but she was quickly displaced, owing to her want of condition, and came past the post six or seveu lensrths behind her opponent. Time, 2mins. 30secs.

CON T SOt,.VTION HANDICAP, Of lOsovs.; nomination, lOtj ; acceptance, 10s ; distance, 1 mile. Golden Crown, Bst lOlbs .. ..1 Ellesmpre (7st lOlbs) and Emu (7st 3ibs) also ran. Xantippe was scratched. Some difficulty was experienced at the starting post owing to the fractiousness of Emu, but at length all got away together. Ellesmere went to the front, followed by Golden Crown, Emu last. In this order they went till the 5-mile post wa.> reached, when the Crown went to the front, passing the Stand an easy winner. Emu was a bad third. For the last raee — the Hurry-Scurry — there were four entries. Late in the Field, Little Nell, Vanity, and Glengarry. The latter, ridden by Goldsmith, had it all his own way, and came in a comparatively easy winner. Thus ende:), leaving the racing out of the question, a very pleasant day's enjoyment, and immediately afterwards a start was made for home.