REEFTON RACES.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1645, 28 December 1885, Page 2

REEFTON RACES.

. — «. : The members of the ileefton Jockey Club have no reason to be dissatisliel with their opfninsj day of this season's racing. Favored by THswjnific««nt weather, lar^e fields, and the natural concomitant of a gooc. attendance of tile puiilic, they had everything to ensure tlie financial success of tho meeting. Ei«>ht hundred persons paid for admission at the Kates, so that allowing for children, and those who enjoy the privilege of free entrance, thf number of persons on the course on Saturday cnnld not have been far short of twelve ' hundred. The day being favoui'ab'e, the ladies of course assembled in large numbers, and the varied colors of their d .vases and becoming toilettes' l«*nt a very rhavming aspect to tho gathering. Compared with some of our former meetings, how-ver, the scene was tamo, which would possibly he accounted for to some extent by the almost to;al absence of the innumerable little " side show 55 " which everybody somehow expects to find on :i race course. "Under and O' er," " dnoleum buck " the knives and rings " Aunt Sally," and all ' the other illicit butjiighly lucrative little investments designed by philtinthrnpicai syndicatt h of wealthy banhors soi-s nnd others for the enrichniont of young hum from the country, were eouHpiciic us by their nhsi'iitre, and their al-sence was e"u» pha.s!?ed I'}" flio raiiiei 1 Avnrying intervaly, whirl) (-lapsed b.:tW( en tlic diil'crent racing event". The two booths appeared to be wttll patronis ■({ from iiist to last, and the p'uvrhasrvs of the priviUgej mist have- been w JI ; ats s

led with the bu.siness done. The ,'iMnd stand was largely patronised, \ml tlif presence of the town band, ; who discoursed some excellent musi. 1 , ■ liolpecl to relieve- the tedium which ; -nhervr^e would have been all hut j unbearable. The Club's profits fio-n i the totalizator for the day amounted j to £53 1-2-; 6rl, tlms showing tlmt about | i'ooO was passed tliruuu'n. Tliehighest, j dividend paid during the day was £&, i on the Trotting Handicap. There J was some complaint of money having been laid on the total isatov after the start of the race, but upon enquiry the complaint was found to he groundless, and was withdrawn. Of the racing on the whole not much can he said. The lmudicappcrs, judging by the result, •were astray in the cup weights, the cv nt proving a perfect gift to Billy Kraft, who apparently. could have carried another stone and been still in the race. On the other hand Dangerous" victory over Billy Kraft in the Miners Handicap showed quite an opposite result. The Hurdle Race was wholly unexciting, and found an appropriate ending in the second horse j receiving the stakes. The following is the result of the racing : — FIRST DAY. District Handicap of 20 soys. — Distaucr, 1 nalfe. Mr \V. Smith's Billy Kraft, aged, Bst. 4!b. (Rossi ... 1 Mr Richardson's Norfolk Lass, a^d, Bst. 121 b. (Smith) ... 2 Mr Garven's Lady York, 3yis, 7st. 41b. (Stevenson) ... 3 Tutalisator dividend £3 18 6d. Mr Smith's Fan, syrs, 6st. 71b. and Mr Thurogood's Psayboy, 6yrs, Bst 101 b wi'i'e scratched. Wou easily. Time Imin 52 sees. llanmcvp Hack Back of 10 sots. — Miie heats, without dismounting. Post entry. 1 sow Totalizator dividend £3 lOsd 0.1. For this event five houses started, the Dart, Bst 7!b, winning both heats. Time Imin o9|sec3 and 2mins lO^scs respectively. IxAXGAKfA CIP r-F GO S)VS.— The Second horsa to receive 10 soys. from the stakes. Distance 2 mile*. Mr Smith's BPly Kraft, aged, Bst 41h (Ross)" 1 Mr Richardson's Norfolk Liss, aged, B';t 12ib (Smith) ... 2 Mr Harley's Good Friday, 4yrs • 9st 121 b, (Blanch) ..." ... 3 Mr Yonng's Prince, aged. 7st I2ii>, (Ycni!g> 0 Ml Young's Young Perkiu's, oyrs, 7sb 12H» (Braley) ... 0 Cardigan, ag^d, 9st 3!b, and Lacly York, 3yrs, 7st, were scratched. Some difficulty was experienced at the post owing to the friskir.oss of Norfolk L»>s, but tiially the five horses were got in Hup n\h\ t.h- tiig foil to a capital start. Norfolk La^s and Billy K I- aft wore the fi'^st to settle, to work, and led the field. Good Friday ln^t some ground before getting into his stride and when the opposite sid^ of the vv.nrse was retell^' ihti fiist two niuncd had a lead of three lengths. Tins order was continued pretty well to the finish. G'x»il Friday, never being dangerous througho:i f , s'.nd Billy Kraft, who had shaken :nY No; to'k L-tss in flu 1 last, round, wo:> havel held, by about four lengths. The ra^e was a complete boil over. Good Friday, who was a strong favorite both in the totalisator and in the hotting, completely slipped up his admirer?. That the horse was ovorweight; j d was the mist prm atent impression and having got i:i the rear of the field early in the race, the wall of dust which he had to face all the way ronnd effectively spoilt whatever chance he. may have had, even under more experienced pilotage. Time 3min. 59 sees. ' Totalisatoi 1 dividend £5 3s, Handicap T hotting Race of 10 soys. — Distance, 3 miies. Post entry, 1 sow Mr J. Dick's 8.-ss, 4jovds, (a«dy) " ... l Mr Campbell's Reefton, 430 yds, (Campbell) 2 Terrible Billy, 260 yds ; Pioughboy, 400 yds; Lady Bird, 100 yds; Dandy, 100 yds, aad Sunday, scratch, also ran. A good deal of interest was taken in this race by the owners and riders of the hordes engaged. The. handicappers, however, kept the htnaes well apart, | and the excitement therefore did not quite reach the degree of fever heat that it> might otherwise- have done, and the h oisos cauie in in pretty well ihe order which they started, Mr Dick's mare proving very ranch the better horse. Time lOuiins 30«»ees. Totali*ator, L 8 2s. Miners' Plate of 30 soys. — The second horse to receive 5 soys. from the stakes. Distance, l£ milts. Mr Smith's Dangerous, aged, Bst sib, (Stevenson) ... 1 Mr Smith's Billy Kraft," aged, bst uib, (ltoss) 2 Mr Bieeu's liosina, aged, 7st, (Lawson) ... ... ... 3 Good Friday, Ost — lb ; Yonng Perkins, 7st Tib ; Norfolk Lass, 6sd 7ibj weie scratch. A good start was eltccted, but Billy Kiatt soon took up a leading position, which he maintained for the ihst round. Passing the stand Dangerous' ran up and tor some distance the two run neck and neck. Turning out of the straight, however, Billy Kraft lost a deal ot giound, ami when the opposite aide ct the course was reached JJauyGious had a load of torn- or live lengths, aud'in this order they ran huuu. 1 , Dangerous securing an easy victory. (Joining up the straight Kudii'ui madje a dasii • lor second pUU-e and the. horses past the post- neck and neck,' but the Kratt secured place ot nonor. This was r rather uusuti-fao loiy nice. Time, 2min 59secs. Total Ualoi, L 2 17s.

Handicvp HrR!>LK lUdi: of 20 soys — Distance, 2 miles. Mr Smith's Dangerous, Ost — lb, (f] ! anclo 0 Mr Edward's Tommy, Bst lllb, (Smith) 1 Mr Williams' Forester, Ost —\\ (Williams) 2 Mr Young's Prince, Ost — lb, ( ) 3 Lady Isabel, Dart, Comstock, and Jack wore scratched. This proved a j very hollow r;ice. Dan^evoua and Piince took th«» first jump, luit the la f ter knocked it down. Forester and Tommy ran inside the burdie, and h.-\d to doulile hack ; by this time the first two borsrs had gained a lead of a hundred yards or so, and they having floored all the other jumps in poms over, the. finishing round resolved itself into a flat race, and Dangerous having too much foot for the fi-'H, won co?nfortably. A protest was afterwards lodged against both Dingerons a>d Tommy, on the ground Uiat the former missed one of the 1. aj>s. and that the latter took a hnrdle before tlie % roce started. The stewards wet to consider i the protests. u;>!ioklin£j the firs*, a- d j dismissiiig tlie second, and awarding i the stakes to Tommy. Time, 5.25. This was the last event on the card, '