ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 129, 1 June 1901, Page 3

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

•Tukapa" (Auckland).— Hopgarden's time was tai 3s. (A) The Sinner was a brown gelding.

•Sew Zealand Cup nominations are due ou Monday next.

Vanquish is being- boxed at Van Pieman Lodge. This mare looks light.

j[r W. H. Keith has Sundial, Forward Guard, and Employer at the Harp of Krin stables.

St. Ona has been purchased by Mr A. Ftimiss for a gentleman at Fiji for racing' and breeding- purposes.

A Southern backer yesterday accepted £150 to £50 about Cannongate for the Great Northern Steeplechase.

A. Ellingham has Moifaa at the Harp of Erin, and the son of Natatol and Denbigh is apparently in good form.

Hinau, who came to Auckland in charge of his trainer, W. Holmes, is putting up at J. Chaafe's. Hinau looks well.

Plain Bill came as far as New Plymouth on Thursday night, but his owner decided not to leave with him till last night, and came on by the Eotoiti, arriving this (Saturday) morning.

Sundial I am told has not done much jumping lately, but he has the natural gift, and if he does not run a good race in the Grand National Hurdle Race his connections will be greatly disappointed. He will probably be given some schooling during the week.

A very satisfactory acceptance was received for the Auckland Eacing Club's North New Zealand Grand National Meeting last night, that is for the minor handicaps, and we are sure to have good fields on the opening day of the meeting.

Yesterday afternoon Messrs H. H. Hayr and D; McLeod started a subscription list in aid of the lady sufferers who lost all their belongings and escaped with their lives from the Grand Hotel fire. Jn a few hours they had received over £100, and today the list had been further added to.

, A. Ellingham is confident thnt Moifaa will shape well over the Ellerslie course,, anri evidently does not fear the opposition of any of the probable contestants. No one should know much better than this owner, Avho has had experience of the country, and has had horses racing over it before to-day, and has ridden over it too.

Eufus has remained at Takapuna since the* Takapuna meeting, and this gelding is doing all right. After the

meeting there one of his legs showed

signs of enlargement, and it trans- . pired that a thorn had been causing the trouble, but the sturdy son of Mtiskapeer and Haricot is again all right, and will be a starter in the hurdle races at the A.E.C. Meeting all goingl well, *

Nor'-west has not been asked to do any very solid tasks since racing at the North Shore, but this morning he covered three rounds on the tan in a most pleasing manner, striding along at a solid pace over the last circuit. His trainer is very confident that he will beat all the horses trained at Ellerslie, and says the visitors will know they have been galloping when they have done with him. J. Chaafe (jxrar.) is equally as sanguine that Cannongate will beat his brother's horse. For some reason Cannongate is supposed to be of little use in heavy going. Does his running bear this contention out?

Dingo has been doing good work during the week, arid this morning went twice round, moving along at top over the last circuit. It is a pity this gelding; was stopped in his work through an accident or he would have been more forward than he is. Still he may race well. Another horse that, was working this morning is Favor.fl, but he walks off very "dotty" after every gallop. It is possible that lie may go to the post, but very .improbable that he will do himself credit in anything he may be started for; indeed it seems a pity to be goin.o- on with him.

When Canuongate eased in the market yesterday one bookmaker offered 10 to 1 against him for the Great Northern Steeplechase. It was not long/ before one of the stable connections oi. the son of Cannon was on iand, and he took 100 to 10 twice, and then a couple of points shorter, finishing ap with the nice wager of 300 to 32. Cannongate has had a limp behind for months past. It was through seeing him sore that I was deceived about him just prior to the autumn meeting.of the A.R.C. This morning Cannongate did a capital gallop over two miles on the tan, and the horse is certainly very well.

The Stewards of the Eg-rnont Racing Club who took from May Bth to the evening- of May :15th to' consider the running of the Taranaki gelding1 Tukapa. then passed the following- resolution:—"That the horse Tukapa and rider VV. Holmes be disqualified for two years for corrupt practice I'or not endeavouring- to win the Railway Handicap at the Egmont Meeting- on Bth May. 1901." The Taranaki Jockey Club meet on June 7th to review the evidence and hear the owner and jockey, who have been notified to attend. Air Crozier has asked for a postponement of the hearing- to enable him to stay over the A.E.C. Meeting.

A lot of good work was done notwithstanding- the wet morning-, and among-st those that were sent along' soundly were Iloselln, St. Ursula, and St. Peter. The visiting- horses Moii'aa, Sundial, Vanquish, Employer, Hinau, Derring-eote, Tukapa, Kaimate,'Hair Trigger, Sylvanus, Mars, and a large contingent of locallytrained ones put in an appearance. None of Maemanemin's lot were asked to do much. Some schooling- work was to have been done, but the morning was unsuitable for jumping, and horses that it was intended to send over obstacles were reserved for finer weather.

The opposition shown towards Cannongate yesterday has decreased, and to-day he is firmer in the market, and the best price on offer straight out for the Great Northern Steeplechase about him was 3 to 1. ]S ror-west is the ruling favourite, and '! to 1 to money could not now be obtained. Moifaa has friends willing to accept a shade longer odds, and 7 to 2 would be taken, but he is quoted at 3to 1. Plain Bill's price is 5 to 1, and 10 to 1 could be obtained about Dingo or any of the others. Cavaliero is quoted at 2 to 1 for the North New Zealand Grand National Hurdle Handicap, and from j to 1 to 30 to 1 can be obtained about the rest. Coeur de Lion is about second favourite.

Weights for the. Ladies' Bracelet Handicap Steeplechase were declared by Mr Evetti last night. The Swimmer is badly used in being put at the top of the handicap. He is a green yonng' gelding on the small side, and 12.7 will anchor him. Mr Evett does not take much notice of racing going on at the minor country meetings ju Auckland, but it is only a short time since Starlight beat Swimmer at the Tamaki meeting, conceding him 241 bs weight. Miss Drury seems the best treated on her side of- the handicap, and old Charcoal is not badly used, and on the other side Tuirne. instead of being at the top of the handicap Swimmer should have been with the 11.7 division.