AUCKLAND.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9365, 14 March 1896, Page 4

AUCKLAND.

March 9. Anita was brought back from Wanganui by the s.s. T-akapuna yesterday. Mr Movrin, who has been confined to his bad, was in town to-day. He informed mc that Armilla would not fulfil her C.J.C. | Autumn engagements. I The two-year-old colt, St. P&nl, is to be I brought back to Auckland by Wednesday's I steamer. It transpiras that his connections missed the payment for the Hawke'a Bay j Stakes. Fabulist's reputation, which he gained at j the A.R.C. Summer Meeting;, has been J dimmed by his eliorts at the Taranaki and ! Wanganui meetings. Whatever may be the j cause of his indifferent running, I decline to I stand it as his true form. A day or two after | the Takapuna, Club's Summer meeting, the owner of Fabulist told mc the colt had gone through a Aery severe race indeed in the ; Takapuna Cap, and that the corners of the ! course had mora or less strained him. Perhaps this is the cause of Fabulist running so badly lately. ! The local pencillers who had double books on the Newmarket Handicap and Australian , Cup came out of the ordeal well, having ia.ilcd to write the name of Idolator. How- j ever, the Australian Cup Avinner was backed straight out. a sporting solicitor having invited a couple of soA'ereigns at starting ] pri'e. Mr D. M'Kinnon's well-known racer, Loch Ness, Avas amongst the starters for the Hurdle Race on the second day of the South Auckland Club's Meeting on Saturday last, but he came to grief at the first hurdle. The nominations for the three leading races of tho Auckland Racing Club's Autumn Meeting, closed on Friday night. The number of entries for the Easter: and Autumn Handicaps are slightly in excess of last year, but there is a falling off in the Steeplechase. The following figures shoAv the number of entries received for the three events this year compared with two previous years:— 189* 1835 1395 Easter Handicap 13 16 19 Autumn Handicap 17 2i." 26 Steeplechase 12 11 9 The South Auckland Racing Club's Meeting at Hamilton on Friday and Saturday did not prove any attraction to the Auckland public, and on both days the attendance Avas small. Daring the two dajs only £1230 passed through tbe totalisator, the tickets on each race being 10s. Folly Avas the heroine of the first day, pullinc off the Cup and Flying Stakes, and Kildare won the Steeplechase on each day. The three placed horses in the Pony "Race were out of Fishplate but by different sires. Lillle, winner of the Trial Handicap, is oat of Ladybird, and got by Ingooiar. Mr J. Livingstone, of Hamilton, is the owner of Fishplate, and bred the quartette. Mr Livingstone is known to racing fame as the breeder of that good mare, Lottie.

The parties here behind St. Paul are unablo to account for the colt's indifferent running at Wanganui. I hardly think St. Paul could have been himself, or else he would haA-e made a better fight of it in the Two-year-old Stakes and Nursery Handicap agaiust his old opponent, Armilla. Of course, he was giving Castor's daughter 91bs in the Two-year-old Stakes, but still at a difference of only lib, the colt was again badly beaten in the Nursery Handicap. March 10.

A man named James Wilson Avas brought before the Hamilton Court on Saturday charged with having played a game called " Red, white, and blue " on the Claudelands racecourse on the previous day. The accused pleaded guilty, and was fined £5 and 21s costs, with the alternative of one month's imprisonment. The money Avas paid. Mr H. H. Hayr informs mc that the Avondale J.C. ha 3 l'eceiA'ed permission to use the totalisator at a.meetingto be held in May next. Mr Hayr leaves for Sydney next week to see his 'chaser Fishmonger run.

Mr H. Laurie has placed his yearling bay filly St Edith, by St Leger—Priscilla into F. Stenning's hands to be broken in and handled.