OUR SPECIALS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9817, 28 August 1897, Page 4

OUR SPECIALS.

AUCKLAND. August 23. Inclement weather and the fact of the Auckland Racing Club not being able to hold their First Spring Meeting, has been the means of Ellerslie trainers slackening off the work apportioned to their charges. The Hawke's Bay Guineas candidate Miss Emmy is in great buckle. If all goes well it is safe to predict that she will make the journey, and also be seen at Riccarton in the spring with a view to the Oaks. Day Star is in tip top trim, and so is St. Paul. Antares is also shaping well, and the same can be said of Haria.

This morning Miss Emmy and Woodstock were galloped together, the last-named being badly beaten. The "N.Z. Turf Register" for the past seasou is highly spoken of here by racing men. Both daily newspapers contain very complimentary notices of the manner in which the " Register" has been compiled and generally got up, and state it is a credit to the Pjrsss Company. Starting price bettors here have had such a bad time lately that some of them talk of discontinuing the practice. Mr Stead's mare Blue Fire arrived here saiely to-day in thes.s. Westralia. She was taken on to Wellington Park, where she is to be mated with St. Leger. The Pakuranga Hunt Club are in communication with the Colonial Secretary to see if they can get a totalisator permit to hold a race meeting next month. From the tone of a telegram received to-day there is every probability of it being granted. St. Elmo has gone into G. Wright's stable.

A number of ponies were measured at Ellerslie this morning, the smart three-year-old Presentiment, in J. C. Booth's stable, beinj; among the number. He went tinder standard.

T. Hodson arrived safely back from Christchurch with Perform on Thursday last. To-day J. Rae returned in the s.s. Westralia with Levanter, Kingswood and Dentist.

The powers that be of the Auckland Racing Club have been in communication with the Colonial Secretary for some days past endeavouring to obtain a totalisator permit for the First Spring Meeting, but the efforts h&ve been in vain. It may be taken for certain that, so far a>B the A. R.C. are concerned, the First Spring Meeting will not be held. The Colonial Secretary, in his wires, has laid it down very plainly that he will only grant four permits, the same as given to other metropolitan bodies. Although the A.R.C. programmes are ready to be issued, no doubt they will be altered, so that the November and winter meetings will each be made threo days instead of two as at present. Howet er, up to the time of wiring they are hung up. The committee haa not met since my last wire,

Katterns, the well-known local horseman, has joined the tanks of the benedicts. August 24.

Tha case against Richard May, for alleged unlawfully cash betting on KUerslie racecourse, was again mentioned at the Police Court this morning, but adjourned till September 21st, pending receipt of law reports. Alison Bros, have lost their brood mare, Phantom, by Musket — Atlantis (dam of St. Leger.) She died after foaling last night. Her filly foal by Seaton Ddavaf is alive, and efforts will be made to save it. It is b*d luck for Messrs Alison to lose such a highly-bred mare, but she had altogether been unlucky at the stud. She was never raced, and was bought by her present owners as a yearling from the defunct New Zealand Stud Company. Phantom was full sister to Happy Land (data of Hova). Messrs Alison Bros.' Friendship, by Reprieve—Nydia, has foaled a filly to Regal, and May, by King Cole—Friendship, a filly to Regard. The Takapuna Jockey Club have built a comfortable caretaker's cottage on their course, and appointed J. Fauch caretaker from about fifty applications. New Zealand Cup Letting—soo to 15 against Sarda, 300 to 15 DeQant. 100 to 10

Euroclydon, 100 to 8 Waiuku, 200 to 3 Britomart, 150 to 6 Antares, 500 to 50 Waiuku.