SPORTING NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 311, 4 January 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

SPORTING NOTES.

4 The only incidents worthy of note in the first day of the Auckland Meeting were the very clever victory which waa snatched by Pinfire from the Slander colt in the Railway Plate, and the unfortunate cannon of Lady Elizabeth in the Cup, whioh race she had a very fair chance of winning. In the Hurdle Race Tom Finn ran splendidly, taking the lead at the start and maintaining it throughout. Punga, aa usual, shut up directly she was collared in the Cup. The acceptances in the Wellington Cup have been published eomo days, and two horses which were well treated are conspicuous by their absonce. I allude to Ariel and York, who, I presume, are now intended for the Dunedin Cup, in which the chance of neither can be despised. Of the 19 acceptors Fishhook heads the list with 9st 81b, and ia now first favorite. Maritana will have an accumulation of penalties, which will operate against her chance of j victory. Danebury I dc> not consider a two mile horse. Lara has not performed well enough this year to justify me in recommending him. The same remark applies to Laertes, Titania will, I expect, represent Bay's stable, but the cares of maternity will interfere with her training. Longlands and Camballo are well in. Punga may aa well be scratched, as she is not likely to pay her expenses from Auckland. Venus Transit I can give no opinion oi, but on paper she has nothing to complain of as against Longlands. Pinfire and Mufti are well heated, and should not be far from the winning post at the finish. Eata comes to us under somewhat similar circumstances to Lara at last meeting, and has a considerable following. The remaining six horses I can see nothing to recommend, and, to sum up, I think the only five worth backing are Fishhook, Longlands, Pinfire, Mufti, and Bata. Outsidsb.