THE AUCKLAND RACES.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1640, 4 January 1862, Page 4

THE AUCKLAND RACES.

Fj cst Day. The Anniversary Ka es came off at the Course at Ellerslie, on Wednesdn and Thursday last. The attendance was unusually slack, but that may be partly accounted for by the s; te of the weaiher which was most unpropitious, blot g hard from South-west with fTfcqnent and heavy squalls of rain. Toere was but a thin sprinkling of carriages, and but a very moderate turn out of the fair sex. There was an ibsence also of many of the elements rtliich used to gve a stirring character to the “Meets‘of bygone yesrs in Potter’s Field. There were few c i the Military, end still fewer of the Maones; there w; : no Race for Maori Horses, though a Maori Horse mu ie an appearance in one of the races; nor were there any of those mixed foot races, Maori and Pakeha, whirl iihough perhaps infra dig at a great Equestrian displa i conduced greatly nevertheless to the New Year’s Day sports, and excited a great deal of kindly interest among the competitors of both races. The Regimental Band, which was wont to fill up and enliven the pauses between the heats and races, was missing on Wednesday 4?last; nor was the racing of such an impioved charac \ ,r as to make up for these wants; indeed, the genera l impression appeared to be that Wednesday’s was one the least interesting Race days that has occurred for si!-me y ears> For the first race, the M xdkx Plate of £BO, one mile and a half, there wer S eight entries, McGhee’s Butterfly, Watt’s Telegram 1 Foley’s Juno, Selby's Fawn, Taylor’s Woodbine, Warburton’s Birmingham, Rogers’ Sam Slick, and I licfarJane's Vision. The running lay between Sam i ick and Woodbine, Sam polishing off his chinpciithr \ lib ju a gbeti gtbOuU.

For the Ladies’ Purse of £SO, two miles, gentlemen riders, the four following started—Hargreaves’ b. m. Deception, Anderson’s hr. g. Balsam, McGee’s b. g. Billy Brown, and Macfarlane’s hr. m. Gazelle. This race was won easily by Deception, who came out in tip top condition ; Billy Brown took the second place. The Inkeepers’ Purse of £SO, one mile and a half, was contested by Te Hapuku’s hr. g. Hurricane, Rogers’ b. g. Paganini, Anderson’s b. g. Bill Downey, and Macfarlane’s b. m. Barbara. Hurricane, who came to the post with a high reputation, disappointed his admirers sadly, for at the start, he commenced buck jumping at a furious rate, throwing his rider, and beiig thrown out of the race before he could mount agajjWon easily by Barbara, who was greatly admired, Downey taking the second, and Paganini the t ll *® place. For the Scurry Stakes of £ls. with entries added, one mile heats, there were three horses st irtet ‘> and thus placed— McGee’s gr. g. Little Dick 1 j King’s ch. g. Wee Tammy 2 Anderson’s b. g. Bill Downey 3 7- u This was an excellent race, notwithstanding there was some difficulty in starting Little Dick for the second heat. , The last event of this day was for the Farmers Purse of £SO, one mile and three quartetA° r .A* 110 * 1 the following started—McGee’s ch. g. Bu 16 ™}') Watts b hj. Telegram, Hargreaves’ b. m. L-ception, and Macfarlane’s b. hj. Vision. This was ar excellent race, taken easily by Deception, Butterfly ceding in second. In the running home, the sadale turuA and Vision s rider was thrown at the very time wh ,n he appeared to be making good head way. . , The sports concluded with extemporised matches for a side saddle—a cup—suchlike, ihese matches were closely ami keenly contested, and were not the least amusing of the racesot the day.

Second D j y - Unpropitious as was the as>ect of the weather _on Wednesday, it was still more O on Thursday morning. The night was a tempestuous one, and, at daybreak it blew almost a hurricane, wifi furious squalls of ram. By noon, however, the wine’ lulled, the clouds dispersed, the rain ceased, or onl fed hi genial showers, and the greater part of the day if not one of actual summer, was very much akin to that which, m England, 1S characterized as April veather. Despite these early centre temvs, there was ready as large an assemblage as that of the previous lay. The first race on thcc&rd was the HViaiden Produce Stakes, £SO, one mih, which was taken by Rogers’ gr. g. Sam Slick, Taylor’s b. m. Woodbine, and Foley’s gr. m. JunJ, taking the second and third places. The next Race— the great event of the “ meet”— the race which, in spi»e of wind and weather, had attracted sporting men, soth from town and country, was for the Metropolitan Flats of £IOO, three miles. To the consternation and disgust of the general public, the Judge instructed by the Stewards to notify that Te Hapuku’s Hurricane and Mr. Hargreaves mare Deception were both scratched and that Mr. iVTac/arlanes mare JSarbara would walk over. The Auckland public are proverbially a meek and patient public, but this announcement exceeded their powers of sufferance, and more especially when it became known that Mr. Robert Graham, one of the Stewards, who had started all the previous races, positively and peremptorily refused, under all the peculiar circumstances of the case, to start Barbara on her proposed solitary airing. The crowd very naturally soon became excited and the language bandied from lip to lip was of the plainest—Barbara to have the Metropolitan, Deception the Garrison Stakes being pronounced to be the arrangement, and that to the utter preclusion of the anticipated sport for which the public had so liberally subscribed and on which so many’heavy bets were depending. The disgust engendered in the public mind did honour to what was insolently termed the “ Auckland Mob”—That Mob comprised many of our oldest and most respectable settlers and sportsmen, who felt that if the Anniversary Races were tamely allowed to be so shut up, Racing in Auckland must cease, as nothing would induce the public to put their hands into their pockets in future. Besides, we and many others, were under the impression that when the Judge notified Deception to be scratched for the Metropolitan, she was by that act incapacitated from running for the Garrison Plate. That some deception was being practised the public were convinced, and they determined, if possible, to frustrate it. Plain folks not au fait in the arcana of the turf could not be made to comprehend how a mare could be lame for the Metropolitan, yet sound for the Garrison. And the verdict recorded against her by the bootings and groanings after she had won the race in which she and Barbara, by a species of after clap, were subsequently placed, was no more than an honest expression of legitimate indignation. With respect to Barbara, when she was first brought forward to be started for a walk over, she was hemmed in on every side, and utterly precluded the pleasure of her contemplated £IOO parade. The triumph on the one side, and the bitterness on the pan of those who sanctioned her being brought forward we shall not discuss. We leave that vexed question to the decision of public opinion, with the simple remark that the determination of Mr. Robert Graham elicited all but universal commendation. A great deal was said of the bearing of the “ Auckland Mob,” as if the Auckland mob were entitled to no voice whatever in the conduct of the New Year's Day’s Sports for which they have so long and liberally granted the supplies. Much allowance is to be made for such a popular outburst on such an occasion. Who, we would fain inquire, are the stewards? How are they elected? Whose are the funds they are intrusted to dispense? Those of a Club—a Racing Corporation —or any privately constituted body ? Are they not, defacto, mere Trustees, for the discharge of a two days holiday on behalf of the subscribers who provide the effects? We think so, and the general public think so, and they do not concur in the propriety of horses being scratched for one race, to insure their being ail right for another.

The Auckland Anniversary Regatta is, we believe, of precisely similar constitution as the Auckland Anniversary Races ; and yet how very dissimilar is the system of management. The Regatta is conducted on the principle of public suffrage—that is to say, a public meeting is called, a Committee is publicly ballotted for, and to that Committee, appointed by themselves, the public look for a fair days sport for the money entrusted to their disposal. We have never heard of an Auckland Mob in our Auckland Regattas, and, thank goodness, we never in Auckland, or in any other civilised country, witnessed a horse walked over a course, a la Peter 100, by charges of cavalry, made at the hazard of the lives and limbs of the public purveyors. Unless the Auckland Anniversary Races are henceforward to cease, their constitutional management must be entirely remodelled, for who will subscribe unless under the guarantee that there shall be no repetition of the scenes of Thursday last. The Metropolithn thus forcibly disposed of, the next event was the Hurdle Race, £3O, twice round the course, four hurdles, feet high. Three started, McGhee’s gr. g. Little Dick, Keightley’s br. g. Hump, 'and Lorrigan’s ch. g. Johnny, Dick had a bad start, but he soon recovered lost ground coming in first. Hump second. For the Garrison Plate, £BO, two miles, gentlemen riders, there were eight entries, but the only three placed were Mr. Hargreaves mare, Deception, 1 Major Nelson’s b. hj. Snake. 2—and Mr. McGhee’s Billy Brown, 3. From the loud and angry protests uttered against Deception, it was feared there might be some attempt made to prevent her from running. Such, however, was not the case, the only further in dulgence of popular indignation venting itself in bitter bootings as she came to the weighing stand. The Consolation Stakes £ls, entrance added, were taken by Major Nelsqn s Snake, beating Roger’s Paganini, 2nd ; King’s Wee Tammy, 3rd ; Absolom’s Johnny, Taylor’s Woodbine, and McGhee’s Planet—not placed. The Forced Handicap of £5 each for all winners, with £2O added, one mile, concluded the events of the day. The three following started:—Mr. Hargreave’s Deception, Mr. Macfarlane’s Barbara, and Mr. Roger’s Sam Slick. The mares carried 9 st. 9 lb., the horse 8 st. 9 lb. Deception won easily, Barbara coming in second.

There were several other matches got up, but the course rapidly cleared, and thus terminated the Auckland Races of 1862.