SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7344, 3 June 1885, Page 5

SPORTING.

I AUCKLAND RACING CLUB'S -. i i ; i STEEPLECHASE MEETING.!.-. Thb Auckland • Racing Club's Winter Meeting, which takes place at Ellerslie on Saturday next, gives every promise of being a marked' success. The big event—Great Northern Steeplechase—for which there is an acceptance of eleven, and to which the club given 300sovs., is likely to prove a contest which mil be worth a day's journey to see; and the other events of the programme have also filled so well, that an excellent afternoon's sport may with certainty be looked forward to. , The railway authorities have laid on special trains, the first starting at twelve o'clock, and following at brief intervals up to two o'clock; the return train leaving at ten minutes past five o'clock. . COURSE GOSSIP. Matters on the race course at Ellerslie are now beginning to wear a more lively aspect, there being a large number of horses present every morning undergoing their preparation for the A.R.C. Steeplechase Meeting. Ngata is looking very big and well, and has done some useful work since his arrival. Macaroni is lighter than when he ran here last, but very fresh, and goes free. Harkaway: pulled up very sore yesterday morning and this morning. New Year has been doing good work, and Whalebone did » good strong gallop this morning, His trainer has been a bit afraid of his legs, but he is better now than before T&kapuna. Revenge is under a cloud, not having been seen out for a week. Alfred did a capital gallop yesterday, as also did Quilp. Julia Ann is looking lighter , than usual. Shotover, Sf.agull, Comanchee, and Robin Hood did good'work this morning. King and Chevalier are very forward in condition, and doing long strong work. Fair Play did long slow work one day .last week, but has not been down since. - Hawthorn has been treated to several sweats and goes very strong. Reckless, Comanchee, and Fly were out hunting on Saturday and looked very well, and a number of other horses engaged at the meeting on Saturday are , out every morning. The work is done by most of the horses after breakfast. The course is drying up, and the water jump has been reduced by 4 feet on the take-oft side, and the top stone wall has been shifted about 20ft. to better ground. When the coping is on it will be quite formidable enough, I fanoy, though not so thick on the top and base. Crowther's paddock, I noticed, has been lately ploughed, so that the steeplechase horses have some hard work before them. Owners complain of the want of a fast gallop and would like to be allowed a gallop or two on the outside of the course proper—a concession which might reasonably be made without doing the course much harm.

The English Derby is to be ran to-day. Reuter cables the following as to the state of the betting on the great race on Monday last2 to 1 against; Melton, 5 to 1 Paradox, 5 to 1 Xaintrailles, 7 to 1 b c by Kiaber— Choppette, 10 to 1 b c by Hampton—Red Rag, 20 to 1 Kingwood. Tha favourite, Melton, is the property of Lord Hastidgs, and will probably be ridden by F. Archer. The two-year-old colt Thunderbolt was yesterday shipped by the s.b. Manaponri for Sydney. The colt, who was in splendid health, was very greatly admired by a large number of persons who were present on the wharf to see him shipped on board. By a typographical error, the name of Alfred was omitted from the list of acceptors for the Hurdle Race to be decided at EUerßlie on Saturday next. Phaeton. , THE MELBOURNE CUP. [reuter's cablegram.] : . Melbourne, June 2. Add to Melbourne entries for the Cup:— Lantern, Liverpool, The Plunger, The Andes. The total entries are 164. , ENTRIES FOR THE SYDNEY RACES. Sydney, June 2. The total number of entries received for tbe Metropolitan Handicap is 83, and for the Bawkeabury Handicap 109. WEIGHTS FOR THE HAWKES' BAY STEEPLECHASE. [B7 telegraph.—press association. |\ Napier, Tuesday. The following weights were declared tonight by Mr. J. O. Evett, handioapper — Hawses' Bay Steeplechase of 400sovs. Distance, 3 miles and a-half. st lb st lb Ravenswood .. 12 0 Erebus „ «. 9 12 Jim 12 0 Assegai .. 912 King Arthur .. 1112 Diomedes — ... 9 10 Scrutineer.. .. 11 10 Totara _ _ 910 Macaroni .. .. 11 8 Denbigh ... .. 910 Orient .. .. 11 7 Pathfinder— .. 910 Lin wood .. ... 11 5 Claude (.. _ 9 8 The Druid ™ 11 4 A.G. „ „ 9 7 Director .. .. 11 2 Ngata .. ... 9 7 King .. .. 10 10 St. Dunstan .. 9 7 New Year.. .. 10 7 Orphan .. ..'97 Pastime .. .. 10 7 Sloper .. ' _ 9 7 Whalebone ... 10 2 Flemlngton - 9 7 Romeo ... ... 10 0 Glpsey ... ... 9 7 Qullp .. ... 10 0 Speculation .. 9 7 Revenge .. ~ 912 Donedin, Tuesday. The committee of the D.J.C. met to discuss the question of the resignation of the handicappers, but it was deferred till » fuller meeting. •