OUR AUCKLAND BETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1832, 31 December 1886, Page 25

OUR AUCKLAND BETTER.

winner. The Members' Purse should be won by Nelson, if he is sent for it ; if not, by Mitrailleuse. In the Foal Stakes, Niagara, Bangle, and Formo should again have the finish to themselves, and the half brother to Trenton should again win. On the third day the Auckland Plate should be secured by Nelson, with Artillery and Disowned next best; while the Sylvia Park Stakes should go to Mr Sommerville with the aid of Niagara or Balista. Comments on the Christchurch meeting and others that have been held at Christmas-time are held over till next week.

The Canterbury Times says that the Albany —Tell Tale filly has been well named Whisper ; but I fail to see it, for there is a mare of that name already in the New Zealand stud book in the shape of Mr Kirby's four-year-old daughter of King Philip and Rosetta. Between £400 and £500 passed through the totalisator at the Maori Kaik races on Monday. The gathering was sadly spoiled by the rainy weather which prevailed in the early part of the day, for hnndreds of intending excursionists were thereby debarred from making the trip. A report of the day's doings appear in another column. The principal events at the Wanganui Autumn meeting have filled well, the Cup having 28 entries and the Wanganui Stakes no less than 32 ; while the hurdle races comprise a score or so of names also. The most prominent names in the flat races are Waitiri, Silence, Artillery, Fardingale, Pasha, and Administrator ; while I also note that the veteran Ascot is once more about. The jumpers include Master Agnes, Mammoc, Secretary, Guy Fawkes, Silvio, and the cream of the North Island crosscountry horses. In commenting on two race meetings held recently near Christchurch, " Sir Launcelot" wr i* es ; _At New Brighton the Trot was a disgraceful affair, and that most of the spectators thought so too was evidenced by the hooting that followed on the "'exhibition" made by Claret, who should have won anyhow had other " arrangements" not been made. There were seven starters, but I should say that beside the winner, Cock Robin, only a couple at least were on the job. And yet the stewards took no notice of what was as plain as the proverbial pikestaff ! And while on this rather unpleasant subject I put it to Mr Frame (who, as starter to the N.8.R.C., is certainly the right man in the rigbt place) if he does not consider it rather infra dig, to say the least of it, for him to resign the st irter's flag into other hands for one race— and that, above all.- a trot — in order that he may have a mount. [Ha rode Claret.] He would be doing the club and himself good service if he refrained in future from such a course of action. ... At Plumpton Park the winner of the Cup turned up in Patrician, whose nearest attendants at the finish were Rocket and Vinaigrette, the former conceding him 111b and the latter being in receipt of lib from him. Considering her mishap, Vinaigrette ran wonderfully well, for she was only just beaten for second place by Rocket, Patrician winning with a trine in hand. A well-backed animal was Galatea, twho, however, was, through her own indisposition to move, left at the post when the flag fell. Her rider, White, used such language to Mr Delamain, the starter, as to justify his suspension for a lengthy term, and he may thank his stars that his offence was not visited with the punishment it deserved. As it was, when his error was pointed out. he had the good sense to apologise, and the matter dropped. This should be a warning to him in the future. After Wait-a-While had put through a septette in the Saddle Trot, Ladybird, -who was favourite, and is a daughter of Albany, lowered the colours of half a dozen opponents in the Polo Race. In this, by the way, some of the riders had to resort to funny measures to make up their respective weights. There was not a sufficiency of lead to be found, and one rider rode with a chain around his body, while another carried horseshoes in a horse cloth, and another some stones. The following extracts from the last notes by " Senex " will be of interest to owners of horses, and especially to those with whom selling races find favour:— The Selling Race on the first day of the meeting does not oppear to be a popular event, for last year there were but two entries for it, and this time it resolves itself into a walk over for Mr Sherwin's Meteor, and such being the case he will only receive half the stake. It is advisable, however, for an owner who allows his horse to walk over in a selling race to make himself acquainted with the bearing of rule 144 of the C.J.C. rules, for it is a popular error to suppose that a horse cannot be sold in the event of a walk over. The rule reads— " If a horse walk over for a selling race he shall not be liable to be sold, unless any deficiency in the amount of the advertised added money be added to the upset price." This rule, which is taken from the Victorian code, is somewhat crude, for it does not state by whom the deficiency may be made up ; whether any person tendering the amount may claim that the horse shall be sold ; or if it is the option of the stewards alone. In a s lling race an owner handicaps his own horse according to its rmney vnlue, and under ordinary circumstances should be satisfied to sell him at the price at which he enters his horse plus the aided money of the race. But the backing of a horse is included under these '• ordinary circumstances," and it is quite in the order of things that an owner should look for some portion of the value of his horse to be recouped to him through the betting ring or the totalisator, as the case may be, but in the event of a walk over this is of course not possible. The position of the matter now appears to be that if anyone should of himself, or be commissioned by the stewards, to tender (to some persons not named in the rules), the half of the stakes forfeited by the walk over, that the horse should be submitted to auction at the upset price of £65, and that the club would receive every pound the horse fetched above that sum. The following items are from exchanges: — The Lower Heathcote Racing Club announce that they intend holding a Champion Handicap Time Trot, in saddle, of 170sovs, some time in February next. Should the entry and acceptance be sufficiently numerous, it will be run in heats, and the winner of each beat will receive a prize. — At a recent meeting of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Olub Committee a letter was read from the Poverty Bay Turf Club, stating that they felt aggrieved at being under the Auckland Racing Club rules, and as all their interests were with Hawke's Bay, they asked the Hawke's Bay Club to take Cook County under their control. The Jockey Club resolved that if the Poverty Bay Club obtain the consent of the A.R.C. to sever their connection the H.B.J.C. will alter their rules to include Cook County. — Griselda, a promising filly by Gladiator, was killed at Hastings recently on the training track. She was sent with Huata for a gallop, starting at the mile and a-half post. When they got opposite Percy Martin's, she was boring in, and ran against the post. She struck it with her flank, and the rail, which is 20ft in length, penetrated her flank and came put between ber bind quarters. The whole rail

went through her. She then.- struck the next post with her near shoulder, breaking the bone. It was a fearful cast of smashing up. The boy had his collar-bone broken, stad was otherwise injured, but he is progressing favouarably. Newman, her trainer, ran for a. gun to put an end to her suffering, and, iv his excitement, nearly shot himself getting through a wire fence.

The "We's" and "X's" of the Canterbury Times, who so recently tried to fiud fault with the manner in which the Dunedin Jockey Club carries out its duties, but who never, fail to gush over the perfection (?) which obtains at Christchurch, have had to make the following fatal admission: — "One or two errors appeared in the handicaps posted on Monday evening for the Craven Stakes and New Year Welter, but the correct weights are published in this issue. The mistakes were occasioned by thet handicappers weighting Apropos in place of Puck in the Welter, and omitting to allot any - Weight to The Gem. Sierra's weight in the Craven was posted correctly as 6st 101b in the C.J.C rooms, but in the copy displayed at TattersalP.fi appeared as 6st." Note the airy way in which these extraordinary " errors" are disposed of{!" We have a horse handicapped for a race for which it is not entered, while two horses that are nominated are totally ignored ; and we also hav^e two official lists of weights for a race differing to the extent of 101b in connection with the., impost on another horse. Really we shair.have to go to Christchurch to learn how to do things properly.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Auckland, Tuesday Evening.

I think I have erery reason tq shake hands with myself on the result of the Auckland Cup. When the weights made their* appearance I did not hesitate to give my opinion that Nelson and Waitiriheld the crowd opposed to r them safe, and that was proved in the race o^ Monday last. But there was really only one/hors© in the race from the time the weights appeared, and that was Nelson. How much, more weight he could have carried and won I am not. prepared to Bay, but 101b would certainly,-': not have stopped him. He won much in the same style as lost year, though he did not take command of affairs on this occasion until half way down the straight. Cutts had him 'in ~ great health, and he was not a bit distressed at the finish of his long journey. The public werei of course, good winners over the victory, and this son of King Cole on being brought back to the enclosure met with such an ovation as is hardly seen; at Ellerslie. The people fairly shrieked with delight. By the win of Nelson the ring have to bring forward some heavy doubles in connection with both Derby and Steeplechase, and should Belle or Quy Fawkes win the latter race, the pencillers will have a bad time.

The public were taken greatly bytsurprise on Monday when it was announced- that Mr Robinson had withdrawn Disowned from the Cup. That certain persons outside the stable knew the night previous that the sod of Albany was an unlikely starter, is beyond doubt, and they did not hesitate to ijnprove the shining hour peppering him. Whether anything happened to this colt in his training I have not heard, but it comes to me from a reliable source that there is nothing seriously wrong with him, and he will probably be sent out in the Derby to be run on Saturday. i".

It is stated that the Hon. W. Robinson has become the owner of Silver Priuce, the half brother to Martini-Henry. The price has not transpired, but I think I am safe in saying that it is not a heavy one. Mr Butler's colt Artillery was very sore after competing in the Railway Stakes, and I fear his chance of winning the rich Auckland Derbj is small. If Disowned should be really, wrong, our Derby will dwindle down to small dimensions. The stewards of the A.R.C.jhave decided to prohibit all cash betting in future at EUerslie. Notwithstanding that notices were posted up that anyone so inclined would be removed from the course, several bookmakers were laying totalisator prices. The win ef Cremorne gave several of them a hard knock, and one had to meet liabilities of £200 after the .victory.

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