OUR AUCKLAND SPORTING LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1854, 3 June 1887, Page 23

OUR AUCKLAND SPORTING LETTER.

(Feom Oue Special Spoeting CoeeesPONDENT.)

Auckland, May 31.

The Auckland Winter meeting, which takes place on Saturday, will not be the great success I predicted when the wefghts for the Great Northern Steeplechase and Hurdle Race made their)appearance. The Napier entries received for both' races made it look pretty certain that they would put in an appearance, but the acceptance list shows their absence. The local owners are, of course, jubilant at getting rid of such a rough customer as Volcano, for they all recognised that if he could be brought to the post in the same nick as when he beat Silvio and others in the Autumn Steeplechase last month, he would be a hard one to floor. ' Still the good acceptance of 12 gives promise of a capital contest, although the absence of the foreign division robs the race of a deal of interest. In the Steeplechase Jimmy Kean supplies the favourite in Silvio, and all going well with him during the race he will take a lot of beating. He is as clean as a cat at his fence, and with such a turn of foot as he possesses, nothing but bitter hard luck can, I think, keep him from finishing in the front rank. Kean also appears to have a good thing in the Hurdle Race, in Victory, who is weighted at 9st 71b. The Musket-Pertoleuse colt is regarded as the yearling of the season. He has been named Hotchkiss. Since our local sport Mr W. Lyons '.returned he has never grown weary of reciting what a big heap of money can be won on the other side with a good horse. I believe be and his partner have made up their minds to make a bid for some of the good things of the coming season with Too Soon, the three-year-old son of Anteros and Steppe. This colt is a great favourite with everyone at Ellerslie, and should nothing befall him, I feel sure he will some day win a good race. The reason he did not figure in any of the three-year-old contests was owing to his coming into the world a few days prior to the Ist August, so that though really 'only two years old he ranks as three.

In compliance with'a generally expressed wish, the Auckland Racing Club have added two flat races to their Winter meeting— viz., the Winter Handicap and the Winter Bracelet. They have decided not to hold a meeting on Jubilee Day.

Betting is very dull over the Winter meeting. The following are the prices on the Great Northern Steeplechase : 3to 1 agst Silvio, 4 to 1 Huntsman, 5 to 1 Omata, 6 to 1 Falcon, and 10 to 1 qthers.

COURSING.

Taken altogether, the Plumpton Park meeting was a success, though the weather experienced on the second day had the effect of making the attendance very poor. In the final course for the Birthday Cup, for which Mr J. Hunt's Sailor Boy and Mr Quigley's Smuggler were placed in the slips together, the judge unquestionably gave a wrong decision. Smuggler had scored no less than three times, while Sailor Boy never got in at all, The judge however.

to the surprise of everyone, gave it in Sailor Boy's favour! ' The yerdicV was 'so manifestly wrong that it is quite 'clear the "judge^either mistook the dogs or' pulled the' wrong flag from his pocket, although he' wouldn't admit tieirig' guilty of either mistakei ' ■ ;" t FOOTBALL. "'"'.'/,• The principal, interest" in last Saturday's matches was , centred in the contest; between Gordon and Ponsonby. The teams •on each side were pretty strong, but the: latter; was best supplied in all departments of the game. Ponsonby kept the ball in their territory during", the whole of the first -term,' and although they worked hard to score, -no score had resulted when half-time was' called. When the second spell began Ponsonby jworkefl together, and by a capital piece" of passing; between Braund, ' Stevenson, 'arid WJiiteside,< the latter got in and scored a try, from which a goal was kicked by Wootten.' Jhef Gordons now began to play much closer together, bburt r they were unable to score, and the !• match ended in a victory fot Ponsonby By 5 points to nil. . ', > ■ ; '' | :>: > 3 In the Albert v. Auckland match the former, had an easy victory, winning by 16, points, td nit. ' ,^s 1 ' . The North Shore v. Waitemata match was' capitally contested throughout. The play was . of a most even character to' within a few minutes of time being culled, neither side, scoring ; .but at this point Wynward took a pot shot at goal and succeeded in scoring, North Shore thuß' winning by 4 points to nil. • ' ! .1 . We are to have a visit from the Taranaki footballers next month. ' , FISTIANA. , ' A glove fight takes place next month between Dick Mathews and a man named Richardson. Those competent to express an opinion say it will be a fair knocking' out battle, 1 but after the Murphy-Taylor fiasco last month • people^ are sceptical on the point.