OUR AUCKLAND SPORTING LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 953, 25 April 1889, Page 24

OUR AUCKLAND SPORTING LETTER.

(#bom Oue Own C6brks£qndent.) , Auckland, April 23. Though the openiag day of ■ the A. it. C. Autumn meeting was "as dull as ditohwater," the second day brought a great change over the scene,' and the financial result of the gathering will, I should think, be much better than the committee. anticipated. On the first day the total amount passed through the machines was £2760, while on the second day the return showed £3617, making a total. of £7377 for the two days, which shpwjsa slight increase on the amount passed through at the corresponding meeting, last year. -The racing, was very poor < on the first, day, and there was not an interest- , ing finish during the whole afternoon; A good deal of interest was.attached to the , meeting of i Corunna (half, brother to>Lochiel) and, Cissy i(the full sister bo Trenton) in the Champagne Stakes as tending < to' .settle the muchdebated question as to whether; the latter, was fairly beaten on her merits, in the I summer.'. James Eean, the trainer of Corunna,! •has never had but one opinion on the matter,! and the hollow manner, in, which Corunna once | more asserted hia superiority, over the isister to, Trenton i on Saturday last, is proof, positive that! as two-year-olds there is a big lump between them. Of course therenis this to beaaid r that,

Corunna is the beau.' ideal of ( a two-year-old

while Cissy has -been; growing much too fast, to be seen at her best when at that age, and I may remark that she stands at the present time a shade over 16 hands. In the Easter Handicap!

few would listen to the defeat of Hilda, for, with 8.2 opposite her name, she was regarded as the: pick of the handicap.; But the race, brought about a big surprise, the lityletthought-of Leorina

(7.0) going to the front after a quarter of a mile had been traversed, and her rider making every ■post a winning one, she ran home a winner in front of Leopold (7.7) by two lengths. Hilda; .was very slow at commencing, and did notj appear to make any, headway until the half-mile post: was reached^ bub she had then to .make up 60 much ground that her defeat -was certain,, The winner is a five-year-old daughter of Leoiinas and Yatterina, and is therefore half -sister to Libeller. The . party behind her were very sanguine of her ability to win, and they backed! her and won a good stake. Leopold and Raglan ( being withdrawn from the Leger, only.Cuiras-, eier, Hilda, and Quilt were left in to contest, the, valuable stake. The.racewas runata^wretched 1 pace, which may be gathered from the fact; that> the watch showed 3min 40sec for the mile and, three-quarters and 132 yds. , .On the second .day „the ; ' racing unproved, considerably, and the finish that was fought, out; in- the' Autumn Handicap between' Leopold-

(7,10), Hilda (7.11), and Lady Norah (7.10), was; in itself worth a long journey to witness. , The trio came up into the straight locked together,' arid fighting out a great battle all the,way home the issue was iv doubt until the .very last stcjde; when Leopold, who was, penned in between, his opponents, got up. and secured the J judge's, yer-: diet by a head fronv^lda, Lady/ Norah a head, behind, third. QJd, Jselsoni who was fourth, was nearly a dozen lengths, away. ., The Steeplechase was most interesting throughout. A quarter pij a mile from home Artist looked all over a winner, 1 but once on the flat Guy Fawkes smothered him for pace, and wheii the latter'a Victory was being loudly proclaimed, Rae brought Orangeman up with a great run, and. catch-j ing , his stable , mate, at , the last 'hurdle. v won by half, a length f»mid much cheer jng. There ,jvas. ; au jmpressionj abroad that Guy Fawkes could have, won. had his rider persevered wish him; but on that", point there is' a good de»\ of ■, doubt., The. Flying Stakes saw. old Nelson once, ,mqre home, id front, which gave rise to a scene of "great enthusiasm, cheer after , cheer greeting the old, horse aaihe came back to, the enclosure. , ! His Excellency 'the Governor, Lord Onslow and Lady Onslow, were present on the seconc day, , and < appeared: to enjoy the racing im mensely. Lord Onslow, I may remark, .openec his career on New, Zealand territory by having a sovereign on Escutcheon when ■ the , son o: Musket and Eosette romped home, in th< Stewards' Handicap. The stable presided over by Mr James Eean was in great form on both days.- Escutcheon was responsible for a double win, in the Tradesmens' Plate, and Stewards? Handicap ; Cuirassier got home first in the StL Leger, and Oorunna had a like record in the Champagne Stakes; while Leopold and Fuse^ each secured a win, in the Autumn Handicap and Shorts respectively. . , , v , . , The yearling ha]f -sister, to Trenton, by .N^rj denfeldt — Frailty, has .been christened, Mary! She is already, very forward with her educ&tionl and.beinggi.fted with a beautiful temper, Ted Wright will havje % an easy task, with Jbier,* She is a beautiful mover, and altogether is a youngster of much promise.,,,.. ( Batista, the half-sister to ArtiHery, has turned out such a ,bad, roarer that MrEnko has determined to terminate his, lease of her, and she goes, to Mr Morrin's stud farm at Mount WelL lingtou at an early date.,,. , ' Jphn Kean was in great form at the A.R.Cj. meeting, and scored a win. in, fqur out of the five events in which he cpate^ted. His victories were gained on Escutcheon, Tnpaki, Cuirassier, and Corunna . . i

Mr 0. Beresford having determined to retire rom'the turf, his racehorses were, pat up for Bale iast week. The, following are the results:— Pikaii, 4yra, by Aif-eros-—Amohia,3ogs, M'Kinnon Bros; Doloaa, 2yrs, by Leolinas— Leila f full sister to Whakawai^, |50g^, -R. Burke'; The Duke, 3yrs, , by Hippocampas— -Grand Dachess, 30gs, J. Kean ; Satyr, 3yre, f by Leolinus — Naiad, 40gs, J. ( Kean ; Leopold, 3yrs, by Leolinuß— Lovebird, 250gs, J. Kean ; Bscntcbeon, 4yrs, by Musket— Rosette, lOTgs, J. Eean. ,

After he ,had won the Tradesmen's Plate Escutcheon was purchased by S. Powell for £175, but he did not go into his hands until after the A. B. C. meeting was concluded. Mr Douglas' two-year-old Quilt, who., had hia legs, knocked about' while on the, passage up from Napier, is apparently not *so .seriously injured as was supposed. He was,. started' in the Champagne Stakes, and though ridden fair out he showed no 'ByrnptoMofJamenes^ "'" '