AUCKLAND ITEMS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Auckland, July 15.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 26

AUCKLAND ITEMS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Auckland, July 15.

There has been such an exodus of horseowners and horses from this diatriofc during the past 12 months that the committee appointed to draw up tho A R O. programme for the coming season are not likely to open the club's purse strings very widely and from what I can learn the various bills of fare | will show very little inorease in stakes, as the heavy charges that the olub have to meet for interest keep them fairly at the whip. Some of the moat hopeful spirits on on the committee are, however, in favour of raising the Oup from 500sovs to 750sovb, but there is very little prospect of the proposal being carried. Notwithstanding the poor contests that we have had, the Great Northern Derby is, I am told, safe to be left at 500sovs. „»-.,, j When the weights for the V.R.O. Grand National Hurdle Race came to hand last month and the Auckland-owned Donald was found to have got iv with the light impost of 9.3, everyone here thought he would have a great say iv the settlement of the important question, but tho tenor of theletters received lnsfc week from the seat of war went to show fch ,t the son of Patriarch was Buffering from a cold •which ho coi'traoted on tha pnssnge across to Austraiia, and that Rao was not h-.peful of hi« pro9peots. To pet beaten only by a short neck for cuch a v.-.ln-abit'''-tfike i? a real hard pleoa of luck f^r Run and his warty but still the biji second money (300ao\*«) will act ns a sola'ium. Rae it of opiniou that Titokowaru will run a Rrenfc horse in the Grand National Steeplechase on Saturday, for whioh race he was last week supported to win a good stake, Tito- 1

kowaru; will, I understand, be ridden iby Rae himself, and as he is said to have acquitted himself with high honour* In his schooling work over the big country his ohance looks a first-class one. I heard to day that Cuirassier is likely to make a name In Australia next week. H. Harrison informs me that he posted Reprisal's acceptance for the New Zealand Oup today. Raglan is to be allowed to drop out. Auokland owners are likely to nominate very largely for the 0.J.0. Challenge Stakes. Mr ThomasMorrln is mounting no less than 13 (10 yearlings abd three two-year-olds). Advices reoeived from Sydney to-day state that James Kean Is gradually recovering from the severe attack of paralysis. Leopold, Fabulous, Montrose, and Dolosa are being looked after by Joe Kean at Surry Hills.