AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2046, 11 May 1893, Page 30

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By Taihao

Auckland, May 9.

The late judge of the A.R.C., Mr Kirkwood, has resigned his position, and the acceptance of the resignation is, there can be no question, a matter for sincere regreb. Mr E. Mitchelson will probably be his successor. It will be remembered that on the advent of the so-called abuse of the totalisator Mr Mitchelson thought fit to resign from the then committee on account of their alleged misdeeds re the machine and the passing of superfluous programmes. Notwithstanding this, the committee of the A.R.C. wish to appoint him judge, the excuse being that Mr Kirkwood cannot see well enough. The A.R.C. Committee certainly display a marked want of consistence in their proposed action. All Auckland sportsmen condemn the idea of Mr Mitchelson being allowed to enter the arena of sporting circles after his ungentlemanly action to the A.R.C. stewards last year. Mr J. B. Williamson is off to his happy hunting ground— namely, the West Coast. Last year old Shillelagh was worth about a thousand to him, and with ordinary luck " The Professor " will more than pay his way. Tullocii, by Sword Dance out of Welcome Katie, is a kind of left bower The .Professor carries in his pocket, and hang me if he does not turn up trumps when he is called on. Leolautis has been doing good sound work at three-quarter speed. Owing to the tracks being unfit to work on, nothing has been done at Ellerslie, but the tan track is fit to use. Belmont is doing hard work at the jumping, I fancy with an idea of Takapuna favours. Mr G. Wright is doing good work with the Newminster gelding in the jumping line albeit he does knock them very hard. The weights for the Grand National Hurdle Race, and Great Northern Steeplechase, to be run at the A.R.O. Winter meeting, were expected to make their appearance yesterday, but in order to allow Mr Evett to have the benefit of the running at the Egmont meeting in adjusting the handicaps, it has been determined to delay their publication until the conclusion of that fixture on Wednesday next. Old St. Hippo is doing great trotting exercise. He will rear up again, though it seems like a joke. The fanny •• George " does not wish him to geb too fat. By the way, " George," of Wright ilk, seems to own a considerable number of youngsters. Mr Morrin and " George " seem to have let bygones be bygones, but this is scarcely the case with the public, and a very peculiar suspicion attached to Brown Alice at the late Avondale meeting in her second race. Owing to the tracks being unfit to work on, bar the tan track, all work has been mediocre. Lottie, Vivat, and Brown Alice are all doiDg half -pace work, Royal Rose and Sbanmore cantering, Coalscuttle doing three-quarter work, Pegasus walking exercise, Ingorina doing splendid jumping exercise over small sticks; The Clan, half brother to Scot Free, is doing good strong work ; Tib, Dishonour, and the Radiant colt half-pace work. The Wanda filly has been backed. If this i 3 a sample of Malua's stock — well, we can beat them in a canter. The Wellington Park yearlings are quite as well grown. Mr Morrin has again given away the sporting scribes in Auckland. I wonder when he will leain to act fair ? Until we learned from the southern papers that the Hotchkiss — Katipo yearling 'colt had been transferred from Mr Morrin to Mr M'Kellar, and that such transfer had bean passed by the C. J.C., we knew nothing here about it. Mr M'Kellar has purchased Stepper, the hurdle racsr, for his brother in India. It may be remarked that at the lasb sale of the Wellington Park yearlings this colt was knocked down to Mr John Rae for 125gs. At the same sale the Hotchkiss— Fairy Queen colt was knocked down to Mr A. Buckland for 95gs, and since then his transfer to the ownership of Mr George Wright, the trainer, has been accepted also by the C.J.C. Whataboub theentry down that way of the Goldsbrough— Minerva filly recently imported from Australia by Mr Morrin, and who may be responsible for the forfeits in the Challenge Stakes in future years ? A good deal of surprise has been expressed here at the fact of Mr D. O'Brien's name appearing in the " forfeit list" in the Canterbury Challenge Stakes, but it is ludicrous to find Mrs Walbers's name in tho same list for JEgyptus, by First King out of Memphis, considering she never bred or owned him. He was the original property of Major George, and was sold by him to the deceased Mr W. Clifford. How h this, I should like to ask the secretary of the C.J.C ? Two lawsuits which will prove interesting to racing bodies are pending at Dargarville against the Northern Wairoa Racing Club. In one caee the plaintiff claims £9 10s as dividend alleged to have been withheld by the club. The plaintiff's story is that he applied at the tote for a ticket on, I think, No. 3, but was supplied in mistake with one on No. 8, the race beiug the Gumdiggers' Purse. No. 8, an outsider, won, and plaintiff demanded payment, bub as the machine only registered four tickets, while the plaintiff's would make five, when produced the toUlisator clerk refused to pay the claim Action is now taken to recover the amount. The slab denies the claimant's statement, and contends that the ticket was never purchased, and the matter will be fought out in the coui t. Mr Be 1 is acting for the plaintiff and Mr M'Le jd for the club. The other action is rather a complicated one. In the second Hack Race a horse called Maggie wa3 declared the winner. The owner of the second horse, Archie, protested on the ground that Maggie was not eligible, as the conditions of the race left it only to a horse that had never been entered for any race other than a hack race, while Maggie had started in the Maiden Plate the same day. The stewards dismissed the protest, bub thecase was carried on appeal to the North Auckland Racing Association, and Archie was declared the winner. The club, in accordance with the association s decision, paid the stakes to Archie. The owner of Maggie is now taking action to recover the stakes, as he alleges the association decided m error. The same counsel are engaged in this case. c Mr W. Paul intends nominating Mangere tor the V.R C. Grand National Hurdle Race. Ingorina, after returning from stueplechasing in Australia, goes back to Whakabare. Mr J B. Williamson is putting up other I<J loose boxes, and he really now has the leading trainer's stable up our way.