AUCKLAND TOPICS.
By Taihoa.
Auckland, May 25. The Winter meeting of the Takapuna JockeyClub opened at the North Shore course last Saturday under very favourable circumstances, big fields, close finishes, aud a large attendance combining to make the meeting one of the most suscessful ever held tit the marine suburb. The largeat dividend paid was £16 12?, and £3547 passed through the machine. There were 17 starters for the opening event, the Maiden Hurdles, the Herculaneum mare Ongon being made favourite. Miss Nelson, who had been jumping well in her daily tasks at headquarters was poorly backed, only 37 tickets being on her out of a total of 337, and her display was as unconvincing as her support. In apito of the large field the runners were dispatched on equal terms. The favourite reached the opening jump first. A faulty leap sent her back to third position, but after Grenadier had been given temporary command Ongon again took the lead and was first to take off at the last hurdle, and in spite of a poor jump she managed to get home by a length. Miss Nelson, who made a gr^at run when too late, was runner-up, with Hard Times third. I consider this race showed Grenadier's present form (which is capable of a lot of improvement), but neither Annabelle nor Miss Nelson gave trustworthy displays. Ongon covered the mile and a-half in 3mm 6sec, and returned £3 4s; a rather poor dividend for her to pay considering the number and quality of her opponents. The Maiden Plate, of 3050v3, one mile, showed up a promising performer in the Hippocampus— Rosarina mare Glenora, (named after her breeding place), who downed the C*gtor horso Orion at the last Avondale meeting. Eleven started, the Kalo gelding Tha Sharper being favourite, with Lord Dunluce next in demand. ' The latter curled up badly, but Sharper made a big bid for victory. Coming up the straight he looked like scoring, but after a sharp fight Glenora beat him by half a length. The winner took lmin sfcec to do the mile, and paid £16 125,, thanks to the strong support accorded to Sharper and Lord Dunluce. Whon the liliputians were ranged up for the First Pony Handicap nine was found to be the total, only one acceptor being struck out. The top weights, Leona and Romp, both of whom have been cantering home under heavy weights, were backed in a poor and instructive fashion, the bulk of the money going on to tho Dauphin gelding Bob, who was supposed to be a certain winner. Bit of Fashion was second favourits, and ran gamely, but the start gained by Fidget when the barrier released the field was too great to give any other runner a chance of winning. She led-them from start to finish, winning comfortably in lmin 32seo, Bit of Fashion and silkworm being in the places. Fidget, w*io paid £8, won this event last year in exactly si' ilar style, but could not manage another win dtr g the whole 12 months, so her victory was veij acceptable to the "J. B. Hatton" stable, of which she ia an inmate. The same stable had another win in the Open Hurdles, the Howitzer—Pastime gelding Aughadowey winning comfortably from Bombardier, who wai well backed and driven out to the bitter end; but although he ran well under puuishrneat he struck a very Bteep snag in Aughadowey, the latter simply boiling the opposition into shreds. Last season this H6witzer gelding wag racing down the coast in hack eveuts, but although' some scores fell to him his demonstrations were nothing remarkable then. When the present season was waning his trainer, J. B. Williamson, who knows how to produce jumpers as well as anyone up this way, put the gelding over sticks, and produced as promising a hurdler as we have had here for a long time.' His fencing and pacing last Saturday give him more than an outside chance in our Grand National Hurdles. It is quite clear that nothing running against him at Takapuna has a hope of beating him in the National race, for he meets them on better terms. The time (4min 13soc) does not read very swift, but Liberator took 4min 24sec to win youi hurdles on Saturday, and the going was very heavy here. Besides, Aughadowey never had to be pushed to any extent. I see the southern champion old Liberator has been winning under a big weight, but good as he is I doubt his ability to concede Aughadowey 3.10, as he is naked to do in our big hurdles. The Birthday Handicap, of lOOaovs, one mile, and a-quatter was in more ways then one rather peculiar. Southern racing men do not require to be told what sort of a horse Acone is and how he is backed vvhen his health is favourable to a winning effort. Ilia stable companion Doris is likewise the recipient of heavy support when the stable wishes to unload shekels; yet the pair carried just £22 between them (£1 on Acone and £12 on Doris) out of a total of £826. Another of the stable, Panoply, carried £190, which fact spoke volumes for the chances of Doris and Acone, likewise for backers who supported this pair. I mention this in support of the growing desira expressed locally to have horses coupled on the machine when an owner starts two or more in one race. The action of the Dunadin Club in coming to such a decision is warmly applauded here. It is true that Acone, although the stable mate of Panoply and Doris, races under the nomination of " A. Davies," but the last-mentioned pair both race in Geo Wright'B name. To return to the Takapuna racing. Panoply was abiolute favourite, with St. Kilda second best; then came that hollow fraud Pegasus, who took it into his head to race for the first time since he won the Auckland Cup three years ago. Since he won that cup Pegasus has shown how a horse can lose taces and break backers,' and although this Birthday Handicap fell to. him his display doeu not justify one in believing in him. He certainly ran gamer than has bten the case for a long time past, and Jaa. Kean may build him into a reliable racei, Hut it should be
remembered that he took 2min 21sec to cover thf 10 furlongs, although he was ridden hurd from start to finish. Moreover, the ruuner-up, Lidy Agnes, is " very poor shakes," and there wera more "dcad'uns" than otherwise behind him. If; is inadvisable to refer more directly to the displays beyond Baying that St. Kilda, who was second favourite, and finished third, was father late in making his run. After Kingswood, the Ingomar gelding, owned and ridden by John Rae, had upsut Ika in the Selling Steeplechase— for which latter he was reckoned that variable quantity a ''moral"— he was bought in for £27 by tte owner. Backers then turn-d their attention to the last race of the day, the Royal Hai dicap, which was ru ? P setm-darkness. Heavy scratchings re< suited. The present Takapuna track is a dicky kind of road to follow in "twilight. St Regel, who had Derby weight to carry, was favourite, but could only get third place, the Hippoca pua mare Glenora, who won the Maiden Plate, scoring cleverly by a long neck from The Sharper, St. Regel close up next. There was a lot of jammiifg and blocking, St. Regel and The Sharper both being interfered with, while the winner escaped by raciug on the outside pretty well all through tha race. She took lmin 19*<ec for the five furloDga and a-half, and, although that time look« bad, it is not really so, for tha Takapuna track when the going is heavy is slower than the proverbial funeral. Glenora, who is 4yra old, will do notable work on the track yet, and reflect! credit on her sire. I suppose it is one of the vagaries of breeding, but it seems strange that the produce oi Hippocampus and Rosarina should retuit in '« racehorse, while Nordenfeldt with the same mara should beget a fraud— Norina to wife. . On the second day of tho meeting there waa another fine v attendance, despite the f*cfc that heavy rain fell all the morning and afternoon* converting the course into a perfect quagmire. The racing was very keen, good finishes being tha order of tho day. The principal race-tho Britannia Handicap, one mile and one furlongwas voted a good thing for St. Kilda. In spita of his display on the first day of the meeting. wh°n two rag*. Pegasus and Lady Agnes, beat him, ho was backed down to less than 2 to 1, aud although he carried 10.0, nothing had a. hope against him, St. Leger*s son ritnply walking in, with Panoply a length behind, then Peerless. In view of tho fearful nature of the ground this wna a splendid exhibition. If this horse fwnces cleanly in our Great National Hurdles he must have * chance. The nine furlongs took 2min 8-..-C, but remember that the ground was like gUxn George Wright, Panoply** owner, protested against St. Kilda on th« ground of inconsistent running, but the stewards dismissed it. If St Kilda reversed his form others did precisely the same thing. The Steeplechase resulted in the finest struggle ever seen at Takapuna. Four horees— Donald M'Kinnon, Bombardier, Hard Times, and Ditto-r-were strongly backed, but the latter pair wera done with before the last round wsts entered upon. Donald M'Kiuuon and Bombardier, however, gave a splendid exhibition. They stayed behind the light weights until the last Jap, and then forged to the front, a battle of giants en. suing. Both horses had heavy weight*— viz., 12.4$ and 12.3, to carry over ground like a swamp, yet they never mad* a falter, *nd rushed into the straight within a length of each other. After a sharp tusaleDonald M'Kinnon beat Bombardier by three lengths, the latter easing when it was seen the other horse had more left in him. Bnlle was I third and KiWare fourth. A *trange thing about 1 the race was that although the day was all I against the top weights the four horses at the top of the handicap filled the four leading positions. Aughadowey did not start, his people relying on Ditto, who w»8 outpaced by the top weights. Time, 7min 45sec. Dividend, £«. S.ime are of the opinion that whatever beats Donald M'Kinnon in the Ors.n--? Nati-vul Stseple.s will just about win. In the Second Hurdle., Miss Nel oit proved the correctness of my remarks mide on the first day's running re the untrustworthiness of her display in the Maiden Hurdles. She simply walked home, jumping like a veteran and cantering over tha ; mile and three-quarters in 3min 4lsec, Sterling and Ika Vuka filling .the other places. Miss 1 Ne'son will h*ve to be watched In the big jumpiug contests, for she is a real hummer. Sharper's win in the Victoria Haudicap was cleverly gained, but he was lucky in the fact that Doris was slow in getting under way. s She recovered about a dozen lengths in tho last furlong, ' but failed by three-parts of a length, St. Kilda, j loaded with 10.9, being third. Time, lmin 18aec Dividend, £9 3s. Polite's win in the Hack Handicap anil Arch< duke's in the Pony Race were easy scores, dividends of £8 and £5 10s resulting. In the l«st race Byers'g stable was again to the front, St. Regel smothering all opposition over the heavy mile in lmin 56sec, Frontignac and Pi rat a Being ju the places. St Regel carried 9.8, and paid £8 lla for a virtual walk-over. , With 23 hordes left in our Grand National Hurdles and 22 in the Great Northern Steaplc* chase, there is ample material for two great con< te»t« at the A. R.C. June meeting. After his display at Takapuna A ughadowey is favourably regarded for the Hurdles, and has been backed by the stable in doablea with Bally hooloy and Ditto (two stable mates), 500 to 2} having been taken about both combinations The doubles taken last week include 400 to 8 Dante and Tiritea, 400 to 8 the two Bombardiers 200 to 4 Donald M Kinnon and Barnardo. St. Kilda is being coupled with Tiritea and Mutiny. So far only slight work has been done over the Ellornlia steeple course. Donald M'Kinnon hac » been baulking, and up to date St. Kilda has not been put over the small sticks. Fabulist's acceptance for the Hurdles oomea as a surprise, and I am afraid I shall have to acknowledge my<elf misinformed in wiring him as an unlikely starter. Hopgarden, who remains in the Grand National Hurdle*, was to have raced at Takapuna, but "owing to 'rough weather he could not be »hipped from Gi«borne. He will probably arrive during the present week. The Napier mare Tally-ho is regarded as having a good chance in tha Hurdles. Carbuncle had a bad fall at North Shore last week while being schooled, but ho luckily eicaped injury. I hoar there i 8 Borne l»w trouble threatened in connection with this mare, but at present I cannot give particulars. The steeplechaser Belle was auctioned locally last week, and was bought for £50 by Mr J. Thorps. Mr W. Douglas has purchased Tirit«a. Ballyhooloy, who was racing at Sydney last Saturday, comes to Auckland by the next boat. Chris, who has fallen out of our Grand National Hurdles, will probably come up to contest oth.ee events at the meeting.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18960528.2.102
Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 224, 28 May 1896, Page 33
Word Count
2,269AUCKLAND TOPICS. Otago Witness, Issue 224, 28 May 1896, Page 33
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