AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2251, 22 April 1897, Page 33

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By Taihoa.

April 19.

The Autumn meeting of the A.R C. opened at Ellerslie under most favourable circumstances. The attendance was a record for this season of the year, and the weather bimply perfection.

The b'lll opened with thu Tradesmen's Plate Handicap, of 7030v5, one mile, for which 14 horses started. Flying Fish was favourite, and Markinch next in demand. They both finished out of places. Lufra and Lady Anna fought out a good race, Lurra cutting out the pace, but once in the straight Lady Anna came away, .and won fairly comfortably by a length and a-half, St. Gordon in third place. Time, lmin 44Jsec. Dividend, £11 12s.

Seven started for the Northern Champagne 'takes, with St Conon a good favourite, Miss Emmy (by Ouh'assier — Roie) next in favour, then Defiant. The barrier rose to a bad start, of which Miss Emmy and Defiant got all the best aud. St. Conou the worst. Defiant and Miss Emmy led throughout, and had matteis to themselves imtil the last half furlong, when St. Gonon, racing in most ietermined fashion, caught the leaders stride by stride, but he was too late to get quite up, though at the finish he was only a neck away from Defiant, who was beaten the same dKtance by Miss Emmy. Defiant was behind the winner at the distance, but came again and got his head in front only to be again left behind by Miss Emmy, who finished in very resolute style. Time, lmin 18J?ec Dividend, £3 2?. For the lace of the day. the Easter Handicap, of 2'"iosovs, one mile aod a-half, Davotar was nearly an even-money favourite, with Sr. Paul next in ciemand. Vhe favourite laid behind the;n until a furlong from home and then cut down everything butiSt. Paul, who raced gallantly. At the distance St. Paul was in the lej.d, aud from the h-ilf distance it was a desperate battle At the finish St. Paul appeared to be a neck to the good, but the judge gave it to Daystar by s nose, whereat the crowd hooted. Nemor was third. .St. Paul's owner was not ■•atisfied with the judge's decision, being confident it was incorrecr.

St. Simon again demonstrated what a great horse he is in the Hurdle«, of lOOaovs, two inlles. Laden with 12.4 he laid behind them until the last furlong, and then cut them down as he liked, Miss Nelson being second a clear length behind, and Tim third. Time, 3uain 53£ sec. Dividend, £1 19s.

'lit-. Kden Handicap, of lCOsovs, sey»n furlongs, was reckoned at the mercy of Armilla, who was backed down to level money. She got a good start, but her two opponents closed on her with every stride, and catching her a dozen yards from the post wrenched away the lead, a beautiful finish home seeing Lady Anna a winner by a neck from Lady Marion, who beat Armilla half a length. Time, lmin 30sec. Dividend, £X> 16s There were 14 runners for the Onslow Stakes, of SOsovs, five furlongs (for two-year-old- 1 ), Miss Anna beit,g a hot favourite. Cuiralba. and Blairfa were the first in their legs, with the favourite handy At the distance they were bunched, with Miss Anna making her leeway up on the outside. At this stage Cuiralba got in front, and Janet came up on the outside. A rank outsider in Presentment took the lead at the half distance and nearly lasted out. Miss Anna only getting up in The last few strides and winning by a neck, Cuiralba a good third. Time, lmin ssec. Dividend. ±2 10(>.

The Pony Race waß a gift to Fair Nell, who won easily from Norina and Napoleon. Time, lmin 35sec. Dividend, £2 11s. Ia the last race, the Railway Handicap, Lady Cuisine was favourite, and would have won but for interference. DoDOvan aud The Drone battled it out, and the latter won by a neck. Time, lmin s»ec. Dividend, £34 193. A protest for boring was dis- allowed.

The Autumn meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club was concluded at Potter's Paddock last Saturday. Iv the events for ponies, the principal race (the April Handicap) was won after a fine struggle by an Dut-ider— Kangiriri, who got home by half a length from Silkworm aud Topsail, these dead heats for second money. Dividend, £3 15s for 10s. The five-furlong Maiden Pony Handicap looked a fine thing for First Whisper, who was heavily backed, but the Castor pony Israelite showed a matked improvement, and won easily. Dividend, £2 10j. The Steeplechase was another fine race. The Dove and F.iuntleroy were favourites, but the former was beaten off, and Fauntleioy could not do better than set third place. Ellen cut out the running for

two miles, and then Little Raven closed up, and, catching th« marc a furlong from home, swamped her for pace and won with a bit in hand. Dividend, £1 17s 6d. The principal trotting race was the Harness Trot, for which Duke was a strong favourite ; but the horse on the limit. Lord Harold, had too long a start (SBscc) in a mile and a-half, aud won as he liked, with Hordern and Sliinpim in the places Dividend, £2 13<. Tho Easter Handicap Trot, two mile* and a-quarter, was <i bit of a fiasco for backer-, of the favourite, Duke C, a* his driver refused to tnke part in the race, alleging that one hoi>e had been given more than his time allowance by the htarter tngar, on the limit, won easily, with Vulture aud Kapai in the places Dividend, £2 'Is. The stewards returned thu -money invested on Duke C, and fined the drivers of Darlington, Claret, and Hordern .£2 t'acb. for pulline up during the race. The Trial Trot was a very eisy thing for Wild Rose, who paid £1 12s. A lot of interest was manifested in the Class Trot, one mile and a-half, in which horses were handicapped to trot 2m in 52sec (or better) to the mil". Rosebud was favourite, but Alice, with lGsec scirt, won comfortably, doing the mile and a-half in 4min 14sec. Lusitania and Fibre were in the places. Dividend, £2 2p. The Auckland Racing Club Committee have been pursuing their inquiries as to the truth of a jockey's rinar being existent in Auckland, and bad several riders before them last Thursday. In the case of young Perry, who rode Nestor in tho last cup and Durby, and who had been brought over fri m Sydney to steer the same colt in the t astor Handicap to-day, the committee decided co suspetid his license pending further inquiry and postpone their decision in the other case's until additional tsvidenca had been obtained. There is no doubt the Auckland horsemen have been doing wry much as they like of late, and the present inquiry will come as a salutary check. When the Carbine filly Quickfire died the other day it was thought death was due to inflammation of the bowels, but a post mortem examination ha« showed that the more internal urgaus were in a very diseased state. Her lung* were serlouslv deranged, one of them adhering to the ribs, and the heart was enlarged to double its normal siza. Quickfire had the reputation of being fainthearted, but, considering the state of her interior, it is a wonder she raced at all. The death is announced of the brood mare Tingara, by Nordenffildt— Tres Deuce. One of Tingara's foals (St. Crispin) is a member of the local two-year-old contingent, and is a likely youngster. One of our breeders, Mr T. B. Bell, lost a nice yearling colt, by Rlair«owrie from Reproach, labt week. The youngster was found detul in his paddock The post mortem showed that the colt's stomach was burst right across. News comes from \Vanganui that Dante, who ■was being trained for an Australian visit, has proved inftim. His aihnoutis the re&ulrof a bloodvessel which was ruptured while the horse w*a beiDg trained at Ellerslie for thelasc A.T.C. Grand National Hurdles.