AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2272, 16 September 1897, Page 33

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Bt Taihoa.

September 13,

The raciDg season opens for AucVlanders next Saturday, when the Avond*le Jockey Club commences a two days' fixture. The Avoudale Gup, of lOOsovs, one mile and a-quarter, has 11 acceptors, includißg the New Zealand Cup c&udidates F&bulist, St. Paul, Antares, and Lady Anna. The last-uxined is very well used on the score of weight (7.9), "but as her training has bean confined to the Takapuna beach the chances are she will not be ready. The top weights, Fabulist (9.4) and St. Paul (S) 2), should settle matters between them ; and although Fabulist is a better performer than St. Paul in weight-carrying, and would no doubt put him down at Ellerslie. [ think the small track at Avondale will give St. Paui, the advantage. MozEr, shoul.l win the Hunt Club Steeplechase. St Clements has accepted with 10.0 in the flying, five furlouEP, but he may not be ready. My fancy i, Poranui J'OTAE The Pony Handicap looks a fair thing for I'reskntment, and Lady A snes may win the HutdWs The Apremont horse Blarney came into the New ZeaUnd Cup betting locally the other day, £200 bsii-g taken about him at 100 to 5, which price is still on offer. Mr Lowry's colt St. Conon was taken for £200 at 6's, and can be backed now at s's. lCuroclyrion was backed for a couple of hundred at 100's to 10, and remains a firm favourite. W.\iv.ku has not regained his position in the inarke l ", and is still quoted at B's. Day Star has hardened to 7>, and his stable mate Haria shows signs of weakening. The Duneiiin candidate Mountebank lemains at hundreds to 4, and Skirmisher is »tmug at G's. • he following foalines are reported since my latt : -At Wellington Park— Mr T. Morrin'a Sapphire (by 'the Dmimn-i— Amethyst), br f to St. Leg-r, Mr T. Morrin'« Lady limily (Castor— Lidy Wellington^, eh c to St. Leger; Air J. Sunday's Musket Maid (by Mii-Tret), colt to St. Leger ; Mr 'J. Morrin's Rubin a (Kiugs v >orough -Ktiquette), colt to Cuiiassier. At Mutukurea Stud — Messrs Alison Brothers' Torment (Muiket — Haunah), twitn to Hegel (dead). At Sylvia Park -Messrs Nathan's Oharmant (Nordenfeldt — La Dauphine), filly to St. L'eger ; Messrs Nathan's Stepfeldt (N<ml«i>fel<ifc -Steppe), filly to St. Hippo ; MesSrß Nathan's Miss Letty (St. Leger— N,eckkce), colt to Seaton Dela', sil. 1 The trotting horse Tom Hicks, winner of the Auckland Trotting Cup a couple of seasons back, died of lockjaw the oilier day in the Waikato district. The Takapuna Jockey Club had the disqualification of the O»stor horse Castashore under consideration last week, aad declined to accede to the request of the owner to free the horse from the penalty. Castashore was disqualified by the Takapuna people last May for six months for reversal nf 'form, and a few weeks ago the horse became tho property of Mr Green, the owner of Antares It i". said that Mr Greou was given to understand when he purchased Castashore that the dibqualification would be removed, but, as the Takapuna people put it, if disqualifications were removed on account of change of ownership disqualifying would speedily become a farce. At Hunter and Nolan's horse sal« last Friday the tOtting stallion The Count (by Judge Belrton — Countess) was bought by Mr F. N. Jo .es. of Nelson, for 26gs ; and the thoroughbred stallion Sir Walter (by Leolinus) was bought by Mr C. Tutt for 15gs. September 14. The reiult af the inquiry by^ the Auckland Racing Club into the charge brought against nine jockeys and a trainer of robbing Mr A Austin is that the horsemen have been giveu probationary lrcenses for three months, while the trainer has been given his license for the full term. At their meeting yesterday the ARC. Committee reprimanded J. Chaafe, jun , for disobedience at the post, a cnmpltiint having been laid against that jockey by the starter, Mr George Cutts. Tho application of Joseph Duff for a jockey's license wa- coQsidered, with the result that the horseman was r -fused a permit until the expiration of six months.