AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2288, 6 January 1898, Page 33

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By Taihoa.

January 4.

The surprise of the racing year occurred at Ellerslie on New Year's Day, when the odds-on favourite for the Auckland Derby, Gold Medallist, although fightiug for his head half a mile fiom hums, was faiily beaten for pace inside the distance, and lost by two lengths. Owing to fever in his feet, Multiform was not starfctd, and Mr Stead lelied on Gold Medallist. Even at the distance it looked a good thing for Medallist, and when the cry " The favourite's done!" went up, tnere w»is a pause of surpiise and then a yell of delight such as has never been heard before at Elleis'i<\ Cheeis for St. Ciispin alternated with hoots for Mr Stead's horoc, who«e downfall was mi eh appreciated by the onlookers. The Auckland Racing Club Handicap was a grand ktmgcle, and showtci conclusively that had Sfc. Paul been ridden a good lvce in the Cup he would have won. The ikier of Waiuku asked his mount to rut out the pace from start to finish— a policy that undoubtedly contributed to li is defeat, and as he Wf.s carrying 9.12 and was only beaten by a good neck, it will hi recognised what a fine performance his was. Altair's display in the Midsummer Handicap shows that the brother to Day Star is I far from a champion. The winner, Hermosa, was only taking 51b from him, and is a very lightbuilt filly, yet she beat him with the greatest ease.

Ia the first race of the day, the Glasgow Handicap, of lOOsovf, seven fuiloues, St. Elmo went ofY with the lead, but was soon joined by Waiorongomai, and those two led into the straight. Then Waiiongoipai came away and won, after a hard drive, by a lei.gth and a-half from Supplejack, who eune with a late rush ; Lillie thiid. Tim®, lmin 2!)|-sec. Dividend, £7 3s.

In the New Year Hurdles, oF ]50 ovs, two mile=i, Noi'-west was a pronounced favourite, the winner beiag next in demand. Muscatel dashed eff with the lead, followed by Tally-ho and Nor'weat. la.v yin the race Kingswood was beaten for P'Ce. They all jumped well uutil three fences fxvni h-me, when Tally-ho threw our, and a ratfcliiig race home saw Muscatel an easy winner froirt Tim, who made up a lot of ground in the straight. Then came Miss Nelson, followed by Noi'-west. Bombardier was scratched. Time, 3min 44--ec. Dividend, £4 3s.

Whe,)) the Derby came on the'inoiiey went on Gold Mv-d-lliat in. "hovelfuls, until his backing stood ut 755 out of 1090, which would have giveu a £1 5s dividend. From a good start Favona mide the running, with Gold Medallist reefing his head off aud. fairly pulling DtrruU out of the padale. Half a mile from home it was the same. ComitJiC into the straight Favooa \va3 done with, and Gold Medallist' ahot on half a leogth to the gcod, with Dei'ietfc sitting still ; but at the dis'.auce Sfc. Crispin, who bad had the whix> on him all the way up the straight, worked up to the leader and, challenging gamely, forced Dt-rrett to draw his whip. To everyone's siirpdse Gold Medallist would not answer, and* amid yells of delight the little Ht. Lej.er horse i aced home two lengths to the good from Gold Altd^llist, Favona a bad third. Thea a perfect torrent of cheers went up fov the winner. Time, 2min 43i-t.ee. Dividend, £5 ISs. The sectional timing of the lace wa? as follows :— Half-mile, 56sec ; three-quarters, lmia 24^ec ; one mils', lmin Slsec ; one mile ancl a-half, 2min 431s c.

A splendid finish was seen in the Midsummer Handicap, of SOO^ow, five furlong.-', between Hermo'a and St. Innis, who battled ifc out up the strpight locked together, Hermota winning hy a nose, with Altair third two lengths away. Time, lmin 4-ec. Dividend, £5 18s.

A half-brother to St. Simon, Record Rei^n(by Castor — Winnie), won the County Handicap, of 10(Kov«, six furlongs, after a hard drive, Picklock three qr art; rs of a length away second and Miss Emmy third. I saw this fellow with the Jubilee nrfiw up at Mr Houston's station a csupla of rxonHis bacV, p.r<\ heard he had a l^cal refutation as a iumper. As he rail the County Hiudirap, Bix furlongs, ia lmiu 18sec he has pace, and with jumping ability he shrvild furnish into a worthy lelitive of our crack hurdler S l . t-irnon. The dividend on Record Reign, thanks to the hot nuppoit accoided to Eton, amounted to £14 12*.

Big excitement was caused ia the Auckland Racing Club Handicap, of 59(K0v5, one niile and a-half, by tbe magnificent di»pl iy given by the two top weights St. Paul and Waiuku, who humped Iheir heavy buideus of 9.10 and 9 12 lp^pectively into the two leading pl?ces, cutting out the journey iv the fine time of 2'iiin 3^'}sec I doubt if a finer battle his ever been seen over th? [<llei*lie course. As in the Cup, St. Paul and. Waiukii were behind the field when they started, Swoidfish getting away with the lead. Before they had gone a quarter of a mile Waiuku dashed' to the fiont, and, cut* ing out a slashing pice, led p-.pt the stand by a length, witb Vat cnfeldt and Swordfi&h next ; then Day Sfc.ir, the others bunched, wUh St. Paul last. Suicidal as the j.olipy appeared to be, yoimg Ru-eMI allowed Waiuku to sweep on ahet-d of his field, and five furlongs fiom home was a length to the good, Yattcnfelc.it, all out, being s cond ; then Day Star, ami St. Paul making up his ground rapidly. Three fuilongs from" the finish Waiuku was still leadiDg, with Swurdfi-h second, and St. Paul rapidly forging into third place. Inside the distance Waiuku ran wide and carried St. P*ul right en to the outer rails, and for a moment it looked as though Waiuku would be able to last out his great pace-making run to the finish; but St. Paul sticking to his ta-.k with bulldo,; pertinac'ty fought his way up to his big rival and crossed the line a good neck in front of Waiuku; Swordfish third, Day .Star fourth, and Antares fifth. The winner was favourite, with Sworlfhh second choice. Dividend, £2 12a. Time, 2inin 3 K }scc. The sectional timing for the race was as follows : Half mill*, o^sec ; six furlongs, lmin 22«fC ; mile, lmin 48iSef ; mile and a-half, 2min 38?-,ec. Pui vokc had an easy win in the Pony Handicap, pfSOsov?, six fuilongs, Unknown aud Maugakawa in the places. Time, lmin 19i3ec. Dividend, £21 14s.

The last race, the Maiden Handicap, of 100-ovs, one mile and a distance, was won by Lufra after a good race by a Deck from Bowshot, Retaliation third. Time, 2min lijsec.

Monday, Steeplechase Day, wan burning hot at Ellerslie, the course harder than ever, and a great crowd were pn-sent.

The opening event, the Ascot Handicap, of lOO^ovs, one mile, gave us a splendid fight. Record Reign made the running throughout, bub a dozsu strides from the post Lnfra and Eton came at him, and a splendid struggle resulted in Eton gattine he me by a nope from Record Reign and Lufrp-, who dea 1 heated for second place. Time, lmin 42Jsec. Dividend, £3 355. Cannpus met with a mishap in this race half a mile from homo. His plate slipped off and carried away a lump of his h/.of

The Sylvia Handicap, of lOOsuvs, six fmlong-i, was won from end to end by Dayntrce (Three Star's brother), with St. Innis two lengths away second and Altair third. Mr Stead's horse had a good position throughout, but failed badly, and must be set down as a disappointment. Time, lmin ISscc Dividend, £0 4a.

The piinoipal handicap, the Grip cl Stand Handicap, of 200sovs one mile and a-quarter, was auother good race. Coronet aud. Pyroxylin made

the running until half way up the stiaight, and then Swordfish camo at them in desperate style. A slashing finish saw Swordfish get home by half a length iv front of Coronet, after whom came Antares. 'lime, 2min DJJscc. Dividend, £1 V.*s. The Summer Steeplechase, of SOOsovs, about three miles and a-half, gave an interesting race. Conscript and Mozel made the pice throughout, but tha latter was manifestly too good for the Volunteer gelding, who fell a mile from home. Then Miss Nelson took up the battle, and was catching the leader the last turn up the hill when she threw a seven, and gave Mozel an easy win ; Muscatel coming in second a dozen lengths away, the rest distanced. Ballyhooley refused when six furlongs from home. Time, Bnnn 19sec. Dividend, £5 18s. 'ihe fine stake given to tho Newmarkat Handicap — SOOsovs — brought a poor field to the post, nil the cracks being scratched. From a good start Rex and Waiorongomai cut out the run niDg, and entering the straight appeared to have matters; to themselves, buL at the distance Picklock came at them, and aftsr a hard fight bested Rtx hy thice-quarters of a length : Waiorongomai, two lengths away, third. Time, lmia 16} sec. Dividend, £416*3. The Pony Race was a good go between the three placed horses, Puivoke, Riiminou, and Napoleon be'ug close enough together for a blanket to coier them. Ronginou got home by a nose.. Time, linin JJ^ec.

Gild Medallist in the Royal Stakes, of SOOeovp, six fin longs, showed that three-quarters of a mile is his distance. Ho fairly walked in, and the lest scrambled after him, S. Cii&pin, his nearest, opponent, being a dczen lengths aw.»y, and then came Eton, Conqueiui nearly last. The winner's time was lmiu 16^ec. Conqueror was kicked a*i the start, ami that accounted for his bad display.. Derr.ett, the rider of tha wiuner, got a nisty kick fiom St. Crispin at 'he star. 1 -, and a^ a result hid ear was bleeding when he came in. Dividend, £1 6s.

The meeting concluded with the Recovery Stakes Handicap, of 50-sovs, five furlongs, which was won by Reaction, followed by L'idy Cuisine, The Sh/.ipsr and St. Gordon a clp,i.'l hp,it for third place. Time, lmin ilsec. Dividend, £o" ss.

'ihe total f r tha meeting was £i2,:-:OC>.

The concluding diys of the Auckland Trotting Club's Sum Tier meeting gave ri'e to some fine trotting. The Auckluid Trotting Cup, of lOOsovs, two miles, was easily won by Awahuri, who had 3Ssj"c, and got home in srain 32sec ; Bellman and Vul'me in the places. Dividend, 6-<. The Harness Trot, a mile and a-Julf, was a giod thing for Rosebud, who staited on the 3sec mark and won as she liked iv 4min Uutv, L-\ R,ie and Bellman in the places; dividiud £1 16*3. A veteran battler, Charlie, got home from scratch in the Electric Trot, scoiing in 2rnin 36sec from Mihanga and Piolce ; dividend, £9 9s for 10s. The Glasgow Trot, two miles, was a good race between Alice and L* Rue, the former wii ning by a length in Gmin 32see, Tip top thiid ; dividend, ,£1 I4d. The principal pony race, the Christmas Handicap, fivef arlang", fell to Oupi-1, who »ot home ia lmiu 6Ji£C, P.u^an Jeannie and Kit dead-heating for second placa; dividend, £2 iOi. A turn-up occurred in tha H'psoru, iix furlongs and a-half, Certain scoring by a length and landing £.11 9si for 10s, Partan Jeannie and Noinu in the pUceo ; lims, linin 28} sec. Little Tom won the Steeplechase from, eiid to end, Fauntleroy second, Liltle Raven third ; dividend £3 7s. On the last day Duke C, who had done two luilei ia smiu 7nec first day, put up a fine time in the Clas-3 'Irot. one mile and a-half, winning fairly ea3ily in 3mia Hate, which runs his mile out to 2min 28i^ec ; Clfcvelaud and Rose-bud v/ere nearesi; to him. Lord Harold won the big race, this President's Tiofc, of 1( Osovs, two miles, but was disqualified for incouMstent lunnittg, aod the race awarded to the limit mare Be-jS. I.Uoitania won a double— the Flung Harness 0 nil the Telegraph Mile, running the latter in 2min 35see. In the pony section L"na <-yas must successful, wiuning a double, the New Ycac an.i Grandstand Handicip3, and Little Tom again won the Steeplechase from end to end.

The annual blood stock sales commenced at Sy.lvia Park la3fc Friday, when the f ylvia Park and Motukorea yearlings were put under the hammer. As it was the first lot of Seaton Delaval youngsters coimdemble interest was taken in the sal», but prices vu'od low. The Seaton D^lavals are oft the -small side, and like their sire are lightboned animals, bub that is ?iot always a fault, as witxievsSt Pjtul, who is a particularly light-boned horse.