AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2292, 3 February 1898, Page 33

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Bt Taikoa. January 31. Interesting racing was witnessed at T;ikapuna last Saturday, when the marine suburb furnished the first instalment of its Summer meeting. There were good fields, and steady beating, the sum of £8964 being- hani'ile-l during the diy. The big item wa3 the Takapuna Cup, of ISOsovs, one mile and a-half, for which five horses — Antares, Panoply, Coronet, Wairongomai, and Supplejack — were very evenly backed. Panoply had a slight call on the money at the start, which YfiS quickly taken advantage of by Supplejack, who was closely attended by li'avooa for over a mile. All the leading was clone by Supplejack, and then Antares'and Wairongomai clo.^d with them, while Coronet quickly forged bis w;iy into fifth place. A grand finish saw everything but Wairongomai and Coronet out of it a dozen lengths from home, and the struggle io the post resulted in Coronet's favour by half a lei.gth ; Panoply a good third. Time, 2inin iljaac. Dividends, £5 5* and £5. Pansy was too lightly weighted in the Hurdled to give anything else a chance, and although Miss Nelson wai a strong favourite she could only get second, three leuebhs behind Pansy, who led from etwt to finish ; Nor'-west third. The two nail s took 3min 59Jsec. Dividend?, £3 9i and £3 19s. The St. Leger horse Eex wen a double— the Stewards' and the Zealand'a Handicaps. In the latter he was as well backed as anything els?, and r»n home an ea^y winner over the five furlongs ia lniin 4Jsec, Reaction and St. E'mo in -the places. Dividend, £3 15d and M 3s. In the Stewards' Handicap Lillie was better busked than Rex, and gave him a hard fight over six furlongs. There was a bare half-length bctwesn them at the finish, with Miss Anna a length away thud. Trine, Imin 17sec. Dividends, £i 9s and £5 8-<. Lillie's owner claimed the race on a bump, but his protest was dismissed. St. Paul's sister, St. Uisula, showed herself mistress of the two-yeai-olds in the Calliope Handicap, for which Dayntree was a s'roug favourite. After two furlougs had been covered St. Ursula went to the front and stayed there, running home a length ahead of Dayntree, after whom came Roxana. St. Uisula. promises to develop into a good sort of mare. Sbe took lruin 20Jsec for the six furlongs, and paid £7 Is and £(5 J(K Archduke's win in the Maiden Plate and Itch's in the Maiden Hur.iles were easily gained, and call for no comment. A turn-up occurred in the Pony Race, for ■which Ranpiuru was a hot favourite, but was beaten out of a place. The winner (Sfangakawa) got home pretty easily, and paid £15 12:, and £17 7s. Oiir champion huidler, St. Simon, who is under suspicion of unsoundness, is in work again at Elleislif, and is doing long pacing. Day Star is going well, and has got rid of bis foot trouble.