AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 33

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By Taihoa.

May EO.

Although compelled by a heavy downpour of rain on Saturday, sfay 21, to postpone the first das's racing in connection with ihe Winter meeting after running off the first tyro e-'ents, Ihe Takapuna Jockey Club succeeded in bringing their gathering to a successful issue on the Queen's Birthday. The satisfactory aum of £12,118 was handled in the totalisators, and some very interesting racing was provided for the large number of patrons who attended the suburban club's, function. The principal attraction of the first day was the Birthday Handicap, of 125savB, one mile aiid a-quarter* for v.hich the good field of 10 faced the baniev, Miss Anna 7.12 finding most favour with investors, though sound ivll-Kound investment bore testimony to the open character of the event, and not without reason, as I have seen a worse field out for the Auckland Cup. Cast Ashore 7.5_ dashed into the lead from the outset, and seeming thoroughly at home in heavy going was never headed, eventually winning in the easiest of fashion by several" lengths from Panoply 7.8. The indifferent form shown at the A.K.U. meeting last month, accounted for his moderate- following 1 , yet, as he was- undoubtedly a much better-conditioned horse than when he ran at Ellerslie, the win can hardly be looked upon as a surprise. The favourite was one of the first in difficulties, while Rex, who was going well within himself, came to grief three furlongs from horns-, though th« wide gap that separated him, from the'leaders at this point does not incline one to the opinion that he would have- been prominent when the judge's box was reached. His fall was due to the fact that he was running without plates. That tbe win was by no means a flukey one in any sense was amply demonstrated by Cast Ashore 8.1 in the closing event of the day, the Royal Handicap, when after getting away badly, and tailing up- the field to the straight, Castor's son came .with a brilliant run, cutting down the big bunch in front of him in sensational style, and romping home in front of Cuirassette, thus scoring a dual victory. Eight weighted out for tbe Bandicap Steeplechase, Isosovs, about three miles and a-half, inn on the second day, The Saint being most fancied, with Miss Nelson second in the betting. Vpltigjeur II moved away first, but before the hill was reached Flukem ran into the lead and mounted the rise, with Itch and Ballyhooley following in that order, and Voltigeur lying fourth. Itch and Ballyhooley both refused the post-and-rail jump, and Voltigeur closed up into second place. This was the order as they ran down to the water jump, but ence fairly and sqitarely on the flat old Flukem failed to pace it with Voltigeur and The Saint, eventually giving place to Miss Nelson. As they ran round the back they kept still in this order. No material cha.nge was noticeable as the trio took the water jump and ran round to- the hill for the last time, though it was to be seen that Katterna. had the Nelson . horse well in hand. Closing up the gap as they ran down to the water jump, Miss Nelson ws3 three lengths to the good as they landed over for the home run, and never being b.eaded f> won easily by 30 lengths from Voltigeur, wHp had no difficulty in beating The Saint for second 'honours. No others finished. The North New Zealand Grand National meeting will be inaugurated at Ellerslie on Saturday next, and, judging by present indications, the gathering should prove one of the most successful ever held under the auspices of the Auckland Racing Club at this time of the year. While it is a foregone conclusion that the day will see a falling away in both the Grand National Hurdles (set down for Saturday) and the Great Northern Steeplechase (to be run on Monday), the fields for the big events promise to be decidedly strong, added tq which the quality will be good. As Miggfire and Dante failed to render a satisfactory account of themselves over the small sticks at Wan* ganui lj\:jt W§3&ifeo4 aia wkvti to Meet those who

■ finished in front on worse terms than down be- ! low, it is hardly likely that the parties interested [ will deem it worth theic while to send them to I Auckland in search of the guineas attaching to j the Grand National Hurdles. Nqr'-west pleased i his followers by scoring in the Hurdle Race at i Takapuna on the Queen's Birthday, and certsiniy I on tbat occasion had a bit to spare, yet I have my doubte as to whether he will be able to stay out a fast-run race snch as that of Saturday at Ellerslie promises to be. Opai's win at Wanganui greatly enhances his chances, and he is certiinly one that will have to be considered, while it may also be said that the display shows that he holds { Dummy safe enough in the Auckland race, as ' he meets the chestnut on exactly the .same terms. [ Levanter is doing great work on the training } track,, and, although he has no previous perform- ' ances over hurdles to recommend him, he has t been acquitting himself so well and is in such . rare buckle— in fact, better than ever before — 1 that he must undoubtedly be one of the hardest I nuts to crack. Opou, half-brother to Hopgarden, is doing satisfactory work on the track while Cast Ashore is credited with beinf, able to take a fence, but as he has not been seen over the sticks in public, I am not prepared to give any recommendation as to the chance of Castor's big sou other than to say that, if private form be true, his line performance at Takapuua last week would causa him to be labelled dangerous on Saturday. To further reduce the number to a brace, I shall expect to see Opai or Levanier account for the Grand National Hurdles of 1898. Levanter continues to hold bis positiou as favourite for the Great Northern Steeplechase, and, as mentioned above, fvrom the manner in which the Captivator gelding is standing up to his work and holding his condition under the searching preparation he is receiving at the hands of J. C. Booth, it is not difficult to understand his large following- Relying on information from New Plymouth, whence comes news that The Friar has been rendering a good account of •hinwelf in work, we have here another one who must not be overlooked in sizmg up the probables for the Auckland cioss country event, though my eye fastens more kindly to Muscatel, who scored meritoriously in the Wanganui Steeplechp.se, and will still appear in She Auckland event at 10 3, including 51b pecaity, a very haudy weight, added to which she has already shown us that she can cover the cro3S-country journey at J Ellerslie in safety, having done so in January I lass. Toriki has been strongly barked for the double in conjunction with his stable mate, but as the scratching pen was passed through his name in the Waiig&nui Steeplechase it is just possible that th« son of Torpedo has gone amiss, i as it is haidly likely that his connections v:ould 1 'iave thrown away a chance of winning good I money attaching to the cross-country race down the coast unless there was a screw loose eomewhere. Another claiming mention is old Magpie, who is doing satisfactory work at Ellerslie, and j only lecently showed us that he has recovered I scinethiug like his old form. To again . educe the j field to a couple, and passing over Toriki on acI count of the lack of knowledge aa to what the I WangACui scratching actually means, my vote goes with Levanter or Muscatel— tho first for choice. Mr Skipworth informs me that St. Siinoa is making a satisfactory recovery from the injury j and wrenched pastern he ) ecsived while galloping ! at Ellerelie recently. It is hoped that a short rest will see the big horse sound again, and if such I proves to be the case it is on ths cards that _ St. Leger's son will figure at the Grana National , meeting at Riccarton in August. j The owner of Coivnefc was so disgusted with ' that horse's performance in the Takapuna Birth- • _day Handicap that he has been put in the sale list. Mi- W. H. Booth, of Waikato, brother to the Igcs.l 'trainer of that ilk, is in town on a holiday run, and states that Cast Ashore was regularly hunted in that district a couple o£ years since : bence his fencing ability. j Dorir, by St. Leger from Ophflia, and her twoj year-old stable companion, the St. Leger — Bangle filly, are to-be sold by auction shortly. Miss Anna's poor display in the Birthday Han- ■ dicap at Takapuna on the Queen's Birthday sadly disappointed her connections, and I might also add many others connected byway of a pound or two on the totalisator. The Auckland Oup winner Antaras carries an enlarged knee, the reaulc of a knock in schooling ovar the small sticks. The injury is- not, however, considered serious. F. MacManemii?, owaer of Cu'ralba, who finished behind Doneraile in the Maiden Handicap at Takapuna on the Quean's Birthday, has lodged a protest against Mr Dickey's horse getting'the stake, as Doneiaile's name figmed in the forfeit list. There is little doubt but that Dorte1 rale will be disqualified.