AUCKLAND STEEPLECHASE MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 34

AUCKLAND STEEPLECHASE MEETING.

First Day — Saturday, June 4.

The first day's racing of the Winter meeting of the Auckland Racing Club was held at Ellerslie this afternoon. The weather was spieridid and the attendance the largest yet seen at the Winter meeting of the dub, 5000 ' being present. The racing was interesting, Opai's win in the Grand National Hurdles being" * popular victory. • ,The amount put through the machine w*s~£Bi9B. Results :—: —

MAIDEN STEEPLECHASE HANDICAP, Of 109aovs ; second horse lOsovs. About two miles and a-half.

436-Mr W. H. SMpworth's The Sinner, 10.13

(Hall) 1 Bell's Itch, 9.10 ... (A. Hall) 2 £08— Mr S. Tooman's Reindeer, 9.10 (A. Williams) 3 Alse started ;- 39 Katoomba 9.7, 18 Clonrnel 9.7. Katoomba wag quickest away, and cleared ihe first" jump a length in front of Itch, with Reindeer third/Olonmel- fourth, and The Sinner last. Furthar on Clonmel dashed into the lead - and showed the way up the hill to the pogt-and-irail fence, and, was-. then two clear lengths in front of .Reindeer ; Katootaba, The Sinner, and Itch following in the order named. _ Katoomba ■was then -brought to the front as they raced' down the hill and secured a length's advantage J'rom Reindeer, with The Sinner four lengths away, and Itch last. K*toomba fell, and lost all chance. -The Sinner gradually closed on the others, and at the double jump was a length in front. The son of Foulshot maintained ' his lead until the straight was reached, when Reindeer again closed up and the pair took the last jump together. The Sinner had the best of his opponent, and won by two lengths from Sein<leer, who was a couple of hundred yards in front of Itch ; Katoomba fourth. Time, smin "BOsec. Dividend, £1 12s WINTER WELTER HANDICAP, Of 150sovs ; second horse 15soys. One' mile. £5i — IMr J. Houston's Record R.eign, 9.0 O^yard) 1 76— Messrs Duder's M/iss Anna, 9.9 (Morrigan) 2 28— Mr Laycock's Supplejack, 9.11 (Mabberley) 3 Also started :70 Sylvia Park 11 12, 84 St. Kilda 11 8, 46 Panoply 10.10, 63 Coronet 9.13. 80 Indian Shot 9.11, 68 Crusoe 9.10, 402 Light 9.8, 57 Kanaka 5.7, 62 Fav0na9.7, 15 Pinepinetekura9.7, 22 Bonnie Blue' 97, 19 Korowai 9.4, 23 Doaeraile 9.3, 4S Maid 9.3, 11 Lady Helena 9.2, 52 Crusade •9.0, 63 Taplow 9.0, 56 Three Star 9.0.

Indian Shot was the first to show in front, followed by Bonnie Blue, Sylvia Park, Taplow, land Lady Helena, all the rest being bunched. At the back Sylvia Park got on terms with Indian Shot, and the pair raced up the back together. Indian Shot then secured * length's advantage, and at the half-mile peat Sylvia Tark was dene with. Afc the home turn Indi»n Shot was just clear of Record Reign, but the i«rmer fell back beaten as the stand was leached, and Record' Reign, stalling off a challenge by Mies Am. a, won by two lengths, a length separating the latter and Supplejack, 'who was third. ' St. Kilda, Panoply, Coronet, »nd Sylvia Park- were next, in that order. SCime, lmin 46£ssc Dividend, £5 13s.

GRAND NATIONAL, HURDLES, Qf 400iov8 ; second , horse 40sovs, third horse . lOsovs. Over eight flights of hurdles. 'Two miles. UOS -Mr J. R. M'Donald's b g Opai, by Conu*— Polls. 10.0 (A. Hall) 1

423— Mr T. Watson's Dummy, 10.9 (Johnson) 2 281-Mr Ohaafe's Nor' -West, 19.13 (A. Williams) 3 Aho started: 131 Levanter 10.10 (Katterns), 189 Voltigeur 10.0 (M'Taggart), 120 Castashove 9.6 (Davidson), 31 Kapai 9.s (Pennell), 51 Seabreeze 9.0 (Moaro). Nor'-We»fc and Dummy were quickest away, and the pair raced up to the first fence stride for stride. Both made a beautiful leap, but Voltigeur, who came next, struck tho fence heavily, and fell. Opai was level with Dummy in the straight for the firgt time, and the pair raced past the main stand locked together, with Nor-'Weat, Castashore, Levanter, ,^nd Kapai closing up. At the mile po&t Opai had a slight advantage over Dummy, bub the latter goi; on level terms afc the sixth hurdle, and they kept together until they reached the last hurdle, a furlong from home, where Opai had his field beaten, and clearing the iasfi obstacle two lengths in front of Dummy, passed the post a winner by that distance; Nor-' West was three lengths away third. Two lenglhs away came Oastashore, with Kapai, Levanter, and Seabreeze in the order named. Time, 3min 55sf:c. Dividend, £2 2s. SELLING STEEPLECHASE, Of lOOsovs. About three miles. 76— Mr R. Harper's Charcoal, 9.7 (A. Williams) 1 40— Mi Comer's Magpie, 11.3 ... (Comer) 2 ■395— Mr Leicester's Menadava, 9.8 (A Hall) 3 - Also started : 26 Ballyhoohsy 9.7, 117 Bombardier 9.7, 209 Voltigeur II 9.7. .- Charcoal asßumed ( the lead when the water jump was reached, 'and kept in the van until the distance. Magpie came at him in the straight, but the son of Foulplay stalled off the challenge and • won by a couple of lengths ; Menadava a bad third. Time, 6min 32sec. DividfmJ. £14 10a. MAIDEN HANDICAP HURDLE RACE, Of lOOsovs; second horse lOsovs. Over seven flights of hurdles. One mile and threequarters. 346— Messrs Duder's Anita, 9.2 (oTorrigan) 1 338— Mr Blake's Great Britain, 9.0 (Watts) 2 130— Mr Kennelly's The Saint, 10 0 (Haven) 3 Also started : 72 St. Hiko 9.7, 24 Carbuncle 9.6, 38 Lufra 9.5, 46 The Trifler 9.5, Thelma 9.0, 17 Honesty 9.0, 373 South Pacific 9.0, 12 King of the Gipsies 9.0. Passing the stand the first time Anita was half a length in front of Great Britain, with St. Hiko and. The Saint two lengths away. At the next hurdle, at the back of the course, St. Hiko fell, and Hall received injuries to his head. Thelma and Lufra also fell, Gall, the rider of the latter, also being hurt, Sintering the straight Anita had a length's advantage over Great Britain, and, stalling off all chal- | lengea in the straight, won by two clear i lengths from Great Britain, with The Saint, four lengths away, third. South Pacific was fourth, and King of the Gipsies fifth. Time, 3min 32£ sec. Dividend, £3 153.

Over seven

POI*Y HANDICAP HURDLE RACE, Of 50sovs; second horse Sbovs. One mile and a-half.

76 -Mr O'Hara's Libeller, 10.5 ... (Pennell) 1 388-Mr Dickey's Recruit, 9.10 ... (R. Hall) 2 104-Mr Russell's Fairy, 9.0 (Arnott) 3

Also started : 265 Bob 10.7, 115 The Sneak 10.5, 58 Napoleon 10.5, 194 Leona 10 0, 92 Mangakawa 9 6, 13-Nanny 9.0, 37 Amiable 9.0.

-The Sneak was the first to appear in' front, •with Libeller next. When half the distance had been ooyered the latter assumed the lead, while Recruit improved his position. Recruit could not foot it with Libeller, who increased his lead and wen by two lengths. Fairy ran third. Time, 3min oi3ec. Dividend, £15 17s.