AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2368, 20 July 1899, Page 37

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By Taihoa.

July 17.

The local New Zealand Cup' candidates in training at Ellerslie are moving along satisfactorily in their work, and none more so than Explosion, who could not look better. Seahorse, St. Crispin, and Blue Jacket are shaping alj right. St. Paul, who early last week finished up lame after work on the tan, is again going along in good style, and the opinion is that the little fellow must have trod on something xinder the tan, though I must say that the little fellow's legs still appear to be a source of anxiety to old John Chaafe. the latest being an indication of weakness in one of his forelegs, whereas it was previously supposed to be confined to one of his hind legs. Wagering on the big event still continues fairjy brisk, the biggest line of the past week being £1500 written about St. Lucia, whilo another to receive support was British Rose, about whose chance 1000 to 32 was laid. In other cases the lines have been small, though it is worthy of mention that Battleaxe is easier 200 to 10 having been laid about him last Friday. Explosion and Uhlan continue to head the quotations at 14 to 1, while Douglas, St. Lucia, and Battleaxe are at 15's, Castaahore, Sir Lancelot, Seahorse, and St. Ilario at 20's, and the rest from 25' s to 60s .

Although not yet finally passed, it is hardly likely that there will bo any material alterations in the programme drawn up by the subcommittee of the A. R. C. for the ensuing season. I was informed that the added money would be about the same as last year, but find now that theie will be an increase of some £1100, which swells the total to £17,860. The dates of the different fixtures arc as follows: — Spring meeting, November 4, 9, and 11 ; Summer meeting, December 2G, 28, and January 1 and 2, 1900; Autumn meeting, April 16, 17, and 21; National meeting, June 9 and 11. The programme of the Spring meeting is identical with that of 7ast season, and so is that of the four days of the Summer meeting. It was suggested that a hurdle race should take tlie place of the Summer Steeplechase, but this proposal was over- , thrown, and the cross-country race is still to , retain its place. The. Auckland Cup, in addi- | tion -to a stake of added money of lOOOsovs, | is further endowed this year with a handsome j silver cup, value lOOsovs, presented to the , club by Mr G. G. Stead, of Christchurch. Increases are made at the Autumn meeting, the added money of the Champagne Stakes being raised from 300sovs to 500sovs, while on the second day the Century Stakes, of lOOOsovs, r takes the place of the St. George's Handi- ' cap, which remains at 200sovs, and it is removed to the last race of the programme, taking the place of the Welter Handicap. The Autumn Handicap, of 500 soys, one mile and ahalf, now figures a? the principal item of thethird clay. The pony hurdle races at the Grand National meeting have never been the success that was hoped for, and the

committee, ..fter catering foi the lili-

putians in the winter season - ~>r si veral years, have now dropped tbpp> i-'-nd a brace of maiden welter handicaps fijj j:e in their stead. An important resolution, pfissed by the committee, was that the Century Sta'iesJ of lOOOsovs, should continue on the Autuitm/. programme. • -^j The raceTiorse Fabulist succumbed on TuerfH day last at Mr J. G. Ralph's estate at Sylvia; Park to dropsy, following on an attack of strangles contracted about a fortnight back*j Fabulist, who was picked up at the 1893 yearling sales for 25gs by Messrs Wl Duncan ;and l Lennard, made his debut on the turf in the' September Stakes in the spring of 1894, finishing unplaced. Then followed seven more ~ap-. pearances as a two-year-old, but he failed to gain distinction, thought the following year ' told a different tale when he was saddled up on 14 occasions and finished first six times and second twice and unplaced five times. The victories included the Auckland Guineas and Great Northern Derby. After that Fabulist sadly disappointed his many admirers. Starting en 14 occasions as a four-year-old, he scored in only two. As a five-year-old ks ran four times, winning but once, and as a six-year-old four times without scoring. In all he had 44 starts, 9 wins, 10 seconds, 5 thirds, and 20 times unplaced. Last January Fabulist was submitted to auction to settle a partnership account, and was knocked down to Mr .3. C. Booth, one of a syndicate of three, at 305gs — . an unhappy speculation, as things turned out, for the first time Fabulist was slackened out he pulled up lame, and now comes his death, without giving the syndicate a chance of a re* turn. Judging by the support being given St. Lucia here, it would seem that Mr Stead is likely to be represented in the New -Zealand Cup by_the coming three-year-old daughter of » St. Legev and Hilda, who, it will be remembered, waa purchased at the Wellington Park sale of 1898. 1898. The Auckland Coursing Club's July meeting is to be inaugurated at the Avondale Plumpton on Saturday next, when the Champion "fcollar and Maiden Stakes will come on for decision. The entries are poor, more particularly in -the ease of the Collar' Stakes, and as I remarked in a recent budget, the sport is dying out in Auckland. The difficulty is to get the right class of men to take an interest in the game. - Of the juveniles in training at Ellcrslie who remain in the Avondale Stakes to be run in September none are held in highei esteem than the full sister to Hermosa, St. Elwyn. Kanaka is being kept in work in view of his engagement in the Grand National, to be run at Riccarton next month. Miss Nelson, having failed to stand a training for cross-country racing, has been sent back, to Messrs Alison's island of Motuekorea, and will probably be bred. from this season. The Auckland' delegates to the Racing Conference—Messrs H. T. Gorrie, Win. Percival, and E. W. Alison— left for Wellington to-day, also Mr R. Wynyard, the popular secretary of the Takapuna Jockey Club. Crusado, Riot, and Shylock, were shipped to Wellington to fulfil engagements last Thursday. Nor'-west is already on the scene at tha Hutt. Formula, the full sister to Mul( : form, is looked upon by the men' of observation as the most likely of" our Ellerslie juvenileu to earn two-year-old distinction neict season.