AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 37

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Br Taihoa.

December 11,

There nas been little chacge in Auckland Cup matters since the- posting of the acceptances. Explosion, who is in robust condition, and doing good work, holds, liia place firmly at the head oi tho quotations. Record Reign, who looks healthy and well, has not been doing anything- of note on the track, and it looks/almost as though it will bo left to the day to tell the tale aa to whether the big son o£ Winnie can. get to> the end of two miles. Although on figures Record Reign appears to have a bit the best of Explosion, the knowing ones out Elleralie way express the opinion that the latter will beat Mr Roulston's representative. St. Paul is rattling along strongly in fcis wcrk, but as the exercise has so far been confined to the tan it is difficult to say how ±he little son of Satanella will fare when he gets on the hard going. With the definite announcement that Mr. Stsad will be represented bj Sant Ilario,, interest is added to the race, and as the southern three-year-old is very well treated on the score of weight, and haa proved himself a game one by his running at the recent C.J.C. mee^iu? ""-> is one that must b held to have a decided!

There seems no leoson so far to depart from the first selection of Explosion, Record Reign, and Sant Ilario as tho trio most likely to fight out the issue.

Local pencillers havo been fairly busy over the Auckland. Cup this week, and the double, Cup and Railway Handicap, has also been very well supported, the favouiite combination for the latter being Exn'.oaion and Rex at 100 to 5.

In the Cup betting the market has been cleared of all at 3's to 1 about Explosion, and that price is now wanted about the favourite, who is quoted at sto 2. Record Reign continues to claim attention at 4 to 1, and on Friday IGO to -10 was accepted 1 about him. Six to 1 is offered about Coronet; T to 1 has been taken and is on offer about Sant Ilario ; and the same price is on. offsr about Tire' 3 chance. Bhw Jacket is at 8 to 1; St. Paul, Battleaxo, and Uhlan are at 16 to 1; and tho others range from 30 to 50 to 1. The general entries for the Auckland Summer meeting received last Friday are in every way satisfactory, and it is gratifying to find that, the liberality of the club n tha matter of stakes has been rewarded by a very fair sprinkling of nominations from other parts of the colon v.

The Tak&puna. Jcckey Club brought i4s Spring meeting- to a close on Saturday afternoon, when tha club was again favoured with a good attendance, fine weather, anc 1 brisk totalisator investments. The sun? passed through tho machines C.573J4), swelled lhe total for the two days to £11,996. Proceedings- opened witli tHe,Staaley Handicap, four furlongs, for which Sultan 9 0 was sorted out as a goor" thing-, and the favcurila, hopping awaj with the lead when the barripj: ran up, never left the issue in. doubt, scoring comfortably by half a-lecgth from St. Innie, who made a game effort to get up from the distance, but wa3 not equal to tlie cask. Tlie

winner is a six-year-old son of Richmond, out ofa Corsair male, and a slippery customer over ■the sprint dnsance. Time- 53 2-ssec. Six contested tlie HaaJicap Hurdles, n, mile and threequarters. Tho tov> weight, Pokomoko 11.7, who ha- recordcy .several good gallops on the fl«it at Ellersiie and ha.° b-en looked upon as likely to shape well in the small sticks events, was sorted cut as the one most likely lo score. The favourite occupied a har.dy position tboughout, and wa3 on. term 5 with Vole. .no at the jump half a-milc 'touj home, but Volcano 19.8, being the quickest lo fund again, coinmaaced' to draw out and was three lengths to the good as they rati across the top stretch, where Lind, on Pokomoko, appeared lo make an effort to deciease th" gap. Volcano, however, easily held his own in the run home and scored easily by four lengths from Favona, wiio passed. Pokomoko a few strides' fronr the post, and obtained

second place." Time, 3miri '. 2-sseft^ As the horses' returned to scale the public made a demonstration against 'Pokomoko and his rider, a strong- impression apparently prevailing that everything was not inorder. A meeting of the stewards was 1 called!, when the owner, K. Keith, and' the jockey, F. Lind, were examined. On the former being questioned as to whether he was satisfied with' the jockey's riding he stated" that he was not, but though he thought Lind' rods a bad race, ha was not prepared to doubt his honesty. Keith, further stated that wizile ho had. not backed hi& horse himselfi he had. got others to do it fos him. He declined at first to divulge the namer of these parties, but he subsequently stated that he had instructed a Mr Major, of Hawere* and a Mr Kells, of Weilington, to back .the horse for. him. Lind, in his evidence, stated that the horse stopped suddenly when asked to finish, and further that Pokomoko had done the. same thing in some of his previous races. A telegram was despatched by Mr Wynyard (secretary^ of. the club) to the address of the persons whoae -aaines had been, given, as haviug, backed Pokomoko for the owner. During the course of the afternoon, a reply was received from Mr Major to -the effect that ho had been, instructed to- put £5 on the horse, but that he had not done po. No reply was/received from the other person communicated with, and the stewards have held the matter over. As the matter is still hanging u«j comment can hardly be made at thi3 stage, though it is understood that tha Takapuua authorities are determined to thoroughly investigate it. Of the i eight who . went to the ' post for the ' big event -of the day, the Spring" HuadL- ' cap. one-'inile, St. Ursula 8.5 was most in demand, while another. who> was well backed wasj St. Clements 9.6. They were despatched to a, good start, aud Dayniree 8.2, being quickest on „ Ufa legs, was leading Boxana a length aa tha held swept past tho grandstand, with Pcrstogi Pctae c!cse- up. in, third place, hucl than, came Rex, St." Clements, Lillie, and Halberdier, with St. Ursula- whipping them in. The grey im> proved his advantage out of the turn to the back, and though Lillie drew up to within half a- length of him at the top stretch he again moved out whea heads turned, into, tho btrajght,, and coming away easily silenced all opposition, winning bj three lengths- from Lillie, who was in turn v couplo of lengths to the good of tha favourite, St. Ursula. Time Imm « -i-Ssoc. Mjss- Blair wafe served up us the correct pea for tha Second Hack Handicap, sereo. furlongs, but she. faded out' ot tha contest three furlonga from home, and Toroa 6.10; who cioaed up to Chancellor and Perseverance; at tiic turn, scored by half a-hend from the former after :t stiff tuttle up the straight. The winner is ;i fouu-year-oia daughter of Regol and Mystery. Time, -lmiu 31 3-sse<\ Lena found a strong following j n tha Pony Handicap, five furlongs, but waa never at any time dangerous, the" mro beimwon by Texas 7.5, who collared Nora and Mu>ca, who had made the running- half wayuy the straight and snatched victory by a, nee"c from the - formed. Time, Imin 6 'l-ssec In tho Cautley Handicap, six- furlongs, Red' Lancer was most sought after-. The favom-!<o howev.'sr. got badly, away, and-, getting into, » bad position failed foi gefe cut again until *hr straight, waa- readied, where- ho made a greftr-i hid to get up, but. could not manage to>>eb naurw than- third. a< neck army irom St. P«»W who. was in turn beaten half (/length by Cr.ira- ' sette 7.10, who was ana- of the quickest- away, ' anil was. never headed. Cuira'sette W a five- ' year-old daughter of Cuirassfei- and I>,olosa', ancl • might have won a fair number of races foe the MesPT3.. Duder- Bxod-. but foi her dislike' to tne starting barrier: Time, train IT 3-ssec. lhe Handicap. Steeplechase, aboiit three milea was participated in by six cross-country canclidateH,, No.-"-wpst being, accordec 1 tlie pride, of position m the bfftting; Dingo and' Gleu.arm were- tlie- first- to move away when tile flag fell 1 ., and tho pair kept close comimny until' the water jumr. was reached' the -irst time,, where DLngo came down. Half a furlbag from the home kirn Nbr'-west could' be seen cominZ strong, and when the last jump in tha straight was reached he was almost vrifcli Opou. The lattoi was quickest orer, bus though .burns made desperate efforts to hold his own in the run fro the box-, Nbr'-west w«* notr to. be denied', and' landed one of tho most interesting steep leehsses ever witness^ /on the course by a bit better, than two lenfrths. Time, 6min 42 '2-spec. Nbr'-west haa b»«n backed' for the A.RC. Summei Steeplechase since. The Welter Handicap, one lailej was looked upon as between Cavalier 10.6 and Doctor. Tho former jumped into the lead after a few strides,, and making' the- running from and to end, scored without tha- whip by; two lengths from St. Ona. in lmin 45 S-Sscse. The hurdle racer Shylock, winner, of tha A.R.C. Grand National, was shipped, to Wellington on Tuesday last), where he wiJL im future be trained by T. Clarke.

Evening Wonder has gone to G'isborKe. Word Irons New Plymouth states that Mt. F. Watson will bring Battleaxe up- to Auok-" land to fulfil engagements at the forthcoming' Summer meeting-. t Having been asked, to' put a price on <he-t\vo-year-o:d, Val- Ro3a, the connections, of Ihoso.i of Vieux Rose have- named as the' figure they are prepared to accept;. An. oifarof £1300 waa. refused.

TV". Clnrke, the well-know*: Chmtchirrch |oc«key, who can scale 5.2, has arrived in>- Aucjiland.

Tauhei, who arrived here a. week or two back in view of A.R.C. engagements, is 'believed to be suffering from, muscular soreness, and her trainer has during the paat few daya beeir crying to shako it oil by sending her 'for long, slow work and trotting. • The veteran trainer, ~J2. Cutts, is expected to arrive with Sir (G%( G% Clifford's Great Northern Foal Stakes candidate, Cannie Chiel, during the present week. The son, of Weathersye,, it; ivill be remembered, scored a winning- bracks* at the recent C.J.C. meeting. Mr A- F. Scolt,, of. Napier, has- purchased BLuq Jacket from Mr C. Gordon at 400gs,'*and the horse will leave foi his new home after this coaclusion of the A.X.C. meeting. Mr Scott, it will be remembered, recent'v purchased Antelope, Blua Jacket's dam.

A. private wire received here a day or two. back states, that It. J. Mason will' leave- fou Auckland ou Wednesday, next with. Mr Or Stead's trio, Sant Ilarao, Screw Gut, and Skcbeleff.

There is an. impression abroad here that Seahorse will ultimately find bio way to tne old ooir.rtiy. 2fo doubt the sun of M-'onga is 1 cne that would meet the icquiremen's c: the English agent, M Allison, but I fancy that if ths Major r a,,. -cached the price wanted -will be found prt-ut_- stiT— probably somethHg about the figure gi en for Cranberry (3Ooogs .

The absence of Mtss Delaval from the ha! of ucpeptors for the Railway Handicap, came K3 &o:iicv.'h(i'j oh a surprise, as it was underst(jocl til at Dan M'Leod, the filly'? owner, had backed the filly,, in co:t'uuction with I xplosicm for the Cup, to win X'f.OO. It now transpires? that M'Leod was under, the impression thai he had given the A.J.V.C. aul'horitfeo instructions that ha incandsd to accep*,, but as no accarrtonce paper existed, she was allowed to drop out of the handicap. This is rather harct luck foi Mac;

The weights for the Wellington Cup> were looked' forward to with considerable intereefc here, and ib was generally anticipated that Explosion woulc" figure at the head- of- the libe, birß when tne adjustments- came to hfHid) cot.-

sideiable surprise was expressed at Mr Evett's decision in calling upon the Jadestone horse to concede Daunt a stone, and at the fact that the standard selected should be so high. Good horse though Explosion has proved himself, I should certainly entrust Daunt with my money if asked to choose between the two, and it •would seem that if Daunt can be got to the post in the same form as when he annexed the Wellington Cup last year, he must be one of the hardest horses in the race to beat.

Foalings at the Wellington Park stud are now complete, the last to foal being Ouida (by Yattendon— Gulnare), who during the week produced a colt to Hotchkiss. There are 23 foals at Mr Morrin's establishment, 12 being colts and 11 fillies. The Sylvia Park lot now number 13, nine being fillies and four colts. The iast mares to foal at the Messrs Nathan's establishment are Liquidation (by King Cole — Realisation), filly to Seaton Delaval, and Cantiniere (by Musket — Queen Bess), colt to St. Leger. Tire, who claims an engagement in the Auckland Cup, was brought up from Napier on Thursday.