AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2455, 3 April 1901, Page 45

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Bt Taihoa.

April 1. Although Mr Evett's handicapping in the Easter Handicap has been pret,ty freely criticised, the weight adjuster for the A.R.C. appears to have once more discomfited his critics, as when the acceptances made their appearance on Friday night it was found that no less than 23 horses had made the final payment for the mile race —a decidedly satisfactory response on the pirt of owners. The meeting commences on Monday next, ajid continues on the Tuesday and Saturday, and as the general entries are satisfactory and the fields throughout contain a very fair sprinkling of horses from other parts, it should be safe to predict a successful gathering for the metropolitan body. Okoari'3 recent winning form commends her to attention for the Easter Handicap, and I should not be surprised to see the visitor and Rosella fighting out the finish, while of the others engaged nothing promises better at the present juncture than Hohoro. Nonette should win the Champagne Stakes; and the top weights, Cavaliero and Cannongpte, rea<i the most likely pair in the Hurdles, the former having most to commend him to attention. Seahorse is fining down, and on Saturday morning, when, associated with Bluejacket, he romped over the dual Auckland Cup winner. If the son of Nelson goes on all right I should say the Century Stakes is well within his reach. At a meeting of the A.R.C. this afternoon a resolution was passed prohibiting jockeys from speakmg to others than officials after having once left the birdcage for a race, the penalty to be meted out to offenders b*>ing suspension during the remainder of the meeting. In view of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York to Auckland it was decided to alter the date of the third day of the Great Northern Steeplechase meeting from Wednesday, June 12. to Saturday, June 15. Betting on the Easter Handicap was not very brisk during the oarlv part of last week, but livened up towards the close, and as the result lines of £250 to £50 and £300 to £100 were booked, the latter being laid on Saturday about the chances of Okoari. The Taranaki mare has displaced Rosella at the l^ad of the quotations, and the best price nov/ quoted is 5 to 2. Rosella, who has been striding along in capital style in her work, is quoted straight out at 5 to 1, and other leading prices are 7 to 1 Hohoro, 8 to 1 Laetitia. Seahorse, St. Ursula, and Bluejacket, 10 to 1 Record Reign, Ideal, La Gloria, and Be^dington. On Saturday The Needle was supported for the Easter Handicap at 400 to 28, and on the double, Easter Handicap and Hurdles 300 to 15 was pencilled about St. Ursula and Cavaliero, and 500 to 20 about Hohoro and Tim. Ideal, Menura, and En He.kkore airived veste»4av by the Zealandia to fulfil engagements at the A.R.C. Autumn meeting. The Hawke's Bay trainer. Percy Martin, is said to be likely to settle down in Auckland with a team of horses. He js negotiating for a hotel at Ellershe. Boreas made his first apoearance at the Ellersiie track last Wednesday morning, and created a favourable impression among course watchers. He claims an engagement 11 the Century Stakes. It is feared that Dan M'Leod's game little mare, Miss Delaval, will not race again. Mr Scott, formerly owner of the Auckland Cup winner Bluejacket, is in town ju3t at present. He leaves for a tnp to the old country about the middle of next month. Record Reign and the two-year-old filly Jewellery, by. St. Leger —Neck'-ce, will i-i all probability be sent acioss to New South AVales after the Auckland RC. Easter meeting. It is understood that the principal mission of the first-named will be the V R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race, to be run in June. The alterations going on at the grandstand at Pottci's paddock, Epsom, hrve necessitated the alteration of dates- by the Auckland Trotting Club, and that bedy v/ill not hold its last meetui<r of the season until caily 111 June. The lion Hugh Mosman nrrived hr-re last week with the intention of being present pt the A.R.C. Autumn meeting. After seeing her tried ovpr a mile on Friday he immediately sciatrho-i Forirura for the Easter Handicap, for which event it was generally conceded that Handicapper Evett lip'l overweighted the Queensland sportsman's mare. Mr J. Hvan. owner of the Auckland two-year-old Nonette, inform.-, me that he is by no means satisfied that the con of Seaton Delaval was in hn best fo,m m ihe Hawke's Bay Stakes recently, while Mark Rvan, who had the mount, epvs the colt collapsed ri - somewhat surprising msincr, and expresses thp opinion that he had go-:e off batween the first and second day's i- ace=. Messrs W. H Herries nn'l w. Alison have ap-nm been elected to represent the country Hubs of the Aucklan" 1 district on the Ne>v Zealand Racing Conference. It is interesting to rote thnt the Messis Nathan allowed no !e<=s than 10m horses to lermun n the Ea=tei Handicap 01 "cceptance night, the'" be n<? Beddmgton, Rosella, Laetitia. and Has-t>>iy-While on the other Borers was nut up for sale at the Xevwhet but r,s GOOgs was the be^t or oflV." *he son of Sou'-westei was withdiavrn Percy Johnston 1° expected to arr.^e fiom New Plymouth to-morrow with My w at=on'« horse& Battlraxe, Okoan and Dartmoor, with a \:ert to fulPlbug A.X C. Autumn engagements. Tjnee bo\es ba\e been engaged at the Harp of Erin =Üb'es for the team Not a returned Auck'ander but has a kindly woid to say of Advarii" 1 it. eonnectio.i with his Victorian lunsu p. The ' st local enthusiast io return was th° well-known Deadlier, W. Loois, wh< in the course of a chat the ether dtiy expressed tlm ot.ii,on that wp v.U find the lunn.ng 0- the b'»;k at Rar.dv.uck vcv different from that at Flemmgton Peeiago, Mi Dan O'Brien's ca°t-ofi\ .=5 holding his condition well, and it will b" 1 no surprise to mid him rotchmg a wn.ning bracke* at the foithcommg EHershe meeting. I last week hinted that George Wright appealed to doubt th° advisaliritv of j,omg on viHi Explosion at the nresent time. ,n:d this "siw to hive besn confirmed by the trainer's action on Fudav, when he stiuck the big back 01U of the Century Stake? Evident'y t'le con of Cunapsiei 1? not mi a po -*ion to undertake the t-trorc; prepamt 0.1 iv = t jiow Ai tl.c New Zealand Loar ard Maieaiitile A.'f kv Compaq's yards on Fud?y se\eral trVu'ig ho =es w-eie o*fcrtd nn belialf of Mr C n j.£ tens and other ov nrr?. but the onh sale ciYpctPcl wr,s that ol tii" ccUlu ' llu'iicane, who v.is k"ccke ' down io Vr Mi.rfitt at £8 The "■line (Inv the tbo'ouyhWed cjelrluig The O'vl v,j< «old to Mr Pater-oi for *'13 10s Tolstoi has been t.iken in ha.id again, and lonk^ \ erv vel' after Its spell. Winsome, the half-«ister to Record Reign, is looking race and mellow, and an aha has the

handy weight of 6.12 m kbs l<"«t'r Ha.idica.,. it may not be wi" to a i ogptLe' wverlook hei chance in that lace sho ild bhe tiain en al! right Messrs Alfied Bucklanc 1 lif.d Sons mve Teceived instructions from tho Iles^rs .Juic" Bros, to offer the following horsr 3 tor ; n < the Hayrnarket on Apr_l 11 -lun Major.' 5j -s, by Cui.-issier — H'ini • Watr^oc, lyis, by CVfrasster— Hune ; Ha.ibeidi2r, 4yrs, b_- Cuirassier — Mi=s Stead; Doctor, 7yia, b/ Cuirassier— Hune; Vclee, syis, by Cuirpssier — Dolosa; Takapuna, 3yrs, by St. Hippo — Anna. Year-* lings Brown colt, by Cuirassier — Hune, bay cot, by C urassier — Dolosa, brown eot, b/ Ssilt — Anno , chestnut colt, by Castor — St Edith, bay filly, by Cuirassier— Miss S f ead , also the brood -nare Dolosa, by Leohnus — Luie. This looks as if the popular North Shor° =poitsmen intend ntheirawmg from the ti if. The One Tree Hill studm-ster, Mr Leonard Marshall, has s^ent nearly all the br o'l m.ir«" from the estate to Otahuhu foi a change ol pasture, and h-3 manager, Mr J. B Wiliiamfou, .".s weaned the foals, which are being feel at the training quarters at Ellershe.