AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 45

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Bt Taihoa.

Anril 8

The Auckland Racing Club's Autumn meetu\g of thiee days was usheied in at Ellershe 10-day ur.der anything but promising nieteolLlogica! conditioi.s, there being a drizzling fouth- westerly ram as the horses went out for the)r preliminary. Matters, howeier, shortly improved, and, though dull throughout the afternoon, there was no lain to speak of. Tl.e early shower no doubt kept many intending pations away. The attendance of tlie pubhe was nevertheless good, and some capital sport was witnessed, while the totalizator investments were satisfactory, a sunn ol £12,339 being handled on the eight e\emb figuring o_i the programme.

Racing conxoienced with the Tiadesmen's Plate, the withdrawals from the mile and •«- quarter race being Eoseila, St. Oi.a, iii.d Regulus, leaving a field cl 11 to face the nai-ic. Beddmgtou was sei\.a up sr eve'i-n-oncy f"!.vounte, but though the beaten Dc)p\."l fip'dmg flattered tho hopi^ .;l l.is n'mi.:"^ adnurers by holding v ,iandy position eariv m the race, he was in tioubio at the distance, xhe winner turning up in the lightly-fancied Defender, who made all the lunmng from seven furlongs from home, the £a\ounle finishing fouith Defender 1^ a fcui-ycai-oVi so ' of Cuirassier nrd Helen il'Gipcjor. ard is tiamed and owned by H. French. A' 'he Sji :- mer meet in a: the geldn>g deaclhe;Ued loi ti e Maiden Plate

There were four withdrawals from the Koithern Champagne Stakes, leaving a field of fi\e starters, Nonette being a three-to-one f.ivour^te. Glasgow, on a gallop 011 Monday morning, v as th; only o ie looked 110011 as at all dangerous, but, a 3 it turned out, h<» ne T ci really troubled Mr Pv\.n'- i oil, v.ho vjs Ivjis; close up in third place uniil thny v «io v.oll l' to t lie straight, when he d"»v out and wn>i \.ithout an effort by tvo letgti's i':oni Xi t saliU' -l\r'lback, the- sa. distance av^R■\, third Tho time, lmm IS l-sser. v as ihe sIoAC-.t foi the past three and doe= nci, iheiefoie. sut ak in \ci\ ilatt-nr.i-, '.ci'i^- of he oi.po'itio 1 the Aucklai,6 ci ck had lo (leal v,ni.

A field of ]1 socrted silk feu- tl.e n-o.a 01 -J.° day, the Ea.«ter Handicap, Ilohoio beii'g ->pr\cd up as a good thing, wi h O'-oin scxo.id in demand ; while other w<4l-backed ones weie. Seahorse and Rosella. "When they came to undertake their piehni'naries nothing moved in more taking s-tyle than the favourite, while Seahorse, though a bit lusty, also pleased the onlookers. "When the barrier ran up Seahoise, who was well on the inside, was the first to move, but they had not fairly settled into their stride before Okoari dashed into th-e lead, and, settng a Inely pa.-c, the Coastal mare drew out to the commanding lead of fciu or five lengths in the iuu to the six fuiiong post, her nearest attendants at this stajre bcinfc Rosella and Fnefly, while St Ursula Recoid Reign, Hohoio. and Seahoise fol'oved in that ordei. Roselk dccieased the £ap that sepaiated her from the leader ermine down the hill, and she was i\ithm a counlo of of Okoaii when the% T came to undertake the run across the top stretch the favoimte l>?i>ift now in thnd place, half a length away. Okeari was, however, still in command when

they sti-A-glitened up foi tho run home, and, although Kesalla and Hohc o had drav.ll on xerms just, inside the dibtance, the lull .suer to Waiuku still looked like making a tight 1011 lt. Here Gallagher, v.1.0 luid the mount, was seen to draw the whip, and ths daushtti ot St. Legcr fading out of the contest, in the last bit, R-Oaella, who lunshed up her task with gieat freedom, came on and won by a length' troni Hohoio, Pnefly well up thud, and 'ilia Needle and Okoan tog-ether next in ordei. St. Uisula was fifth, and Record Reign whipped! in the field. The win was tully anticipated by the connections, who are credited with winning; a good stake. From the running of Okoari the only couclusion one could aruve at wasi that the party behind her weie confident in, her ability to win from, end to end. It may be mentioned that Seahorse was one of the first to cry quits, going right out of it Hylas »fis the only scratching in the Hurdle Race, for which the respectable field of eight went to the post, lim being installed a better favourite than. Cannongate. The favourite had taken charge of the field before the second fence was reached, and he stayed m front right up to the last jump m the straight, where Cannongate, who had been nddon a patient race by Stewart, challenged, and a ding-dong battle to the post between the pair resulted in favour of tho Cannon — Fishfag gelding by a head; Forty-seven, who showed' a turn of pace on the flat, but jumped too high, finishing third, ju 3 t in front of Voltigeur, a, matter of six lengths away. The top weight, Ca-vahero, went right out of it three furlongs from home.

Ten was the mam for the Eden Handicap, the one found most to the liking of the investing public being Laetitia, while Solo and Zealous both had a good following. Zealous wa-s with the leading division before they had left a furlong in the rear, and, taking charge in the cutting, the daughter of Nelson, though hard pressed, lasted ;mst long enough to score b/ half a head from Laetitia, whom, she let up by swerving on the lawn rails; Solo, half a length away, third. The full sister to Seahorse was one who was looked to to earn winning distinction in the spring, but this ia her first victory as a three-year-old. She will be heard of again.

In a field of 12 starters for tho Onslow Stakes Menura was sorted out as the correct pea, while another one well forward m the bet-* ting was Ragabrash. Bona, Rosa and Sparkling "Water were the first to get going, but before a furlong and a-half had been left behind Sparkling Water gave place to Hikipene, who was with Bona Rosa when heads were turned for home. A great Tacc to the post ie< suited in favour of Hikipene by a head; Hes< per, who came with a. lush m the last few shides, a neck away thnd. The favourite, Monura, finished fourth. The winner is by St Hippo, out of Anna, and therefore half-sistei to Takapana, Lady Anna, and Miss Anna. Sh= scored her first win at the Takapuna Summe* meeting

Orange and Blue was picked out as the o, ? most likely to pull oS the Pony Handicap, bit!: the hopes of mvestois wero shattered at the outsefc, as he was badly left at the post, the winner turning up in the top weight, Blue Ppul. who took charge when well 121 the straight, and scored with the greatest of ease by a coiiple of lengths from Manoa. The wiener is a four-year-old gelding by Seaton Dclaval out of Miss Leger, and has won sevei A pony ra-ces.

The day's 3port closed with tho Railway H;._ - dicap, thp five furlong iacc attracting a nr'it of 10 starters, the ono most :n demand beinj; FcTtnula, -witii St. Olga. a good second m the betting. Delia Rose and St. Olga acted as pacemakers, and the latter looked hke winning aa they came into the straight; but the favourite, coming with a rare burst of speed from the lawn rails, cut down St Olea with every stride, ajid won by a. lei%th. TL.e full sister \n MuHiforrn <ini3hed as straight aa a gun bar±-c', and u-oi like a racehorse.

An inquiry was held concerning Orange and Blue in the Pony Huidicap, and both horse and nder CJulian) were disqualified for the reinßindcr of the meeting. The Messrs Dueler, whose horses go up for sale by auction on. Tlnirsda-y next, intend retiring altogether from lacmp.

Capital entries have been received f or thr> Avond-ile Jockey Clul/s Autumn mceimcr. which is to be held at Kllersiie on tho 20th and 27th of the present month. There is evenindication that" the suburban club will liava successful gatherme.

The Mou c quetr.ire— Miss Dargron pony, purchased by Percy Martm in Hastings for Jlany Franks, arrived a few days back, and is a decidedly well-ruadc one. It will be reruembeied that when train 1'"? in Auckland last wmte" fo-- thp Great Xoithern Steeplechase Dummy went wrong in one of his hind le£?=i. The littkt chestnut is still under tieatrnput, but pdviccs from Taranaki hold out hopes of his bems able to race again during thp coming w:nt»i-

An effnifc is to h-- i^iade lo lint tlie Papakvira. P.acinp Club, v.h eh reinstated itself with a. ci»" ti g a coun'i of weeks back o:i c. sound p.ed substantial basis, and in all piobabihty a totaUsator sennit will Le applied for when the time comes.

It looks as though the field for the St. Leger at the Wellington mertinsr this rpoj.th it, gomcr to diminish to about four starters, and if P-eddingtou is sent from here to contest trie F^ake I shou'd say he will be found bprthrg 't ovi with Car>me Ch'el. The Messrs Nathan's ecvt aiid T?os '11, .o=o claim engagements m tlip Tlicmp 0 " l U<indicao.

Among the \isltors at present m AuoVand l, Mr A. A Vends judge to the Victoria Amateur Tu'f Cub. He is icmainipg o\erthe A "R C. A"tv.,->in rncetirc;

The wc?'l-ki'o-,n steeplechase horse Maze', v.hoof- iirn cn^l v inning feat was +he Aur'i1■ - 1 Sr.iiv-i"'" Sie^'rchase of 189° <\W "> at M> Don ild M'Kirsio"'* station at Taurm last wck. Th"> «o'i of t'hi'c, noise had been turned out for a lone snell. but it v.'ps tho intent on of his owner. Mi "FT Gorrie to have him taken up for winder raci'is; It is though* 'h"t the botflY was Ihe cusp of Mozel s rieath

Wrlc rid'riE Motor in a gallop »< ElVi<=lip on S^ir Liv r>i(— -ina W. Stewart came in contact wit.i one of the tip«tlp« and had Ii s '<cf, V>-ok< y The unfortunate lad -\,is taker to the 'io"ii,t)l, wheie V- is ;i'o?-e«--iar as fp-* rvm ably towq'-ci^ "-ov -v -= r<i-" bf eN-ppcte^

T'.l= TW'm - - l P.nk c + ucl IM'tfr Vi T!,03. ATo-i.n Itft vi Cl"'=tchureh early '. «t weeV. and v-'T. timu-u •• in t'"> Cathedral Ciiv until aftei the Canto-burr J C. A'ltivmr n^eli 71 ?.