AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2506, 2 April 1902, Page 48

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Bt Taihoa.

March 29.

The Auckland Racing Club's Autumn meeting was •ommejiced to-day, under moat favourab'e weather conditions. The attendance was satisfactory, and £10,939 went through the totes. Proceedings commenced with the Tradesmen's Handicap, which attracted a field of 13 starters, Beddington 9.0 being the one | most in fpvour. The public, however, proved to be astray for a start, as the son of Se-aton Dela\al was never leally prominent. Defender was early in the van, and he stayed there until they were in°ide the distance, where Volee 7.3 closed up, and, finishing strongly, scored by half a length, notching his first victory for some 12 months. For the Champagne Stakes Idas proved most to the hkirg of investors. Marshal Soult was one of the first to move, and the pace was on from the jump. At the turn the Wellington candidate Porirua drew up, and, gnllopang in rare style, he was in the i van to the distance. There Idas, who had j been badly positioned m the culy stages, ' moved through, causing Jenkins to get to work j on Porirua. The visitor, howe\cr, answered ' ganieiy lo the call made upon him, and de- j spite the efforts of th r - fa\ourite the visiting ' colt moved clear, and ultimately scored by £ length and a-half. The winner it> undoubtedly an improved horse since he was iaat seen luider bilk. I Hero again in the Easter Handicap a bakoi's dozen sported silk, the local colt Nonette, who i was called upon to lump 9.11, being installed ' favourite for the mile race, while Ottiak 8.0 ' and Vai Rosa 8.8 were- others to claim a good I measure of public support. The field moved | away in capital line, Ostiak, who was next the rails, being first to find his feet. They had ■ not, however, left a furlong behind before ' Highlander usurped the leading position, and J four furlongs from homr he wat still bowling i a'ong in the van, where Ostiak was his nearest attendant, and appeared to he going so well thiit the public began to proclaim in his favour. The shout of encouragement proved all too poor, a? a. bit farther on Highlander had phakeii his opponent of, and he was still ho.d'rg a commanding leal as they rounded the tiun ancl straightened up for the home run, where Nonetto could be seen coming through full of running. The fa\ourit" v. us v itb. Highlander ' before the distance iv,n iea:hed. n^d us Hoho'o came out from the bunch :• bit fart'.ei on t ! ie pub'if were treated to an cxcit.nj: b2tt!c, whirii ic-ult?d in v IK-ad victory fui Nonetie, \*ho ci' m cd 'n_- bif burc'ci: with the gieatest garneness Nee'llcs'* to say, both horse and ridel (M. Ryan) weie treated to a warm receo- , t.oii when {''"j turned to scale. When it is mentio"ed thart th« f-on o r Seaton Delaval a -1 d Charerto was humpii.™ a c tone and four pounds over wi izlit foi a n r e, it will be readily recognised ll ut the perforn.ance was wel! worth t'-if recpptio:>, aid rank- a<- one of the best \et ciedited to a three-yeii-o'.d in tins colony. ' Princess of Thulc 10.7 was the one to find most suport in tho Hurdle Race, which was contested by a field of seven, but though she ' ran gamely she could r.ot reach Tim 10.9 and Rufus 10.0, who wpto in front throughout the journey, and finjohed m that order, a head j separating them, while the favourite was nearly three lengths away third. Th" finish between the first ard second plp.ce-gntters, who are stable mates, furnished some amusement, if , not excitement. There wre those among the i onlookers who were fourd suggesting that there was great anxiety en the part of tho=e concerned to F"f the ro'itioas reversed. Nine weighed out for the Eden Handicap, ilir- top weight, Ro=pU.i 9 11, beiir* at or>ce pounced upon as i!ip one mo=t likely to pro\ idp tie winner Iho cst'rna'e proved a correct o r, as, after holding a good position in tho ear'\ •iaaeSj she dashed ud when the straieht was

I ' reached, and, heading off Hikipene 6.9, who h^Q i been responsible for the ir-ar»iiig, *.ii daugl.iei of Seaton Delaval drew away, ru4 sco.ed vcrj l easily by two lengths. • 1 The two-year-old race, the O~sloiv Stakes, • was contested by a field of nine, t K e iuveml« - most favoured being Wairiki 7.7. Hio sunporters did not, however, get t run fcr their - , iinoney, as he was left at the posi. Loch, 2 . Fyne 7.10 was one of the first to tt et going, but j half the journey had not been covered before : he cried a go, leaving Bastion 7.0 in charge. ? The latter stayed in front vc * u e turn, but ouhj > on sufferance, as Spalpeen '.12, who had been handy all along, here dashed through, -and 1 finishing up his task gamely, the ton of Gossoon 3 scored comfortably by a couple of lengths from •La Valiere 8.3. Spalpeen was looked upon as - a hkelj customer early in the season, but his r running p:oved very disappointing. •' The day's sport closed with the Railway ' Handicap, for which 13 starters faced' tha 2 t music, Reclaimer 8.6 being the one to claim • the largest share of investments. Accompanied 5 by Camlle 7.7, the favourite was cutting ' out the running until the home turn was • 1 reached, where Despatch, who had been pro1 j minent among the others, drew up, and a most i j exciting battle up the straight between thig 3 ' trio resulted in favour of Camille by a head, 1 ( the three-year-old daughter cf Tasman finisii2 ing up a stiff task in the gamesx possible 3 fashion. r I ! March 3: . ' ' The second day's card in connection with ' <■ the Auckland Sacing Club's Autumn meeting ; ! was run off to-day in fine weather, and in the 1 presence of a^large attendance. Speculation*; I was brisk, the suit of £12,030 being passed:" ' • through the totalisators. The racing was . , ' commenced with the Stewards' Handicap, ior • I which a field of nine went to the post, fTigh- • -lander 8.11 being made a warm favourite. Tha ' • j top weight was early in his stride, and, going [ ( to the head of affairs before three furlongs had j been left, he never after left the issue in doubt, ■ ' beating off a challenge on the part of Sun- . dia! 7.12 when they entered the straight, and ; i scoring in the easiest possible fashion by three , I lengths. When beaten by Nonette in the Easter i | Handicap on the first day, Highlander, who is ; a six-year-old son of Blairgowrie and Sapphire, ; j was m receipt of 3lb and three years ot age, a I fact that goes to emphasise the merit of the Seaton Delaval colt's performance. I A baker's half-dozen sported silk in t.ie j Ellerslie Handicap, in which the public mahed ! ; their money on the top-weight. Idas 8.10, Kelburn 8.10, Gladisla 7.12 were closely associated in the lead foi the greater part of the journey, and the first-named was quickest into the turn, but a few strides further on Morrigan had the whip on him, and Gladisla, shooting pßst, she was still in the van when the distance -was j reached, where the favourite, who had held a ( handy position, raced up, and overhauling her j opponent in the last few strides, scored, all out, jby half a length. The daughter of Seaton J Delaval and Ida acted most gamely under presj sure, and her performance was one full oi I merit. Four was the main for the valuab'c Century Stakes, the withdiawals flora which were Hohoro and Camille. The local colt Nonette carried nearly two-thirds of the money on the machine, and the bulk of that remaining was on Tortulla. Thsy had not fairly settled into their stride b&fore Scotty dashed into the lead, J and making the pace a cracker, the son of St. Leger was s. dozen lengths out from every- ' thing before four fui longs had bsen left behind, where Eeddington was lying second, T.*it!i Nonette close up, and Tortulla a couple oE leiigth.3 away last. In the run to the sixfurlong post Scotty could be seen coming back to the field, and two furlongs further on ho co-mpouiided, leaving Nonette and Beddington, who were racing together in line with Tortulld, still two lengths away. Juat before theyj got to the turn Beddiugton had had enough, and it was left to Tortulla and Nonette to fight out the finish. As the black "aiare appeared to' bo i mining well withir herself when they rcunded into the straight and Ryan was eeen. to have the whip out on Nonette, a large section of the public were to bo heard londly proclaiming victory for the Wellington candidate, and there certainly seemed some reason for it, J as it was not until the half distance that Jenkins touched her with the whip. Nonette, who seemed to be Tacing at his top, was, however, equal to the last call made by Ryan, and drawing out again in the few remaining strides, he won, like the racehorse he is, by a clear length. Beddington eased up 10 lengths away, third Tortulla must be credited with having, run a rattling good maie. That the pace was I solid may be gathered from the fact that tho full distance was reeled off in 2min 39i=>ei.. The intermediate dl3tanc.es were • First four furlongs, 52sec ; six furlongs, Lmin 19sec ; mile, j Imm 47Jsec. Bnttleaxe wonjast year m 2min i 41 3-secc in a field of four. j Waiwera 12.5 was sorted out as the correct ! pea foi the Hurdles, but the public pro\pd I to be astray, as the favourite jumped badly, ! and could never get up with them. Tim 11.9 j acted the part of pacemaker for close on a mile and a-half, when Princess of Thuie 10.12, who \, a"-, fencing faultlessly, ranged herself alongside, and being quickest to the sixth fenc, f-he made no mistakes afterwards, simply romp. I ing home n three-lcngilis winner from Tim.' , Tokoinoko walked away lame. I Prince's oi Thule, who is an aged daughter of Loid of the Isles and Lady Sarah, scored her j last w.u over the small sticks on the second day of the A.R.C. Summer meeting. I Nine of the 14 figuring on the card went to the post for the Flying Handicap, Highlander I 9 13 baing the one most to the liking of the I public, while Landlock was also well sup1 ported The favourite, who carried a slb peu1 alty a^ a lesult of his victory 111 the Stewards' Handicap, was always well up with the field, and although Lar.cilock challenged in tho straight and offered strong opposition, he succeeded in holding off his. opponents, winning a decidedly interesting race by a long neck. A dozen weighed out far the Shorts Handicap, the top weight, Hohoro 11.7, claiming pride of po-;tion in the betting, while Okcari 10.0 was most fa*. oured of the others. They hud not gone far before Okoari was out in the lead, and though Hohoro and his stable compan.or Camille b.G tiled hard to get up in the straight, the daughter of St. Leger and Musket Maid fcuv.' them all out, winning her iaco by the goe:l margin of three lengths from Hohoro. Okoari has filled more than one second pla-e, performing consistently, but this is her fir=t victory since she accounted for the l'rince Edvwird Handicap at Napier in tie spring. The pra.cipal handicap of the day, the St, George's Handicap, attracted a field of 11 staTters, Rosella 9.7 being installed favourite, fo' the mile and a-quarter race. They had not gone far on their journey before Ostiak stole away to the front, and the Stepniak gelding allowed the way round to the half-mile post, where he weaned of the struggle, and Defender led into the straight. Once their heads were in a line foi home Ko-el!a came through, anc" though the daughter of Seaton De-laval had_t> ward off a st.ff "challenge on the part of Va Rc3a, she lwd hoi ucc won =01110 di«ts>nc from the post r lergth a.-.d a-hali soparatmj them at the fim>h. I hear that, ai the instance of the Messn Nathan, writ has been served on the Inter national ilor&e Agere} 1 for th<; recovery oi £1000, the amount of the policy which thej claim cntcrl 0.. the life of the defunct stallion' Fitz-vmrnons, who, it will be remembered, dieq a da\ o. two after being landed m Auckland] 'ike cast v.uJ be heard in Englaact