AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 47

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Bt Txieoa.

August 18. Auckland lioraea had a greßt lcnings at the New Zealand Grand National meeting, and as a result local pencillers have been pretty freerj hit, particularly over the big pumping double, in which neany all the books had written Hjydn, ths Grand National Steeplechase wiiino;, with Tiesuanj iv the Grand National Hiu-dle iwice. The total amount laid ha 3 been act dor/i at about £2000, in addition to which the combination vcas freply supported in other parts of the coioiiy. One of the sweetest bets was £1000 to £12 10s taken by tbe part owner of Hs-ydn before the weights made their appearance. The Grand national Steeplechase winner, Haydn, was, wnen purchased for £250 last October, looked upon as a bargain ; but those who held this v.ew were subsequently compelled to alter their tune somewhat during the autumn running, when the Sou'-wesW gelding -»^s tjoirg so badly in hia training that a return for tiie outlay looked anything but promising. He, however, just managed to land ;t hurdle race at Takapuna last May, and after this he began to improve in condition, with the result that Frank Macmanemin, wjio is a part ownar. wag encour&zed U o«caevere with Uim,

and his schooling woik over the big Zsncea at EllersJie caused the' outlook to become much; mere encouraging. The horse's party werer quite prepared for his victory, and landed » good stake over the double. The gelding this bred in the Turanaki district, and is the only* 'horse that has succeeded in getting his namor on the list of winners of the two big jumping* races at Riccarton. The party behind Tresham, and the publid generally, were quite prepared for the victory of the Catesby gelding in the Grand NationaF Hurdles, and in addition to the double betting the Auckland horse was freely backed straight out for the small stick event, it being estimated; that quite £1500 wsw paid out by the local metallicians as the result of straight-out betting.. The ease with which the bay son of Catesby scored at Ricca-rton goes a long way, to bear out the contention, of those who he]<t that he had bad luck to loss the Grand National Hurdles here in June, and clearly demonstrates that he is above the average at the leaping- bnsi» ness. Tresham was- also born on the WangamtfTaranaki Coast, and carries some stout blood in his veins, hi 3 sire, Catesby, baing own brother in blood to Trenton, while the darn T Alabaculia, waa got by St. Leger from Greenary, by imported Traducer from, imported Sweetmeat. A good deal of money waa invested on Cavalieio in the Grand NationaL Hurdles, in which- race he lra-s expected, to* give a good 1 account of himself, it not being generally known here at the. time that he. had gone sore, and made but a poor display ia his schooling with Haydn ©a Coronation They. Another Auckland horse that the- pnntera followed pretty freely was Canncrngate. and I hay« reason to believe that the party behind the son of Cannon, backed him right through till hra lsst race on the concluding day of th? National meeting; in fact, his fsllnre must have cosl

the connection a considerable mm Over 100 horses are now at regular work at tha training headquarters at Eilerslie. t There has been but little New Zealand Clip betting during the riasf week, the attention o( local sporting enthusiasts having been con* cenfcrated almost solely on the Grand National meeting. Nonette continues as machine fa« vouvite here, as he has been a- regular attends ** at the Eilerslie training track, where he ia being rastricted to steady pacing. Frank Macxnaneniin will be back from the south in. a day or two. and we may then cxpact to sea

the son of Seoton Delaval slackened out in this work. Siege Gun continues at the head of ihe Cnp quotations, and I suppose it may b& said that he ran just welL enough in the Winter Cup on the first day of the New Zealand National meeting to catws , his friends to continue their allegiance. At the same time the display can hardly bs said to be one to cause the- colt's- Cup prospects to be very highly assessed, when ii i» noted thotl the handicapper called upon the Aucklac-'l-owned Scotty, a gelding of the same age, to give him 191b in a six furlong race. Hornever, 10 or 11 weeks may suffice to make* » marked difference in Siege Gun, but considerab!e improvement will have to ba effected if his Cup DTOapects are to be favourably viewed. i The Auckland-owned Royal Conqueror, who j -was looked upon as a good thing for tba i Ladies' Bracelet on Hue first d*y of the Naw Zealand Grand National meeting, wa3 Teai3or« sible for a veiy d : sappointing .periorrcanos. How badly he shaped may be gathered, frouar the fact that the son of Flintlock naa casfc two miles-over hurdles in better time than he pu-C ] up in the flat -race at Riccarton. The Avondale Jockey Club have received very good nominations for the three leading cveiitJ to be run at the club's spring meeting, tLa " -total running out to 73 as against 58 last year. Tha only horses engaged outside the Auckland -province are Durab'e and 'Ihe Sliannoc.