AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2565, 13 May 1903, Page 48

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Ct TiiHOi.

May 11. On Thursday last Mr Evett declared the ' Weights for the Great Northern Steeplechase i and Grand National Hurdle Race, to be run | at the North New Zealand Grand National ! aneeting here next month, and his adjustments ; in both cases are such as should lead to con- : eiderable speculation and good fields. Can- j aiongate, who heads the list in the Steeple- j chase -"vith 11.7, is training on splendidly, and ! cannot be regarded otherwise than well in, j taking a line from his slashing performance ; last January, when the eon of Cannon won j Hhe Auckland Steeplechase with 12.8 up, creat- ; dng a fresh tima record for the race. Haydn . has nothing the best of the weights, but with j 11.6, nevertheless, must be said to possess a j chance after winning his race over the Grund i National course at Riccarlon ; while Waiwera, ■with lib less, must be kept in view as one of the likely division, despite the fact that he Las not scored over big country. Nor'-west 'lias been given every ohance to distinguish himself with 11.2, but I fancy he has lost some of his pace of former days, and will therefore allow him to stand down pending something .tangible on that point. Awahuri is now to cross-country racing, but as the big son of Kaiwhatn, looks all over one of the order *o get over the Steeplechase course tatisfactorily, and_ is a bold jumper, he must be regarded as Laving a great say, as 11.0 will certainly not jslop him. Tre3harn is not badly handled with '10.9, but the journey may be found just a bit too long for him, as the course extends over the best- part of four Jiiles; while of . those further down the list Jack o' Lantern I X.12 is the most likely customer, to my mind, lor Gnat Northern "honours. If asked to ■ select a couple at this stage to provide the i winner, I should go for Cannongate and Awahuri, but there is yet ample time for the making of a selection. Waiwera takes pride of place in the Grand j National Hurdles with 12.5; rather severe treatment, I should say, but ss the Auckland handicapper was on the scene when the Wanganui horse won his last two Taces it is possible that he has not assessed the Gipsy King gelding top highly. Cannongate is also harshly used with 11.6; but a couple of pounds lower down we come to a likely custome. in Mars 11.4, who played the part of runner-up in the same race last year, and ako finished second in the big Hurdle Race at Riccarton. Added to this the aged son of Ingomar «trengthened Iris credentials by winning the Wanganui Cup recently, and hoisting record time foi that race, clearly demonstrating that he has retained his pace. Better still, howevei, do I like the chances of Awahuri, provided lie gets through the Steeplechase, which is run first, without mishap. Mr Donnelly's horse, on his form at Ellorslie on the occasion of the Auckland Club's recent Easter meeting, is the pick of the basket at 11.0, and is certainly leniently treated. At the meeting in question he won all three hurdle races, the last (under 12.3) just as easily as the first (under 10.7). Tresham 10.12 is carrying a nice bandy weight,- and one that should not stop last year's New Zealand Grand National winnei running well forward, provided he is landed at the post in somejthing like his Riccarton form. Ho was an absentee daring the A.R.C. recent autumn aneeting, having been withdrawn from engagements on the day of the meeting on Hhe Bcore of unsoundness ; bu*; the son (of Catesby appears to have made ar exteellent recovery, as he is among those to be Hound in work at headquarters, and seems to ftx> training on all right. Lingard, who scored at Avondale after good track work and failure when at it for keeps at the Auckland Club's meeting a few weeks bsfore, should not be , altogether overlooked with 9.11, but I think

when the day coms3 round that, all being well, nothing will bo more sought after by investors than Awahuri. In double betting on the two ji'mping events mentioned above those most sought after so far have been Cannongate, Awmhuri, and Haydn (Steeplechase) and Awahuri, Mars, a>nd Treshfvm (Hurdles). The two Awahuris have found some support, and Mr Donnelly's horse haa been very much in demand for the omall-stick race. A couple of additions have been made to George Wright's stables in the shape of a yearling filly by Hotchkis3 from Mary, purchased last January at the Wellington Park ; sale, and tho Bill of Portland filly recently • brought from Australia. The Cambria Park Stud Company have 1 added half a dozen highly-bred mares from the : stud of the Hon. J. D. Orinond to their breed- ■ ing establishment. The purchases are ?.a fol- ; Jows: — Chestnut mare Guinevere by Sir Lancelot—Orientale; chestnut mare Lute, by Sir Lancelot— Lyrebird ; chestnut mare Bequest, by Dreadnought— Legacy ; chestnut mare Anadyoraine, by Dreadnought— Aphrodite ; chestnut mare Sprite, by Dreadnought — Elflock ; bay mare Golf, by St. Andrew— Sabra. As anticipated when referring to the decision of the Appeal Court in the Marshal Soult— 1 Soseshield case last week, the Auckland Racing Club Committee have decided to pay out the stake attaching to the Visitors' Plate— over which the trouble arose — a second time. j Some little time back i. mentioned that the Takapuna Jockey Club was moving in the j direction of widening the Tacing track at the ' club's course at North Shore. A piece of land j reauired to complete this work is one of the j Auckland Harbour Board's, and as that body '■ I talks of refusing a further lease after the ex- ; pirati«n of the present term, which has but : 11 years to run, the chances are that the jockey clubs will have to abandon their scheme, as i they are not likely to expend a considerable sum of money in drainage reclamation unless an extended lease is granted. I The Takapuna Jockey Club's winter meeting j commences 1 on Saturday next. The principal j race on the first day is the Empire Handicap, j which may be -won by Durable, who recently ■ annexed a double at Hawera; while the lightly-weighted- Ldasa is one that is liable to upset calculations. Rumours went the rounds concerning tome alleged funny business in connection with a betting transaction over the Grand Stand Handicap at the Auckland Racing Club's recent meeting, won by Landlock. The matter was before Tattersall's Club the other day, and, I although the evidence is not available, some- ' thing may be read into the case when it is : mentioned that two numbers of the club have •! been suspended pending the pleasure of the ccmmittee, and that the claim made by the owner of the horse in connection with the transaction has been thrown out. Possibly the ' case will go befora the Metropolitan Racing I Club officials, and, if so, there may be further trouble ahead for certain parties concerned.