AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2721, 9 May 1906, Page 51

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Bt Taihoa.

May 7. Apolcgue was snipped south oji Thursday last to fulfil his engagement in the Hawke's Bay Cup, to be run on Wednesday. In view )f his improved form jji the Autumn Handicap at the recent A.R.C. meeting, Apologue should lun well forward under 7.3. The accentors for the Hawko's Bay Stakes

include the Auckland horses Master Delaval, Conductor, and Menuku, apparently left in by mistake.

Trainers at EUerslie are buoy with their charges m view of th« m-etropoJitan club's big June jumping meeting. Haydn, Hakarist, Aka Aka, and Hipponai were sent a. round over the steeplechase country on Saturday morning. The three first-named fenced well, and completed the journey in good order, but Hippcwai came to grief at the sod wall, close to tb-j old mile post. Cavalry, King Paul Sol, Cuiragno, and Silicia were exercised over the small sticks, ali with the ixception of King Paul showing to advantage. Sol, who was brought down from the Waikato district a few days ago and placed under D. Moraghan's care at EHerslie. may possibly change bands as two or three buyers are in the field for the son o£ Soult. Should a deal take place, the chants ara that Sol will go to Sydney Leonator, who, according to the opinion of Mr W. Knight, is a better horse than his stable companion Landlock, the weightadjuster having -given, him pride ot place in the Empire Handicap to be run at the Takapuna meeting next Saturday week, with 9.2 against Landlock's 9.0, is shaping remarkably well in his work at training headquarters. He is undoubtedly a very different horse to-day to when he commenced the season at Avondale in moderate company last September. Cavalry, as already stated, is going, along nicely in bia schooling work, but is above himself in condition, and it will probably take his trainer all his time to get him ready for the Great Northern meeting next month.

Bonomiana, who was schooled last year, but had to be thrown out of work owing to a mishap, will probably make her appearance as a candidate for honours at the illegitimate game during the coming jumping winter season. She i 3 in regular work at Ellerslie. Tha weights for the Great Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase, to be issued by Mt Geoge Morse, of Wanganui, are due on Friday next, and when they are posted we may expect to find business commencing in earnest between the layers and takers of the odds. I notice from exchanges that when Up-to-Date-, who is expected back in Auckland to run at the Great Northern meeting, provided his treatment at the hands of the weight-adjuster meets Mr W. Lyons's approval, was offered for sa'e by auction in New South Wales recently, the reserve figure was 500gs. How widely the view 3of handicappers differ is illustrated in the weighting of Leonator and Landlock by Messrs W. Knight and G. Morse. While .Mr Knight^. in. framing tho ■weights for Takapuna, gave Leonator 9.2 and Landlock £.0, Mr Morse, in summing up the situation recently for the A.R C. Ea3ter meeting, called upon Landlock to give his stablemate 231b. The whole of the horses owned by the late George "Wright, who died suddenly a few days ago, are to be sold by auction on May 23. These include Ironmould, Chief Steward, Sir Rupert, and Mctallist, all purchased by Wright when in Sydney last spring. All four are in training, but, with fcbe exception of Ironmould, they are practically untried qualities. The brood maxe Miss Rose and four yearlings will also go under the hammtr. The "youngsters are a black colt by Exfllc-

sion — Miss Roae, a bay colt hj HotchMss — Nellie, a- bay colt by Menschikoff — Jeannie Deans, and a chestnut filly by Bluejacket — Lady Emily Master Delaval's performances aa a ihree-year-old wfere so erratic that the owner of the son of Seaton Delaval decided to have him gelded, and the operation was performed a few dayfa ag-j. A strong effort ie being made to revive coursing in Auckland, and the Auckland Coursing Club is now inviting nominations for a Maiden Stake advertised to take place on June 9 and 16. As the first-mentioned day ha* been fixed upon by the Racing Club for the Great Northern meeting, the coursing authorities may see fit to alter the date, as it would ba unwise for them to clash with the races. The club recently received another shipment of harea from the 6outh, and expect to have some 70 strong hares to operate upon when the coursing opens.