AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 68

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By Taihoa.

The Auckland Racing Club's big June lamping carnival was inaugurated on Friday kt Ellerslie, the weather being fine, the attendance large, and the business on the totalisator brisk. The amount handled was '£14,713, against £13,085 last year—an increase of £1628. bookmakers toiled the odds, contributing £728 in feej. compared with £922 10s on the opening flay of 1909. Mr Morse's handicaps produced several keen contests, but the principal event, the Great Northern Hurdle Race, failed to call up the usual amount of enthusiasm and interest owing to the fact that but two of the horses engaged acted the part of pacemakers. When the numbers were hoisted it was found that no less than six of the candidates figuring on the card had been withdrawn, they being ■Tearai, Dunborve. Sol, Maharanui, Rangifcaeta, and Tua Kihia. This left a field of eight to contest the and though {Wimmera was still carrying traces of the treatment received for the muscular ,affectation which had caused his connections Bojne anxiety, and was not looking particularly bright, the son of Merriwe was sent oat favourite. Wcsolloomooloo carried a ■well-trained appearance, and the same may ibesaid of Armagh, though it was - noticeable that the son of Salyadan when moving shewed decided signs of tenderness in Sront. Paritutu carried himself very, well, but to those who had followed the veteran it was evident that he was not the Pariiuht of old, while Waitapu failed to impress onlookers as an eligible Great 'Northern candidate. A capital start was effected, the first to break the ling being Prophet and Wimmera, and, with Tui Cakobau almost on terms, they raced in company to the first fence, which the favourite negotiated none too well. Prophet, setting a solid (pace, was quickest over the second obstacle, where Wimmera again made a faulty jump which caused aapporters to view his prospects with a measure of anxiety, but thence on he Srarmed to his work, and, fencing faultlessly, -the Merriwee gelding and Prophet were five lengths clear of Tui Cakobau las they landed over the third hurdle, and .they were still well clear of the opposition at the fourth jurr t p, where Wimmera took charge and showed the way to Prophet goiag through the cutting. At the fifth hurdle Prophet was again alongside the favourite, and then came >Tui Cakobau, /Woolloomooloo, and Armagh in that order. {[has they raced over the hurdle in the straight, and as the field dashed past the stand Wimmera and Prophet, both full of Running, were five lengths out from, the )rthers, with. Aorangi whipping in a couple tof .lengths back from Waitapu. Going out of the straight Wimmera had a bit the best of it, but as they raced at the seventh fence Prophet was once more on terms, .the nearest attendants being Tui Cakobau and Woolloomooloo. Wimmera was quickset over the eighth hurdle, where Prophet was still going well, and Woolloomooloo began to move up and supplanted Tui Cakobau in third place. In the run across the top stretch Prophet showed evidencethat the solid pace set was beginning to tell its tale, and Woollcomooloo was almost on terms when they hopped over the ninth obstacle, which Wimmera cleared in fine style. Woolloomooloo set out after the favourite in the run to the last fence, Jbut the Meriwee. gelding, jumping proficiently, easily held off the challenge, and jram in a comfortable winner by two and i-half Je'ngfchs. Prophet was eight lengths jtway third, and then came' Tui Cakobau, IParitutu, Armagh, and) Aorangi in the order named, the last to pass the judge's 1 box being Waitapu. That the pace was ?ound from end to end is evident, as the . ime was 4-min 52sec, a record for two 1 and a-half miles at Ellerslie, which clips' ]sseo off the previous best established" by Bully last year under 9.3. Wimmera is «ofc a big horse, but may be set down as a stayer" and a good fencer. With the' Century and Great Northern Hurdles to his credit the Merriwee gelding can safely be fciokod off as above the average over the *mall sticks, and there seems no reason why he should not earn further distinction for Mr E. J. Watt. The principal flat race was the Cornwall Handicap, fo> which Ngapukii way jervod up favourite A the £ccd Held of

15 runners. The event went to the top I weight, Master Soult 10.9, who was re- ( sponsible for a very fine performance. On the score of connection the son of Soult was not at his best, but the manner in ■ which he fought it out at the business end clearly indicated that his heart was • in the right place, and that be is every I inch a racehorse. It is quite evident that Master Soult has recovered from the injury sustained in the mishap met with in the spring.

After contesting the Great Northern Hurdles Armagh showed decided symptoms of unsoundness, and will probably have to be treated to a spell. It is thought probable that the stallion Avab, who was purchased ?.t Home some little time back on behalf of a New Zealand owner for 500 gs, will take the place if the defunct sire Soult at the Glenora Park Stud, Auckland. Mr H. O. Nolan, who is now on a visit to the Old Country, was commissioned by Mr W. Walters to secure a stallion for the Papakura Estate, and it is on the cards that he has picked up the bay son of Cyllene.

The weather conditions on the second day of the Great Northern meeting (Saturday) were by no means as favourable, and the attendance suffered in consequence. The tote receipts were £12,354- 10s, a decrease of £I4OB 10s compared with 1909, but, taking the two days' return, there was a small increase amounting to £219 10s. Thirty-two bookmakers paid • £656 in fees, against £B2O received last year on the second day. For the big event, the Great Northern Steeplechase, the starters numbered 10, and the Birkenhead gelding Audax, who was making his first appearance in Auckland, and is one of the finestlooking cross-country horses seen here for some time, was sent out favourite. The top weight, Kiatere, was evidently not the horse of a couple of years ago when he scored under 12.13, but Loch Fyne, Tearai, Capitol, Le Beau, First Barrel, Red M'Gregor, Lovell, and Cavaliero, all bore a well-trained appearance, though the lastnamed was a bit tender in *ront. When the flag fell, Lovell moved out and made the pace, showing the waj over the first obstacle, where Cavaiiero came to grief. Continuing in charge, Lovell made the •running through the plantation and over the hill, followed by the favourite and First Barrel. Coming down the hill, Lovell was half a dozen lengths clear of all opposition, and he crossed the stone and sod walls well in advance of Audax and First Barrel. Negotiating the water jump, Lovell, Audax, First Barrel, Tearai, Loch Fyne, and Red M'Gregor was the order, and thus they took the stone wall. Lovell was still in command crossing the old water jump, where Tearai stopped. Going over the hill the second time, Lovell led Audax by 10 lengths, after which came Capitol and Loch Fyne together. Down the hill, Lovell was bowling along freely in front of Audax, and he showed the way over the stone and sod walls to the double fences, which he crossed in advance of Audax, Le Beau, Loch Fyne, Red M'Gregor, First Barrel, and Capitol, with Kaitere whipping in. There war little alteration racing to the old water jumo the second time, but at this obstacle Kiatere stopped, while Le Beau unseated his rider, who, however, got back into the saddle again. Lovell was fast coming back to his field, and when the hurdle along the back was taken, Audax was in charge, with Loch Fyne third. Running through the plantation * the last time Audax held a lead of eight lengths over Lovell, with Red M'Gregor and Lech Fyne next. Racing over the hill. Red M'Gregor set out in pursuit of the leader, and rapidly overhauled him in the run down the hill with Lovell, Loch Fyne, Le Beau, and Capitol next. At the stone wall at the top of the straight Audax held a slight advantage over Red M'Gregor, but he was holding out signals of distress. Landed on the flat, Red M'Gregor quickly accounted for the Hawke'e Bay horse, and, coming on. won comfortably by 10 lengths. A great finish took place between Audax and Lech Fyne for second money, both horses passing; the post absolutely tired out, the latter craing second money by a neck. Le Beau finished fourth, 30 lengths off, while Lovell was fifth, and Capitol sixth. The winner, Red M'Gregor, is bv Leolantis from Jean, and is therefore a full brother to Capitol, who accounted for the event last vear. He was bred by his owner, Mr C. Shaw, in the Waikato district, and was trained and ridden bv W. H. Windsor. When the favourite (Audax) came into the saddling paddock it was evident that he was much distressed, the hill-climbing having evidently found a weak spot in the good-looking son of Birkenhead. '