AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 55

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By Taihoa.

Matters have been pretty brisk 'during; the past week or so, every trainer at Ellerslie being busy polishing and sharpening up one or more of their teams This activity is caused because the Waikato Hunt Club’s meeting is fixed for Monday next, the results of which will be known before this letter is in print, and because a fortnight hence the big spring meeting at Ellerslia will require attention. The Waikato Hunt meeting should turn out a success, as a strong contingent will go down from Auckland, and some fairly good performers are amongst the number. The ' only Auckland-trained animal to ■ compete at Wellington will be D. Moraghan’s filly Loyal Arch. She is being set for the big weight-for-age event the Gold Oup, and before going south the Marble Arch filly hgs done a lot of useful work. However, she will be up against it when, she meets Desert Gold, Chortle, and Expect without mentioning others, and I am afraid her running will hardly justify paying freight upon her. Backers who favour double betting as the short “cut” to affluence—and remain poor-r are inclined to support Mullingar for th® City Handicap, but this is probably ba* . cause he will be ridden by Deeley, Mi® I lingar has not done a great deal of tea# ; galloping, and on the few occasions he pQ® i been loosened out he did not give the img I pression that his number will be on top a# ; the semaphore next month. Certainly Miff* lingar is a useful horse, and will lose nojf thing by having Deeley on top; but, good; and all as Deeley is, he cannot carry th® horse home. , . Since she raced at Avondale Kitty Bel* fairs has improved considerably, and at tt« time of writing, although the weights hav® not yet appeared, it would not take auj extravagant rate of odds to say I coma not pick the winner of the Shorts -bLandicap. There are some speedy sprinters engaged hut they will not want to leaie thei# |aco at homo if Kitty BeHairs is to ba Toreador is both galloping and jumping l in great style, and will be a very warm, order when he steps out for keeps over the small fences. The connections of Eionnuala have arrived at the conclusion that small fish are sweet, and the mare will in future race in hack company. It will bo remembered she dcadheated with Loloma. for second place behind Castalia in the Avondale Cup, ana on that run alone should soon win a hack event. There is no doubt about bpossessing pace,"but she is a bit “cranky” and always liable to be left standing on the mark. , , , .

Tha Wairiki horse Phosphorus is again in active "work, but he is much on tho big side, and it will not be till after Christmas when he will be wound up. His trainer, W. Mobberloy, has also taken Cordito in hand again. A speedy little horse this, but he knocks himself badly when galloping, and is likely to go out at any time, . , As Stewart Waddell will be at the Aoiv Zealand Cup meeting. Hydras, Hyltus, and Mandoline, who are to battle for the Hon. J. D. Ormond at Ellorslic, will bo catered for bv J. Thorpe. Goldsizo ran a brilliant mile the other morning, finishing in great stylo. The little chestnut was over a brilliant galloper on the track, and is at the top of his form just now.

When he just got touched oIT on th« second day at Avondale Goldfiro had no 4 been up long, and the racing ho then had, together with plenty of work since, has made a bin- improvement in him. He has

not been responsible for any fast dimes on the track; but this is not expected, as ho generally lias a big weight in the saddle. When riding Soultikotf over the schooling hurdles last week the well-known horseman A. J. M Fiinn received a h avy fall .restating in much bruis rig. He is now hlinsolt, and will eoou be in the saddle again. 4s of yore, Worcester continues to run fast trials on the track. His owner would be delighted if the son of Soult would do likewise with the silk up. From what I can gather no horseman has yet been engaged for Jack Delaval in the City Handicap, and it is more than likely he will be ridden by i- Chaplin. The'latter rides very light, and if ho has the mount the Auckland idol, as Jack Delaval is, will be carrying _ some _ lead. Just at present the gelding is a picture, and is bound to run a big race. Rumour has it that King Phaeton, trained at Avondale, is a good sort of maiden hurdler. As a rule Avondale “ booms ” arc not much good. A promising maiden working at Ellershe is Pre-eminent. The gelding is to be given his first run at Cambridge on Monday, and later on, when more seasoned, may turn out useful. The three-year-old brother to Signo, who has been presented to the Queen Carnival Committee by Mr F. Ross, is being rounded into shape at Ellcrslie by J. Lambess. The connections of Colonel Soult hold.the view that the gelding was much benefited by his trip to Randwick, and are quite confident he will win at the first time of asking. He has 8.11 in the City Handicap, and will want to bo every bit as good as claimed to beat Royal Irish, Jack Delaval, and Co. Evidently Master Strowan is coming up tor the Onehunga Steeplechase, as D. M'Auley has engaged a box for one at Ellerslie. Before going south Loyal Arch was well beaten by Goldeize in a solid gallop over a mile. Yinaka and Tiri, both of whom have had a lengthy spell, are again in work with a view to being got ready for country meetings. Dandy Breeze and Master Phaeton were brought over from Avondale during the week, and schooled over. the big fences. They gave a grand exhibition of jumping. The remarkable success which has always followed visits by trainers in the south to Auckland continues, and the old order of things prevailed last week, when on Wednesday the trotting season in Auckland was opened by the Auckland Club. The inclusion of visiting horses is always welcomed by the public; but Auckland trainers may hold a different opinion, and there is certainly very little encouragement for them to welcome their southern friends, as it invariably happens that the best prizes go south. The present fixture saw J. Bryce and M. Edwards make the trip, the former with Minston and Cathedral Chimes, and Edwards with Wallace Wood, Reggio Huon, John Dillon, and Cromstall. Only six horses, but they won on the first day alone four races outright, were first and second in two events, and first and third in another. Bryce’s pair, Minston and Cathedral Chimes, won the Spring Handicap and Onehunga Handicap respectively, while 1 Minston also ran second in the October Handicap. M. Edwards’s quartet fared as follows:—Wallace Wood. Second Spring Handicap; John Dillon, Third Onehunga Handicap; Crometall, First October Handicap; Reggie Huon, First Electric Handicap—not a bad •performance at all. But backers treat visitors with respect, and, with the exception of Minston, all the strangers to win started at odds-on, Reggie Huon being a very warm proposition.