AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 40

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By TiIHOA

The proverbial good lack which has always attended thu imckiaiid Racing Club in tuo matter ot weatner still clings to tuo eiub; unu, aad the weatner been supplied to order, it couid not have been buLLei on Oup day, when tuo hg summer meeting Was set m motion. As usual, there was a mg crowd well proviucd witu money ; and on the W'iioio tuo racing was interesting, even if some ol tile events were won easily. Beioro dealing with the events separately, it may be mentioned tiiat the visitors, as 1 expected, more than heid their own with tho Auckland animals; and it was a relief wiien Waimai broko tile run by winning the Hurdles. in the lour first events visiting horses ran first, second, and third, and then Auckland won the Hurdles with Waimai. This was our only victory, as the next tineo events were also won by visitors; and, it' one may jucige by ' the racing, Auckland horses will gel, oniy tiie crumbs. (Jt the seven flat races decided on Boxing Day, Auoiiiaiid . hordes only filled third piaoe twice, so that it will be seen that when the cheques are being posted at tne conclusion of mo meeting a good number will go south.

.business commenced with the Shortland Tlate, the Trentham-traiiied Ayah being a good favourite. In the straight 'lobasco, tiie outsider but one m a held of 18, came along with a great rattle and just got up in time to win by a head, 'lobasco recently raced in Australia, and showed iorm there which should not have been overlooked. However, his backers handled a dividend of over half a hundred. Bon D'Or was second and Cheloina third. Jara and Sir Kalph both finished well, just outside a place. B:plano was a strong favourite in the Railway, and sheer gumeness won for him by half a length. Simonides was a long way back third, and the others out of tiie picture.

A good field of 20 lined up for the Robinson Handicap, the winner turning up in Pourparler, a chestnut three-year-old sister to the once mighty Bobrikoll. She hud to bo hard ridden to stall oif Llamshen and Fabriquetto, who ran a deadheat tor second place, with Fabriquette finishing best. Chilblain ran a good race, and will win a lot of races later on at the country meetings. Then came the Cup, and too whole of the 14 final acceptors lined up. The Toll' and Wishful were bracketed, and they were good favourites; but I was surprised to see the good price Depredation, the ultimate winner, was paying. Wishful went out to make the pace, but it was very slow in the early part, and for over a mile the whole field were just moving at useful exercise pace, with Wishful in front and Bjorneborg at the tail of the field. There were no sensational dashes on the part of any of the runners, and Wishful continued to lob along in front till three furlongs from home, and then Colonel Soult, The Toff, Prince Merriwee, and Mullingar set out at top after the leader. They closed up the gap a bit, but Wishful appeared to be still going easy in front swinging round the home turn, and it seemed only a matter of how easy ho would win. But a race is not won at the home turn, and when the last furlong was reached Depredation, who had been running well back in the bunch, suddenly loomed up, and, coming with a great burst of speed, he had Wishful beaten a hundred yards from the post, and went on to win in a canter. Bjorneborg also came on the scene, lato with a good finishing run, which gained him third place; and, had he not been kept too far back in the, early stages, he may have done even better still. It was a poor contest, and well-fancied horses such as Ardenvohr, Chortle, John Barleycorn, and Blaekall were never in the picture. Colonel Soult, El Gallo, and The Toff did make some show, but it was certainly the easiest win recorded in the Auckland Cup for a long time. After Plymouth and Gladful had raced themselves to a standstill, Waimai appeared on the scene and had no difficulty in winning the Grafton Hurdles from Ulster, who finished well from a long way back.

The Railway Handicap attracted 17 very fast sprinters. King Lupin eventually winding up favourite. lie was first away, but was soon headed by Hushman, who carried on the running til! well into the straight. Then Downham dashed (o the lead, and just when he looked a certain winner Bisogne, who had been a long way back, camo along with one of his line bursts of speed and got up in time to win by half a length. Bisogne's effort stamps him as a high-class splinter, and he was a bad horse for double layers, as he has been the favourite selection ever since the weights appeared. Waiutn ran a really groat race. and was in third place, only a neck behind Downham, as the post was reached. Chakwana. Bimcter, and Tete-a-tete were all

close up, ;ui<] had Tefce-a-teto got ;i better nm I fancy she would liavc troubled the winner. King Lupin stumbled in tlio straight and settled a winning chance. Housewife would not move when the barrier lifted, and took no part in the race. KoCSUUI will do hotter later. The Nursery Handicap was won by Ample, who had to be hunted along to stall off a Strong finishing run by Vagabond. Elocution was third, and the others never had any chance. The first day's outing closed with tho Christmas Handicap, which was won somewhat easily by Cleft, with Cold Painting ar:d To Papapa in the places. The iastnamed finished very fast, and may win a good race at any time.