AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3338, 6 March 1918, Page 42

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

By T&IHOA. , ' The circuit of country race meetings in Auckland continues to go along merrily, and each week sees the circuit drawing nearer to a finish. Despite the absence of special railway trains as in former years . being a severe handicap, each club has ; scored a record success, which is at least a prima facie case that racegoers will get | to their favourite pastime trains <jr- no trains. On Thursday the annual fixture of the Rotorua Club was hold, and though the crowd to go up from Auckland was by no . means large, the totalisator turnover showed a substantial uicrease. Tinopai, consequent upon her success in the Hamilton Cup, was made a very warm favourite at Rotorua; biit she failed badly, and could not get a place in a field of five runners. The winner was the consistent Royal Irish, who, as I remarked last week, finished better than anything else in the Hamilton Cup, an'd but for the fast pace set there, may have won then. At Rotorua ho was ridden by A. J. M'Flynn, and scored very comfortably from the consistent, but unlucky Sir Ralph, who has now finished second in the Te Kuiti, Hamilton, and Rotorua Cups in succession. He. was also third in the Takapuna Cup, so that should he score Te Aroha next Saturday, no one will begrudge the owner his win. Lady Energy was expected to win by her party, but though she finished third, there was not a great deal of merit in the performance, and she may be more suited in a welter, where the opposition would not be so good. A. previous big disappointment in Rebel managed to break a long run of failures by winning the Tourist Handicap, a sixfurlongs raoe, worth only 60sovs to the winner. There were only four runners, and Rebel won comfortably at the end. Perhaps now that he has got his head in front he will win again; but he is not a good one. There .was a fine finish in the Arawa Park Handicap. Glenspire, who had H. Gray in the saddle, was backed as though the race were all over, but he cut up badly, and could not put any dash into his work, and apparently the racing he has had has got to the bottom of him. Tinopai looked all over a winner in the straight, but then Demotio came along with a fine run. and the pair dashed past fho nidge m line, the verdict going to Demotic. The latter has been due for a win for some time, and the victory would brv some compensation to his owner for [the money lost on the son of Deinosthenes in the Trial Handicap at Hamilton, in • which he ran third, starting favourite. ! In the Selling Plato Silvasco and Soultane ran a dead-heat, and tho Farewell Handicap was won nicely by Pink Tie. | One pleasant feature of the day's racing was the two victories scored in the hack events by Miss Leslie. The sister to Kocsian has received a lot of" attention from her trainor. W. Mohberlov. and the , wins were fully due, as the filly has clis- : appointed him on more than one occasion. I The Soult —Lady Musket geldin<r Soldier i haa to be destroyed a couple of days ago. i It seems he fell on a road and was so ) hndlv injured that it was deemed the best ' policy to end his career with a bullet. Soldier won more than one good race, but he was unsound, aricl was a very hard horso to train. At the time of the mishap ho had onlv been taken up a week or two bv J. Lamboss. i The A.R.C. Eastor Handicap nominations aro hardly up to expectations, but no doubt there will be material enoua-h to provide a keen contest on the dav of the 1 racp. I notice Egypt is amongst the nominations!, and if ho happens to be at the top of his form at Easter he will give tho orrposition something to do. Although he rb'd not race at the Cnn meeting hero at Christmas, bo was one of tho team broucrht 1 to Auckland: and I fool confident had ho not been weighted nt over 9st he would have started in tho Newmarket Handicap. Tlie reason T soy ho will give tho opposition something to do in tho Eastrr is because during Christmas I saw him rogistor «-omo brilliant gallops. One morning ho beat Estland easily over six furlongs, and „,, .„.,i-! lfM . ovn>'ng TYinde « spoody maro in Mill o' Gowrio look bkc a commoner »v>r lr<df a mile >n 48sfc on tho grass. Rgypt is worthy of consideration whether ho con-'"? to Auckland or goos to Riccarton at Easter. Tho To <\rohi .T.O. mooting is sot down for Saturday, tho 2nd inst., and as many of tho horses claim moro than one engagement, and tho acceptances are not duo at

the time of writing, it is difficult to com* nieiit upon the events. (ilenopal should be the Cup favourite, but I am not one ot' those wno think she uas only to start to win; and there are several who appear to have chances. To try ana pick the programme is a fool's pastime, and I will be content to mention that Persian Prince is in the ii;al Handicap.