OTAHUHU TROTTING CLUB SUMMER MEETING.

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 947, 20 February 1897, Page 9

OTAHUHU TROTTING CLUB SUMMER MEETING.

Thkotjgh the enforced postponement of the recent Takapuna meeting, the Otahuhu Trotting Club's Meeting follows close on the heels of the Shore gathering just passed. The meeting under review commences next Saturday, 20th met., at Potter's Paddock. The second and concluding day of the fixture is dated the following Saturday, 27th inßt. We have had very little trotting so far this season, the only meeting which has been held up to date being that of the A.T.C. meeting at Christmas time. Tnat fixture proved a great success, and I see no reason why the Otahuhn Trotting Club's Meeting should not be quite as successful. The club has been very liberal in its programme, and this liberality has met with good response from owners, and though the fields for Saturday are not all large, the number of acceptors average well, and a sufficiency can be seen in each list to furnish plenty of exercise to the minds of punters, and f)od racing withal. The track at otter's should be in good order, thanks to the recent rains, whilst the pony and trotting patrons, through the improvements effected by the A.T.C., will not be forgotten by those who were present at the Summer meeting of that

Club. All things considered, a very enjoyable day's sport should result nest Saturday. The following selections may prove worth following :— "' Maiden Trot, 1A miles. — Lusitania, Bendigo, Rutena. Maiden Pony, 5 furlongs. — Si wash, Target, Lena. Otahuhu Trotting Cup, 2 miles.— Nellie, Schoolgirl, Fibre. Hurdles, 1J miles. — Dove, Fauntelroy, Platch. Harness Trot, 2$ miles. — Duke 0, Alice, Rosebud. Suburban Pony, 6J furlongs. — Rangiuru, Silkworm, Germina. Electric Trot, lmile. — Schoolgirl, Nellie, Ladybird. Flying Stakes, 5 furlongs. — Cupid or Rangiuru. Trotting and pony racing at Potter's on Saturday, 20th inst. Gipsy Prince led all the way in the second hurdles at Egmont last week, and paid £3 7s. i' 20,198 passed through the totalisator at Takapuna during the three days ' Summer Meeting. Gipsy Grand's half-sister Orpah won the Trial Stakes at Williamstown on January 26th. Orpah started favourite and won easily. Auckland horses failed to do much at Egmont last week. Gipsy Prince won the Hurdles the second day, but Pegasns, Merry Maid, Uhlan, Webley, all with the exception of the last named, failed to run into places even. Webley ran second in the iMormanby Stakes, 1 m. and a distance. The connections of Wright's stable seldom get a dividend about their horses. Certainly, of late, owing to a long ran of ill-success, backers of the stable have fallen off considerably. Hence was due in part probably the good price Panoply paid. He has been a disappointing horse to all. The Kubezahl horse, Goldspur, winner of the Welter, at Christchurch recent meeting, was picked out of the Bale yards for £14. Previously, he had been hawked about for £20. He is now reckoned a fair horse. At anyrate, his one victory has handsomely repaid his owner for hia small outlay. Lady Marion has not been a lucky mare thiß season. I don't think her owner is pins on his speculation. At the Thames at Xmas time she won a iace ; but not till she had disappointed in previous runs, whilst at Ellerslie she failed altogether. Her one victory at the Shore will hardly recoup for previous losses at Jsheße last two meetings. J. Rae was most unfortunate on Saturday last. Dentist actually won the maiden Hurdles, and was paying something like £33 outside, but through a cross the race was given to Forella. Then, in the Hurdles, his horse Kingswood appparently had Miss Nelson beaten at the last jump, but taking it clumsily, fell, and thereby lost what seemed certain victory. Aucklanders could j hardly believe that Lorelei had paid £8 15/ in the Atkinson Memorial Stakes. She was the local fancy for that race. Heavy rain had fallen during the day at Hawera, and the course was holding, and it was no doubt from thiß cause that Lorelei, who had top weight (Bst. 121 b) to carry, was so little fancied. Brook, winner of the Egmont Cup, started a very warm favourite. Miss Nelson will in future give her trainer a strong hand in jumping events. The mare is only a baby at the jumping game, and mußt improve immensely. She should prove a good one, being thoroughly honest, possessed of plenty of pace, and a really clever jumper. Previous to the Takapuna meeting she had done but very little jumping, and therefore has shown marvellously quick aptitude at fencing. Selling races have never been popular amongst Aucklanders. These races seldom nil well, and are generally productive of little or no interest to the public. If bigger stakes were given, and a better claSB of sellers drawn, like at Riccarton, more owners might compete, as there then would be a chance of disposing of their representative at a profit. To compete for a small stake, and run the risk of having their horse claimed, and having to pay out to get it back, is not palatable to owners. There was considerable variance occasionally in the dividends outside and inside at the Shore, but taken throughout there was a pretty general concensus of opinion as to the various chances in the different races. As regards Takapuna there is not much of a chance for backers ; to pick and choose their machines according to prices, the machines being so far apart. If one backs a winning horse at one machine at five to one, and it pays tens on the other, disgust is pardonable. But it cuts both ways.

' Ribbledon ' doubts if there is a filly in Australia the equal to Gipsy Grand's half -sister Orpab. A Dunedin authority who was present at Riccarton last meeting reports that Gipsy Grand is not likely to race again. Bloodshot continues favourite for the Australian Cup, in spite of the. big weight he has to carry. I cannot help' thinking Resolute will prove Bloodshot's master' over the distance at present weights. Resolute is my straight-out fancy for the Australian Cup. Hukatere last Saturday was evidently not the Hnkatere of the previous week. The Hurdle sapping of the opening had evidently left its mark, for the Gisborne horse was indeed very sore last Saturday. If that alone is the cause he will soon be all right again. Pegasus was a great local fancy for the Egmoat Cup. No doubt the light weight, the distance of the race, and the fact that he was well, led on some of his old friends to again put faith in him. Even the next day, with 6st 121 b and the course to his liking, he showed no glimmer of hope to his admirers. There are two or three Auckland horses running at Tauranga to-day (Thursday). Of these the most likely to score is, I think, Retaliation. Retaliation is a good little mare when well, and recent running shows she is fast approaching perfect condition. The Tauranga Cup should at any rate be within her ability. When the Shore race-course improvements are completed, the course will be a model. From the terraces is the best point of vantage to see the racing ; the view from there is unrivalled anywhere. The paddock is roomy, and the biggest attendances will not cause crushing. All the appointments, in fact, are first-class. Precaution is a strong fancy at present for the Canlfield Cup, and indeed there cannot be many as fast as this Sydney six furlong record breaker. If Precaution has that amount of necessary luck which cannot be done without in a race like the Newmarket, I have no doubt she will be somewhere there at the finish . Really, on form she should win right out. The English writer, ' Ranger ' states that a syndicate is being formed in England to purchase a dozen or so of the best Australian racehorses to try conclusions with the Old Country cracks during the coming season. 'Ranger' adds that he is not betraying any confidence in saying that Wallace and Newhaven will be amongst the number. The Panoply stable is not credited with having won much over that horse's victory last Saturday. He was, I know, well backed for the Takapuna Cup, and was again, I believe, supported for the Anniversary Handicap, in both of which races he failed. I should hardly fancy the strong ones behind him wzrald let him go out again for little more than the stake. Still there is a limit to the patience of the most persistent. Honours were very equally divided during the three days at the Shore. The Cup was won by Antares, whilst the chief event of the second day went to Markinch, and on the third to Panoply. Glenlora won the Ist Steeplechase, and Miss Nelson the 2nd ; Aughadowey, Gipsy Prince, and Miss Nelson each won a hurdle race. Hairy Legs, Doris, Miss Anna, and Miss Nelson each won two events. Spreading over a card of 24 races, the varied distribution of honours was very much marked. The Dunedin Cup will be run next Wednesday, 24th instant. Those eager ones who hastened to put their money on the Dunedin crack — Euroclydon — will now regret their haste. Euroclydon, the generally voted good thing, is now a very doubtful btarter, having struck his foreleg. He has been an absentee from the Forbury track for some days, and his chance, I think, can be safely left out of all calculation. The race seems to me to rest between Plotter add Skirmisher, the latter just now on the improve, and the former may do in this race what he was expected to do in the Otago Cup. The field is a very small one, yet with Euroclydon out, it is not bo easy'to decide from amongst the remaining few, but from what I can learn, Plotter has as good a chance as any.