AUCKLAND TROTTING CLUB'S SPRING AND SUMMER PROGRAMMES.

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1024, 13 August 1898, Page 19

AUCKLAND TROTTING CLUB'S SPRING AND SUMMER PROGRAMMES.

The Auckland Trotting Club's Spring and Summer progammes for the current season appear in our advertising columns. So far, the Autumn programme has not been forwarded, but the liberal policy of the Club is presented in almost its entirety to the minds of tnrfites with the issue of the Spring and Summer programmes. Especially is the Summer programme a liberal one, and as this meeting will take place during Exhibition time, when, in all probability, Auckland will have a mild (boom, the meeting should prove an additional and strong attraction to visitors as] well as to local sport followers. The Spring programme, however, calls for first notice, coming as it does first in order. The dates are October 14th and 19th ; a two days' gathering. The chief trotting events of this meeting are the Stewards' Trotting Handicap of 50 soya., to be run the first day, and the October Trotting Handicap of 50 soya., reserved for the second day. The ponies, as usual, are well provided for, seven oat of fifteen events being reserved for the miniatures These comprise a maiden, two hurdle races and four other events of from five furlongs to six and a-half furlongs, the stake value to each being of the same liberal proportion as in spring meetings of the past. The total amount to be given away in stakes at this meeting, per published programme, is £498, £260 on the firafc day, and £235 on the second. Norn inations for all events of the spring meeting will close with Mr C. F. Mark, secretary, on Friday, September 30tb. As regards the Summer programme, it is entitled to be termed a monster programme. The amount of money (stake value) is no. less than £1168. This amount is distribu' ted over events making a three days ) meeting. The dates are December 24th 27th and 31st. The stake money of the first day amounts to £440, the second day £373, and the third day £355. Standing out in importance above any of the other events is the Exhibition Trotting Handicap, value 200 soys. This will be the piece deresistence of the first day. On the second day the Auckland Trotting Gup Handicap of 100 bo vs. has premier position; while that of the third day is taken np by the President Trot Handicap (saddle or harness), of similar value. Again, as in the Spring programme, the ponies are well subsidised. The usual Pony Cnp of 60 soys. has its place on the programme, with the other varied items for pony contestants. A novelty in this programme ia found in the Juvenile Stakes (trotting) for 3-year-olds. The rough sketch I made of the intended operations of the Club, shown by the programmes, is sufficient to show that thr.- A.T C. intend keeping, stride for stride, an even position with the march of sporting progress ; whilst it denotes at the same tirue that the Club has properly defined the length of those strides, so aB not to make that one other mistake which is, to say the least, the most dangerous of any, to extravagantly outstep the existing order of things, which

would mean an almost certain speedy curtailment in the near future. That this season's operations may result satisfactorily in every way ia the wish of the writer, as it is of all interested in tbe well-being of sport generally.

Epaulet is said to be sore. Hickey will leave for England with Waiuka at the end of the present month. The reported purchases by Mr Gollan of both Plain Bill and Brennan are contradicted. Daystar shares favouritism with St. Paul for the New Zealand Cap in the Wanganai district. Canterbury Times' Biccartan correspondent notes the absence of Starehot from the track for some days. Plain Bill's owner is reported to have taken last week £1000 abont his horse to win the Grand National doable. Snow on the surrounding hills, and heavy frost on the ground, has of late been the ruling condition of things with the early risers at Riccarton. Two one time brilliant horses, since recruits of the crippled brigade,'have emerged from their retiring quarters/once more to assume the useful role. These two are Brockleigh and Cremorne. The Wellington Racing Club has been requested by the Colonial Secretary to furnish reasons for the dismissal of tbe protest against Singsong for inconsistent running at the recent Wellington Meeting. The Canterbury Jockey Club have instituted the new order of a paid judge. At the Wanganui Jockey Club's annual meeting it was poprosed to act similarly, but in being put to the vote the motion was lost. Mountebank is [reported to be doing well at Danedin. He has a doubtful understanding; and his trainer is Baid to be not too confident of his ' dickey ' leg pnlkog. However, he has been paid up for. - Mr Wilson is stated to have said in a letter to a friend in England, of " Aurora, ' I never before felt really sorry at Sarting with a horse, and when he has one racing I will be glad to have the refusal of him for a stallion.' The signs of unsoundness shown by Umslopogaas, and ncted last week, have evidently in the interim developed into real disability, he having been scratched for the G.N. Hurdles some days prior to the acceptances. Rhino, who is reported to be looking really well, has been baulking in his schooling. But being ridden in his work by a mere lad, and as he has not shown xnnch proclivity to baulkicg in his races, it may be better not to lay too much stress on the fact of his having baulked on & single occasion in his schooling. So contrary are the reports concerning the doings of racehorses at different centres, that turfiteß are often in a state of quandary. All a tnrf writer can do is to report the statements made. Unless emanating from the writer himself, he cannot be held responsible for the truth or otherwise of these statements. Seventeen horses remain in the New Zealand St. Leger, which is to he decided at the Wellington Eacing Club's Autumn Meeting. Several Aucklanders have continued the engagement, including Explosion and Kettledrum. Conquerer and Altair are both left in the race. Huzzar is a very strong fancy for the Grand National Hurdles. Huzzar belongs to the Hon. J. D. Ormond, and won the Bracelet at the Hawke's Bay Winter Meeting. He is a maiden over hardies, and will probably take part in the Maiden Hurdle Race, run to-day (Thursday), of which, if his great pretensions to the larger event of Saturday are real, he should accomplish the victory. Racing is becoming enveloped in the embraces of political jurisdiction, and the time is not far ahead when all racing clubs will be directly answerable to the Government for the strict conduct of their meetings. It iB to be hoped, however, that it will never reach the extent of dictation as to how much a man may invest on the tote on one horse in any particular race, the first step towards which is prohibition against investing any other way. Multiform's continued presence in the New Zealand Cup list is more of a Burprise than if St. Paul had gone out, for after the very dubious reports of his owner's opinion of his chance, few expected that he would be paid up for. Favourite at the outset, Multiform has been left severely alone by all since these doubts of the continuation of his engagements arose. The effect of his being ' still there ' is, that he is again favourite ; and those who have money about him, after having gone through the purgatory of misplaced hopes, are now as anxious to ' hold ' as they were previously to hedge.