AUCKLAND NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18043, 31 December 1926, Page 7

AUCKLAND NOTES.

(Special to the “ Star ”) AUCKLAND. December 30. Paperchase. a three-year-old filly by Paper Money from ' Stardancer. has some pace. She finished third in the Electric Handicap at- Ellerslie .vested day, and may do better before she returns home. In the Creasy Welter Handicap, at the Canterbury Jockey Club's spring meeting, she was just beaten by a head by Rapier, with High Pitch in third position. Archeen drew' the inside position in the Electric Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday. but soon lost his place, and finished well back. Grand Knight should be improved by the racing he had at Ellerslie, and it should not be long before he is on the winning list again. Gauntlet made a poor showing in the I Ponsonby Hurdle Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday, being last when the field had gone, six furlongs. He was later pulled up. Ballymoy 11. finished second in the Electric Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday, and can be looked to to again make her presence felt in open sprint events before long. Rascal led for the greater portion of the way in the Plunket Welter Handicap yesterday. but was beaten into third place. He filled a similar positio non the opening day. Kawa made a bold bid to win the Ponsonby Hurdle Handicap yesterday, being prominent for the greater portion of the way. He is a §ne jumper, and his turn should not be far off. Wedding March ran well on the first day of the Auckland meeting, when he finished second to Mia Bella. Yesterday he again carried the confidence of i the public and won nicelv. Auratum was confidently supported for the ( riterion Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday, being nearly as well backed as Eulalie. She was third entering the straight, and eventually finished sixth. Covent Garden, who finished fifth in the Criterion Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday. did not get too good a passage, and the son of Absurd may be seen to better advantage before the meeting is through. Aussie was fourth in the Railway Handicap on the first day of the Auckland meeting. Yesterday he was in a handy position crossing the top and he won comfortably at the finish’. He was ridden by J. Conquest. Royal Form has been somewhat ur.lueky in his rcaes over hurdle* this season. On the first day of the Auckland meeting he. finished fourth, after being prominent all the way, and yesterday he had to be content with third position. ( harlady was prominent for threequarters of the journev in the Summer Cup yesterday. She led practically all the . way to the turn into the straight. On that showing she should be hard to dispose of in less pretentious company. Barometer ran well in the Summer Cup at Ellerslie yesterday. Like Rapine, he came from a good wav- back m the concluding stages and beat Footfall by three-quarters of. a le.ngth for second place. He returned a most remunerative price. Alio way won the Fergusson Handicap well at Ellerslie yesterdav. The son of Limond has performed fairly v.-ell this season, for this is his third ’ victory out of about - half a dozen I staits. He is among those engaged in the (xreat Northern Derbv. Eulalie finished fourth in " the Great Northern Foal Stakes and on the strength of that running she was made favourite for the. Criterion Handicap yesterday aiid scored nicelv. At one stage, however. High Finance had such a commanding lead that it looked as though she would win easily, but she tired. High Finance was having her first, run over six furlongs in public when she contested the Criterion Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday. She was soon in front and it looked, with the. big advantage she held turning for home, as if she would win easily. However, the distance was just a trifle too far for her arid she was beaten comfortably by Eulalie at the finish. The race should do her good. It is a pity that something went wrong with Commendation and that he j could not be started against Lysander { in the King's Plate yesterday.

ing men were anxious to see which was the better of the pair over a mile, for on the last occasion in which they met, in the Avondale Guineas, they ran a dead heat. Commendation has recovered. for he was galloped on the course, proper at Ellerslie this morning There was some galloping at Ellerslie this morning. On the course proper, one trestle out from the rails. Com-, mendation went a n round in lmin 59 Battlement and Chamour together van seven furlongs in lmin 31 3-ssec\ and Seatown went a mile from the old post in lmin 47 3-ssec. On the number one grass track Te Monanui and Count Cavour went a round in lmin 50 4-ssec, finishing together, a good gallop. ' Piuthair and Ring the Bell were in front of True Blood over six furlongs in lmin 16 4-sse.c. . Lysander led from start to finish in the King's Plate yesterday, winning easily by three lengths from Grand Knight. The pace was on all the way, as the times struck by Mr J. K. Douglas, the official timekeeper, showed. The first half-mile was run in 49sec, which made the time for the last four furlongs 49 4-ssec. If Commendation had been in the race he would have had to go pretty fast to beat Lysander, who, I think, could have improved on his effort. The outstanding feature of the racing at Ellerslie yesterday was the success of Rapine in the Summer Cup. The .son of Martian was weighted at 9.9 in the Auckland Cup but declined his engagement. He was saddled up for the Summer Cup yesterday and had the steadier of 10.3. As the field turned for home Rapine was well back, but he put in a great run on the outside and won by three-quarters of a length. It was a great performance and the public recognised it, for Rapine got a great reception on returning to scale. Rapine is certainly the best horse who has been seen in New Zealand for a considerable time. Among the races to his credit are the Auckland Cup, Great Northern Champagne Stakes, Great Northern St Leger, Avondale Guineas, Canterbury Metropolitan Handicap, Stead Gold Cup, Canterbury Cup, Awapuni Gold Cup, Napier Cup, New Zealand St Leger, Wellington Cup, Trentham Gold Cup (twice), and Auckland Summer Cup.