NOTES BY MONITOR.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue XXIV, 15 December 1900, Page 1110

NOTES BY MONITOR.

The Otahuhn Trotting - Club made a commencement with their Spr.ng Meeting- at Potters Paddock on Saturday last. The weather was all th.it could be desired, and in consequence there was a very fair attendance of the public present to witness the sport. During the afternoon the stun of £2,683 was passed through the machines in 10/ tickets. The judging was In the capable hands of Hr A. I>. Harris, while the starting was performed by Mr F. W. Edwards. Proceedings opened with the Maiden Trot Handicap. tor which there were six.teen competitors. Comet was made a warm favourite, and Mr Sandall s gelding fully justified public confidence by defeating the opposition in a fairly easy manner, running home a couple of lengths uhea/l of Miss Emerson, while Miss Kite finished third. I The Maiden Pony Handicap followed and for ibis a field of seven little ones ■went into the starter's hands. Lady Desborotigh was first off the marl", closely followed by Little Jim, and the pair carried on the running- half a dozen, lengths ahead of the field, until the cutting -was reached, where it. was keen Lady Desborougli was having the pest of the little roan gelding. Coming’ on i n gi-eat style Mr May's mare Jnished live lengths in front of Little im. while Forrester was a leng-th further back third. , Then came the Otahuhn Spring Trot, a field of eleven going out to try conclusions, August ivt's the fancied one. while of the oiiui-s who received anything like sup. i.rt were Little ’Agues and Viscount. Ihe race proved a very exciting one. for as the field passed the stand the seeand time Fiore ■was half-si-lcngtli a-head of Waitekauri. while lite fan.urite was only a similar distance further back. Along the back the trio were bunched, and when the cutting was reached IVaiteIcauri broke, tint! a little further on August followed suit, leaving Hollywood in command. Once in the straight the quartetwere all making a bold bid for victory, tint! a great race to file post resulted in August winning front Waitekauri by a yard, with Fibre half a yard away third, who finished a head in front of Hollywood. The Hurdle Race Handicap which followed only drew out a field of three. They were all very- evenly supported on tin- machine. Spreydon and Venus were together till the straight was entered, when the former drew away and ran home an easy- winner l-.y five lengths. V protest was entered by the owner of the second horse on the grounds of a cross at th e lust hurdle. The Stewards held an enquiry, but the evidence produced did not, sustain the allegation, and the protest was dsniissed. Netty wa~ served up a warm favourite. in the Harness Trot, and she led from start to finish, never once giving her opponents a chance, winning eveti--tually by ten lengths from Hollywood. lu the Epsom Pon.v Handicap Fairy Tnle was elected favourite in « field of •ve runners. The winner, however.

turned up in Lady Howitzer, who defected Topsail by a length, whi’e the favourite finished in third place. The Telephone Trot Handicap followed, and for this there were five starters. The aged mare Aum A uni was in great demand on the machine, anti she started a very warm favourite. The race was a good one, and resulted in a win for Little Agnes, who defeated Woodbine by a length, while the favourite could only manage to fill third position. The final event on the card was the Flying Stakes, for which Lady Howitzer was a strong order. The race proved very exciting throughout, and fell to Miss Lane, who only just defeated Spreydon by a head, while the latter was only a neck in front of Lady- Howitzer.

The general entries for the Summer Meeting of the Auckland Racing >.'lub were received last Friday, as also were the acceptances for the Great Northern Foal Stakes, Derby, and Royal Stakes. In looking through those left in for the classic events, the Foal Stakes must be looked upon as almost a certainty for one of Mr G. G. Stead's pair, Menschikoff or Field Battery, as None tie is not engaged, and the rest of the field can hardly be described as first-class. In the Derby Renown would seem to hold a mortgage on the race, but with Beddington, Military, and Formosan against him it will be no walk over for the son of Dreadnought. Mr Stead also looks like playing- a strong hand in the Royal Stakes, in which he has Field Battery. Mensehikoff. and Formosan engaged; but in this event lie will have to tackle Renown, as well as tile best of the Aucklanders, so that an interesting contest should eventuate. Tn the minor events entries throughout are good, and Mr J. O. Evitt seems to be given plenty of material on which to exercise his handicapping talent. Quite a number of visitors are entered, which will lend an additional attraction to the racing. Old T’orangi Potae's racing days are .over, and she will in future be used to breed from at. Mr Leonard Marshall's One Tree Hill stud. The Drury Hack Racing- Club will hold their annual meeting on December 27th, on the new course near the Railway Station. Miss Delaval and La Gloria now rank as equal favourites for the Auckland Cup, 5 to 1 being obtainable about either. The former's running in the New Zealand Cup would serve to explode the idea that the daughter of Seaton Delaval is unable to stay the distance, for she was going very strongly at the end of two miles in the big event at Christchurch, which, in the opinion of some experts, she should have placed to her credit. La Gloria’s great deeds at the Spring Meeting at Ellerslie certainly entitle her to be looked upon with marked respect, and if she can only run the full distance I am of opinion that whatever beats her will win the race. The Master, by Nelson—The Maid, was sold at Buckland's sale yards on Friday- last for 56 guineas, to Mr H. Franks. The two-year-old filly Sparkling Water was also disposed of to Mr Stenning, who gave 100 guineas for the daughter of St. Hippo and Waite mat a. The several jumping events at the Christinas meeting have not filled so well as could have been wished, owners possibly not caring to give their horses such severe tasks in the hottest part of the year. A very conspicuous absentee from the jumping races is Cavalerio. who, however, figures in several of the handicaps. Possibly- Mr Harris did not care about risking his favourite with the thumping imposts which would be sure to have come his way. Skobeloff was supported for the Auckland Cup during last week at 100 to 8. Up to the present this equine

hus not placed a single win to bis ciedit, yet Southerners are still found willing’ to risk their money on Mr Stead's representative for the two mile event at Ellerslie. Advance has been award -d top weight in the Wellington Cup, 10.10 being the burden allotted to the sou of Vanguard. Tod Sloan, the American joekey, seems once again to have got into trouble in England. This time it is more serious than usual, as the Jockey Club has refused to grant him a license on the ground that he accepted a present, prior to riding the French horse Codoman in the Cambridgeshire Stakes. Malatua. Peerage. Military and Calibre have arrived at Ellerslie from the South. Mr. D. O’Brien’s team all look well, and between them should pick tip an event or two at the coming A.R.C. gathering. The Hon. Mossman's pair. Formula and Hengist, have been transferred to Frank Macmanemin's st able. The former is looking very well at present, and is doing splendid work on the Ellerslie tracks. Tt is quite on the cards that the daughter of Hotchkiss will place an important race to her credit at the coming A.R.C. gathering. The Takapnna Jockey Club have issued a very attractive programme for their three days' summer carnival, which takes place on January, 29th and 39th and February 2nd. 1901. There are t he usual eight, events listed to lie decided on each day, and the large amount of £24,540 will be given away in stakes. The principal item run on the opening day will be the Takapuna Cup. of 400sovs„ over 1J miles. On the second day the Takapnna Jockey Club Handicap, of 200sovs., and the First Handicap Steeplechase, will be the chief events, while the Summer Handicap and the Second Steeplechase come up for decision on the concluding day. If he is in the same condition that, he was at Christchurch the Hon. J. D. Ormundls—crack Renown looks like playing a strong hand in some of the events of the coining summer meeting at, Ellerslie. Tn the Railway Handicap the son of Dreadnought, is surely- to be stoutly- supported if sent to the post, while the Derby and Royal Stakes seem to be rather at. the, mercy of the Napier-owned horse. The Auckland Trotting Club have received a very- good nomination list for their three days' gathering, which takes [4r.ee at. Potter’s Paddock on the 22nd, 27th and 20th inst. Tn all there are 346 entries, including several horses who have not, been seen out at Epsom before. The principal event to be decitied at the meeting will be the Trotting Cup, of SOOsovs., over two miles, for which 16 have entered, including the Sydney horses, Larry and Huon Leigh. Coronet is reported to be undergoing a splendid preparation at Ellerslie. awl early risers say that the son of Castor looks better than any horse on the track. There can be Tittie doubt that if he goes on well Mr. Marshall’s favourite will render a good account of himself in the Auckland Cup. The ex-Aucklander St. Tunis competed unsuccessfully in the Fourteenthree Handicap at Kensington, Sydney, on November 14th. and although the little daughter of St. Leger was well hacked she failed to gain a place. Only on two occasions during the last twenty-six years has the Auckland Cup been won by a mare. These were Lottie, in 1894. and Anita, in 1895. This year, however, the weaker set look like playing a big hand in the settlement of the question, as there are four real good ones engaged, viz.: La Gloria, Tortulla, Ideal and Miss Delaval.