Coming Events.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 126, 22 December 1892, Page 4

Coming Events.

[By

Sir Launcelot.]

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING.

Auckland will indeed be en fete during the next ten days or so. Christmas and New Year time has for many years in this city been an extra holiday time, so to speak, but this year it promises to be even more lively than any predecessors, for in addition to the special attractions provided by the Auckland Racing Club, the Auckland Trotting Club have put forth a bill of fare which eclipses anything in the same line heretofore attempted in New Zealand. . Though the Auckland Racing Club are' with the presence of so many horses as have visited here fottKe Summragath ering in some events have mostly filled well, and in the Cup especially there are some, tip-top performers engaged. At the time of writing the weather has every prospect of being fine, and it is to be hoped that we shall have no rain at Ellerslie ofc .either Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, br the concluding day of the A.R.C.’ Summer Meeting. The A.R.C.’s card on Boxing, Day will be commenced with the

of Bosovs, one mile and a distance, w.f.a., with certain allowances for maidens. This is a race that has figured in the same position on the card for some years, and its conditions are such that it merits better encouragement from owners than it has now received. There are only half-a-dozen engaged, and curiously , enough not one of them is a maiden. Of this half-dozen Brown Alice and The Dancer are in the same interest, and of the pair I prefer the filly, but to try and pick it in one I select Tit. To students of pedigree and lovers of juveniles bred from fashionable strains the next item will afford more interest than a dozen handicaps, for it is the

Great Northern Foal Stakes of 300S0VS, for two-year-olds only, six furlongs; colts to carry 8.10 and fillies and geldings 8.5 The acceptance list shows a septette, and I hardly think, bar accidents, anything will drop out on Saturday at noon when forfeit has to be declared. The half dozen are, lam glad to say, running in different ownerships, so that we should see a rare “ go ” among these juveniles. Of the lot, Pegasus and Eve have won races this season, and Heart of Oak has got into a place ; Royal Rose has run respectably, although he has not earned anything for his owner; but Yattenfeldt, Mahoki, and Reflector have not yet been seen with the colours up. The last-named is Mr. Stead’s solitary representative in the stake, and as he has been sent up all the way from Christchurch it is reasonable to presume that he has done something good at home with the two crack two-year-olds that have carried the “ yellow and black ” this season —Strowan and Geraint. Both of these for some reason were not entered for this Foal Stake, and the fact of Mr. Stead sending Reflector up as his sole representative in their enforced absence would infer that he will be handy at the finish. However he has two good ones to “ take down ” in the shape of Pegasus and Eve, both of whom havfe already demonstrated their ability to slip along. I fancy that Eve prefers five furlongs to six, and therefore I shall lake , 1.

Pegasus to beat her, albeit the little daughter of Brigadier will, I am convinced, take some doing. Mahoki is well bred enough, being by Ingomar out of Stepniak’s dam Steppe, but he hardly Strikes me as being cherry ripe. Heart of Oak has disappointed her friends once or twice, and the last furlong will, I think, find her out now. Yattenfeldt is an unknown quantity, but if as speedy as his stable companion Captivity, he will want a lot of beating. He is one of the finest colts that I have ever clapped eyes on but I hardly think he is one that will come to hand early, and I shall expect him to shine to greater advantage as a three-year-old than as a two. Royal Rose is another nice colt, but he too wants time I opine, and therefore I shall leave him out of my calculations now. As it is I reckon that the final issue will be fought out between Pegasus, Eve, and Reflector, and of the trio I prefer Pegasus. Now comes the race of the meeting, the Auckland Cup of 6oosovs, two miles. There nave up to the time of writing been no defections from the 15 acceptors, whose names were published in last week’s Sporting Review, but there are sure to be some drop out when the sweep comes to be paid half-an-hour before the race. Crackshot is still at the head of the list with 8.12. His work since he has been up here has certainly not pleased the touts, especially on the last three or four mornings, when he has walked away lame, but I have so often seen him do the same and run a good race nevertheless that I am not going to despair of his chance by any means. He was one of my selections when the weights appeared, and as he is one of the few horses in the race that has shown his ability to compass a two mile journey I shall have him on my side for a place, though I think he will just fail to repeat his victory of two years ago in the same race when he carried gibs less than he has now. St. Hippo is striding along in great form, and aH going well with him up to Monday, I shall expect him to start first favourite, even with all the support accorded to Merganser. The colt is undoubtedly asked a great task in being? called on to carry to victory a stone over weight for age, but we know that he is a real clipper, and I do not

think that the opposition in some respects is particularly formidable. Personally — without speaking from any monetary point of view—l should like to §ee him get home in front, for I love to see a good horse do great deeds, but I fear me St. Hippo will find his conqueror oh this occasion, though I reckon it as next door to a certainty that, fit and well, he will get a “ shop.” I have no liking for The Workman, who may drop out on the day of the race. If he should be started though he will make a good pace-maker for Coalscuttle. In a good many quarters usually reckoned to be well informed Merganser is looked on as a real “ dead bird,” but though I have already expressed my opinion that Mr. Evett might have given her a few pounds more weight I decline to believe in her capacity to get the two mile journey. I shall therefore be bold enough to discard her —hot favourite though she be on the betting bourse. Morion I will not have at any price, and Impulse hardly seems forward enough, added to which I fancy a mile and a half is more his “ dart” than two miles. As I have indicated in another column, in writing of an interview I had with Pinfire at Papakura on Saturday last, I am not partial to the chance of last year’s winner. Since I saw him at Papakura he has been brought down to Ellerslie, and is reported to have done a wonderful trial, but, nevertheless, I shall not swerve from my old opinion that wherever he finishes Coalscuttle will reverse last year’s positions with him. Scot Free will in all likelihood be an absentee. The next on the list is Coalscuttle, and I can only repeat what I write about her chance when the weights appeared “ Coalscuttle reads to me good goods at 7.5. This mare we know to be a solid plodder, and she has already shown us this season that she is in good nick by winning the Prince of Wales’ Handicap at the Auckland Racing Club’s Second Spring Meeting. With her I think Major George possesses an excellent chance of winning his fourth Auckland Cup.” And so I think still. The ifiare has been doing all that has been asked of her in her work during the last few days, and her form this season has demonstrated that she has improved a good deal since she ran second to Pinfire in this very race last year. She is

my: selection to win on the day. Brigand has been doing most of his work with

Merganser since he has been here, and has not been showing to advantage beside her. However, I think he has an outside chance for all that, and I shall be surprised, at any rate, if he do not win a race before the meeting terminates I don’t expect to see either Regel or His Worship at the post. The owner of Loch Ness took a couple of centuries about him last week at 100’s to 3 during the progress of the racing at Hamilton, and I still think, as I said when the weights appeared, that he has an outside show. Glaucus I cannot have at any price, and Tulloch will only have a chance if it rains, in which event he is worth a half-sovereign in the totalisator —take, note, backers. This brings me to the end of the list, and from what I have said my readers will see that I narrow it down to five—namely, Crackshot, St. Hippo, Coalscuttle, Brigand, and Loch Ness, and to place them I go for—

COALSCUTTLE .. .. 1 St. Hippo .. .. .. 2 Crackshot 3 with Brigand and Loch Ness the former for choice —each worth a 10s. investment on the day by those who are fond of taking long odds. The jumpers will next claim attention in the Handicap. Hurdles of 15OSOVS, 2 miles, in which there are a dozen engaged. Writing, as I must necessarily do before the declaration of the acceptances, it is hard to give a tip. I do not think Mr. Evett has made a good handicap, and he has been specially erratic in his treatment of Aorere as compared with the last handicap he made between him and Fishmonger in Wellington. At Wellington Mr. Evett made Aorere concede Fishmonger gib in the Hurdles, which Aorere won, Fishmonger not starting. Yet despite this, and the fact that Aorere won a similar race next day with 11.0 up, the handicapper now asks Fishmonger to meet him on 1 gib worse terms than he put between them at Wellington. Never Miss is very well treated at 10.0; Tupara has a chance at 9.8, and I like Deceiver at 9.7. To this trio I look to fight it out, and I go for Never Miss to win. Next on the card is the Railway Handicap

of ioosovs, 6 furlongs, for which also I have to attempt to predict the winner before I see the acceptances. And with the 16 weighted by Mr. Evett this is no easy task. Quadrant in the company, and over the same distance, has earned his 9.10, but I think The Dancer should be getting more than 31b from him, and should not be asked to concede weight to The Workman. St. Clements at 8.8 looks to me the best of the top weights. Warrior has a chance at 7.11, and Vieux Rose and Tamar, at 7.2 and 7.0 respectively, also strike my eye. I shall split my vote between St. Clements and Tamar.

The two-year-olds will have another flutter in the Nursery Handicap of Bosovs, 5 furlongs. The untried Taranun, who will be Mr. O’Brien’s sole representative at the meeting, heads the weights at 8.7} Yattenfeldt coming next at 8.5. The latter may have ago in the Foal Stakes. Mr. “ Malcolm” is also represented by Captivity, whom the handicapper has allowed her sexual allowance of 51b from the top weight. If Heart of Oak be reserved for this instead of being sent for the Foal Stakes I look to her to win, with Captivity as her most formidable opponent. As between this pair I like Heart of Oak best.

A most interesting race should be furnished by the nine competitors for the

Maiden Steeplechase of ioosovs, about three miles —that is presuming that they all go to the post. The majority of them are pretty sure to do so, and it will give at least five of them a fine chance of schooling in preparation for the more important Steeplechase the last day of the meeting. Maritana has been the country before and she is my fancy now. The day’s sport will conclude with the Christmas Handicap

of 100 sovs, one mile and a quarter, for which as regards a selection I am under the same disadvantage as in the Hurdles, Railway Handicap and Nursery Handicap. Mr. Evett had ten to bring under his handicaapping pen, and some of these have engagements earlier in the day. All in at the weights I select Quadrant, Tulloch and Glaucus to fight it out, and I give my vote to Quadrant, who should be equal to cutting out a

merry mile and a quarter with 9.0 up,j though perhaps the journey is a little longer than he is generally partial to.

It will be time enough next week for me to deal with the Derby and Steeplechase, as well as the other events of the second and third day. Though the general entries for the meeting received on Friday night totalled 10 less than were received for the corresponding meeting of last season, they are nevertheless very satisfactory, more especially as the Southern contingent is not as large as in some previous years has been the case. The numbers read Trial Stakes 6, Handicap Hurdles 12, Railway Handicap 16, Nursery Handicap 9, Maiden Steeplechase 9, Christmas Handicap 10, Midsummer Handicap 13, New Year’s Hurdle Race 16, County Handicap 13, Maiden Handicap 14, Victoria Handicap 18, Welter Handicap 14, Grand Stand Handicap 16, Sylvia Handicap 9, Musket Stakes 14, Auckland Plate 8, Newmarket Handicap 19, and Selling Stakes 11. There were seven left in the Foal Stakes after declaration of forfeit and half-a-dozen in the Great Northern Derby. The privileges for the Meeting, which, were submitted by Messrs. D. Tonks and Co. on Tuesday, realised £9 less than last year, albeit the prices obtained were very satisfactory. The figures obtained were : No. 1 booth £7O, Mr. Dunn; No. 2 booth £4O, Mr. S. Tooman; No. 3 booth £2l, Mr. P. Quinlan; No. 4 booth £34, Mrs. Zeigler; Grandstand bar £129, Mr. S. Caulton; lean-to bar £l3O, Mr. Schultz; cards £169, Mr. W. Blomfield; refreshments £35, Mrs. Mclntosh; stabling £ll, Mr. Keenan ; total, £639.