AUCKLAND RACING CLUB’S AUTUMN.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 140, 30 March 1893, Page 6

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB’S AUTUMN.

The weather at the time of writing is so beautifully fine that it seems as if the clerk of the weather —who is always an all-important factor in the calculation of Racing Clubs—were going to hold off his watering pot during Saturday and Monday next, when the Auckland Racing Club bring off their Autumn Meeting. Let us hope his good temper will not have changed on Saturday morning. The response to Mr Evett’s adjustments for the Easter and Steeplechase Handicaps, which owners made on Tuesday night, was very gratifying; the Champagne acceptance of 8 was more than was expected ; and with the exception of the Selling Handicap the nominations for the minor events, though not totalling as high as last year, were never theless satisfactory. It is rather awkward that the exigencies of publishing necessitate my writing these lines before I see the weights for the Tradesmen’s Plate, Hurdle Handicap, Eden Handicap, Onslow Stakes Handicap, and Selling Handicap, which were due last night, and which will appear on another page of this issue. The Tradesmen’s Plate, which is a handicap run over a mile and a distance, opens the ball, and then comes the

Northern Champagne Stakes of 2oosovs, added to a sweepstake of iosovs each, ssovs forfeit, 6 furlongs. The eight acceptors include winners in Pegasus, Royal Rose, Eve, Noyade and Captivity ; but the only one of these that has incurred a penalty is Pegasus, who has to put up 71b extra owing to his winning the Auckland Welcome Stakes last November. With the five winners mentioned above and the maidens—Stanmoor, Mahaki and Cobweb—the contest is bound to be a good betting one. I fancy Pegasus’ penalty will stop him, and of all the colts I should take Royal Rose to be the best. Little Eve has certainly had a hard season’s campaign of it, but she will appear at the scratch pink enough on Saturday, and she has shown herself such a good one this season that she looks a certainty for a place, if not to win outright. The Napier representative Noyade has shown herself slippery, and if only she, Eve, and Royal Rose were in the race there would still be the materials for plenty of interest. But when to these are added the comparatively untried ones the puzzle is the greater. However, I don’t think I shall be far wrong in predicting the victory of Eve, with Noyade second and Royal Rose third. The big handicap of the day is next on the card in the shape of the Easter Handicap of 300S0VS, one mile and a half. I have not had an opportunity of analysing Mr Evett’s weights for this race for the simple reason that they only appeared last Friday. I thought when I saw it that it was a good handicap, though with Impulse at the head at 8.12 I think St. Katherine might have been given 8.9 instead of 8.6. Morion was in his place kt 8.2, but, as mentioned in another

column, he has had to seek the “ happy hunting grounds ” owing to an accident. Brown Alice at 8.0 is a strong tip in some quarters, but I cannot say she is a fancy of mine. Those who stand by her seem to rely too much upon her second to St. Hippo in the Great Northern Derby, without reckoning what she had behind her. Krina has hitherto shown herself partial to a shorter journey than a mile and a half rather than to one of that distance, but I think if Capt. Russell rely on her in preference to St. Katherine she will finish close up. I don’t care for Pinfire at 7.10, neither is Coalscuttle with 51b less to my liking, but I certainly look to both Tulloch and Ida, who are in on level terms —7.3—t0 be about when the whips are cracking. The nine acceptors conclude with the name of Retaliation, who, even with the minimum, doesn’t seem to me to have a chance, even if she run up to her best form. Before commiting myself to a tip, I may as well mention in justice to Mr Evett that there were only'seven absentees from his handicap, and of these Morion is dead ; Brigand is at home at Gisborne ; Dishonor has’only just been taken up ; Pani and Loch Ness were racing in Napier the other day in bad form ; Durus is at Wanganui; and Lady Belle’s present form did not warrant her owners in paying up for her. As between Impulse, Captain Russell’s pair Tulloch and Ida, it should be a splendid race, but my vote goes for Tulloch. For the other four events of the day, viz., the Hurdles, Selling Handicap, Eden Handicap, and Onslow Stakes Handicap, the weights are not to hand at the time of writing, so I pass on to the Steeplechase Handicap of 2oosovs, about three miles and a quarter, to be decided on the second day —Easter Monday. Mr Evett has indeed great reason to be proud of the acceptance for this, for only Aorere and Carronade are missing, and Carronade would have been accepted with but for a mistake on the part of the gentleman entrusted with the task of paying up for him. When will some owners and trainers learn to do their business for themselves ? That Mangare’s performance in the Steeplechase at Papakura was a great one nobody will deny, nor will it be gainsaid that on his form this season he is a class above those now pitted against him. But 12.10 is a big burden to carry up and down the stiff inclines of the Ellerslie steeplechase course, and though I expect Mr Paul’s horse to run well I don’t think he will win. I like Fishmonger’s chance at 1.7, but Isidore, 10.4, is not a fancy of mine. There have been a lot of rumours in the air lately about Union Jack, 10.0 —a horse that I have seen run well on the flat in Canterbury. He is a decent-class welterweight horse, but whether he has had sufficient schooling at the “ illegitimate” game to get him over our steeplechase course I cannot say. I think Neli, at 9.11, and Yum Yum, at 9.10, both hold Kate, 9.7, and Flukem, 9.7, safe, and I’ve a special fancy for Yum Yum. In the endeavour to make a place selection I shall select Yum Yum, Fishmonger and Neli to finish in that order. > The Tradesmen’s Plate entries number 7, the Hurdles 12, the Selling Handicap 5, Eden Handicap 16, Onslow Handicap 9, Stewards’ Handicap 12. Ellerslie Handicap 12, Shorts Handicap 18, Welter Handicap i2, and Flying Handicap 20. His Excellency the Governor, Lady Glasgow and Lady Hopetoun and the Government House party have signified their intention of being present on Easter Monday. The train arrangements for both days are advertised in another portion of this issue.