AUCKLAND EASTER MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1146, 28 March 1912, Page 7

AUCKLAND EASTER MEETING.

The Auckland Racing Club must be regarded as particularly fortunate in the excellent entries they have received for all the events to be decided at their autumn meeting to be held on Easter Saturday and Monday. Now that the weather has become more settled, after a lengthy period of most unseasonable climatic conditions there is every reason to anticipate good weather for Easter. Should this prove to be the case the forthcoming meeting should provide a most attractive gathering for sportsmen, because they can be confidently assured of some excellent racing and on a course second to none in the Dominion. The stewards of the Auckland Racing Club are always anxious to add to the attractiveness of the splendid course, and since the summer meeting a number of improvements have been carried out that will doubtless be fully appreciated by patrons. A considerable area of the outside enclosure, which formerly was a depression, has been filled in,

and will now afford an excellent vantage ground for hundreds to view the races, while the members’ stand has been materially altered so as to facilitate ingress to the top seats. THE BIG MILE RACE. The Easter Handicap, to be run on the first day, promises to be a particularly interesting race. The field will be large and the competition should be keen, judging by the open state of the betting marker. Pride of place in the handicap is now held by Maori King with 9st. This Merriwee- ’ Indian Queen horse was unlucky last season for he failed to gain a winning bracket for the season, although he ran second to Los Angelos in the Stead Memorial Cup at Riccarton and second in the A.R.C. Summer Cup to King Soult. Maori King’s more recent performances have not been such as to mark him out as a champion. He ran second in the Flying Handicap to Lord Possible at Napier Park this month, and followed this up with a third in the St. Patrick’s Handicap next day. And these were both six furlong events. It is, therefore, somewhat difficult to reconcile his

position as warm favourite for the Easter Handicap with his racing performances. However, his track work is spoken of as satisfactory and he will have the services of a good horseman in F. D. Jones. SOUTHERN CANDIDATES. Boanerges (8.11) will in all probability come North to represent the popular “Highden’ stable, and the Pilgrim’s Progress horse is no sluggard over a mile. H© is reported to be in excellent fettle at present. Fort William is a Gisborne-trained horse that very little has been heard of recently, but on his last visit to Ellerslie he showed himself to be possessed of some brilliancy, and if he is at the top of his form, 8.6 cannot be regarded as an undue weight for him to carry. Coromandel managed to retrieve his ill-luck of last season last time he was in Auckland, but recently the Menschikoff horse has fallen back on his proclivity for running into places behind winners. Also he has been through a fairly strenuous racing season and is doubtless some-

what stale. Miscount (8.2), Our Queen and Crown Pearl (7.4), are three more Southerners. The first two are doubtful starters, but Crown Pearl is tolerably certain to face the starter, but his chances are not too rosy. ELLERSLIE TRAINED HORSES. Of the. big string that are doing useful work on the Ellerslie tracks, Antoinette, Kakama, Miss Winsome and La Reina are the best fancied. Antoinette (8.6) won the big event at the. last Easter meeting with 7.10 up. On that occasion she was run to within a head by Royal Soult. Soultoria who carried the same weight as Antoinette, ran third, and Soultoria has now to concede the Soult —Miss Annie mare a pound. The chances of her again scoring a victory in the Easter Handicap this season appear to be of the brightest and her connections are very sanguine of her ability to win, while the public have backed her down to a very low figure. Next in popular favour comes Kakama (7.4), who has been giving an excellent account of herself on the tracks when training with her sister

and stable companion, Miss Winsome.. Kakama is a somewhat troublesome animal at the barrier, but as she will have the services of Ben Deeley next month it is reasonable to expect she will lose nothing on that score. Kakama’s past performances go to indicate that a mile is a little outsideher distance, but doubtless she can see the journey through as she is now in perfect fettle and has only a modest weight to carry. La Reina (6.10) distinguished herself at the summer meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club and has since shown consistent form, but of course, she is meeting better company in the Easter Handicap. However, should she be fortunate at the start, it may prove that she could stall off most of those above her in weight. WAIKATO REPRESENTATIVES. General Latour and Domino, each with Bst 81b, are two entrants from the Waikato that must be taken account of. Domino has had an unsuccessful season, running in several big engagements with remarkably bad

luck, and is hardly likely, after his exertions over larger distances, to be able to do a fast mile. But of General Latour there is every reason to anticipate he will acquit himeslf creditably in the Easter Handicap. He has the Great Northern Guineas and the Christmas Handicap, each of a mile, to his credit, and the former accomplished in 1.40 2-5, in which he beat Miss Winsome with 51bs more weight up. On this occasion, over the same distance, he meets her on 131bs worse conditions. This, of course, points to Miss Winsome having a big advantage, but .there is little doubt that the Soult —Merry Nif colt is a particularly brilliant mile horse and is likely to produce his best form next month. / NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED. Of the other candidates claiming engagement in the Easter Handicap there are several that must be considered. There is Goldsize with 7.10, who can be relied on to give a good account of himself over a mile course, while the successes achieved by Dawn (7.11) in the Spring Handicap at Ellerslie entitle the Birkenhead gelding to consideration, more especi-

ally if the track should happen to be somewhat heavy. Those who bear in mind the sterling performance of Gioy (7.1) at Takapuna will not allow him to start at any false price, more especially when it is known that he is doing faithful track work at Avondale. Royal Arms is another candidate it will be well to watch, for this Taranaki representative has merit and is not harshly treated with 7.1. Wee Olga is also credited with steady and encouraging work on the tracks.