AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1392, 28 December 1916, Page 22

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

SUMMER CARNIVAL. BIPLANE WINS THE STAKES. DEPREDATION SECURES THE AUCKLAND CUP. The heavy rain of Wednesday and Thursday of last week, and which flooded the course in places, made a lot of people who go a-racing uneasy lest it would render the going heavy and upset their calculations and possibly be followed by more, but they had their forebodings brushed aside. Friday was certainly dull and more rain still appeared likely. There was a shower before day dawn on Saturday, which, however, proved not only a fine day but a warm one, and then it looked practically certain that the week-end would be cheerful and that the weather was once more in a settled state. It is needless to say that Auckland city seemed alive for a few days before Christmas, and it continued to fill as the races approached. There was some disorganisation of the train service for several days before the meeting commenced, and that meant inconvenience to a few horse owners and a small section of the travelling public, both leaving and coming to Auckland. By the time Boxing Day arrived there was a very large crowd of racegoers at Ellerslie, and a fine day greeted them. The course was in excellent condition and the gJ ounds looked in perfect order, with no traces of flood, of which so much was heard a few days before. What the dimensions of the crowd reached can only be roughly guessed. There may have been larger numbers in some previous years on Boxing Day, but we doubt it. There certainly never was a brighter and better-dressed assemblage, and if ladies predominated outside the enclosures that was because so many of our men folk have oeen called away on more serious business. Still, inside the enclosures there were many men, some of them in khaki, which was much in evidence, most of the soldiers being on their final leave-taking. Camp life has apparently done none of them any harm. In an assemblage of over twenty-five thousand, however, a thousand, soldiers —if there were so many present —mixing with their* friends were not very conspicuous. The stand accommodation was quite inadequate for the people inside, and those outside were scattered all over the course, the starting of each race drawing large crowds to the vicinity. Under the pines on the hill there were a very large number of picnickers, and, as usual, a good many viewed the scene from the Ladies’ Mile. Perhaps we shall learn something definite later as to how many people passed through the turnstiles. Mr. Hartland, secretary, had a very busy time, but the business of the day ran smoothly. The starter, Mr. O’Connor, had some trouble with a number of the competitors during the afternoon, and at least a couple of the despatches were broken. The Railway Handicap was de’ayed for quite twenty minutes through the unruly conduct of Tatterley, Hyttus and Housewife, and the last-named was left. In that race Koesian also gave trouble, and he was placed with the two last-named on the outside of the field, to which his owner took exception and asked the stewards for an enquiry. This was granted, and the stewards decided .that there was no reason to question their starter’s action. The large sum of £71,685 was passed through the. totalisators during the day, a record which exceeded that of last year by £3414, and once again brought the Julius totalisator into notice for its efficiency and suitableness for registering investments with promptness. Some good dividends were paid during the afternoon. The first race, the Shortland Plate, produced a field of useful-looking horses, no fewer than eighteen in number, and a well-grown mare by All Red from Hermosa in Ayah was made a much better favourite than Beltane, while Rockfield carried a lot of money, and after him San Sebastian, who figured on the card as a horse, whereas he is a gelding. Cheloma and Bon O’Or had supporters. and they headed Ayah in turn in the last quarter of a mile, and the pair were having a good battle when Mrs. Harvev Patterson’s Vasco colt

Tabasco shot up and won in the last few strides. It was a question of necks between the three, and a very fine race —the best of the day—as five others were within a length or two, running almost in line, the colours of Ayah, Rebel, Sir Ralph, Idra and Thames being amongst those conspicuous. The race was run in Imin. 40 4-ssec., showing at once that the course was in fast condition. Tabasco was sent over from Australia by Mrs. Patterson, and was trained by the Ellerslie trainer Frank Macmanemin, and it was quite an unusual thing for the stable to win with such a rank outsider, whose supporters got a little over half a century return for each £1 invested.

Further confirmation of the condition of the course was forthcoming as the meeting advanced, a record for the race being established when the Great Northern Foal Stakes came up for decision immediately following, and which the Comedy King colt Biplane, owned by Mr. G. D. Greenwood and trained by R. J. Mason, who had trained eleven previous winners of the same event, won nicely, cutting down a brilliant good colt in the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s Hymestra, who made the running so soundly that nothing else could get near him. It was over the last furlong that Biplane asserted h’s superiority, and once on terms he held his opponent, though Deelev had to keep him moving. The race was run in Imin. 13 2-ssec., a record, which beat the previous best over the distance by 1 3-ssec. Simonides, a nice-looking colt by Demosthenes, and winner of the C.J.C. Welcome Stakes,

was third, and may perhaps be better suited on a straight, or nearly straight, run. Agnestes proved the best of the others, and still showed herself better than the local lot, to which mediocre is a term that can be well applied. The placed colts, however, are exceptionally good. There were twenty starters for the Robinson Handicap, for which a favourite was made of Independence. Pourparler, a sister to Bobrikoff, however, proved too good for the opposition, and after Gold Necklet had got tired of leading Mr. Lowry’s filly went to the front, and, resisting the challenges of Fabriquette and Llanishen (an English-bred mare), won, a dead-heat going down to the pair named for second place. Independence was fourth. Visiting horses filled the places for the third time. This paved the way for the Auckland Cup, The Toff and Wishful being made favourites, Blackall coming next with over £lOOO less on his chance. Chortle came next, only a little better backed than John Barleycorn, while Mullingar was the only other to carry over £lOOO on the machine, in which a pool of £13,780 was recorded, which exceeded that of the previous year by £'2005. This was a record, and so the records pile up from meeting to meeting, or from year to year. As for the class of competitors, if the truth must be told most of the horses are not two-mile stayers, and at least a few were not ready to get the journey. The G. L. Stead pair of Boniforms apparently were, and The Toff’s racing at Riccarton suggested that he was a stayer. Chortle looked well and seemed fit, but he had not done a Cup preparation as far as could be judged, and a year’s increase in age had done Blackall no service excepting to make him bulk more solidly, but none the

less ungainly, and perhaps he wanted racing more to fit him. Colonel Soult seemed light for the task, and has perhaps trained off; in any case the distance in the company was too far. Ardenvhor’s condition seemed all right, but the weight was against him, not, however, if he had been quite genuine, of which theYe is some doubt. He showed a disposition r .o shirk the task when he got to the starting-post. Mullingar was thought to be no worse for having bled a week or ten days before, and he ran up to his best form perhaps, which did not suggest twomile ability to us, but he went well up to a mile and a-half. lHe would, however, have been just as badly beaten if the race had been of that distance, and it was left to the hurdle racer and ’chaser El Gallo to prove the best of the Auckland lot, but though well and served much the best on the score of weight he got fifth. Lady Penury never looked better and never galloped better on the eve of a meeting than she had done in her last few gallops. She met with some interference. Prince Merriwee ran as long as his condition lasted and temporarily got into second place from the mile and three furlong post to a mile and a-half, but could not go on with the run that landed him there. Alteration was beaten for pace after running fourth for a mile or more. John Barleycorn, whose work had been of the light order since his arrival, may perhaps have been short of a solid gallop, but however this may he, he never justified the reputation he brought from the South. Bjorneborg has always run like a stayer and he

had a vigorous rider. He was, however, racing last for quite half the distance, well back for the first halfmile and gradually improving. Some day he may win a long race; he finished well and nearly got to Wishful in the last furlong, but there was another Richmond in the field —our first fancy—who had been under a cloud for several days and had been under veterinary care. This was Depredation, who was one of the besttreated in the handicap. It was a treat to see him come down the straight, gathering up the compounding ones, who he had been content to let lead him until the business end was near, and staying on and putting a bit of resolution into his work he won very pleasingly by two lengths and a-half. Depredation is by Campfire, one of two Carbine horses imported to New Zealand, who did not get a chance at the stud, and his dam, Gosling, is by Amphion, son of St. Leger and Watersprite, from Goosander ,sister to Merganser, a great mare in her time. Teksum, Brigand and other useful horses were of the same line. Here the Musket blood through Carbine and Nordenfeldt asserted itself, and Depredation is certainly one of the best stayers we have had for some time. He is a medium-sized but good-shaped horse for the job he had in hand, and was well strung up for the task by his owner-trainer and well ridden by Roy Reed. The time, 4min. 27 2-ssec., has only been once beaten, and that w*as by Warstep. Depredation started at a liberal price, due to the report that he had left the track sore a day or two before. Just before the Grafton Hurdle Race was run Plymouth got away and galloped riderless down the back stretch, and got on top of the rails and possibly suffered some injury.

Waiinai, the ’chaser, had a nice win from the opposition. Marconi, the favourite, could only get fourth. Ulster ran into second place and cut Tenacious out in the last furlong. The Railway Handicap, the second event of the double, upon w r hich a good many more thousands of pounds sterling depended than was shown by the automaton, came next, and King Lupin settled down favourite, Bisogne being second in demand, with the combination Chakwana and Menelaus next. The horses were a long time at the post, Tatterley, Hyttus, Koesian and Housewife giving some trouble, and eventually, when the barrier lifted, Housewife was left and Hyttus was last off. King Lupin commenced best, and Multiplication, Downham and Bimeter were prominent, while Bisogne’s pos-ition looked hopeless. It was a long, well-sus-tained effort, well out on the course, that brought Bisogne gradually through, and a more brilliant achievement has seldom been witnessed at Ellerslie. He only won by half a length, but he did his work in the masterly style of a racehorse, and is not only the best son of Bezonian but there are probably few his equal, and none his superior, in the Dominion at sprinting, and perhaps he may stay. He comes of the same family that gave us Cruciform, a previous winner of the race, Multiform, Uniform and a large number of good ones of the Pulchra family, and is owned by Mr. A. Alexander (a good Taranaki sportsman), and trained by W. Mantle. Downham, the runner-up, won the race two years ago, and Waiutu, who finished third, won the Avondale Guineas and last season proved a n?.ost consistent two-year-old. She lost form after running for the Great Northern Guineas, but temporarily, and was nursed for her race nicely by E. J. Rae, and came nearly paying a surprise dividend. Multiplication was fourth. Ample, a nice filly by Rokeby, and a favourite, beat the Martian gelding Vagabond, second favourite, in the Nursery Handicap, in which the black Demosthenes filly Elocution showed a lot of pace, but just failed over the last little bit. Noir, a gelding by All Black, secured fourth place. Bedford was made a little better favourite than Tinopai and Bunting for the Christmas Handicap, but backers were astray. Bedford ran himself out in seven furlongs. The riding of Bunting did not please the stipendiary steward, Mr. A. Gordon. Gold Painting showed a lot of pace, but Cleft came and cut her down and won by a length. Te Papapa fin shed only a head behind Mr. W. G. Stead’s filly. Bedford was fourth. This brought to a close a very successful day’s racing. Results: —

SHORTLAND PLATE of 300sovs; se<S ond 50sovs, third 25sovs. One mile. 15—Mrs. Harvey Patterson’s ch c Tabasco, by Vasco —Lady Maorina, 3yrs, 7.7 (Ruthven) 1 6 — G. L. Stead’s b c Bon d’Or, 3yrs, 7.11, inc. 41b over (Emerson) . . 2 5—W. G. L. Stead’s br m Cheloma, 7.8, allowed 31b (Ludlow) 3 Also started: 4 San Sebastian 7.13 (B. Deeley), 10 Alf. Delaval 7.13 (Conquest), 16 Bloomine 7.13 (McMillan), 12 British Arch 7.13 (Buchanan), 17 Sir Multifid 7.13 (W. Ryan), 9 Idra 7.11 (J. O’Shea), 14 Salvia 7.11 (A. Reed), 11 Paddington Green 7.7 (Mullins), 7 Rebel 7.7 (Robinson), 13 Sir Ralph 7.7 (Thompson), 2 Beltane 7.4 (R. Reed), 3 Rockfield 7.7, inc. 31b over (Carmont), 1 Ayah 7.2 (C. Reed), 18 Escolta 7.2 (Means), 8 Thames 7.2 (Clarke). After a good race Tabasco canght Bon d’Or and beat him a neck, Cheloma a head away, with Beltane, Rebel, Ayah, Sir Ralph, Idra and others close up. Time, Imin 40 4-ssec. GREAT NORTHERN FOAL STAKES of lOOOsovs; second 200sovs, third 100 sovs. Six furlongs. 1— G. D. Greenwood’s blk c Biplane, by Comedy King—Air Motor, 8.10 (Deeley) 1 3 — Hon. J. D. Ormond’s ch c Hymenestra, 8.10 (Buchanan) 2 2— H. E. Troutbeck’s br c Simonides, 8.10 (L. Wilson) 3 Also started: 7 Claverhouse 8.10 (F. E. Jones), 5 Estland 8.10 (O’Shea), 8 Rathlin 8.10 (W. Ryan), 6 Red Rock 8.7 (Emerson), 4 Agnestes 8.5 (Carmont), 9 Monotour 8.5 (Preston). Won by a neck, five lengths separating second and third, with Agnestes more than that distance away fourth. Time, Imin 13 2-ssec—a record for the race. ROBINSON HANDICAP of 250sovs; second 35sovs, third 15sovs. Seven furlongs. B—T. H. Lowry’s b f Pourparler, 3yrs, by Finland —Gossip, 7.4 (G. Clarke) 1 4 — Mr. Harvey Patterson’s b m Fabriquette, 4yrs, 8.3 (Buchanan) . .. * 7— E. J. Watt’s ch m Llanishen, aged, 8.0 (L. Wilson) ..; * Also started: 2 Grand' Idea 8.5 (Emerson). 6 Penniless 8.3 (R. Manson), 3 Rekanui 7.13 (Robinson), 15 High Jinks 7.10, carried 8.0 (McMillan), 5 Autumn Rose 7.7 (A. Reed) and Wahinepai 7.0 (Sinclair) bracketed, 11 Bellacity 7.6 (Conquest), 9 Manukau 7.5, carried 7.7 (Thompson), 1 Independence 7.5 carried 7.9 (O’Shea), 13 Gold Necklet 7.5 (Bryce), 17 Harlestone 7.2 (Rowe), 16 Porphyry 7.1 (Johnson), 12 Chilblain 7.0, carried 7.3 (R. Reed), 14 Whitehall

7 0 (Ludlow). 19 Lady Floss /.0, carried 7.7 (Carmont), 18 Spalspire 7.0 (C. Reed), 10 Lady Winsome 7.0. carried 7.6 (Deeley). Won by three-parts of a length, a dead heat for second place. Independence was fourth. Time, Imin 28 3-asec. AUCKLAND CUP HANDICAP of 2650 sovs (a cup value 150sovs and 2500 sovs in specie); second 500sovs, third 250sovs. Two miles. 11 — r. Barlow’s b h Depredation 4 yrs, by Campfire — Gosling, 7.5 (R. Reed) -•••- •• • • 1 1 — G. L. Stead’s b g Wishful, 4yrs, by Boniform — Drought, 7.0 (Brookes) - 9 —T. H. Lowry’s b g Bjorneborg, 3yrs, by Finland —Warscore, 7.0 (G. Clarke) Also started: 3 Chortle 9.0 (S. Reid), 8 Colonel Soult 8.6 (F. E. Jones), 6 Ardenvhor 8.2 (Wilson), 5 Mullingar 8.1 (Deeley), 1 The Toff 8.1 (Emerson) bracketed with Wishful, 10 Lady Penury 7.10 (Conquest), 2 Blackall 7.8, carried 7.9 (O’Shea), 4 John Barleycorn 7.8 (A Reed), 13 Prince Merriwee 7.0 (Sinclair), 7 El Gallo 6.12, carried 7.1 (Manson), 12 Alteration 6.7 (Johnson). Wishful and Chortle led for a mile and three furlongs, then Wishful went on alone, followed by Prince Merriwee until the last-named was passed by Mullingar and The Toff in turn, only to give way to Bjorneborg, and in the run home Depredation came fast and won by two lengths and a-half, half a length between second and third, The Toff, El Gallo and Mullingar next. Time, 3min 27 2-ssec. GRAFTON HURDLE RACE HANDICAP of 350sovs; second 70sovs, third 30 sovs. Two miles. 2— t. Wilson’s b g Waimai, aged, by Spalpeen—Cap-a-pie mare, 10.7 (E. Rae) . 1 7 —J. T. Morton’s ch g Ulster, syrs, 9.6 (Kelly) 2 '9—E. J. L. Rae’s b g Tenacious, 6 yrs, 11.6 (A. Rae) 3 Also started: . 8 Harbour Light 11.6 (Deerey), 6 Te Onga 10.13 (McSeveny), 1 Marconi 10.12 (Henderson), 4 Plymouth 10.4 (McKay), 5 Gladful 10.2 (Bush), 3 Fisher 9.0 (C. Scott), 10 Luperino 9.0 (Mulcahy). ' Won by two lengths., half a length between second and third, Marconi fourth. Harbour Light fell at the fourth hurdle. Time, 3min 47sec. RAILWAY HANDICAP of lOOOsovs; second 200sovs, third lOOsovs. Six furlongs. 2 —A. Alexander’s ch h Bisogne, 4 yrs, by Bezonian —St. Evangeline, 8.8 <F. E. Jones) 1 6 — H. D. de Lautour’s ch g Downham, syrs, 7.7 (Deeley) ........ 2 13—W. K. Morrison’s ch f Waiuta, 3yrs, 7.1, carried 7.3 (Manson) 3 Also started: 5 Tete-a-tete 9.5 (J. O’Shea), 7 Bimeter 9.4 (S. Reid) and Greenstreet 7.1 . (Clarke) bracketed. 1 King Lupin 8.9 (Robinson), 3 Chakwana 8.6 (A. Reed) and Menelaus 6.7 (C. Reed), 12 Tatterley 7.13 (Wilson), 15 Seadown 7.12 (W. Ryan), 8 Multiplication 7.11 (R. Reed), 10 Housewife 7.7 (Carmont), 4 Hyttus 7.6 (Buchanan), 9 Koesian 7.6, carried 7.8 (Emerson), 14 Hushman 6.13, carried 7.2 j (Conquest), 11 Shrill 6.10, carried 6.11 (Sinclair). King Lupin led from Downham and Multiplication, but in the straight Bisogne, who was a long way back, came on the outside and got up to win by half a length from Downham, with Waiuta a neck away third, Multiplication fourth, the rest strung out, King Lupin and Chakwana being amongst the most prominent. Housewife was left and Hyttus got away badly. Time, Imin 14 sec. NURSERY HANDICAP of 350sovs; second 70sovs, third 30sovs. Five furlongs. 1 — G. l. Stead’s hr f Ample, by Rokeby — Miss Dalrymple, 8.7 (C. Emerson) 1 2 — K. S. Williams’ br g Vagabond, 7.8 (R. Reed) . . 2 5—H. E. Troutbeck’s blk f Elocution. 7.2 (Clarke) 3 Also started: 6 Penthesilea 8.3 (Robinson), 7 Malaya 7.7, carried 7.11 (J. O’Shea), 12 Backfire 7.5, carried 7.7 (C. Carmont). 9 Guerre a Mort 7.5, carried 7.7 (Deeley), 3 Noir 7.3, carried 7.5 (A. Reed), 11 Shower Gold 7.2 (Rowe), 8 Lady Bruce 7.2 (Conquest), 14 Empire 7.2 (Manson), 10 Rock Diamond 7.2 (Sinclair), 4 Bingham 7.0 (Ferguson), 15 Lough Ennell 7.0, carried 7.1 (Ludlow), 13 Woody Glen 7.0 (C. Reed). Won handily by a length, half a length between second and third. Noir was fourth. Time, Imin 1 l-ssec. CHRISTMAS HANDICAP of 350sovs; second 70sovs, third 30sovs. One mile. 7— F. J. Lysnar’s b g Cleft, 4yrs, by Multifid —Cricium, 7.2 (R. Reed) 1 5 —W. G. Stead’s ch m Gold Painting, 4yrs, 7.2 (Ludlow) 2 10—J. D. Kemp’s br m Te Papapa, 4yrs, 7.10 (A. Reed) 3 Also started: 1 Bedford 8.2 (Conquest), 3 Bunting 8.2 (Wilson), 6 Royal Irish 7.13 (O’Shea), 2 Tinopai 7.9 (Robinson), 8 Meltchikoff 7.9 (Emerson), 11 Bleriot 7.8 (Manson), 4 Hyllus 7.6 (J. Buchanan), 12 Tact 7.0 (Rowe), 9 Lady Glen 6.13 (Sinclair), 15 Prince Soult 6.12 (C. Reed), 13 Pendoon 6.10 (Cotton), 14 General Joffre 6.8, carried 6.9 (Clark©). Won by half a length, a head between second and third. Bedford, who made the running, Hyllus and Bunting were next. Time, Imin 39 4-ssec.