THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1627, 19 December 1912, Page 6

THE TURF.

ELLERSLIE TRACK NOTES. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, December 18. Several henry showers fell at Ellerslie during the early hours of the morning, and, though a much more extended downpour would have been welcome, still a little is better than none, and the sprinkling will do some good. Iho work on the tracks was uninteresting, the horses lx;inif restricted to useful pacing. Several of the Cup horses have still to put in an appearance, but Saturday should see them all on the scone.

As the- day draws nearer for the decision of thti Auckland Cup (says the ".Star") interest in the event increases, and the work on the tracks during the corning week should ho of na interesting character. At present OokSnder, Midnight Sun, Vice-Admiral, BoWikoff, Masterpiece, Royal Soult, Santa: Rosa, La Reina, Labour Day, Monoplane, and Monori>.il fire at headquarters, and, with one or tv.* exceptions, are. doing as well as could b3 wished. Bobrikoff, who arrived yesterday, looks much better than when hero Inst year, while Goldfinder, Midnight Sun, and Masterpiece all carry the hard, muscular appearance so necessary for a two-mile journey. Vice-Ad-miral may want a race before he is at his best, but it is safo to say that do better ht, taken all round, from Bst. up, have contested th* event for years. The lighter-weighted division are also above the ordinary, and, as there seems every prospect of at least fifteen runner 3 being saddled up, the race should be one of the best on record.

The .KMithern crack two-year-old, Mowbray, which put in an appearance at Kllerslie yesterday morning with the rest of M. Ho'bbs's team, created a lot of favourable comment. Mowhray, with Martel as a companion, ran along a few furlongs' at a good three-quarter pac« on the two-year-old track this morning, galloping attractively.