AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 64

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

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I x • --.-.- -.'-". ' -January 20.- ■ ; • Since the Auckland Racing. Club's summer " meeting - tongues have been "wagging freely about the running- of certain of. the horses, and, some sound judges of the 'game allege that more than- one race was fixed up unknown ,to the owner. , There was certainly room' for- suspicion, and in all 'likelihood a question or two .would have been asked had .the racing been under the eyes of s-tinendfary stewards.. „ __ !' Evidently Auckland bookmakers are working in union in connection with the license fee for betting on racecourses., At - Whangarei th^'pencfllers offered the club a lump sum of £100 for -the right to _ply their calf ing, but lihe committee demanded _ a fee of £10 per man. The result was that only . 'two licenses were taken out, the' remaining bookmakers acting as, sleeping partners of those -who\donned the bag. The same course was adopted' at the~W«ikato Trotting Clu>';b meeting after the .committee -had refused a .: lump -sum "of JESO. ' - ' The financial ! statement placed' before the > Auckland Racing Club Committee last Wednesday evening ih connection with the-- club's ' summer meeting showed the net -profits -to be £4636, which is easily a record for the „ metropolitan body. • . When, the Royal' Artillery filly Artillerie ;.' was sold here ' last 'month it was said/ that ) she would probably be sent to Australia at ; an early date. I note, however, that she has baen handed dyer to the Wellington > trainer, J. Low,-" and is" in" work afc-Trentham'. j' ■ The", Takapuna 'Club's summer • meeting opens on- Saturday next/ and with' '■ 'satisfactory acceptances . the gathering should -prove -a jsuccessfuh one, 'provided the weather is ? , " ,"""'"■ j A Pony' by Soult .named' Poppy *was pur- 1 chased- in / the Waiuku diatrict/a day 'or 'two J ago, and. will ;be ship»ed v to Sidney shortly.- ' \A case-^ 0f,,, interest Jto -racing clubs and bookmakers .will shortly lie'^before' the AuckJ land "Police Court." At. the Whangarei -Rac- [ 'ing Club^s ■ meeting' the * committee- decided '_ that .bookmaker's who did not -take out . licenses 'to. -bet should!- be excluded froni the course, and advertisements to' that effect J figured" in the local papers.. -Despite the ' decision, one. of the - bookmakers refused to \ leave the grounds when so requested, and was forcibly .ejected by -the police. The I Auckland Bookmakers' Association subse--quently discussed the matter- at' a meeting. and deoided to instruct a lawyer to lay a •hch'arge. of .assault' against the police. ; "The Tasman gelding - Discoverer "was -sold after the' Whangarei meeting to Mr C. Bray for £45. ♦ " " "''--, { The Freedom mare' Dolores has been put ' into -work < againy^ and 1 looks -all'- the better I for -her long ' spell, having built up splen- ! didly • ~- -."*.- ' It ig unaeratooa tjfeat A. Julian," the wellknown Auckland horseman, will go to Australia with Maßter<Dekval and Sol, and will . ride- both horses in- their engaements on j the other side. ' . , ; ji. Thomson, who was granted a trainer s license at the last meeting of the AjR.C., Committee, .will take over the stables at Ellerslie recently purchased by Mr H. CleI land,- and will commence with Sweet Alice, ", Balgorie. Rotoiti, and "thes yearlings by ' Soult— Lady EmmalinaT- and Eton— Senga, bought by*'Mr Cleland at the yearling sales.