SPORTING NOTES.

(By "Callee Ou.") _ Our autumn meeting, a thing of tho past, ■was very successful, and to the handicapper we OAved many exciting finishes, some of which were Avell Avorth going a long distance to see. The P's ran Avell at the meeting, my selection for tho Railway Avas Pasha and in his absence Tigredia they ran first and second, and the former paid a grand dividend. Pastime ran a good horse in the hurdles, and the contest between Pastime and Maccaroni was a grand one for fully half a mile, but the cream won and my tip was second. Pasha could not get the distance in tho big race and Pearl Avon, had it not been for the trial—well, I better stop, or I will bo playing the after game. These were the only horses I named, and the investors on the tips had the best of the deal.

Speaking of trials reminds me once more hoAV unsatisfactory it is to place too much reliance on them. Pearl's trial is said to have been far from satisfactory, and turning to the late meeting of tho V.R.C. Aye find confirmation of their unreliability. Prometheus for tho NoAvinarket Handicap gave a wonderful trial and Avas never in the race, while RingAVOod, tho actual Avinner of the Australian Cup had a trial which did not please, and yet ho Avon the raco easily. The value of a good horse on the turf at the present time is shown by the fact that during the past season no fcAver that eightythree animalsinEngland are returnedashaving Avono\ T er £1000 each. In some cases they have Avon a great deal over, as, for instance, St. Gatien, £7342 ; Harvester, £6440 ; Busytody, £6425 ; The Lambkin, £5316. Florence, again, is credited Avith £5440, all of which, excejit 203 guineas, the Queen's Plato at Lewes, was won in handicaps. In Florence's case this does not include a sum of 2000 guineas Avon in Germany. Of the two-year-olds Melton Avon £4872 for Lord Hastings, a handsome amount, and doubtless specially Avelcome as tending to show the worth of the young sire, Master Kildaro, and also because tho excellence which the colt displayed in the Now Stakes at Ascot was unexpected. Luminary, for whom legitimate excuses can be made in his failure to win a prize of nearly £1600 at SandoAvn—he had been pricked in shoeing —won £4,500. These sums arc-comparatively small when contrasted with the £10,357, which the famous mare Achievement secured as a tAvo - year - old ; but Achievement was a wonder, and she Avas luckily as well as judiciously entered. The art of "placing" horses is of the utmost importance. Cambushmore, a very moderate horse, won £3856 last year; but he is not quite a case in point, as his victories Avere in Aveight-for-age races, for Avhich he had been entered long before their occurrence, and "placing" means entering ahorse according to his ascertained capacity. Tho £2470 Avon by that great mare Geheimniss seems very small, when it is remembered that she Avon eight races and lost only tAvo ; but it may honestly be said that the races she took were those AA"hich it best suited her managers to take. Stakes are not the great end and object of racing, or it would appear that Geheimniss Avas not avcll placed in running races of an average of £300 in these days of great prizes. The raco for the Australian Cup was a surprise, and at the same time about the only bit cf luck tho ring had during a disastrous meeting. Half-a-mile from homo Coronet was pulling Cracknell out of the saddle, running Avith his mouth Avide open, a dozen lengths in front of anything, and shortly aftenvards he dropped back. At first some papers hinted it Avas not straight, but later news slioaa's the horse had injured himself in the race, otherwise he must have won. Cracknell, the jockey, Avas not so sure of Avinning tho Cup as he Avas the Handicap. Like most horsey men, ho is a bit superstitious, and an the morning of the Newmarket Handicap ho picked up a crooked threepenny piece, and Sam had no doubt of the result afterAvards. He received £'_!000 for tho Avin from the stable, besides many lesser sums. Clarence was third in the Steeplechase, conceding the winner sixteen pounds. Monte Christo with odds of 4 to 1 on him won tho Sires' Produce Stakes. On the third day Blink Bonny Avon the Autumn Handicap, one mile and five furlongs carrying Sst 71bs, in 2mins. 50}secs. In a field of ten she Avent out at 20 to 1, unbacked by her oAvner, took the lead early and Avas never headed. With odds of 4to 1 on her in a field of four, Uralla only got third in tho All-Aged Stakes, one mile, the consistent Dunlop Avinning Avith Garfield second. The Free Handicap Avas another surprise ; Prometheus, a son of Tubal Cain and Lurline going out a rank outsider, Avon easily. The most valuable stake of the meeting the Ascot Vale Stakes was Avorth £1305, Champion Stakes £1250, Sires' Produce Stakes £SOO, Newmarket Handicap £1359, Australian Cup £950.

Tho Argus in one issue in different places says Prometheus is a son of King Cole and elscAvherc Tubal Cain.—The Englishmen broke their contract to play the Melbourne Juniors, Avanted all tho "greed."—Against the Sydney Juniors the match Avas a draw, tho Juniors getting nearly 200 runs for some twelve Avickets. —At the Melbourne Gun Club champion match the Avinner shot 19 out of 20 birds, the second man killing IS. In a sweepstakes five out of twentythree killed all nine birds, and in shooting off ties the Avinner killed nine more— eighteen all told Avithout a miss, the second tie missing the eighteenth bird. The weather avus stormy.—A yearling brother of Silvor King rea'-scd 560 guineas. Abner, a two-year-old by St. Albans, fetched 600 guineas, and Don Quixote, 450.—Beach is tho favorite in Melbourne for the roAving contest on Saturday.—Saturday is the day for the Oxford and Cambridge boat-race, an Australian is in one of tho boats.—Keating beatjPcadon for the wrestling championship of New South Wales. He weighs 15 stone, his opponent ] 6 stone.—Navigator in ILiAvkesbury Handicap and Sydney Cup concedes Welcome Jack two pounds.—A company has been formed for the purpose of acquiring SandoAvn Park, England, and establishing and maintaining a racecourse. The promoters are General Owen Williams, M.P., Sir W. Brett, and other influential patrons of the turf, avlio proposo to raise a sum of £50,000 in order to carry out the project, which they believe will be for the benefit of tho racing community.