THE HORSES KILLED ON THE CITY OF MELBOURNE.

The Melbourne Argu3 accompanies the aoco.-.nt of the disaster to tbe City of Melbourne steamer with the following account of the racehorses on board and their performances : — The, news of. the terrible disaster on board the s.s. City of Melbourne, by ■which so many valuable racehorses were j destroyed, created the greatest excitement throughout the city yesterday, and a very strong feeling of sympathy was felt for Mr C. B. Fisher, alike by racing men and by those who seldom take any notice of turf matters. That so many high-class animals, just entering on their racing career, should be so suddenly destroyed, wa3 generally looked upon n a national calamity. Never before had any vessel in the southern seas carried such a valuable freight of thoroughbred horses as the City of Melbourne when she started on her ill-fated trip. Of late years owners of racehorses have been so successful in crossing the Straits to Tasmania, or making the trip to Sydney, that no more was thought of shipping valuable horses to any of the neighboring colo iie3 than of a trip by rail to Echuca. The catastrophe which surprised every one yesterday when the news arrived wr<3 therefore all the more unexpected, and at first it seemed so improbable, that for a time few persons believed it. Mr C. B. Fisher is the greatest loser by the storm, aad the market value of the horses lost by him cannot be estimated at less than L 16,000, though it would probably have required a very much larger sum to have purchased them before leaving Sydney. Robin Hood comes first on the list ig point of public performances. This grand florae was four years old, by Fireworks from Sylvia. As a two-year-old he started five times , but was only placed once. As a three-year-old he started 15 times. At the commencement of the season he ??as placed third in the Hawkesbury Guineas, and second in the Maiden Plate. In the A.J.C. Derby he wes not placed, but in the V.R.O. Spring Meeting he came out in grand form. He won the V.R.C, Derby eas-ly, and would have added the Melbourne Oup to the list of his victories, had he not been scratched through an error of judgment.; At the same meeting he won the Maiden Plate, the Royal Park Stakes j and the Mara , Poduce Stakes. At the New Year Day Meet- ] ing he was very stale, and did not get a 1 place in the Champion Stakes. At the , V.R.C. Autmn 1 Meeting he ran nowhere in the St. Leger. At the A.J.C. Autumn Meeting he came out a^ain in good form, and won the St. Leger, after a fine finish with Richmond and Kingston, in the fastest time this race has been done in. He did not get a place in the Sydney Cup, and won the A.J.C. Plate at the same , meeting. : This year Robin Hood only started once, when he was beaten by Valentia, for the Spring Stakes, at the A.J.C. meeting. Robin Hood was greatly fancied for the Melbourne Cup, and had been backed to win a very large amount, both right out and in doubles. The next horse in public estimation wa 1 ? the Chrysolite Colt, by Angler, from Chryso-; lite. As a two year-old he started eight time 3. His best performance was at the A.J.C. Autmn Meeting, when he won the ; Champagne Stakes, the Breeders' Plate, „ and the Sires' Produce Stakes. At the A. J.C. Spring Meeting last month he won i A.J.C. Derby by a head from Tocal, in '■'. 2m.. 43|5., the fastest time in which the race has been done. At the same meeting he won the A. J;C. Mares' Produce Stakes, This colt has been backed to win the Victorian Derby for a very . large sum. He - has been second in public estimation to Newminßter, and for soine time back his price has been very firm at 4 and 5 to 1. He has been taken with every likely horse in doubles for the Derby and Cup. This colt was landed, alive, but a report was soon after received from Sydney that he had died from the effects of the injuries he had received. Fortuucitsly, this l rumour proves to be untrue, and later t information states that; he; is -alive, and i likely to recover, though his racing career must be considered at anfend; Sovereign, the handsome three-year-old son of Fire- ■ works and Rose of > Denmark, has not done much in public. .He was not placed in the A.J.C. Derby, and ran second to the Chrysolite colt in the Mare 3* r Produce Stakes. He wa3 known to be a ' fast and good colt',and has been very freely backed for, the V.R.C. Derby at 7to 1. ] Burgundy/ four years, by the Marquis from Sour Grapes, was very much thought of by many good judges, As a three-year- ■ old he started nine times, winning the Trial Stakes at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting and the Flying Stakes at the V.R.C. Spring Meeting. This colt was thought by many to be as good as any in Mr Fisher's stable when he was fit and well. Eros, who has performed well at the late A.J.C. meeting, was bought lately by Mr C. B. Fisher for 450 guineas as a trial horse for his young stock. The Sylvia colt, full brother to Robin Hood, also, lost his life in the storm. This makes up the list of horses,, owned, by Mr C. B. Fisher— a list that would be considered a grand racirg stud in any country. Nemesis, the winner of, the Metropolitan, is. a very serious loss to her owuer Mr John Evans. Nemesis was five years" old, by Knight of the Garter, from Nuncia. She was imported by the late Mr John Moffatt, and gold at that gentleman's death, when his stud was broken up. Her victory in the Metropolitan was a great blow to the ring, as she was very heavily backed, and started at 4to 1. She was a good deal fancied for the Melbourne Cup, and 10 to 1 was pretty freely taken about her. The Gwendoline filly belonging to the same owner is ak^ost. Etoile dv Matin, three years, by^Eim Whiter, from Etoile dv Soir 1 , th*. property of Mr M. was also among the lost horses. Poacher and Lecturer colt were drowned, and out of 1 3 horses shipped only two, the Chrysolite colt and Redwood, survived the tearful storm.