SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 52

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

ftr Hour Poene. MELBOURNE, May 4. tJRF TOPICS.

■Jfr R. H. Frew, the Ascot Tale trainer, promises to be exceedingly dangerous during the Grand National meetings. The latest eddition' to his previously lengthy string of 3et>pers is the hurdle-racer Deering. who *atelj^ acquitted himself very creditably at WflTrnambool. Deering is by The Harvester irom Gazelle.

W. S Hickenbotham has proved so successful at the "illegitimate" game that the Weatraiian sportsman Mr P. A. Connolly (owner of Blue Speo) has purchased the Sandown Steeplechase winner Lothian (for £500), and placed him under Walter's -are, with a possible eye to Grand National contingencies. Lothian is by Angle (a son of Euclid, who was by Par»ic from Proposition). •At Bemboka (N.S.W.) recently a horse r.anisd Hiawatha, cleared 31ft Bin in a waterdumping contest. Mentioning this reminds rae that th.j N.S.W. high-jumper Desmond lias won no less than £2538 at various shows.

liast Saturday at Sandown Park — where, by the way, backers experienced a particularly Tough time — there was a Time Handicap Saddle or Harness Trot, over a mile and a■half, on the programme, and so interested were the spectators in the contest towards ,the finish of the tryst that it really looks as 5* trotting were once more becoming popular in Victoria with the general. There were half a score starters, Dixie Alto (7sec behind) being favourite at 6 to 4, with "Wriggles — on the same mark— at 7to 2. Victory declared in favour of the aged Childe Harold — Stella gelding Lord Harold (lOsec behind), who defeated Daisy (scr) by 25 yards in 3min '45ipec; Little Jim (leec behind) being 15 raids farther back still. Th© imported St. Simon horse Haut Bnon received another good advertisement on Saturday with respect to the excellence of his stock. At the late autumn meeting of the Australian Jockey Club at Randiwick he was credited with thxe« winner*, whilst another

of his progeny — Haut Ray — proved successful at Moonee Valley on the 23rd ult. At Randwick again on Saturday Lest We Forget (by Haut Brion from the A. J.C. Derby winner Picture) carried off the Flying Mile, whilst Lord Cecil (by Hautboy, son of Haut Brion) from Her Ladyship (Bowmont — Muriel) proved successful in the Novice Handicap. Lord Cecil, who is two years old, is being raced by his breeder, Mr E. E. A. Oatley. Mr P. Murray's Gundare (Gerard — Wavelet) 9.6 won the two-mile Hurdle Race by half a dozen lengths frcn six others (including Olynthus 12.0, who started at 6 to 4 — Gundare being at 3 to 1, — but failed to gain a. situation, and Old Chum 9.2), covering the two miles in 3min 52isee. Th 6 High-weight Handicap (six furlongs in lmin 15sec) fell to the Holbrook — Ugly five-year-old Handsome 10.12; Bundah 8.7 being second, and The Jester 9.13 the nearest of a baker's dozen others.

Mr P. B. Christian scored a win in City Tattersall's Handicap (the event of the afternoon) with his Positano — Chorus three-year-old Refrain 7.8, but only by a neck from Bluster 6.7, who in turn held a similar advantage over Heracle3 7.7; Tatterdemt ion 8.9, Zenda 8.3. Birida. 8.8, and Gowri<j 7.8 making up the field, and the mile and a-quarter being traversed in 2min lOisec. Tatterdemalion was at 7 to 2, Refrain at 4 to 1, and Heracles at 9 to 2.

Finishing up. at 5 to 4 against five opposers in tbe Club Welter, of one mile, Mr J. J. Macken's Lochiana (Lochiel — Duurose) 8.5 made an example of the rest of the field by heading Jackson 8.1 at the Leger stand, and sweeping home four lengths in advance of him, th© eight furlongs only occupying lmin 4_lsec. I have previously directed your attention to this promising three-year-old daughter of Lochiel, who I am thoroughly satisfied will well repay, keeping in remembrance. FiizGfafton, who was purchased by Mr R. M'Kenna for £1800 with the ostensible object of winning the next Viceroy's Cap at Calcutta in December, has put in an appearance on the Flemington training tracks, but is to be ship'peo; to Madras by the Hymettus on tht 23rd inst. It was uderstood at -the time that M'Kenna purchased Fifz-Grafton on behalf of the Indian sportsman Mr A. A. Apcar. .»

Jt is more than probable that a trot will be included in the programme of each of the Hunt Clubs, who will be holding their winter meetings in the immediate future. Mr D. li'Leod (of the Goulburn Valley) has been keeping his stallion Brooklyn in training ia anticipation thereof. Brooklyn is now in Melbourne.

Rearguard has been puttig in long, striding work at yiemington. «A«re Alf- Williams has a likely-looking customer in hand— a fine upstanding gelding named O'Shaimssy, by Grand! Prix from Mishap.

From "the sign" I should imagine the Messrs Miller must have something particularly "choice" located in the Redleap establishmsnt, as it has been publicly annout.ed in the press that after Mr Connolly had given £500 for Lothian Mr Albert Miller stated he was so impressed with Lothian's win at Sandown Park that he was prepared to give £400 for him.

That very competent horseman, W. Jennings, having accepted an engagement with James Wilson, jun., will for the future be, associated with the latter's Bonny Vale establishment at QueenseHff. Airloch and Dea, purchased by R. M'Kenna. on behalf of Mr A. A. Apcar. will accompany FitzGrafton to Madras by the Hymettus on Wednesday, 23rd inst. Veterinary-surgeon S. O. Wood leaves Melbourne to-day by the Adelaide express to catch the mail steamer Scharahurst, en route to England. He has been commissioned by the Victorian Government to report on matters likely to bring about improved methods in the breeding of live ~ stock in this State. Mr Wood expects to be back in Melbourne by October.

MURPHY v. SQUIRES

Of course you are seized of the more salient particulars of this tremendous "draw" at the Exhibition Building 4ast Saturday night, when the Maorilander was simply "tornadoed" down from the outset; but atiil there are one or two matters in connection therewith that I may as well have my say anent. In the first place, the match was a ndicjilous one from the inception, as although Murphy has proved himself to be a very clever boxer, there has been nothing In his previous performances to warrant him concediirg some 2ist to ahurricane smasher of the Squires type. Leaving the newsppper weights on one side, as Squires v/as much <:lo?cr to 13st weight than to 12st, whilst Murphy was not in the vicinity of list, the latter never teamed to possess the ghost of a show against the New South Wales champion. As a matter of fact. Murphy appeared to suffer more from Squires's head "butts" J t'.\an from aught els«, and had he not been knocked all abroad through these impacts. Ifnrphy might possibly have taken advantake of several openings piesented, and effected Squires's discomfiture. Never have our morning papers "boomed" a fistic exhibition to such an extent before ; the Age going so far aa to insert the "counterfeit preeentmeut" of the two boxers some days l>cfore the tryst. 1 here's no doubt Mr "Jack" Wren i= a consummate genera I—fully1 — fully alive to the fact that "sweet are the uses of adveitisemeut.' Alter the "faane and impotent conclusion," Age readers were informed that Squires proved himself to be a most promising aspirant for world-championship honours, vherea» the acknowledged "cognoscenti" came away from the exhibition fully impressed that a man like good old Peter Newton would ha\e met bis rushes with some straight-out punches that would h»-\e broupht him tip thinkiug in a brace of shakes. Squires, who hails from Newcastle. New South Wales, is in private life an abstemious, level-headed, wellconducted, gentlemanly fellow, and so far aa his "fighting" (for he is no "boxer") capabilities are concerned he is undoubtedly a tremendous "smasher" ; but v/hen you say that ynu say al 1 . Murphy's lemark to Squires after Referee Stokesbury had declared h.m "outed" sums up the position in one^ ad"You are too heavy and strong for me. The immense attendance— over 10,000— was confirmation strong that the public have every faith in "Jack" Wren's determination to have everything he is connected with as promoter "as cleau as a smelt"; and was certainly a bit of a revelation in this connection.