Sporting Notes.

Auckland Star, Volume X, Issue 3082, 6 March 1880, Page 3

Sporting Notes.

i hr Ellcrslie racecourse is pretty well pat ouised in a morning now. Trainers are busy with the horae3 engaged at the djii'erent up-country meetings, and several two-year-olds are I e:ng tutored for the A.C. Autumn Meeting ou April 22nd and23:d. Thorpe is generally the first to arrive with Magician, Lalla Bookh, Mr Bobbett's two-year-old Woolbroker. and a eh g from, I chink, tbo JMangore side. Mr Smith has under Jones, Xantippe, Maid of Honour, and Tim WMiller. The firstnamed has started for Dargaville, where 1 think she has been very leniently treated by the handicapper. Maid of Honour has wonderfully improved, and I think will give a good account of himself in the autumn. She has lots of beef on her, and as Jones works her without clothing, it would seem he did not intend to run her as light as she ran at the last meeting. Tim Whiiller looks and moves well, Mr Buckland's colt, Prince Charlie, is a regular attendant. He is a great promising colt, is doing a lot of work under the charge of the Artist, and if the said Artist does not have his horse lit on the day of the race, it will not be the fault of Jack Millison, as he docs as much work as any horse on thu course. Donald Taylor has acquple of 2 year olds, Keuilworth aud the Marioyrnong colt, both the property of MrLennard. The latter has only just been taken up, and requires a lot of time, being a great big slommicking colt. Malvetn and Flora are also in Taylor's hands. The former with Milkman left on Monday last, to fulfil their northern engagements. Flora has gone' overland to Helensville. Tuva, No Name, Golden Crown, Prunella late Waikato tvyo years, Marksman three years, Maiquis, Ariel, and some three or four others, cau be seen almost any —doing nice exercise.

Helensville Races came off yesterday, but very little interest has been taken in them, as there are no horses of any note engaged there, most of them being hacks or Maori horses belonging to the district.

The Dunedin annual meeting does not appear to have been the success it has been for several previous years. When the Handicap for the Cup first appeared, Mata aud Titania were pronounced thrown in, and no few comments were made in the* papers respecting the lenient treatment they had received. The field was the smallest but one for several years past. Libeller was out of all form ; Foul .Flay ran a good horse, and proved himself one of the best aud souudest horses in training at the present time. Had he had the weight allotted him to carry, he would just have won. The Dunedin J. C. Handicap of 200 soys was aw. o. for Foul Play, and the Club gave the 100 soys served as an extra race, which was won by Titania. I suppose Mr Caleb Moore will now retire on his laurels as he has done, I believe, a feat which no other handicapper ever did before—have one acceptance out of au entry of over thirty horses.

Dargaville races come oft' on Wednesday and Thursday next, and promises to be very successful. From telegrams received in town a largo number of horses are on the spot. Milkman and Malvern, under the charge of Donald Taylor, went up last Tuesday in the Rowena, and arrived there all safe, while Xautippe, Piscatorius, and two or three others went via Helcusville, but through some blunder or other have been there since; a nice place to stop in, water being sixpence per bucket. For the Maiden Plate, Milkman, Border Chief, and Ellesmire are cugaged, and if the former is worth a feed of oats he ought to win it.

The Maiden Hurdle Kace.—Six are entered, including Lark, No Name, Border Chief, Miuuic Casey, N orM, aud Milkinai'. The former won tlie Hurdle Euco it Ilcleusville, but as he will have considerably more weight to carry, Milkman, if lie jumps ought to hold, him pretty safe. Mtinu, GoUe, Dibble, and several othcis have arrived there from the North. For the Cup nil have cried content, but. s there aro good and bad engaged, it is vciy hard to pick, but as I believe in going fur known performers I think the result will be between the two top weights, preferring the chauce of Malverji, as he is already ou the ground, with Xantippe for their nearest companion. The Wairoa Stakes, weijjht for age race, will go to Piscatorius, aud the District ltace to tho 'Worm, or Dibble's representative. Nominations for the Bcnderson Mill Cup and Hurdles, Tatnaki Handicap and Hurdles have beeu postponed until Friday next, the 12th iust., at Mr Pcrcival's ollice.

Wanganui Kaces take place ou Thursday and Friday next, but little interest seems to be taken in them, tho big race being shorn of its chief interest from the lirst, ou account of the mull the handicappcr made of it. From all accounts Hornby, Libeller, Hippocampus, aud Piniire are the most fancied.

Mr Walter's pair have undoubtedly a big show, but as they seem to have been very much oil at Dunedin, and the distance is too far for Hippo, I prefer the chance of Hornby to either of them. The Thames people have arranged a nice little progiamme for St. Patrick's Day, but as the Tamnki meeting is much nearer home, I don't think rnauy will pay them a visit by water. The Canterbury Jocky Club Handicap closed last Tuesday with 58 nominations, a very creditable number. I notice several from Auckland, but the remainder are made up from the Middle Island. Mr Terry's Bill to amend the Betting Houses Suppression Act of 1576 has passed the .New South Wales Assembly, aud it now only remains with the Legislative Council to say whether or not it shall become law. If it does become law, the police are likely to have a very lively time of it. Tattersball must shut up, and it will be unsafe for two or three persons tc meet together and make a wager on horse-racing in any place whatever. The Bill empowers the Inspector-General of Police, or olhcers ho may anpoint, to enter any suspected place whefo betting is carried on, and it provides efficient machinery to ensure prosecution of offenders against the Act. There has been, considerable excitement on the subject in Sydney sporting circles. The Americans have sent over to England a four-year-old colt, Falsetto, by Enquirer, by Leamington, out| of a Lixington mare, said to be a better horae than Parole. He started five times as a three-year-old, winning three times. Ho is at Newmarket, and has been in good health since ho arrived. The meeting of this horse and Isonomy will be interesting, but I shall pin my faith to tho mast of the Britisher. Increased ac'ded mouey seems to be the order of the day in England. The Manchester Commitiee are adding the munifi. cent sum of £2,000 to their Summer Cup. An English paper says that during the last seven years Germany and Austria have imported from England 4.Q00 stallions and 14.000 brood mare*, all throughbred. NiMROD.