THE MELBOURNE CUP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 259, 1 November 1890, Page 3

THE MELBOURNE CUP.

This year's race for the Melbourne Cup promises to overshadow anything has previously been eeen on an Austra lian racecourse. . The large number who have made the final payment indicates that there will be a larger Held of horses contest the race next Tuesday than in any previous year, and I shall be quite prepared to hear of thirty-eight going to the post for the coveted £10,000 prize. I have not bhe space to go fully into the chances of each candidato who made the final payment, and will content myself with a few words anent each, !No horse in the race has more favour in my eyes than Carbine, Heavily weighted though he is. It is admitted on all sides in Australia that at no previous period in the great pun's career has ho been so thoroughly seasoned as the present time, and the horse fairly revels in his work. Last year Carbine gallantly carried lOsb into second Dlace, and he gave Melos 161b and a beating. Now he meets Mr Gannon's horse at a difference of 121b, and I think he will beat him again. In the last Champion Stakes Melos beat Carbine, but there is no doubt this was attributable to the state of the ground, for a month later in the Sydney Cup Carbine with 9st 91b in the saddle simply cantered over his field, while Melos with 9st iilb was beaton out of a place. It ia worthy of mention that whereas Melos runs better on tho first day of a meeting than subsequent ones, Carbine on tho other hand improves. So much for the top weights, of whom.it will be seen from my remarks I prefer thß chance of Carbine. There is no horse in the race I would so much like to chronicle the victory of as Cuirassier. I understand he is doing much better on the training track than is generally supposed, bub, wound up to concert pitch, I don't think he can beat Carbine at the difference of weight. Sir William ran third in the last Newmarkot Handicap and Australian Cup, bub he has his full share of weight in Bst 111b, and so has Richelieu on fche Same mark. Singapore ia a racehorse, but he ran so badly in bhe Cauliield Cup, being hopelessly beaten before half of the journey had been completed, that I cannot recommend him, nor do I care for the chances of Chintz and The Lawyer, the next two on the list. With 7st 101b .in the saddle BeDzon was first in the straight in last year _ contest, but he melted away as they reached the distance. Now he has Bst 31b to carry and a year on his age, so he cannot be written out of ib. Another horse to „c reckoned with is Prince Consoit, who ran fifth last year, He has thecredentials ot having last season gotsecondinthelastCaulfield Guineas, and running a dead hoat with Boz in the Williamstown Spring Handicap, while he shaped well at Randwick last September, running in the interests of his stable mate Carbine. I think Prince Consort i 3 a dangerous member, and so are Tho Queen and Tantallon, who figure next among tho acceptors. Both of these candidates are strong "tips" from the other side, and k genuine stable commissions have been executed about each. I will permit Newmaster to run against me, but one of my fondest fancies i 3 Chaldean. Re has tho Bice racing impost for a five-year-old of 7st 121b, and advices I lately received from (Melbourne say the horse was never in such (condition as the present tim& Chaldean's facing credentials as a two and three- \ year-old were ab the top of the tree, \and he comes from the best winding blood Tasmania has ever produced. I think Whakawai can be passed ' over, but if Tarcoola can improve on his Cauliield Cup running he must have a chance. Carrington is a horse possessing great pace, and as a two-year-old he wa3 one of the best of his year, bub I doubt his staying abilities in a Btrong-run race. Titan will be"a non-starter, bub Vengeance mu3t bo respected, though I must say on sbricb figures he has libble show of beating Loyalstone, on the Caulfield Cup running. The Admiral's chance cannot be properly estimated till the Derby is decided to-day, but I'm not in love with three year-olds in a Melbourne Cud, when handicapped with anything over 7st, and this will apply to the wholo of the division so weighted. Tourbillon and The Jebusite have nothing to fear on the score of weight, but I can't fancy them to win ; and more to my liking is Little Bernie. His indifferent running in the Caulfield Cup is put down to being jammed at the start, and being knocked and hustled aboub throughout the race. There is no doubt aboub bhe colt's pace and staying abilities, and I bake bim bo be a very dangerous member. Muriel has been consistently supported for the last coudlg of months, and I have word that those connected with the mare are

Confident of winning. I take her to be one of the be3t of the outside division. Ernani, -a five-year-old, by Napoleon out of Miss Jackson, is talked about as having a good chance, buthisperformancoscontainnothing to recommend him. Probably he is one of the "army" runhiug for the rich prizes of place money. Loyalstone's running at 'the Caul Geld Meeting in the Stakes and Cup was full of merib, and his show looks -second to none. Ib is thought that ho will

be much better suited with tho Plemington course, and with such an impost as 6st 121b to carry ho should require a power of beating. The Spot (an inmate of Mr Cook _ stable) is pub down as a good outsider, bub among tho bottom division the three I fancy are Highborn, Mantilla, and Enuc. Highborn recorded a gallop last week good enough to win any Melbourne Cup, and though he is put down as a non-fetavor, this must be baken with the proverbial grain of salt. Mantilla ran second to Carbine in the lasb Sydney Cup, and is a proved stayer, while Enuc, like Bravo last year, is termed the " unlucky horse" of the Caulfield Cup, as he was iammed on the rails ab

tho most "critical part of the race. I have seen the Melbourne Cup galloped, and for a horse to win he has to get a good position from the fall of the flag, and have a lob of luck to keep his place. The light weight division this year are a formidable lob, which, of course, is greatly against the stop weight;?, for they can make.the pace terrific, bub calmly surveying the whole matter, I have decided to go straight for '• CARBINE.