CARBINE'S GREAT VICTORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 270, 15 November 1890, Page 3

CARBINE'S GREAT VICTORY.

The Australian papers to hand this week containing tho details of the Melbourne Cup race, teem with laudatory notices of Carbine's groat victory. »Martindale," the well-known Sydney scribe, commenting on the event, says : " No previous Cup has been such a genuine contest. There wa3 no crossing for interference. Every jockey in the race appeared to be making for tho winning post in a beo line, Previously there has always been a lob a bumping and jostling round tha firsfc turn. This time they swept round it without the slightest collision, and the fact bhab nob one horse was there to stop another was plainly to be seen. Strange to say, Carbine was tho la3t horse to como into tho paddock to strip, but he was the first out. As ha went out even the jockeys cheered him, for if there is anything in Australia thab is more popular than anything else ib is Carbine. All classes, from high to low, men, women, and children, all gaza with admiration on Carbine when he passes along. Of course he had to be led down to tho post. That appears to be a little attention that he cannot do without.

Those who wero down at tha atari) say that it was a good ono, and that Tarcoola was one of tho first to move. In the race Carbine was never seen in a very prominent place until the last half-mile was reached, and then camo up and cut down first Melos, then Highborn, Correze, and Enuc, and when they entered the straight the race was all over, so far as tho winning of it was concerned, for there appeared to be no possible chance' of anything, beating tho public idol, Carbine. 1-tamage, so bhab no chance should be thrown away, kept riding tho champion, and the latter, responding gamely at every call, landed tho muchcoveted prize by two length? and n-half, amidst such an uproar as was nGvor heard on a racecourse before. It was something to bo remembered. Tho ladies were even more excited than the sterner 9ex, and handkerchiefs, parasols, and everything available were waved in the most reckless fashion. Men cheered themselves hoarse, in fact a brother pressman from Sydney, who had strict orders from us to look after tho race and note down any little item that might escape the general notice, was in such a state that so far as lie is awaro the race might bo going on still. What a harvest tha hattors wiil reap out of it. .Many a good tilo was flattonod oub beyond all recognition. A feature of tho race was the running of Highborn and Correzo in the lasb six furlongs. Highborn pub tho others down in a mosb marvellous fashion, and it only shows thab had the Warwick Farm horse nob been interfered with in his preparations a raonbh or so back whab a certainty either the Caulfield or Melbourne Cups would have been. Corrozo also made a bold bid. What happened to Prince Consort ib is hard to say, bub he had bad luck from the start, a3 ha-was tha last horse at the stand the first time, and had Carbine been in thab position ho could have never got through. Vengeance looked overdone, and there Was just tho slightest suspicion of lameness as ha cantered down to the post, looking very light and breaking oub into a sweat after cantering. Cuirassier ran a great horse for a mile and a half. Thepacc was a cracker from end to end, and broke all previous records for tho evont; so thab, taken all through, this year's Cup was the mosb successful of its kind. It was the biggest prize, secured the most numerous field, won by the best horse iv Australia, who carried the heaviest weighb, and ran the fastest time ; so thab no wonder Mr Donald Wallace's face looked like tho rising sun on a summer's morning. What a stake ho wins too ; and how do the backers scoop in the shekels? Carbine, ib might almost be said, was favourite before tho weights came out, certainly ever since. After the race it was hard to get a chac wibh the riders, as many had other engagements. Thero were no more Borrowfullooking faces among tho loser 3 than those presented by Mat Harris and Toby Moran. Holding a good position at the home turn, Harris never doubted tho ability of Melos fco finish with anything living. It did nob take many strides with Carbine to satisfy him, and it must havo been a very sorrowful moment when he saw first bho stretchedoub no3o, head, and neck glide by him. Little Moran was almosb reduced to tears, and he will always hold to tho opinion that Correzo should have been tho winner of the Cup. Hi 3 version is that the horse was turned the wrong way when the starter gave the word, This caused him to be last away. Then after working up into a splendid position ab the homo turn tho horse stumbled and fell on to his nose. The Winking Jockey's Narrative—How the Rack was Won. After an important evenb like the Melbourne Cup it is always tha correct thing to interview tho winning jockey. Ramage hardly had the colours off or his boots on before the enterprising journalist was after him with the pertinacity of a tradesman after a bad debt. Bob Ramage is a slightly-built and somewhat delicate man of 25 years of age, and has been riding about 13 years. His engagement by Mr Donald Wallace was due bo bhe facb thab Mick O'Brien, who had hitherto .ridden for Wallace, has been in such a bad state of health that ib is doubtful if he will ever be seen in the saddle again. Tho admittance of Ramage into the stable appears to have been a very happy piece of business. Horses, like human beings, appear to have their likes and dislikes. With O'Brion Carbine always appeared to bo in a temper; bub with Ramage it is just the other way, and the horse ovon in bis work appears to revel in ib. In tho jockeys' room after the race, of course, there was a regular babel—all the boys talkiDg ab once, and perhaps Ramage had the least to say of the lob, In a conversation he stated . " You see, it's like this. If you wero looking ab the race you know more aboub ib than I do. A fellow can't be locking round to see whero all the horses are. I wasn't afraid of them either before tlio race nor while it was on, not a blessed one of them. I have ridden him in all his work, and I felt sure he could do ib. I got away first-rate, _ had a good place nob far from the rails, and went off well ; but the pace was very hot from tho start, and I had to ride him for (he first six furlongs to keep him in a decent position. Ho was a bib sluggish until we passed the stand. You would see I was then about fifth or sixth. After that he settled down to his work in proper style, and I had no more trouble with him. 1 just kepb him in a good position and bided my time, for I knew he would come when he was wanted. I did not keop the inside running all the way. I gob over towards tbe outside at the back of the course, a little past the centre of tho field, but I was in a good position all the way. I think there were never much move than eight or nine in front of me. Ib js nob'safe to get too far back in a big field ; and knowing thab, I jusb let him go, and he kepb his place. There was no need to press him much, though the pace was such a cracker. I could scarcely tell what horses were near me until we turned towards tho straight. Then I saw Melos was three or four lengths ahead of me, and going well; but even then I wasn't afraid of him, though I thought if anything beat me it might be him. When we turned into tho straight Melos was still three or four lengths in front, with three or four others that I didn't know. I kopt him going then, and took out my whip and shook it at him; but 1 never hit him. I came round the turn on tba outside, and they coon began to come back to me, After wo gob well Into the gfcraighb, then the old fellow came away from them. I had a go with something else, then passed Melos; and I knew it was all righb. Yes, sir, I rode him right out then. Oh, ye 3. though I didn't bib him, I kepb him going for.all be

wa3 worth righb up bo the post. J didn't want to chance anything. I didn'b see anything near me ab the finish, so I suppose I had a few lengths to the good ; bufc he did all he knew,' and I dod'b think I could have gob anything more oub of him if ib had been a desperate finish." The trophy which accompanies tho valuablo stako for the Melbourne Cup consists of a massive and richly-chased clareb jug and half-a-dozen dessert stands, and cosb £150. The trophy is embellished wifch sporting emblems, and forms an appropriate supplement) to the money prize, which, for the winning horse, amounts to £10,070.