V.R.C. SPRING MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 253, 22 October 1892, Page 3

V.R.C. SPRING MEETING.

Next Saturday the Cup carnival) or perhaps I should more correctly term it" Auatralia's grand national holiday," commences at Flemington. Tlio Melbourne Stakes and Derby are Ihe events that claim consideration this day week, 'there are several cracks engaged in the Melbourne Stakes, Including the Cup favourite Malvolio, and the much fancied Correze, Portsen, And St. Albana- 11., to say nothing xii teris (the Caulh'eld Cup horo), and , Althotas (the Great Metropolitan Stakes i winner), Autonomy, Candour, Oxide, G'Naroo, The Admiral, and Tirailleur. Here >is the material for » magnificent contest, and, ib may be, the result will unearth the Melbourne Cup winner from concealment. The Derby does nob give' promise of more than night starters going to the pout. Camoola gets firmer and firmer for the race as the day approaches, ; and he now figures as an even money favourite, despite a cablegram to the effect • that Camoola's gallop with Autonomy on Thursday morning last was not regarded ' by the touts as a good one on the part of ■'.the Derby favourite, Th<a acbaptanoes for ) tho Derby fall due at 11 o'clock on Friday ijinorninjj next, and I shall oxpoci to sea ,7 Autonomy drop out. The cabled betting on the Blue Riband aaows that with the exception of Camoola the most fancied candidates are being shuttlococked about in the market Id a most puzzling manner. On form, the race looks a good thing for the favourite, and more especially in the face of his Caulfield Stakes victory. In this connection " Free Lance " writes:—" To me the most ■ interesting feature of Camoola's Caultield Stakes achievement was the extraordinary gameness and stamina displayed by the paiti . At;.tha turn the chestnut), was apparontly'beaten (I bave the assertion of one 0/ the jockeys whoTode in the n»cs in'sajf- ) port of this), but by. dint of sheer dogged . iletanmipation Pay tan's colt fairly wore down the few of those who wore * trying ' i' on Saturday, and as a stayer Camoola, ' whom I have always admired, has gone' up a hundred per cent, in my estimation." The Melbourne Cup is run on the Ist of November,.and the final payment falls due on Tuesday afternoon next. Ticking o/F tho list of candidates there is every reason

to think that about 35 will remain in. Per-

Bonally, I think the number of real twomile stayers in this year's Cup are not large in numbers. Last year I picked ilalvolio to win right out, and it appears to ie that I will have to very 'seriously • think whether .his name shall not be^agttin pub in capitals on ttiia day wee&» when iay ' absolute selection is given. From the time Mi' JDaidn'a handicap appeared tbe eon of Malua has been mo3fc consistently BOppbrted, not only by' the stable,' but >vby those f;ood judges, "the British '•public." Yesterday's cablegrams showthat Malvolio ia firmer than ever in the market, and everything at prescind indicates that he •will baa hard horse to boat Correze ia in the Fame interest as Malvolio. From all accounts lie has been publicly and .legitimately supported for the Cup by the >i(tht people, and there is no reason to i "think why both Correze arid Malvolio should not both be among the starters. ?O! Correzo's staying ability there can be

.no two opinions, and his past performances ,*will benr tho closest scrutiny, for among tho number is n sterling one indeed. Tim Was accomplished in the V.X.C. Handicap at Flc-rnington as a 6bree year-dldj when the colt put up a record for the one and threequarter milos, with 7at 121b in the saddle. !'i'lie iiaily cablegrams are silent about the doings of Correze on tho training track, but in some recent notes written by " Asmudcuf," I came across the following :~" During a recent vieit to Canlriulrl I was greatly impressed with the ',marked improvement Mr Jamos Kodfearn baa etfoetecl in Correzo, whoiiaa not yet carried his new owner's colours since ha

under tho hammer lust spring for '1,300 guineas. Tho son of Newiuinster and Ouii'.u hns developed into one of the 1 'handeoxost hor«es in training, and was

never so big and muscular as be is now. ' Mr Rcdfearn has built him Up grandly, and a* noarly all the Newminsters ran best

when on the big Hide,- it Is not unlikely that Corteze will shortly make amends for some of the didappointßierits ■he occasioned at Fleminffton la»b spring. Malvoli'o ia not nearly »o lusty a# I was led to bn.Heve froth training ground reports, and pfovids.l all g3es well with him he will again be hard to bent in the Melbourne Cup.1' Csmo6l:t ia voted sneb n great stayer that it is not surprising to have tho information cabled tha^ ho almost disputes favouritiem ■ wiili Malvulio. If Chester's «on wins tho Derby enVily, I opiuo he will l/c & hard member to beat. One and

ell of the scribe? on the other side have a

good word to rfay about forUea, who U Bteadlly cotninir to the ftotit in the betting quotation?. This horse is a 4 year-old son of Neckc-WKafc and Ludy Lovelace* and is weighted at Sat Olb. At the last Spring Meeting i*ortjea won (he V.K.G. Handicap And ran second •to Pigeonloe in the Hotham liandicap, while last ilanuary hs got liomo in the Bagot Handicap. Id the liutumn bo raij at Fletnington «nd Randwiok, and paitted the utsohviablo distinction of four i<e<;oods. There are pleniy of people1 on the other eido who pay St Albntts IL will win, and hi* Rand wick

* i Orffl fiutrjieslo that he should run well. The other week the horse flfuck i n&Of his Idga whilst galloping, but lie would soein to be all right again. .He is one of the number < that can stay she djatanca. for he won Tattorsali'.j Club Ocp ''ot J Randwick in January last, carrying 7sr, running the two miles in 3min 34A«&c. Furis now has 9at Sib to carry, and'even with this weight he will have h> supporters if he starts. The 1 Admiral I'ax not figured prominently in the bettinjr so inr, bub wo all know that he is a rage-))or?t: when well. I shall have' an oppwtuni'.y to'tiiscuM the eliance!) oi tho Cup

acceptors next Week, but at present I incline to the chances of Malvolio, Correze, Camoola, Portsea, St. Albans 11., and the elect of Foulsbani'a lot. ...

In connection with St. Albana 11. a recent Sydney paper remarks:—" The fact that St. Albans 11. was able to walk to La Perouse and back and indulge in a swim in the bay, should bo sufficient to prove thab the son of Gozb i? still left with a chance of starting in the Melbourne Cup. The jonrney to and tro is a good 12 tulles. The cause of St. Albans 11. being laid up i» thab ho struck one of his legs whilst gallop* ing, when a mixture was applied, which acted as a slight blister. The horse shows no signs of lameness when walking, but he does when trotting. However, he is Bpeedily getting all right, and Mr \V. Delander assures me that he is likely to finish op his Cup preparation and start. If St. Albans 11, does go to the post he will beat more than beats him."