SPORTING NOTES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4285, 22 April 1885, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

(By "Caller Ou.")

Why on earth the A.J.C. do not commence their Autumn meeting on the Saturday and run the Cup on Easter Monday is a puzzle which I have never solved. Their Cup is generally run before a crowd not double that Avhicli assembles to Avitness the contest for the Napier Handicap, because the day it is run on is not a holiday. Details are to hand of two days' racing tit Ranchvick. The course, I may mention, is a mile and a quarter, and one chain in circumference, the last quarter being a straight run in. On the course £50,0UU has been expended, and Mr Clibborn, the secretary, is an old Ballarat man. The course is right-handed, Avhich by some is said to account for Commotion's defeats. The Autumn Stakes saw Commotion start ats to 2 against the field, and for a mile Kingship made the rimuiug for his stable mate, and Commotion entered the straight with a good lead, but Reginald well-handled by Haies beat him easily. The Champagne Stakes Avas a gift to'Uralla, as avus the Leger to Silver King. Tho large field of thirty contested the Doncaster Handicap, and St. Lawrence, Avho Avas a brilliant tAVo-year-old, Avon all the Avay. f* On the Cup day the Maiden Avas Avon by the Hon. J. "White's Angora, and then came the great event of the meeting- Avhich was Avon by Normanby. FiA'e furlongs from homo Wing - came down, and interfered with several horses including the winner. Velocipede got into a good position early and stayed there, and entering tho straight tho race Avas at his mercy, and pursuit by Normanby seemed hopeless. Tho rider of Velocipede looked round andsaAvNormanby coming, got flurried as he (the jockey) ay as tiring fast, and just as colonial jockeys always doat the time when they shouldkerqj cool, out with his whip, and Normanby got up in the last stride. It is tho old story—a good horse lost his race because the rider used a whip Avhen it Avas not needed. Normanby was backed for tons of money, Avhilo Velocipede's mission Avas to save the ring. AVith Gto 4 on him Monte Christo Avas badly beaten for the Sires' Produce Stakes. Abner won the Selling Stakes, and Avas sold to Captain Osborne for £810, the Club gaining some £100 by the transaction. I said something last Aveek about the delusion of picking it good two-year-old performer as likely to furnish a Derby winner. Hero is a list of the placed horses iv their order for the A.J.C. Sires' Produce Stakes since 1880: —Kamilaroi, Geraldine, Grand Prix, Spininngdale, Tho (Jem, Loftus, Jessie, Hccla, Navigator, Warwick, Off Color, Aberfoyle, Garfield, Bargo, and Kathleen, and any one can say at a glance they turned money into the bookmakers' pockets greatly Avith one exception—Navigator. The Melbourne Sportsman's tout at Flemington Avrote in a recent issue : — "Connor indulged Welceiine Jack in a couple of miles on the outer circle. Clarence cantered, 1 am pleased to say both of the Maorilaviders haA'c thrown off' all signs of lameness, and no doubt, .should all go avcll Avith them, they AA'ill yet render a good account of themselves at the Adelaide J.C meeting - in May, on the Flemington racecourse." My oavu opinion is Welcome Jack Avon't be run out till the Spring meeting af the V.R.C. However, time -will tell.

"Beacon," in the Otago Witness, gives some rough knocks to the Canterbury stcAvartls in reference to an allegeel cross in the second day's hurdle nice of the Canterbury autumn meeting. He says tho reason of its dismissal Avas been use it Av:ts lodged by an Otago man.— Sciierx says, " The same thing happened Avith July. The public had booked all tho available money about him, find AA'hen the stable Avas refused by the drawer of July in a large SAveep any share in the ticket, they put the pen through his name, an action ou Avhioh I most heartily congratulate them, for I like to see a greedy man slated. In this case the value of the ticket Avas Avas over £1200 if the horse Avon, and it cost thedraAver 10.s, and the value of the stakes was about £300, niiel the expenses of entry, training, and riding would cost—Avell, more than 10 bob. The lucky tlrawer of Knbina kncAV his aviia' about, and laid the stabler half the value of the ticket." —Canterbury ethics are peculiar. I recollect the eivvner of Sweetmeat threatening to scratch his horse for a Melbourne Cup if the holders of SAvcetmeat tickets in Miller's sweep did not sell him a share in the ticket, ami the Australasian castigated the oavuct and the sweepist for divulging the names. Tho public provide stakes for racing men, but if one of the public happens to draw a heit favorite, there is no reason Avhy he should part Avith half his ticket tit a price to suit an OAvnor, nor should the sAveepist divulge the name of the holder of the ticket, especially to an owner, till after the event.

The time in the Sydney Cup Avas very good, but tho fastest time made for that

race was far and uawiv tho best performance in 1883 Avhen Darebin, a four-year-old, romped home in oinins. 33,/secs., Avith. 9st Slbs ou his back. — Some of the clever crowd are taking 10 to 1 about horses for the N.Z. Cup to be run in seven months' time—tlioy desei'A'o to lose their money. Last year a Melbourne sporting scribe selectetl fifteen horses to win the Melbourne Cup less than four months before the raco—result, he had not a starter in his list.—-Malone Avon the Champion Handicap of 120 yards at Shtwell easily.—Qiieensbiiry Avon Boyle and Scott's Junior Clubs' trophy by 52 runs.— Sims, of the West Melbourne, won the chi.mpion single handed boAvling content at Melbourne. — Tho Roach subscription now exceeds .-£2OOO, Avhilo that for "llanlan is about £1000, and Messenger £."00.—The 150 soys handicap of N.S.W. Gun Club avus •Avon by Cameron, killing 17 successiA'c birds at 28 yards.—Barnes headed the batting averages of the Englishmen in eleven a side matches Avith an average of 13. He also toppetl the bowling averages. In the averages for all matches Barnes Avitli 1309 runs and an average of 33 Avas first; Bates -was second Avith 25, Peel having- the bowling average Avith 353 Avickets.—Sandhurst

scorctl 260 against Richmond, the latter getting 1-12 Avithout losing a Avickct.— —At the BaDnrat pigeon shooting l- handicap, Clarke at 31i yards shot 17 pigeons in succession.—ln the Intercolonial Bowling Match, Victoria beat Ncav South "Wales scoring 131 against 70.—Frank Hewitt beat his man Avith 20 yards start in a 300 yards spin by four yards, time 33jsecs.—■ Bush of Hay tho same day jumped a creek 23 feet 4 inches Avide. —At the last sale of yearlings in Sydney, a colt by Julian AA'enel from Young Gossamer brought 775 guineas.