SPORTING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8147, 19 April 1887, Page 5

SPORTING.

AUSTRALIAN BETTING. 181 BLXOTRIQ TShSGBAPB OOF IIiISHT. j [Reuter's Telegrams.] (Received April 19, at 1 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 18. The New Zealand colt Niagara is being backed for the Victorian Derby at 8 to 1, and for the double, Derby, and Melbourne Cnp is being supported 1000 to 20. MATCH. IIIPOSTOB AGAINST LEISURE HOUR. The match between Mr Q. Eutherford’s grey gelding Impostor (late Bob Boy), syrs, by Perkin Warbeck, and Mr G. H. Judd’s chestnut mare Leisure Hour, aged, by Knottingley, Mr Rutherford laying Mr Judd £3O to .£2O, came off on Saturday on the Springfield Racecourse. The event excited great interest, and there was a large attendance to witness its decision; and considerable speculation on the result, at the odds of 2 to 1 on the grey, took place. The match arose out of the meeting of the two horses in the Maiden Plate (one mile), at the Kowai Pass Races, on March 10, when, carrying Bst 121 b each. Leisure Hour won an exciting race by half a length. Since that time. Impostor has been in C. O’Connor’s hands at Riccarton, and was ridden by B. Derrett, while W. Pearson, who rode the grey at Kowai Pass, trained and rode Leisure Hour. The former stripped in greatly improved condition. Weight and distance were the same as at their previous meeting. A good start was effected. Derrett, who had the outside running, at once rushed to the front, and, cutting out the chestnut, secured the. inside running for the rest of the race. Steadying his mouAt, the two raced neck and neck till they were in the straight, when Impostor drew away, and, increasing his lead at every. stride, won easily by two lengths. Derrett was cheered on returning to scale. Several minor events were contested, and an enjoyable afternoon was spent. ASHBURTON B.C. AUTUMN MEETING. The following acceptances have been received for the Autumn Meeting of the Ashburton Racing Club : DISTRICT HURDLES. One mile and a half. nt lb I st lb BUI Allan Id 11 Kahikatea 9 9 Six William ... JO 3 | Jaukeroo ... ... 9 7 Nero 10 2 Matakauri 9 7 Wrangler 10 0 Sir John AUTUMN HANDICAP. One mile and a haH. Jack 8 0 | Tit Bit ..: ... 7 6 Mirella 8 0 Tasmania 7 0 Rose and Gold ... 7 11 I Nellie 6 13 PLYING HANDICAP. Six furlongs. Mirella 8 12 1 Erin-go- Pragh ... 7 0 Athol Daisy ... 8 8 Silver Qneen ... 7 0 Melville S 6 | Leescou G ID Gaiety 7 13 I Mountain Deer ... 6 0 Tasmania 7 9 Goldfinch ... 6 0 Fickle 7 31 Martin Lather ... 6 0 HANDICAP TIME TROT. Three miles. Gipsy (M'nain’s) . scr Heather Jock ... 45seo Jimmy Brown ... ISsec Sedgemere Lass... 15,, Jumbo 20 „ Gipsy (Moore’s) ... 45 „ Arttmr 25 „ Prince SO j, Bismarck 25 „ Woit-a-While ... 50 „ Molly O'Rourke... 40 ~ Lady of the Lake 55 , Dick 40 „ FOAL STAKES. Ivanhoe I Miss Field THE SYDNEY GOLD CUP. (Per s.s. Te Anau at the Bluff.) [By Telegraph.] [from otra own correspondent.] INVERCARGILL, April 18. The Sydney correspondent of the Argus describing the race says:—Heavy showers of rain fell while the competitors took their preliminary canters, and Mr Devlin was ready to receive them at the starting post. After they had broken away two or three times, he despatched them on even terms. The first lot to show in advance as they left the starter’s hand were Honeydew, Phaon, The Wreck, Ringmaster, and Willeroo. After they rose the hill The Wreck, Ringmaster, and Honeydew, were a length in advance Of Mozart and Myall King, who headed the main body, the whippers-in being Tom Brown and Abuse. The Wreck was the first to mount the hill, with Ringmaster and Honeydew on close terms, and Myall King and Mozart at their heels. The Jewel, Stanley, Frisco, Phaon, Willeroo, Kitawa, Nelson and others in a bunch. No material alteration occurred until they approached the turn, when Myall King and Mozart deprived The Wreck of the lead, and they entered the straight side by side, with Polly, The Wreck, Ringmaster and Frisco following in close order. Mozart and Myall King out out the work past the distance, and there was nothing to choose between them as they passed the stand. Ringmaster lying third, and next to him The Wreck, Frisco, Phaon, Willeroo, Honeydew, Kitawa, Stanley, Emerald, Sloth, and The Jewel, the last three being Nelson, Abuse, and Tom Brown. This order was pretty well preserved past the stand, but when they had fairly rounded the turn leading out of the straight Ringmaster shot to the front, Mozart, Myall King, The Wreck, and Frisco lying close and handy. Sorella fell at this point, but fortunately everything ran clear of her, and no other accident occurred until they neared the six furlongs post, where Nelson slipped on to his knees, but Brown never lei: the saddle. As he rose, something collided with the New Zealond horse and knocked him down, and threw Brown clean off his horse. Meanwhile, Ringmaster had taken the field along at a rare pace. Myall King, Frisco, Stanley, Kitawa, Honeydew, and Willeroo being his immediate attendants. Ringmaster rose the hill with a length advantage over Myall King and Frisco, Kitawa and Honeydew following, with Tom Brown making a forward movement ; and in something like this order they passed the half-mile post. The pace made by Ringmaster now began to tell its tale, and three furlongs from home he retired in favour of Frisco, who had at his heels Kitawa, Ringmaster lying third, and E merald making a strong run on the outside, with Honeydew fourth and Tom Brown fifth. Frisco’s light weight : served him well as they ran along the bend, and he was first into i the straight, with Kitawa, Honeydew, i and Tom Brown at his heels. Approaching , the distance, Frisco and Kitawa drew two ■ lengths clear of the others, and the latter 1 made a great effort to catch Frisco, but the ; lightweight, notwithstanding that he ran ; a little wide, held his own to the finish, i and won by three-quarters of a length i from Kitawa 5 Tom Brown, three lengths 1 off, third; Ringmaster fourth, followed by , Honeydew, Emerald, Stanley, Willeroo, ] Folly, Myall King, Mozart, The Jewel, ] Phaon, The Wreck, and Abuse, the last to i pass the post being Slot and Sorella, 1

coming in riderless, and Nelson walking in witn the crowd. Time—Smin 30fsee. Describing the race for the Autumn Stakes, the same paper*says:—Numerous scratchings had reduced the field for the Antumn Stakes to three, and although Nelson did not seem to move his shoulders . with his customary freedom, his admirers laid 7 to 2 and 4to 1 on him, one noble visitor backing him pretty freely at the latter price. Notwithstanding this confidence on the part of the followers of the New Zealand crack, and the miserable form displayed by Honeydew at Hawkesbury, some of those knowing people who are adepts at unravelling the mysteries of the turf invested their money in favour of Honeydew, who certainly was looking as well as I have ever seen him. Rumours of wonderful trials were whispered abroad, and those who appeared to know something requested their - friends to ignore hia Hawkesbury form altogether. Volcano had no friends, chiefly because Nelson had defeated him with such consummate ease oyer the same distance at Flemington that his chance was considered a hopeless one. When Mr Devlin dispatched the horses on their journey, Honeydew was in front for a few strides' but Brown, on the favourite, probably considering the pace too slow, went to the head of affairs, and though the ' pace was not a fast one, the New Zealander was going so well half-a-mile from home that his victory was considered certain; but Power had been waiting patiently on Honeydew, and coming with a strong run from the distance, he challenged the favourite, and, to the dismay of Nelson’s backers. Brown was seen to pull out Lis whip. This, however, availed him nothing, for Honeydew had him beaten before they had passed the Leger stand, and won easily. The backers of Nelson were dumbfoundered, while those who had seen Honeydew cut such a miserable figure at Hawkesbury were equally astonished at the marvellous resuscitation of Mr Long’s horse. The only persons who expressed no astonishment were the select few who knew something before the race of Honeydew’s galloping ability, and had backed him. Honeydew is a great slashing son of Goldsbrough, and his chief point is his wonderful length from hip to hock, his worst feature being his small, donkey-like feet. He was bred by the Hon J. Bales, who some time ago sold him to Mr Chambers for 200 guineas.. In his new owner’s colours he scored a couple of victories, and then : ran a good race with the cracks at Bandwick. This latter performance attracted the attention of the Hon W. A. Long, who . purchased the horse for 2000 guineas. He has since been a rather difficult horse to train, hut Tom Brown had him in great form for the race.