AUSTRALIAN AND FOREIGN SPORTING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11022, 29 July 1896, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN AND FOREIGN SPORTING.

The death of the well-known Australian rider B. Colley is notified from Brisbane. Colley ranked among the foremost colonial horsemen of his time, when Hales, Nicholson, Cracknell, Yeomans, O’Brien and other well-known exponents of the profession were in their prime, and his services were in good demand. Among Iris many successes were the victories of Woodlands, Nellie and Le Grand in the A.J.C. Derby; dead-heat on Crossfire in the Oaks with Tamarisk, ridden by T. Hales ; Maddelina in the Caulfield Guineas; and the Maribyrnong Plate on Nellie. _ ■ The handicap for the Free Handicap Sweepstakes for three-year-olds, which is run each autumn, made its appearance just before the Derby was decided. The list, is headed by St Frusquin, who with 9st is reckoned 7lb better than Omladina. Persimmon, Galeazzo and Teufel are all placed on the same mark at Bst 61b, with Guiistah and Regret allotted respectively Bst 41b and Sst 31b. Among the French., representatives Champignol at Sst 2lb stands first’, those nearest him being Hero Sst, with Avreau, Kerym, Liane (the winner of the French Oaks), and Beato each given 2lb less. Beferring to the running of Paris in the Durdans Plate run on the third day of the Epsom summer meeting, the“ Special Commissioner ” of the London Sportsman writes;—The third important race was the Durdans Plate, and' Mrs White had come to see Paris 111. run. Tire old gelding looked well to my eye, but to the lady he seemed peculiar with his tail-cut, so much ■are we all jwone to accept only what we have been accustomed to see. T am told that Paris 111. won his best races in Australia when trained a good deal lighter than he was to-day, but a black cloth on his off fore leg told of some trouble, and Marsh has no doubt been having difficulty with him. I thought he walked feelingly on that leg, and was not at all surprised to see him beaten under the circumstances. At no part of the race did he look at all dangerous, and the hard ground has, it would seem, found Mm out, well accustomed to it though he must have been in Australia. . The “ Special Commissioner ” of the London Sportsman tells an interesting story about< the late Colonel North and this year’s Derby winner. It seems that the colonel, when staying at Sandringham three years ago, took a great fancy to Persimmon, who was then a foal, and offered the Prince of Wales 1000 guineas for him. H.E.H. consulted the Princess on the subiect and was advised to keep the foal himself. A little later the colonel offered 2000 guineas, which was also refused as the result of a similar consultation. A further offer of 3000 guineas was dealt with in the same way, and in the morning Colonel North went another thousand—he would give 4000 guineas for the foa‘. This tempting offer Jwas also refused, a d Colonel North said: “After all, sir, I am glad you have not let me buy him, for I believe he will win the Derby, and then it would be a national calamity if he were mine instead of yours.” Had it not been for the prudent influence of the Princess of Wales, Persimmon would have been entered for the Derby by Colonel North, and his nomination would have been void. Lord Derby’s Canterbury Pilgrim won the Oaks {run over about a mile and a half) in 2min 45fsec, whilst last year Sir J. 'Miller’s La Sagesse occupied 2min 48tsecs. The previous season the Duke of Portland’s Amiable covered the course in 2min 50sec, and in 1893, when Mrs Butterwiek was successful in the same ownership, the time was 2min 44|sec. In 1892, Baron de Hirsch’s La PHche won in 2min 43-J-sec, against the 2nrin 54|see of Mr N. Fenwick’s Mimi in 1891, and the 2min 40Asec of the Duke of Portland’s Memoir in 1890, the best on record in connection with

the race. In 1889, Lord Randolph Churchill’s L’Abbesse de Jouarre won in 2min 45sec, and in 1888 Lord Calthorpe’s Seabreeze occupied 2min 42£sec, which was record time up to that date. In 1887 the Duke of Beaufort’s Reve d’Or took 2min 50fsec, and in 1886 the Duke of Hamilton’s Miss Jummy went the course in 2min 54? r sec. Lonely, in 1885, in Lord Cadogaa’s colours, was timed at 2min 43|sec, and the following are the records for a number of previous winners:—1884, Mr Abington’s Busybody, 2min 49sec ; 1883, Lord Rosebery's Bonny Jean, 2nhn 53seo; 1882, Lord Stamford’s Geheimniss, 2min 59sec; 1881, Mr W. S. Crawfurd’s Thebaia, 2min 46see: 1860, Mr Perkins’s Jenny Howlet, 2min 49soc.

“Vigilant,” of the London Sportsman in his notes on the Derby, has the follow-, ing;—Whatever may have been the attendance on the Downs, it is quite certain that the paddock was very indifferently patronised, and it is years since I have been able to get such a really good view of the Derby | candidates, witHfiiOTje least crushing and ' discomfort,,' ' TtW; ’/doubtless, ’ atbte, - from the,/’general knowledge that {Persimmon would not be* on view, whilst most racegoers have already , had more than one portunity of seeing St Frusquin during the present season. In addition to the Prince of Wales’s representative, Earwig and Bardwardine were absentees, which only left ns with eight in the paddock. I had Teufel all to myself in the corner near the little gate through, which they pass after the cauter on their way to the starting post, and a very charming little colt he is. He has a nice short back, is well ribbed up and knit together and looked to be made for this course, whilst no colt could well have been fitter or more full of life and go. The favourite, led by Gulistan, made a somewhat late appearance from the grounds of the Durdans, and, to my 'mind, ho has never looked better; indeed, it is impossible to give Hayhoe too much credit for the ' way in which he has kept him up to concert pitch under circumstances of peculiar difficulty. He made his stable companion look quite a commoner, and, indeed, useful horse as he undoubtedly is, a rather .plain head will always detract from Gulistan’s appearance. The canter was the merest apology for that usually important ceremony, only two of the eight doing more |than a quiet amble. Tamarind and Bay Ronald were the exceptions, and dashed into the paddock again quite in the recognised style. Then, after an interval, came Toussaint, Spook, and Teufel; Some time after these had appeared Gulistan cantered in at about a six miles per’ hour gait, followed by St Frusquin at a slow trot, whilst Knight of the Thistle brought up the rear at a walk. The lastnarued was ridden by Mornington Cannon, but it was a pity to' have started him, as he had a very listless look, wa« manifestly hopelessly short of condition, and the risk of breaking him down must have been very great. There was a delay of about seven minutes at the port, caused by the disinclination of Gulistan to join hia horses, and, when the flag at last fell, he got away so indifferently that Calder had fairly to drive him : along for nearly a. quarter of a mile before he could take his place at the head of affairs to serve St Frusquin. The latter was right in the van when half the journey had been accomplished, and, as far as could be judged by the aid of a glass, made the descentx’OundTattebham Comer quite as well as did any of the ■others. Persimmon, who had lain in- the rear for the first half-mile, then began to make up his ground very rapidly, and more than a quarter of a mile from hone the result was reduced to a match. I cannot call to mind a longer or more sever* finish, but I thought that Persimmon, who was bn St Frusquin’s whip-hand, always had a shade the better of it. The demonstration over the victory of Lord Rosebery with Ladas two years ago was a very remarkable one, but it faded into insignificance compared with the wonderful scene that was witnessed immediately the Royal colours had passed the post, ,a neck in advance of the almost equally popular blue and yellow. Men who probably had not cheered for years, yelled and shouted like so many schoolboys, and at least ten thousand people went temporarily wild with excitement. As tb« Prince went down on to the course and led his gallant horse back to the weighingroom the cheeing was redoubled, and it was continued almost without intermission until the “ all right ” was pronounced. On all sides was heard: “Well, I lost my money, and I’m very glad of it,” and there could not be the smallest doubt as to th» thorough genuineness of these expressions.