AUSTRALIAN AND FOREIGN SPORTING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11231, 31 March 1897, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN AND FOREIGN SPORTING.

The Melbourne Argus says that Mr W. R. Wilson, with true sportsmanlike spirit, was anxious for a meeting between his colt Aurum and Nejvhaveu in the All-Aged Stakes, feeling confident that the champion would strike his flag; but the managers of Newhaven deemed discretion the better part of valour, and withdrew from the contest. Baulked of an anticipated pleasure, the disappointment of the public was very keen, and Kowhavents managers did nob escape being taunted with showing the white feather. The excuse was that Newhaven was not at his best, and, fearing defeat in such circumstances, he was held in reserve for a lighter task later in the day. The following are clippings from “ Terlinga’s ” notes on the fourth day of the Victoria Racing Club's Autumn Meeting: —Aurum won the All-Aged Stakes very easily, but neither Coil nor The Officer went at him until well into the straight, and probably both were feeling the effects of their previous efforts. At their best they might not have beaten Aurum, but it was a poor race, and the Derby favourite was not thoroughly tested. * * * Had Power waited for a last run with Warpaint in the Loch Plate backers of Newhaven might have had bad luck, but the Adelaide Cup winner was taken to the front and ridden to a standstill. At one part of the race Newhaven seemed well beaten, but the other two stopped to nothing in the last half-mile, and ho won easily. The chances are Newhaven was “loafing” when he appeared to be in trouble, but I doubt if be was in anything like his spring, form at this meeting, and in all probability Mr Lloyd was wise in not taking on Aurum in the All-Aged Stakes. Of the sires represented at the Victoria Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting, the expatriated Trenton was the most successful, his progeny having secured five wins— Aurum in the Sires’ Prpduco Stakes, Ascotvale Stakes, and All-aged Stakes; and Cinder Ellen and Majestic in the Autumn Handicap and Unplaced Two-year-old Stakes respectively. Newminster follows with three successes Newhaven in the Champion Stakes and Loch Plato, and Beverley in the Bourko Handicap. Robinson Crusoe was credited with a couple of wins—by The Officer in the St Leger and Manfred in the Nursery Handicap. Coil scored similiarly for Abercorn in the Essendon Stakes and Australian Cup; and Creswick’s only representative,Lilith, earnecllike distinction for her sire by annexing the Brunswick Stakes and River Handicap. The sires who were credited with a single win each are Malua (Waraka in the Hopeful Stakes), Carlyon (Carlton in the Newmarket Handicap), Eiridspord (imp) (Hive in the Hurdle Race), Boolka (Larnook in the Steeplechase), Padlock (Key in the Junior Handicap), Braemar (Earlston in the Second Hurdle Race), Neckersgat (Eeka in the Maiden Stakes), Commotion (Mischief in the Place Handicap), Wizard (Zanonia in the Second Steeplechase), and Martini-Henry (Acton in the Farewell Handicap). , In his notes on the Victoria Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting" Terlinga” writes Evidently the St Albans stable is going to be very strong in three-year-oldraces next year. Aurum is the champion of the stable, and unless something comes to the front in Sydney, the Trenton colt will stand out a very strong favourite for the next Derby. As far as Keera, Patriot, and The Hypnotist are concerned, Aurum is undoubtedly the best colt we have seen, but Fleet Admiral won his race in .Sydney very easily, and he must not be forgotten by people who are interested in the next Derby. Fleet Admiral and Aurum are closely related, both being out of daughters of Instep, and I have no hesitation in putting them down as the two best colts of the year. At present Aurum is all the rage for the Derby—the absurd price of JUOOO to ASO has been taken that Mr Wilson’s colt wins the nest

Derby and Cup—but Fleet Admiral is a very fine colt, and on calm reflection. Aurmn did not do anything wonderful at the late Autumn Meeting. Keera lam sure is a non-stayer, and The ia not to be compared with some two-year-'; olds we have seen. Aurum won the All*; Aged Stakes, and won it easily, but tha 1 race was run to suit him, and I fancy both Coil and The Officer were not quite attlioir host that day. Let it be understood that lam not underrating Aurum. I have no doubt that ho is a good colt, but I don’t think Victorians have yet seen the best of Fleet Admiral, and, with the exception of Aurum and Fleet Admiral, the chances, are that the two-year-olds we haveseen this season are a very ordinary lot. Ivey can go very fast for five furlongs. SocanKeera,but as far as we know at present the only youngsters capable of getting a distance are Aurum and perhaps Fleet Admiral. Mr Wilson won nearly all his money at this meeting with two-year-olds, and his greatest disappointment was Reliance, This colt was said to be inferior to Aurum, but much better than Manfred. Ho did not run up to his form, as he got a fair, run, and was badly beaten in the Junior' Handicap, which Key won. Reliance is a fine colt, but his joints are very doubtful, and he is likely to give Mr Macdonald a deal of trouble. Manfred stays well, and is just the sort to prove useful in handicaps, and Ma jestic is likely to improve. Of the other two-year-olds which we saw at the meeting, Key was the best, and I take it, that she has improved very much since going into the hands of J. Wilson, jun. Patriot is brilliant, but does not get be* yond five f urlongs. ; Once more (writes “ Terlinga ”) has the Champion Race proved a failure. Steeplechase horses could „ have- rum the three' miles as fast as Kewhaven did. Of course the club saves half the stake through the limit of smin 40seo being exceeded, but that is small consolation to the thousands who went out to see a three-mile race, and saw the competitors take 3min losec to run the first mile and a half ! Kewhaven once more asserted himself. The improvement made in him between the Saturday and the Thursday was little short of marvellous, and of course he is the best colt of the year. Whether he was the best horse in the Champion Race on the day is not so certain. Coil’s chance was thrown away by the terribly bad judgment ‘of his rider, who kept him lengths away from the leaders until half a mile from home. The task of giving Kewhaven and The Officer ten lengths start in half a mile was altogether beyond Coil, although he was going the strongest of the three placed horses at the finish. Kewhaven seemed to me to have had quite enough at the finish, and the miserable pace was probably all in his favour. Tom Payteu blames himself a good deal for Harris’s stupid riding of Coil. Payten blamed Karris for coming too soon in the Australian Cup, and told him to be sure and lie off until the very last in the Champion Race. In trying to carry out these orders Harris overdid tilings, and as far as Coil is concerned the Champion Race counts for nothing. Kb horse ever foaled could have won the way he was ridden. There was a good deal of cheering over Newhaven’s victory. People were glad to see the champion of the spring wipe out his St Leger defeat. At the same time it would be suppressing the truth were I to say that there was not a good deal of talk about the reversal of the Leger form. To me there is nothing strange in Kewhaven avenging himself on The Officer The race he had on Saturday and two or three nice gallops subsequently had transformed him into quite a different animal to the colt we saw floundering home in the St Leger. Yet I think Kewhaven is still behind his spring form, and I am doubtful about his having beaten Coil on his merits last week. It is a pity a great colt like Kewhaven so constantly besmirches his reputation by a wretched performance. A real champion should be consistent, as Carbine was. Carbine might he beaten occasionally, but he was only once guilty of running a bad race, and then he was lame