THE MELBOURNE CUP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4372, 17 November 1875, Page 2

THE MELBOURNE CUP.

The issue of the great turf event of the year in these colonies—the raco for the Melbourne Cup—was telegraphed to this office a few minutes before nine o'clock yesterday evening, and, through the medium of an extra, speedily circulated among sporting circles, provoking nor a little comment. As: frequently happens, "the pot boiled over," and the sums of money which will change hands on the event will be considerable.. The W wt-f Wh ° Uy »««*pected, for some brilliant, yet good steady work with conof the few days training immediately precedf S eve ?t of the race itselTwill be looked for with interest. ' On October 7 "Augur," in Hs trainingnotes said:—"Having seen a considerable amount of work at Remington since my re turn from Sydney, I have had an opportunity of Judging of the condition of the Cup horses training in the vicinity, and have, come to the conclusion that the most promising of the Flemington-trained horses are Scanmag and WollomaL Both have done the necessary amount of strong work, and I'm quite satisfied as to their pace and thenstay ing capabilities." In subsequent notices by the same writer we find the following : " Wollomai, under Morris's care, will strip as fine as a star for the Cup. GoldsborougK Kingsborough, Calumny, Melbourne, Sterling, Imperial, Richmond, Haricot, Scannia<v Maid of All Work, and Canterbury have all distinguished themselves in one way or another ; and in Wollomai, Kingfisher, Diike, Polidori, and Nimrod they will have contending against them outsiders whose credentials are of a high order, and, being favoured in the matter of weight, one of these should trouble the big guns at the finish." The betting on the three placed horses afc last intelligence was :—Wollomai, 100 to 6 ; Richmond, 100 to 10; Goldsborough, 100 . to 8. In Auckland, sporting enterprise has been for the most part confined to sweeps, and several of these have been organised on alarge scale, and have excited considerable interest, which has not been altogether confined to sporting circles, as a weep is a species of betting which handicaps the weak with the strong, and the knowing with the simple. Perhaps the results of the three principal sweeps in town will illustrate the truth of this vividly enough,—a lady taking a £100 prizo in one sweep, and another prize of £263 being carried off by a Maori. The following is the list of winners :—Ellis's (Exchange Hotel) sweep : Ist prize, £300, Andrews and Hardiman, of Hokianga j 2nd, W. Rattray, £150, North Shore; 3rd, £100, Miss Gibbs, formerly barmaid at the Exchange Hotel. Abbofs (City Club Hotel) first sweep: Ist prize, £500, A. C. Yarborough and Co.-, of Hokianga ; 2nd, £200; George Winterfield ; 3rd, £100, J. H. Marshall and Co. Second sweep : Ist prize, £262, Kereama (Graham), a native from Hokianga; 2nd, £131, R. Chalmers; 3rd, £65 10s, R. Teague, carter.