SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5758, 1 May 1880, Page 7

SPORTING NOTES.

RACING FIXTURES. May U—Grand National Steeplechase, Christchurch. May 24- Kllerslie Meeting. ; May 2i -Te Awamutu- ' Tub Auckland Meeting was not such a success as usual. The attendance was not np to the* average, owing to it. not being a general holiday. The racing, however, taking it all together, was good, and the quality of the horses better than has generally bean the case at the Autumn Meetings. The starting, however, wa3 indifferent, some of the starts being really bad. It is. fallacy for anyone to attempt starting with one flag, and on horseback, as the jockeys are always watching the starter, and trying to steal a march. When there is an advance Bag, they have their eyes on that, and the starter can drop his flag either from the side or behind, when he has got them in line. For the Tradesman's Plate, nine came to the post, and the Maid of Honor, though not ti D to the mark, had no difficulty in winning, ai she is a much superior animal to her opponents, and had the best of the weights. Grand i uchesa ran unaccountably bad. She is a fine raking filly, and well bred enough for anything. The Ellerslie Plate was at the mercy of Hilarious, who won from start to finish. He is a nice colt, though standing rather high on the leg, but I think, in another year, one or two of those behind him will prove his superior, especially Kenilworth and Prince (jharlie. The latter is a fine colt, but very backward. Grey Momua won the hurdle race, proving that a good horse, over timber, can give lumps of weight away to duffers. R. Mclvor rode him with great judgment and did not come with him tiil the last, having waited in front the greater part of the distance, a thing that very few colonial jockeys understand doing. The Autumn Handicap was a great "boil over," the winner turning up in Yatapa, a horse that has lately been running about at little country meetings,'' and only winning consolations. With the exception of Libeller, the cracks ran nowhere. Malvern taking, a line through the winner would have been dangerous, but he was run against a post and his jockey unfortunately broke his thigh in two places. The race is -easily described, as Yatapa and Libeller raced* in front from the start. It is mote than probable that if Libeller, who had much tbe worst of the weights, had not been made bo much use of, that the verdict would have been reversed ; as it was utter madness for a three-year-old to go racing at an old horse from start to finish, when giving him a stone, and it was evidently what Yatapa wanted. The time was »Uo very good. The Novel Handicap fell to Confidant, a moderate kind of an animal. Five faced the starter for the Publicans' Purse, Hilarious being made a great favourite, but he failed to get the mile, and Maid of Honour, running very game, scored a second victory from Soukar. This mare is evidently recovering from the effects of change of climate, and u her forelegs stand training she will prove a useful mare another year, but I doubt her ever making a stayer. The handicaps on the second day gave the greatest dissatisfaction, and show the absurdity of a person attempting to make handicaps when not on the spot. Hi'ariou9 had little trouble in winning the Flying Stakes, Billingsgate being out of all form.

The Steeplechase'ended in a regular farce, all the horses sticking up at the fence on the top of the hill, remaining there at lea3t a qnarter-of-an-hour before the first horse got over, and then again stopping the second time, some of them not getting over at all. Baron, after repeated refusals the first and second time round, won by half a-mile. A circumstance occurred in this race that would not have been -witnessed on any other course. One of the officials, a member of the club, rode up to the fence where the horses were refusing and kept jumping his hack over the fence continually in front of them. Quite lately, Maurice Griffin, a trainer in Australia, was disqualified for twelve months,' and had to give up his establishment and' sell all his horses, ■ for giving bis horse a lead over hurdles. j King Quail won the St. George's Handi- | cap easily, and it is a wonder that he was allowed to start at an outside price, as from the moment the weights appeared he was on paper the best thing in it, meeting the same horses at from lOlbs to 141bs. better terms than in the Autumn Handioap. Soukar won the Shorts Handicap, upsetting a great pot on Maid of 'Honour, who did riot seem to travel well under Bat. 21bs. It would be well if the committee of the A.R. C. would pay a little more«ttention to what iB going ou outside, as oh no racecourse in the world you see so many blacklegs with their gambling machines as there was at this meeting, and in the ring there were also many who could be dispensed with. The coarse being private property, the stewards havethe powerof warning any person off, even if no complaint has been made, as long as they think them objectionable. One or two'thinga occurred that should not have been passed over. A Southern bookmaker, who ought to have known better, while standing on the steps of the stand in front of the ladies, used some disgustteg and blasphemous languaj.# in such a loud tone that they could not possibly avoid hearing. Another member of the ring was lying in the saddling paddock in a Btate of intoxication. These things railitate'greatly against the success of a meeting, and prevent ladies, who always tend to enliven a racecourse, from attending. The committee also made a great mistake iu not coming to terms with Mr. Franck to work his totalisator, which is the only fair one, and selling the right of using them to persons, who used spurious machines. The consequence was that a good deal of cheating is alleged to have taken place, which ended in the police making a raid On the totalisator, and locking four personsup. As the case is still subjudice, I shall refrain from making any comments. Mr. Franck's instrument, as 1 have often mentioned, is the only fair one, and, if locked when the raqe starts, cannot be tampered with. lam perfectly sure that baforo long it will become a great favourite with the outside public, and do no inqury to the legitimate bookmaker, though it will do away with the scum, who can well be dispensed with. It i 3 to be hoped that before another season the committee of the Auckland Racing Club will make great alterations in carrying out their meeting, or Auckland will descend very low in the scale of race meetings. "Voltigeur," in the Canterbury Times, states that on his visit to the course the other day, he saw the Agent at work ; he looked big, and went very short, and ho does not think it possible to get him fit for the Grand D- ational. Fishhook and Bogardus have been fired by Mr. Calvert, of Riccarton, and the remainder of the Hornby team have been blistered.

AUSTRALIAN NOTES. At a special meeting of the Victorian Racing Club several alterations were made in the programme for the forthcoming meeting. the chief being the reduction of forfeits, and increasing the second and third money for the Champion Stakes. The motion for petitioning the Assembly to legalise the tot.iiisator was carried by a large majority, only Messrs. Purvis and Yuille opposing it, and their arguments were, for the most part, absurd. The Australian Press strongly advocates the use of the totalisator, and there are some very good articles oa it, especially one in the A ustralasian. Mr. Silberberg's horseß were disposed of by auction in Sydney, Alpaca, the dam of Woodlands, being purchased by the Hon. J. White for 525 guineas. The same gentleman has also privately purchased brother to Cheater for 1000 guineas. Caspian and Wentworth have been purchased- to go to India. The ring lost over £SOOO at the late A. J.C. meeting. Mr. Silberberg's" defalcation is said only to be of a temporary nature, as his estate will pay fifteen shillings in the pound, which in all probability will be accepted. Should it not be so, one or two gentlemen are likely to come forward and pay the difference. . The losses are put down at £4000. The Committee of Sydney Tattersalls have called upon all persons indebted to Silberberg to pay the amounts to them, or tlicy- will' be posted as defaulters. " Falcon,"in the Leader, states : li Iscarcely see. where the power 'of Sydney Tattersalls comes in calling on persons indebted to Silberberc; to pay the amount owing to them, or they will, be posted as defaulters. Even if they had the power to post members of their 'own'room, they could not possibly have any control 'over outside. the room." Mr.; Silberberg has since disposed of his Btud and.. other assets, and i announced to the committee that he can pay in full. v 1 r: I'ENTER-COLONIAII BOAT EA.CB;; ; The ..third ."Inter-colonial Eight ■ oared Race between New South Wales andiViC" i toriawaa rowed on April 19, and ended in a

■ decisive victory for the latter. - Both crews rowed in boata built in Melbourne, which were considered qnite equal to anything that can be imported from England. Fuller had the order for the New South Wales boat, which was fitted with swivel rowlocks made in Sydney. Edwardes succeeded in turning out a tine specimen of an eight-oar for the Victorians. The courße was about five miles. The tide was on the ebb, so the race was rowed against the current throughout. The day was cloudy and cool, with a nioe southerly breeze, but'net sufficiently strong to cause any serious roughness on the water. The Sydney captain having won the toss, took the Sandridge side, while the Victorians had the central position. The crews were started from two moored boats, in which Jesse Brown and his son were, whose duties Were to hold the stems of the boats till the starter gave the signal. ' The following are the names and weights of the respective crews :— s VICTORIA. NEW SOUTH WAI/RS. &t. lb. at. lb. A. R. Stacpoola J. Thomson (bow) 9 5 (bow) .. .. 10 8 w. P. Simson (2i 10 2 A. Nichols ,2) .. 10 12 M. U Zollner (3! 11 0 J. L. Irvine (3) .. 11 2 C. A. Bros (4) .. 10 9 J. Booth 14) .. 11 1 F. . WoodrifE (5) 11 0 W. f. Tucktt (5) 1-? 2 C. W. G&den (6).. 10 13 K. Booth (61 .. 11 6 G. W. Am'.ow (T) 11 8 B.Brown (7. .. 1110 A. P. Stewart <i. Upward(stroke) 12 0 'stroke).. .. 10 13 F. Edwards (cox) 610 A. Yates (cox) .. 5 1

Sydney were most anxions to get away, and showed slightly in front for the first few strokes. When both bad settled down, Melbourne, rowing 40 strokes a minute to Sydney's 3D, began to draw ahead, and soon held the lead of half-a-length. Upward having rowed at 'this rate for a minute, settled down to 38 to Sydney's 39. At the end of the first mile they led by a clear length, rowing 37. Both then made for the Sandridge shore, Sydney, straining every nerve, aud rowißg at least 40, to secure the inside berth ; but Upward kept his own water, and left them plenty of room, on the inside The Sydney eight were steered close in shore, in still water, but were nnable to gain any. advantage. Melbourne entered the river with a clear lead of a length, in Smins. 55secs. Rounding the bend Melbourne rowing 36 still kept their own water, and were, therefore, pulling a longer course than New South Wales, who were excellently steered, rowing in thealack water by the bank. When half the bend was done, Sydney from their siiperior position had decreased their opponent's lead by half a length, and when Humbug was reached they had almost come up to the Melbourne boat, though there was always daylight between the boats,, but once in the straight, the latter shot away and gaining at every stroke soon placed a clear gap between the boats. Rouuding' the turn at the end of the Humbug, Melbourne had gained nearly a clear length, and once in the long reach it- was very apparent that, barring accidents, Victoria had it all their own way, as tbey were rowing like clockwork at 36, Sydney still rowing very game and determined at 37. Past the boneinills Upward dropped to 34, still easily holding his own, at Haliburton's Stewart made a spurt, rowing 41, but could not gain on the Victorian orew, who went in easy winning by about four boat lengths," Sydney being just 16secs. behind. Time, 26mfns. 45secs. Old Turfite.