V.B.C. AUTUMN MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18348, 14 March 1923, Page 6

V.B.C. AUTUMN MEETING.

NOTES ON THE FORM.

BT PHAETONThe Victoria K&cine Club's Autumn Meeting. which. as usual, extended over four days, was brought to a. close on Saturday last. According to the cabled accounts of the racing, there was some fast galloping, and several course records were broken. A survey of the racing reveals that descendrrts of imported sires had a long way the beat of it as against the colonial division. Of the 24 races decided, the Englishbred fires were credited with no less than -0 winners. Comedy King being at the head yf the list with five winners.

EURYTHMIC. Though " the flying chestnut," as Eurythmic was once popularly called, failed to extend his winning record, it is fitting that he should receive first attention of the noteworthy horses that carried silk at F.eminston- Though defeated in both the Essendon Stakes and C. M. .Lloyd Stakes, Eurythmic demonstrated that he was still a long remove from being a back number, and in each cuso he made a bold bid for victory in fast run races. Harvest K:ng, who beat him over a mile and a-guarter in the spring in the decision of the Melbourne Stakes, was again in the way to keep him out of a win in the Essendon Stakes, and he had to strike his colours to the three-year-old Maid of the Mist in the C, M. Lloyd Stakes, which event was run in the clipping time of lm. 3715., and he was within threequarters of a length of the winner. Eurythmic has now contested 46 races, and his record stands at 30 wins and a dead-heat, sir seconds, and four thirds, while his captures in stakes run out to £36.891. Eurythmic was not called upon to fulfil his engagement in the King's Plate on Saturday, and possibly that may be taken to mean that his racing career has closed.

A SMART FILLY. The victory registered by Maid of the Mist in the decision of the CM. Lloyd Stakes. reveals a smart filly. The account of the race shows that with a full burst of speed on Maid cf the Mist went out to win her race six and a-half furlings from home, and, surviving a resolute challenge on tho part of the doughty Flurjthmic, she won brilliantly, and cast the eight furlongs behind in the fast time of lm. 37Js. Maid of the Mist was got bv All Black from Breva, a daughter of Grafton and the Havoc mare Mistral. 'there was apparently no reason to anticipate a weight-for-age performance from Maid of the Mist, and her defeat of Eurythmic is to be viewed as one of the chief surprises of the Flemington gathering. Maid of the Mist was bred by her owner, Mr ; Phillip Russell, a popular sportsman of Victoria.

BROTHER TO ARTILLERYMAN. King's Battery, a five-year-old full-brother to the sensational Artilleryman, was popularly dubbed an inferior horse.-and with a victory in the Hanging Rock Cup—a back block meeting—his main capture until last week, it must be said that there was some grounds for holding him very lightly in estimation. However. King's Battery conlounded his critics at Flemington on Thursday last, when he silenced the opposition in the Autumn Handicap contest, when he was credited with galloping the 13 furlongs attached to that race in '2m. 48s. At the dispersal sale of the Shipley Stud, in Victoria, in the summer of 1918, the New Zealandbred mare Cross Battery, with a colt foal at foot by Comedy King, went into the ring and the mare and foal were bought by Mr. B. Chaffey at 72.")gns. The foal that followed Cross Battery into the ring five years back' is identical with the brown gelding that won the Autumn Handicap at Flemington on Thursday last.

RIVOLI V. HARVEST KING. Harvest King having routed the opposition in the Essendon Stakes, and, with a good staying certificate to his credit, the Governor's Plate looked to be well within his reach; but the three-year-old Rivoli proved to be just a little too good for him, and a head victory went down to the Sydney colt. Rivoli will be best remembered for the sensational victory he registered in the A.J.C. Derby at Randwick in October last, when he beat a brace of screaming hot iavourites in Caserta and Soorak. Rivoli was well fancied for the Melbourne Gup, but he failed to develop the stamina fondly hoped for in the great race at Flemington. In the decision of the King's Plate on Saturday Harvest King disposed of the opposition, and once again won distinction as a true stayer.

A LUCKY PURCHASE. The Victorian sportsman, Mr. A. G. Tye, has good reason to rejoice over his purchase of the Absurd—Cowl colt, for whom he paid 1200gns., as the result of the successful cornpetition he waged at the. ringside at Koatanui twelve months back. The brother to Rational, who, my readers are no doubt well aware, races under the title of The Monk, has so far contested four races, and his record is the very satisfactory one of three wins and a second, while his captures in stake money run out to £3151. The Monk has a brace of valuable engagements next month at Randwick, the A.J.C. Sires' Produce Stakes, of £5000, and the Champagne Stakes, of £3000, being the events in which his name figures at the approaching meeting on the Australian Jockey Club's ground. He must be voted well placed to carry his record higher at an early date.

THE CYPHER. When The Cypher succeeded in cutting the Australian time record for a mile and threequarters to 2m. 58Js., in the decision of the V.R.C. Handicap at Flemington last November, which came on the top of his courageous hid for victory in the Melbourne Cup, when he ran the winner, King Ingoda, to half a neck for first honours in the great Flemington race, the pejc-r'-an e of the Martian colt came in for a deal of laudatory comment, and his autumn prospects were touched off in attractive colours. The New Zealand colt has, however,"so far failed to reproduce his spring form, and a couple of recent defeats must have cost his party a lot of money. Possibly The Cypher will be given an opportunity to distinguish himself at the Australian Jockey Club's Meeting next month: and the Sydney Cup. the distance of which extends to two miles, may find Hm on hand to play a part in the Battlement of the question.

PRINCE COX'S CUP VICTORY. The victory registered by Mr. J. Brown's cast-off Prince Cox, in the Australian Cup, taken in connection with the transferance of that sportsman's horses to another stable, has probably given rise to a deal of *alk. It may be stated that F. J. Marsden trained for Mr. Brown during the past three years, and among the horses that came into his hands was the Sir Foote gelding Prince Cox, who, after competing unsuccessfully in the early part of his three-year-old career, was sent to auction, and he was allowed to go at 210gns. Prince Cox was bought by auction by the Sydney sportsman, and he went back to Maiden's stable, and after being recently resold at a high figure, he still remained in his old quarters at Marsden's. Mr. Brown is away from Australia at the present time, and it was by cable that he ordered fresh arrangements to be made for the training of his horses. That Prince Cox should have developed form, enabling him to win a good place after being sold for a comparative small price is. of course, a bit searching: but such happenings are to be' anticipated, and the properly balanced sportsman can readily recognise such with nit having to be told about it.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. The New Zealand-bred sire, Reputation, was represented by a good winner at Flemington last week, when his four-year-old daughter Imputation, led the field hmoe in the Bourke Handicap, and as she was credited with cutting out the 7 furlongs attached to that race in Im. 25i5., there was solid evidence; but as with only 6.12 in the saddle she had an impost 271b. under weight-for-age, the performance was not of a noteworthy character from a weight-carrying point of view. Imputation was bought as a yearling for 775gn5., by the Victorian sportsman who races under the assumed name of " Mr. S. A. Rawdon." Imputation is out of the Wallace mare Lady Wallace, who won the V.K.C. Derby of 1905, and as Reputation placed the Great Northern Derby to his credit, the Bourke Handicap winner has the distinction of having a brace of Derby winners as her sire and dam.

Sir Andrew, who filled the role of runnerup in the decision of the Australian Cup, is three-year-old son of Woorak and the Sir Foote mare Lady Joan. When in the sale ring as a yearling Lady Joan set the heads nodding, and the bidding for her possession was carried to 2000gns. Lady Joan only managed to win a couple of small handicaps, and she has not, so far, given the turf a performer of note. Lady Joan, who is out of the Trenton mare Etra Weenie, was foaled as far back as 1904, so that she has no time to lose if she is to score as a matron.

Caserta, who won the V.R.C. St. Leger, is a son of Comedy King and the Wallace mare Sessa. He was bought when a yearlling by Mr. C. N. Myers, of Melbourne, for 1 425gn5., but when cairying that owner's colours at two-year-old. he was defeated in the whole of the ten races he contested as a youngstor. Caserta is now owned by Mr. B. Chaffey. Sessa, dam of Caserta, it is interesting to relate, is a halfsister to Miss Delaval. who won the Great Northern Derby at Ellerslio on New Year's Day, 1900.

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS. AVONDALE JOCKEY CLUB. The Avondale Jockey Club's autumn programme will require attention from owners on or before Friday next, on which .dav at 5 p.m.. nominations close for ail handicap events. . v

BAY OF PLENTY JOCKEY CLUB. Acceptances for all events to be run at the Bay of Plenty Jockey Club's meeting close on Friday "next, at 6 ism. ■