ENGLISH SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 25

ENGLISH SPORTING NOTES.

From Our Own Correspondent. London, October 27

The large fields which mark the end of every flat racing season have already commenced. At Sandown last Thursday over 100 animals ran in seven races. The most important was the Great Sapling Plate of 1000 sovs for two-year olds, which attracted nineteen competitors and fell to a rank outsider unbacked for sixpence. This was Lord Londonderry’s Saintfield, .by St. Simon out of Daisy Chain, which had been badly beaten in a home trial and started at 20 to 1. It won however in a canter, drawing out at the distance and landing by two lengths from Mr Deacon’s Mote, Mr L. Brassev’s Pardalo, three-quarters of a length, off, being third. The-Temple Handicap of 500 sovs, over a mile and three-quarters, tempted several Cesarewitch failures out. Eight altogether went to the post, and Mr Ellis’s Opera Glass, 3yrs, 7st 91b, and Mr Gosling’s. Gleamaway, 4yrs, 7st 121 b, started equal favourites at sto 2. The former ran badly, but Gleamaway (by Child of the Mist—Martyr) won a fine race by a head from Mr Barclay’s Miss Patty, 4yrs, 6st 81b, with Mr Manton’s Contract, 3yrs, Bst 31b, a bad third. Mention of Mr “ Manton " reminds me that the volcanic old Duchess who races under that name is dangerously ill, and as her age considerably exceeds the allotted four score years, we scarcely expect her to recover. Still there is no knowing. Her Grace’s vitality has till recently been remarkable, but she was never quite the same after her quarrel with fc^r

husband Mr Milner. The Duchess was one of the few people with whom the lamented “ Mate " quarrelled. He had nicknames for everybody, and his designation for Her Grace of Montrose was particularly expressive. Sir John called his three great friends, the Dukes of Portland, Hamilton and Richmond, “the Black Duck," the “ Red Duck" and the “ Old Duck."

[Since the above was written, an English cablegram has announced the death of the Duchess of Montrose.]

NEWMARKET.

The last of the race meetings at headquarters commenced on Tuesday, when the Criterion Stakes for two-year-olds fell to the Duke of Westminster’s Cayenne, Bst 81b, a chestnut brother to Grey Leg by Pepper and Salt—Quetta, who came with a rush in the last 100 yards and beat Prince Soltykoffs Spur Royal, Bst 81b, and Duke of Portland’s The Owl, 9st lib, by half-a-length, the judge being unable to divide the pair. In the Limekiln Stakes of 1000 sovs, over the Rowley Mile, Baron Hirsch’s Matchbox, 3yrs, 9st 71b, had only Lord Bradford’s Beighterton, 3yrs, 7st 91b, and Prince Soltykoffs Speed, 3yrs, Bst 61b, to beat, and 9 to 4 was freely laid on him. The colt however was beaten at the Bushes and finished last, Speed (against whom 10 to 1 was offered) winning in a canter. THE CAMBRIDGESHIRE. Directly the Cesarewitch was over, punters declared on Callistrate, 4yrs, ,Bst 111 b, who ran second for that event for the Cambridgeshire, and M. Abeille’s colt remained a good favourite up to the last, being especially well backed for a place. Others heavily supported were Colonel North’s El Diablo, syrs, 7st 131 b. Mr Alexander’s Son of a Gun, 4yrs, 7st 111 b, and Mr Rothschild’s Medicis, 4yrs, 7st 101 b, whilst the sharps to a man declared on Sir J. B. Maple’s Gangway, 4yrs, Bst 91b, and Mr Manton’s None the Wiser, 3yrs, Bst lib. Towards the last there was a disposition to take the long prices offered against the Prince of Wales’ Florizel, 3yrs, 7st lib, and in view of the heavy going not a few punters saved on the bottom weight Indian Queen, 3yrs, 6st 21b.

The weather was as wet and stormy as the Cesarewitch day till just before the big race, when the clouds cleared off and the,sun' came out. Twenty runners only were telegraphed, the field being the smallest since Veracity won in 1888.

The Cambridgeshire Stakes of 25 sovs each, 10 ft., with 500 added, and 100 sovs for the second; winners extra ; third to save his stake; entrance 5 sovs, the only forfeit if declared. New Cambridgeshire Course (last mile and a distance of A.F.) One hundred and two entries, 36 of whom declared. Mr E. Hobson’s Indian Queen, by Melton—Oriental Girl, 3yrs, 6st 21b (Croft) 1 Sir J. Blundell Maple’s Gangway, 4yrs, Bst 91b ... ... (Bradford) 2 M. A. Abeille’s Callistrate, 4yrs, Bst 111 b... (M. Cannon) 3 Sir R. Jardine’s Llanthony, syrs, 7st 51b ... (Kendal) 4

Betting: 9 to 2 against Callistrate, 11 to 2 El Diablo, 8 to 1 Medicis, 100 to 11 Son of a Gun, 100 to 8 Gangway, 100 to 7 Xury, 100 to 6 Athel, 20 to 1 None the Wiser, 25 to 1 Indian Queen, Encounter and Sir Jacob, 40 to 1 to 100 to 1 others. Place betting: 6 to 1 Indian Queen, 3 to 1 Gangway and evens Callistrate. THE RACE. The twenty runners were an orderly lot, and Mr Coventry soon set them going, Farndale and Indian Queen being first to break the line, with Worcester, El Diablo and Athel close up. There were not many changes until'coming to the T.Y.C. post, when Farndale and two or three more were done with, and Indian Queen was left with a clear lead. It looked here as though Callistrate was commanding his field as Cannon had not moved on him, and Bradford on Gangway seemed to be far more interested in the Frenchman than in Indian Queen. Descending the hill onlookers fully expected to see the latter come back to her horses, and when Sir J. B. Maple’s colt successfully challenged Callistrate and started in pursuit of her, loud cries of “ Gangway wins" rent the air. These however were soon drowned in the jubilations of the ring, for “ Teddy " Hobson’s outsider held her own with ease. In vain Bradford tried to obey the despairing cries of “go on Braddy," the son of Saraband could make no impression on Melton’s daughter, and ultimately Indian Queen won by three lengths, a similar distance separating Gangway from Callistrate. Llanthony was fourth, Athel fifth, Medicis sixth and Xury last. Time 2min ssec. Stakes L 1350. The hero of the race was Gangway, who' in beating Callistrate at 2ib showed himself a really good horse. The winner Indian Queen, a three-year-old by Melton out of Oriental Girl, by Argyle, by Adventurer, had no form whatever to recommend her for a race of this calibre, and very few of the public not “ in the know “ backed her. • Mr Hobson had however tried his filly highly and wins a big stake, as does Mr Joe Thompson, erstwhile of Melbourne. El Diablo ran wretchedly, and neither Medicis nor Son of a Gun were ever in the van. The great sharps’ tip, Xury, finished absolute last, and the Prince of Wales’ Florizel likewise figured very ignominiously.

DEWHUBST PLATE. The scratching of Sir Visto deprived tiae Jast of _the bi£ races of

much of its interest. Five runners went to the post, the Australian-owned Kirkconnel and Mr hlcOalmont s Raconteur fighting their Middle Park Plate battle over again. On this occasion howevei the magnificently bred son of St. Simon and Plaisanterie, carrying Bstl3lb, made a hack of Kirkconnel, 9st 21b, and sailing away from him in the Abingdon Dip won in a canter, with Mr Rothschild’s Utica, Bst 111 b, third. Raconteur or Sir Visto will win the 1895 Derby.