SPORTING NOTES FROM HOME.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 9169, 15 December 1890, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES FROM HOME.

(FROM OOBOWir CORRESPONDENT.) London, October 31, 1890. We have had quite a plethora of racing during the past fortnight, but it is almost the dying flicker of the season of 1890. The last of the real big meetings, is now over, and after the Liverpool Cup is won and lost the curtain will be rung down. On the 16th, 17th, and 18th wo had some very good sport at Kempton Park. In fact it was one of the best meetings we have had this year. However, the only raoe which would interest you was the first. This was the Orleans Nursery Handicap, for two,-year-olda, to which the Club added £SOO. It was won by the Sydney sportsman, Mr Daniel Cooper, with his mate Melody, who is full sister of Border Minstrel, being by Tynedale out of Glee. . This filly won the Woodoote Stakes at Epsom, in the spring, from a very good field. After that ehe seemed to lose her form till the other day, when she beat that quondam wonder Signorina, That performance re-instated her in public opinion, and was good enough to make her favourite at Kempton. She well justified her backers' confidence by winning easily from her 10 opponents. TheNewmarket Houghton Meeting began on the 21st and was very successful. We, by which I mean the noble army of backers, were very jubilant, as favourite after favourite rolled home in the big races. The first race of the meeting saw Mr William Cooper's neat colours to tho front. It wss only a modest little race, the Water Hall Plato, of 200 sova; bat small fish are sweet, and it was pleasant to sea Inniskeen make short work of bis two moderate opponents - Of coarse the most important raoe of the day was the Criterion Stakes. It was won by the favourite, Goiivernenr, the Middle Park Plate winner, apparently with 101 b besides his penalty in hand. Bat I don't like him ; and for all his two-year-old performances be won’t win the Derby, as be has not the heart, nor, I think, the stamina wanted, He only beat three very moderate youngsters, so I won’t trouble you with details. The last race, the Criterion Nursery, for two-year-olds, was woo, to everyone’s satisfaction, by the Prince of Wales, as he is a very plucky, though, so far, rather unsuccessful tnriite. THE CAMBRIDGESHIRE. - The weather on Wednesday couldn’t have bean muoh improved on. There was a big crowd on the Heatb, and everyone seemed happy before the races. The bookies were not so talkativo as usual on the way home. Merely remarking, en passant, that Noble Chieftain, whose tunning lately has oansed a great stir, won the Flying Stakes from a large field, I will plunge at onoe in mediaa res, i.e,, the .Cambridgeshire, There were 29 starters, of which 21 were 3-year-olds. Hp till the last day Alioante was favourite, but then so muoh money was laid out on Morion, the Royal Hunt Cup winner, that her position was threatened.' In fact, at the start there was little to choose in the betting market between them. I am bound to say 1 could not understand how Morion was to give the French filly ISlbs, and tho event proved I was right. Tostig and Victorious, two other 3-year-olds, were also heavily backed, while 25 to 1 was on offer about Belmont. Very liberal odds 500 to 1 were proffered against the two highest weights, and the others were on offer at prices varying from 15 to 1 np too 200 to 1. The flag fell to a splendid start, bat, of oomse, the field was pretty well spread ont before half the journey bad been covered. Here the race was practically confined to Alioante, Tostig, who was making the paoe a cracker, Victorious, Belmont, and Narrator. Of these the first named bed all the others in trouble some way from home, and F. Barrett letting her stride along, won pretty easily from Belmont, Tostig, who was very mnob distressed, being third, and Victorious fourth. The winner is a slashing fine dark ohosnnt, and is one of the grandest three-year-olds seen on an English racecourse for many a long day. Many people remembered that she could not extend Sheen in the Ceaearewitnh. I wish X hsd, and they profited by thin later on in the week. THE DEWHDJIST PLATE. I don't know what made the Jockey Club decide to have the big iwo-yeat-old race on

the sanfe day as the Cambridgeshire. We Had no sooner got over our excitement about Alicante’s win,' when five numbers went up for the Dewhurat. I append details of the race, Tilk Dewiu/iist Plate, of 300 sovs added to a sweepstakes of 25 sovs each ; 15 ft for two-year olds ; colts, Bst 91b ; fillies, Bst 61b ; winners extra. Last seven furlongs of R.M. Lord Rcsoherry’s b f Corstorphine, by Foxhall—Chopette, Sit Clb (Riokabv) 1 Mr D. Baird's br f Sipbooia, by St. Simon Palmflower, Sat 101 b (T. Cannon) 2 M. E. Blano’e b o Reverend, by Energy —Keveuto, Oat 21b ... (J. Watts) 3 Mr W, Broderiok-Closte’a hi o Ammonite, by Paradox, Bst 91b ... (G. Barrett) 0 Mr N. Fenwick’s b f Mimi, by Barcaldine, Bst 101 b ... ... ... (T. Loates) 0 , Betting—2 to 1 agst Corstorphine and Siphonia, 11 to 4 agast Reverend, 6 to 1 aget Mimi. Corstorphine, who is a beautiful great filly, just won, and the difference in tbs weight would bring the two maree very close together. This makes Gouverneur oat as the best two-year-old of his year, and people are already asking his price for the Derby. The next day there were two very intereating races. The first was a six fnrlong weigbt-for-age race—The Ail Aged Stakes, Four horses were saddled up, two being two-year-aids and the others aged. The favourite was found in Haute Saone, who has run well this season. She is one of Tristan’s first get, and won easily at the finish from those veteran sprinters Mephiato and Dog Rosa, Queen of the Fairies being beaten off. The other race was the Free

Handicap, which brought out most of this year’s boss three-year-olds. There were five starters, viz., St Serf, by St Simaa—Fcronia, who carried Sat 101 b ; Martagon, by Bead Or—Tiger Lily, who had 7et 81b np ; Blue Green, by Coeruieus—Angelioo, with Bst 81b up; Barefoot, the winner of the 2000 guineas, carrying 9st 51b ; and Sainfoin, the Derby winner, who had 21b leas to carry. They finished in the order named, and many people would now back St Serf for the St Leger if It were to be ran to-morrow. The great feature of the last day’s racing was the race over the last two miles of the Coasarewitch coarse, to which Mr Rose had added 1000 sovs. This was the third race over long courses, to which the same amount had been added by that gentleman. He fa one of many who dopioro the dearth of stayers in this country; but he is the only one of all the wealthy men here who has done anything practical to make it profitable to own a stayer. The race was weight for age, with penalties and allowances, and caused a good deal of speculation. The reason was that among the competitors were Sheen and Amphion, The farmer hid already won one of the Handicaps; which Mr Rare had endowed, and the Ceasarewitcb, with fist 21b Up. Amphion, on the other band, had Won the rich Lancashire Stakes, and bad made mere backs of Memoir and Blue Green in the Champion Stakes. Another point in bis favour was that Tom Cannon had the mount. There was but one doubt —whether he conld stay ; but many people looked on him as so much better class than Sheen that they considered the race as a gift for him. Great excitement prevailed, and so evenly divided were the public in their opinions that the pair started equal favourites at 11 to 8. They practically monopolised speculation, and the others were neglected. The race was never in doabt, as Sheen took up the tanning soon after the start and, never being bustled, won at bis ease by three lengths. The distance was much too far for Amphion, and had anyone bat Cannon been riding he would scarcely have beaten Oddfellow for third place. Mr Daniel Cooper was again to the fore in a Free Handicap, of 100 sovs each, over eix furlongs. This was won by his filly Dorcas, who, although no beauty to look at, is well enough bred for anything, as she is by Bend Or out of Little Sister. She had to gallop to win, as beads only separated the placed horses, the other two starters being also well Up. A very (nigs crowd Was present, and mast of them lingered till the end of the racing; The meeting, taken ail through, was one of the best ever held at Newmarket; and we wore most of as sorry to say goodbye to the Heath till next year. This week we had a meeting at Lincoln. Only one race, however, is worth mention, ing. This was the Great Tom Stakes, a handicap of about a mile. There were 20 starters, and among them the little Australian, Ringmaster, who, to the great surprise of many, was eapported so well as to become second favourite. His last performance, six days before, at Worcester, looked anything but promising. There, in a field of three, two of them as moderate brutes as ever carried saddle, he had been a bad third. Here, in a field of 20, including Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire winners and other smart horses, he was made second favourite and ran well, but ooald only get second to Garrick, a three-year-old son of Springfield and Roselle, who had been well tried and started favourite. Perhaps Ringmaster was Buffering from one of his frequent fits of indisposition. 1 see that Baron de Hirsob bus repurchased Ormonde, it is said for the same sum, 14,000 guineas, as bis original owner, the Duke of Westminster, got for him. One of the two fillies he left behind him here is in the private sale list lor 4000 guineas, which seems a long figure for an untried filly, more especially as Ormonde himself will soon be here again. So far T. Loatea Is far ahead of the winning jockeys, bis score being now 133 wine, while George Barrett oomea next with 101. Watta is only third, so far aa the number of winning monnta go, but ha has been exceptionally lucky iu the big races, as be has won the One Thousand Guineas, Derby, Oaks, St. Leger, and Middle Park Plate this year. On Wednesday last Joe Thompson, the erstwhile Australian leviathan bookmaker, left Easton, station en route for America. He has bad a pretty good time of it altogether, I believe ; bat, from ail accounts, he looked on Alicante as a “ dead bird ” for the Ceasarewitcb, and made his book accordingly. He must have “suffered,” if that were so.

1 have just heard of the downfall of Titan in the A.J.O. Derby. This gives me an opportunity of airing a theory of mv own. Has it ever struck any of your readers how, in corresponding seasons, the main features of the racing year in Australia and England ace the same? Should there be a phenomenal two-year-old Signorina here, there is a Titan there. Ie the English crack two-year-old downed as a three-year old—so is the Australian one, So, also, the year that produces Ormonde, The Minting, Saraband, corresponds with that of Aberoorn, Oarlyon,' Cranbrook, Australian Peer. Instances might bo added without number : and although, of course, it oan be but a coincidence, it is at least a very curious one. We do lack one thing here—some horse to correspond with Carbine.

THEATRICAL. The theatres are all in full swing again after the long holiday. There are several new pieces ; for instance, at the Gaiety, Prince of Wales and Lyrio we have novelties in the way of oomio opera, while the Lyaeam has made a new departure in the shape of a tragedy founded on the Bride of kamrnermoor. The last mentioned ie very fine piooe : and even handicapped by the incubus of Irving’s unintelligibility and mannerisms, is well worth seeing. Ellon Terry is magnifioent, and Terriss too is wonderfully good. The staging is perfect: and one scene, where the old servitor is standing on the beach, watching the fast disappearing form of Ravenswood, will never by forgotten by those who have seen it. The Gaiety has as usual a burlesque—- “ Carmen up to Date.” To-night, by.theway, Fred Leslie and Nellie Farren, with Marion Hood, Sylvia Grey, Dauby Storey and others play for the last time in England ; but they have not been at the Gaiety for the last two months. One would think that tin, loss of snob a oot< tie of artists would have left the Gaiety desolate, bnt the compnn now noting there is, although far from cqnal tq their predecessors, second only ,to them, Lonncn, Arthur Williams, Florence St. John, Maria Jones, and Letty Lind keep the fun fast and furious from the rise of the curtain until the end, and visitors to London who want a really hearty laugh cannot do better than go to the Gaiety, Another theatre, where oomio opera reigns, is the-Prince of Wales. This theatre, like the Lyric, is under the management of the Carl Rosa Opera Company. It rejoioes in two of the beat men singers, and perhaps the beat lady singer now on the oomia opera stage in London. I refer to Haydyn Coffin, Tapley, and A ttalia Claire. Monkhouse, the fanny man, is in his own lino quite inimitable. The play, Captain Xberese, is bat poor, and has hardly a redeeming feature, so I doubt if it will run nearly as loog as some of the latter day plays at the Prince of W ales. Certainly ono of the dullest plays of the sort in London is La Cigale at the Lyrio. It has but one thing to recommend it, and that is the singing of Chevalier Soovel, a new arrival on the metropolitan stage, who has a very sweet true tenor voice. MISCELLANEOUS. Prize fighters now-a-dsys, after ono real contest, seem to And it more profltable to go ronnd and glvo an exhibition of scientific boxing. All the latter portion of last week Blavin and McAuliffe have been drawing crowded houses at Mitoheli’s boxing rooms, at Battersea. They have now gone to Birmingham, and will “star” the provinces, till the time comes for their trial at the November Surrey sessions. Sir Charles Russell, Q.C., will probably hold the brief for them. I see that MrS. M. J. Woods, the young Australian at Cambridge, who represented Alt England both at orioket and football dating last year, injured hie side while playing for the University against St. Thomas’ Hospital on Wednesday. It is feared that he has broken one of his ribs ; and if that is so, it will be some time before we again sea him in the field.