MELBOURNE SPORTING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6738, 19 September 1883, Page 4

MELBOURNE SPORTING NOTES.

(By oub Sfeoial: Tcbf Cobbespokdrkt "Wabmob.")

Tuesday,' September 4. The Australian Jockey Club' and the South Australian Jockey Club opened' their spring meetings on Saturday last? on which occasion two Derbies were decided. ■ By 1 o'clock Bourke street West, in the vicinity of Kirk's Bazaar, was crowded by eager persons waiting to hear the result of the Sydney Derby. A good deal of wagering was transacted by the Bmall fry, the leading 'bookmakers, bar Messrs O'Brien.and .Branch, being absent from Victoria. When it became known in Melbourne that Mr White's great gunJMartini-Henrj had been scratched for' the Derby, the metallieians jumped with joy, and the unfortunate public scratched" their heads and aaidj".'':Why, the Hon. Mr White" will soon/ho1, 'as bad as artful Tom Ivory, playing.into tha hands of the bookmakers." I can well imagine, the feelings of those people who follow the blue body, white sleeves, and blue and white cap on alloccaaionawhenthey hoard of Martini-Henri'g withdrawal. Four- "weeks ago "Warrior" tipped Despot for the! Sydney Metropolitan, I wouldn't have done'so'only! was almost certain that he was going.straight for it; .but for: all that I didn't back him'for a copper; but! the Melbourne arid .Sydney public did to. a very nice tune, more especially, after his .running1 into ttplace for the HawKesbury-Handicap.-' The Hon. Mr, White's trainer, * Fennelly,, allowed Despot to assume the pride of place in "the betting market-at' 3 and 4 tol against, and let the public nibble ftt him at this short* price for some days, when.all at once" the wireaanX nounced that Despot' bad been scratched for the Metrop., so aa to keep the weight off him in the Melbourne Cup."'•: What rot.. When I.telT the New Zealand public that the scratching.'of Martini-Henri for the. A Sydney,"i Derby »nd Despot for the.Metropolitan; has beencine'of the greatest blows to the public that has been recorded for some years, I do not exaggerate';' and if MrFennelly had been at Fleminfjton instead of Bandwick* I wouldn't "have given much for-the togs he had on him. More la the pity'that Mr White is ; absent from the'Colo-. nies. Last year this gentleman almost accused Billy Yebmans of dishonest riding when steering that unmitigated, duffer Segenhoe in the Sydney Derby; and on this occasion he takes hi 3 friends in. Le Grand now came into rthe market with a rush. On Friday night (midnight) the betting stood thus:-1000 to 1400 aaainst Martini-Henri, 1000 to 750 Le Grand, 1000. to 300 Kingsdale. Saturday morniriir (10 a.m.i:—LeGrand.lOOO to 900 5 Martini-Henri, 1000 to 500; Kingsdale, 1000 to 400.. When it became known about Mr White's colt, the Queenslander ran up to level .money, leaving off at 1000 to 400 on him. ',-.; .:

'■ The Ballarat ; people opened "the ball by Ontario winning '. the Hurdle Race,'.'which brought a few crumbs to the backers of horsea. By the timß the Derby was run a much larger crowd had, assembled at Bowes' TattersaUß Club than in past years. , Le Grand's victory was hailed with vociferous cheers, for after au the bookmakers had been "got at." It would not be out of place for me to say a few words about, the Derby-winner, as-: I have not yet mentioned him in my letters on;" Horses Likely to Win Big Events on the Australian Turf." Le Grand waß bred- by Mr W. H. K&nt, of Queensland. He is. by Epigram, the sire of the Australian champion hurdle-racer Lothair and Wheatear (A1. J.C. Derby-winner 1881, and A. J.O. St. Leger 18S3), Waterloo (winner of the Brisbane Derby and .Queensland St. Leger), Canary (winnor of Queensland Cup), and other cracks. Upto tbe.time of his running in the Hawkesbury Mares', Produce Stakes, Le Grand had only appeared in pnblio twice—when he won the Brisbane Sires Produce Stakes, and then Journeyed to New South Wales and .raced at the A.J.C. January meeting, when he secured third place in a fivefurlong spurt, condition accounting.-for this defeat. After this he so improved ihat iiis owner (Mr J. P. Jost) took a long shot about the A.J.C Derby and Melbourne. Cup; for which' event the Victorian \ h'aridicapper had thrown him in at 6st 71b. Le Grands absence from the list of entries for the Vior :toiian Derby is remarkable, Mr. Kenj having named three others—Wheatmeal, Caducia, and Oliveria. Althongh his name-,'appears among the Caulfield Cap candidates,:! don't believe he will start, for he. most undoubtedly will have to carry a heavy~ weight, and the Melbourne Cup (7st 51b, originally 6s_t 71b, but winning the late Derby carries with it a pmialty) should suit the son of Legend io. a "T." Lucky for bis owner that he got off so easily. What show have Archie '<(88t' 31b)i .Warwick ;(Bstj,: Off "Colour (7st 121b), and Kingsdale (7st 81b) with the Queensland colt after bis late performances atHawkesbury and Randwick ?—None. Le'Grand is a bay colt, by Epigram, the ; son' of Blair .Athol (winner of the English Derby of; 1864), by Stockwell;'. hisl. dam. Legend, .is"'.';»: daughter of Cathedral, by,the 1851 English St.. Leger winner, Newminster, by Touchstone, the; sire of Musjid, and Hermit, and Lord Olifden, English Derby and. Leger winners. No wonder that th« Queensland colt carried off the blue ribbon of Jthp New South Wajesturf with such blood running through his veins!'-1 tip that La Grand will turn out a second ;W,hea\ear, which means second to "no three-year-old in, the Colonies.., : ;.','•"' "'...'•.. .-,-■ '.'■:'- \"'':'■'

; For the past three' weeks business has been very dull at.Tattersalls and. Bowes, the sporting public having their mind a centred on the events at Hawk^slpury and Randwick;. The Melbourne Derby, has hardly been mentioned. 'Warwick's ' "going ■off";, sent Archie irit favourite,'but a few days ago a commission came from Geelong to.back Off Colour, which brought him even with.Mr Smart's colt .-1000 to 250—which price he left.off at. Last night ' Le Grand was installed first favourite for the: Melbourne Cup' at 100 to 8, and First Demon second at 100 to 6; Any amount of money could be had about. Martini-Henri. Helena, on the Btrength of her victory in -the S.A.J.C. Morphetville Plate, has been backed to wia the ManbyrnpngPlate. ..' v ! :"-V ' ■ •"'.''■ The performances, of Erst Demon in the Hawkesbury Handicap, and on Saturday last in the A.J.C.Spring Stakes (weight forage), beating, the came little son of Fireworks, Sardonyx, Pell Mell,.th»New Zealand favourite Sir Modred,- The Drummer, Sweet William, Segenhoe, and Ike, has very properly placed him at the head of the betting for the Metropolitan at 2 to 1, which will be decided this afternoon.' Should the son of. Gemma di Vergy—Lilian win, it won't make much.difference to his Melbourne Cup weight; which »- ■ 6at 71b. At the present moment I feel eoniident that First Demon will run into » place,. [He ran a good second.—Sp. Ed. O.W.] ""The prospects of a good field starting for the Victorian Derby at this distant date look very bright, notwithstanding' the absence of Le Grand, Dirk' Hatteraick, First Demon, and Bristol; for in addition to.tbe probable'and certain starters—Martini-Henri and Warwick, Archie, Off Colour, St. Lawrence, Kinssdale, Narina> Copra, Prodigali" Blue and White, Kaipara, and Waxlight—we will have several threeyenr-olds from-Sputh Australia.-Con- . epicuous among them are Mr H. Tothill's Lord AVilton, by Countryman out of Inatep, and Sir Thomas Elder's Gang Forward—Azema colt, Mitchem....Both boraes performed well a£ the South Australian-Jockey Club Spring Meeting yesterday. The former won the_ Mares' Pr- ■ duce Stakes and the Farewell Handicap, arid the latter the South Australian Jockey Clnb Two-year-old Stakes. Last week I paid a visit to the sand and tan tracks at Flomington, but was very poorly paid , for my trouble. The majority ot cattle.on the -' ground consisted of-, two-year-olds. > YorK to* Cup horses were dbwn, and those that did put . in an appearance, only performed moderate exercise. Mr Dakin had Santa Glaus out, and the son of Glorious looked the picture of health, his late accident JiardlyJjeing ns' loe I d.. Harry Yeend is persevering with Sir W. J. Clarke's horeos, and Bordeaux did a strong gallop of two miles, followed by the Tasmaman-bred colt Prodigal, both going well within themselves. I can't stand Bordeaur; he will never be able to stand the severe preparation he is about to undergo for the Cup. Blue and White has grown into a grand specimen of a horse. Robert the Devil still haunt? theitraining-ground, and if he doesn't win a race Bhortly, he will be suro. to eat his bead off. King of the Vale, Commotion, and Flying Pan have wintered well/ After next week, no doubt, " Warrior " will be able to • report the morninggallops'j butasitisnow, it is useless visiting Flemington, Caulfield, or any other place to see anything worth while recording. . "- • ; The bookmakers have been playing the part of a "bull in a china shop_" over the border. They refused to pay the: Hawkesbury Club » license for betting, and consequently had to remain in Sydney, much'-to their loss. The Sydney and Melbourne bookrnakerß met/and agreed that they would.start a day's racing, and riyo £1000 added money in opposition to the Hawkesbury Jockey Club, and declared war to the knife. The Club vqry rightly snapped their fingers "at the "ring," and laughed them to scorn, the public showing np the last day of the meeting in such large numbers that the dissatisfied wolves had to cry " Enough," and the whole of the gas has now exploded, the members of the bookmaking fraternity having given way.