MELBOURNE TURF NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 20

MELBOURNE TURF NEWS.

ffBOM OUB SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT 1 " WARRIOR.")

Melbourne, March Bth. " Warrior." since his last communication, has been fflW in the "tight little island," Tasmania. The race meetings held at Hobart and Lauriceston were really first-class. Mr ?,";j n t Wags'a Wagea Victoria, won the pSal cv» thl ®h (the Hob art Cup), 13 the Hon'.<Thos.Reiby, formerly archdeacob? of the 'Church' 'of England, and more recently Premie of Tasmania, the Launceston Cub. Mr Reib'y informed me • that m erasecuence of 'the great success attending his stable during tife past season it is h* intention to present' the' Tasmanian Turf Club with a H cup, to be rutt for' in 1883. Monarque, who no' doubt ''your readers will remember ran a «and horse whilst in Victona, has left the turf for the stud, and I^-WjfefJSS Mmlooking.sprightly, and comfortably treated X weU-rrasied paddock. The only accident S any SSortahce that purred at either of Se Tasmanian race meetings was that to poor Paddy Carey, the steeplechase rider, who was S$Z Upwards of, a thousand Victonan Sidents bailed themselves of the cheap return trip provided by the T. b. JN. OomPa Se Hon. W. J. Clarke, who retired from the turf a couple.of yearsagow consequence of thl bad treatment he received from his &ef Mr Fimmy, Wilson, of Geelong, has decided to sport his colours on an Australian racecourse once more, and I am, on the best authority, informed that he has chosen Mr F. Dakinas the gentleman who shall take charge of his stud. Mr Clarke is a very rich toan, and a credit to the sporting fraternity,' and I sincerely hope that the same luck willattend him when securing a two-year-old as it did when purchasing . Petrea (who won the Sydney St.- Leger + and the SydSey Cup, and should have yon the Victorian St. Leger, Champion Race, and Australian Cup, of New Year, had it not been for the «* mysterious trainer;") ' Tor the last three nights that portion of Bourke street'known as the Opera House and the Victoria House the rendezvous of honest bookmakers) has been completely blocked up. The footpath and portion of the street has been tS possession of by some of the biggest vagabonds to be found m Melbourne A large number of them are what you might term the SSlfry, "vonting to vay on' the Australian Cup" The police seem to be afraid to interfere. On Monday night there must have been 500 people outside the rooms, gaping Si?h their mouths open at the windows of the betting - rooms above, waiting patiently to knowwhat were the latest favourKs Several fights took place > during the Svening One man, .William Cooney, was done b^theLegislatute to put down the betting "^^mes Mace, who it is supposed levanted to' New Zealand en route for America, has been declared insolvent. ' His creditors, who are. rather numerous, 'appeared at the meeting with i faces on them 1 like 'pall-bear era. ■ . ' Gkeat improvements are to be made on the Flemington' racecourse during the next seven months? I believe to the extent ;of .£SOOO. The HUI wnl.b'e made larger, and a grand-stand Sected .thereon for the , convenience^of the hillites, which is something like 60,000 on a Cup day. A members' stand will also be ererfedonthe eastern side of the stand, and acouple'of sheltef^boxes ior the 1 Press touts. Mr Byron Moore seems' to be the right man in * Lavcock.The champion oarsman' of the Australiari Colonies/was to be seen' parading Collins 1 street yesterday, in company with Mr Jack Thompson, He sails shortly for England to help his old Sydney friend Trickett, who,, I B ee by ,the 'English telegrams arrived safe in London on the Ist of the, month. Ehas will be accompanied Home by Pearce.