RACING IN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1583, 25 March 1882, Page 20

RACING IN AUSTRALIA.

V.R.C. AUTUMN MEETING.

Makch 9th and 11th. The following were the principal races on the I last two days of the V.E.O. meeting :— SIRES' PRODUCE STAKES, Of 10 soya each, with 160 addod, and 400 subscribed by owners of sires. For two-year-olds -colts', Bst 10lb ; fillies, Bsfc 71b. Three-quarters of a mile. I 106 Bubs. I Sir T. Elder's eh c Guesswork, by Gang Forward— I Perad venture (imp.) .. ..(Rawlinm) 1 , Sir T. Elder's b c Basaanio, by Gang Forward- ' Jessica .. .. .. (O'Brien) 2 Mr W. Pearson's b c Fryingpan, by Bethnal Green —Saucepan .. .. .. (Power) 3 Mr J. Fitzroy's br t Raillery, by King of the Rinir— - Repartee .. .. „ (Batty) 0 Mr J. Mitchell's blk or br f Cambric, by Glorious .—Needle .. .. (Gainsford) 0 Mr H. J. Bowler's b f Treasure Trove, by King of the Ring— Dora .. ..(Yeomanß) 0 1 Mr J. Oleeland's b f Gardenia, by King of the Rinjr -Fleur-dc-Lys .. .. .. (Batty) 0 Mr J. A. Lang's eh c King of the Vale, by King of the Ring— Amethyst .. .. (Lang) 0 Mr F. Wentworth's b or br f Vaucluse, by Rapid Bay-Chrysolite .. „ (Pjgotfc) 0 Beting_ : Even money against Guesswork, 5 to 2 against any other. Guesswork was the quickest on his legs in the centre of the course, with Fryingpan, Bassanio, and King of the Yale most prominent among the others. The favourite cut out the running at a great pace as far as the training-ground crossing, where he apparently had everything in trouble save his stable companion, Bassanio. King of the Vale Fryingpan, Vaucluse, and Raillery each made their effort in turn, but to no purpose, as Guesswork kept going with apparent ease, and finally romped home barely clear of his stable associate, Bassanio, who was just separated from Fryingpan, the remainder following in the order named— viz., EaUlery, King of the Vale, and Vaticluse, the lot being whipped in by Cambric. Time, 1 mm. 18£ sec

AUSTRALIAN COP, A handicap sweepstakes of 20 boys. each, with 800 added. The second horse to receive 60 soys., and the third 20 sovb, out of the stake. Two milea anu a-quarter. Mr G. Livingstione's b h Pollio, by Tim Whiffler— Horma, 5 yrs, 6st 4ib (carried 6st 71M Mr C. G. Baldock's br h Wellington, 6 yra,* Ssftflb J

Mr R de Mesfcro's br c Sweet William, 8 yrs, Cat 181b (including 31b penalty) „' (Hales) 8 Mr W. Pile's chh first Water, 5 yrff, Bst 81b Mr T. Brown's eh h Hesperian, 6 yj^iaf 41b* ° Mr J. Leek'a eh h Belladrum, 6 yrs, 88tf°2Ib 5J r % H^, ie ' 8 ,g, g \ Suwarra *'. 6 yrs. Bst (O'Brion) 0 Mr R. Wilson's eh h Odd Trick, 6 yrs, 7b* I3lb Mr D. S. Wallace's eh h Waterloo, i yre, TatS ° Mi D. S. Wallace's br h Napper Tandy, eyrs^ftllb ° Mr S. Gardiner's br c Coriolanus, 8 ytß, 7st sib^ Mr F. Wentworth's eh h Sauntorer, aged, 7at 6ib ° Mr W. Branch's b t Royal Maid, 3 yrs, Sb™" 11 ° Mr B. Coleman's eh h Crystal, 4 yw, 7st 41b Mr H. Yeend'a b h Blue Ribbon, 5 yra, 6st 12b (carried 7st lib) .. .. .. (Kejjly) n Mr J. Whittingham's eh g Attache, S yrs, 6st 121b Mr J. White's br c Gloucester, 3 yrs,'fl3t fllb Mr J. R. CowelPs br h Ween, 4. yrs, 6sfc 51b i (Cracknell) 0 Mr F. C. Goydor's br h Narrabri, 5 yrs, 6sb 41b (Nicholson) 0 Mr I«, L. Smith's bl h Westbury, 5 yrs, 6st 41b . „ „ . (Heywood) 0 Mr S. Mahon's br m Elsinore, 4 ytß, 6sfc 31b Messrs Skene Bios, b m Duchess, 4 yrs, esfe (Young) 0

Betting: 2 to 1 agst Sweet William, 100 to 10 agst Suwarrow and Saunterer, 100 to 8 agst Coriolanus, Pollio, and Ween, 100 to 7 agst First Water, Narrabri, and Duchess, 100 to 6 agst Belladrum, 100 to 4 agst Wellington. At a few minutes after 4 o'clock Mr Watson succeeded in despatching the 22 competitors to a magnificent start at the first time of asking. Sweet William, who was next the rails, was the first to show in advance, Coriolanus, Pollio, Ween, Narrabri, Wellington, and Suwarrow being most prominent among the others. On settling down in positions Suwarrow ran to the front, and sailed past the abattoirs with a noticeable lead of Sweet William, Pollio, Narrabri, Odd Trick, and Wellington, who formed the van, the extreme rear being brought up by Gloucester. Suwarrow in turn was displaced by Duchess before reaching the turn into the straight, where the St. Albans mare had an advantage of two lengths over the grey, next to whom were Narrabri and Waterloo, closely hampered by Elsinore, Sweet William, Wellington, Royal Maid, and Pollio. Duchess came up the straight at a great pace, and on passing the stand enclosure she held a seven lengths lead from Narrabri, on whose quarters Suwarrow was literally pulling O'Brien out of the saddle, with Sweet William in close pursuit and harassed by Royal Maid, First Water, Odd Trick, Attache, and Ween. The Duchess evinced every inclination to persevere with tho pace, and on commencing the river stretch she was fully eight lengths before Narrabri, who was two lengths before Suwarrow and Elsinore, next to whom came Royal Maid, Sweet William, Wellington, Waterloo, Ween, Saunterer, and Coriolanus in order indicated, Gloucester still plodding away in the roar of every thing. At the bridge Suwarrow and Elsinore dropped back behind Sweet William, the other leading positions remaining unchanged. Duchess increased her lead to twolve lengths at the back of the course, Sweet William and Royal Maid running nearly level at tho head of the others, of whom Narrabri, Wellington, Suwarrow and Pollio wem most conspicuous. So well was Duchess goinw at the sheds that cries were raised "They will never catch her," but between this point and the turn home Sweet William gradually drew away from Royal Maid, followed by Saunterer and Pollio, Wellington having suddenly dropped behind. Sweet William decreased the gap considerably before reaching the straight, where Royal Maid, Saunterer, and Suwarrow wore all done with, Pollio and Wellington being the only horses capable of maintaining the pace among tho others. Once in the home stretch Pollio pve Sweet William the go-by, and on getfciug on terms with Duchess at the distance ho soon had her in trouble, and Sweet William and Wellington were each called upon for a. final ell'ort, in the last couple of hundred yards, bnt PoJlio continued the pace under difficulties, and as neither could quite get on terms, he ultimately passed the judge's box half a length in advance of Wellington, who was .similarly separated from Sweet William ; Ween was a fair fourth, then followed Duchess, Attache, Narrabri, Weatbury, Coriolanus, Suwarrow, and First Water Ui the order written, Timo, 4 mm, 0^ S6C.

THE' GREAT AUTUMN MEETING. The following letter by " Observer " appears in the Lyttelton Times ;— The Autumn Handicap, after several delays, has at last appeared, and it is certainly one of the most extraordinary productions that has been seen in this or any other country. Its inconsistencies are so transparent that it is almost a waste of time to mention any of them. Take, the case of Libeller and Chancellor m the Dunedin Cup. Libeller (7st 81b) beat Chancellor (7st 121b), both ridden out to the bitter end, and yet at a mile and a-half (Libeller s best distance) Chancellor is now asked to give him 131b; Then Betrayer, who as a four-year-old was unplaced in the C. J.C Handicap with Bst 31b, and in the Railway Plate was a bad third.to Billingsgate, and an equalhrbad third to the same horse inthe Grandstand Handicap, and has won nothing since, is now called upon to carry Bst 101b. , „.„., What sort of handicapping is this? And now look at Lady Emma and Lure. The latter won one race as a two-year-old, and has not since scored a'win, and yet she is called upon to carry the same weight as Lady Emma, who has proved herself by many victories to be one of the best animals we have m the Colony. In Australia she won races as a two-year-old. In New. Zealand she won the Great Autumn and Easter Handicaps, and since then pulled off that wonderful treble » m Dunedin by winning the Dunedin Cup, the D.J.C. and Forburv Handicaps. What motive could induce a sane man to put those two at level weights ? Then again, we have mda at 7st 41b, and The Poet at 6st 81b. The former won the Wellington Cup, and The Poet, won the Wellington R.C. Handicap, as he had 'previously done the Auckland K.u Handicap. Compare the imposts of these well-known public performers with the weights allotted to .Gorton and other non-performers. Take also Sir Garnet ; what has he done that he should be set the task of giving Libeller a year and a pound? It is simply ridiculous. And now for another folly. At weight-for-age Hinemoa is asked to give Somnus lib— Somnus, who as a ■ two-year-old won both Champagnes in a common walk, and m the Melbourne Cup, with a field of 33 horses, led for over a mile and a-half. One could scarcely imagines child making such mistakes. . It is useless to continue . the subject further. I will therefore conclude with the hope that our Club will in future, try to give us sensible handicaps. ■ - -