AUSTRALIAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1584, 1 April 1882, Page 21

AUSTRALIAN.

Tommy Corrigan, the crack cross-country rider, has purchased Mr Gardiner's colt by Tubal Cain— Coquette for 700 guineas. The youngetei is half -brother to Progress. ' The principal race at the Kynpton meeting on the 17th mat. was the J.C. Handicap of

125 sovb, which had five starters, and was won by Mr B. Coleman'a Crystal (7.°t 51b) from Polio (7st 81b), Zambesi (7st 01b), and two moderates. The time for the mile and a-half was 2 mm. 42i sec. The total ampunt in stakes paid by the V.R.C. over the late autumn meeting amounted to £9365. Of this Mr E. do Mestre received the largest share, £1540 ; then came Mr H. Phillips, £1490 ; Mr W. Pearson, £1405 ; 'Mr Living- . stone,' £965; Sir T. Elder, £875; Mr W. Branch, £399; Messrs Skene Brothers, £345; ' Mr'S. Justin, £330; Mr M. Loughlin, £285 ; Mr A. K. Finlay, £207 10s ; Hon J. White, £255; Mr Stifle, £227 105; Mr H. Fisher, £201 ; ' MrF.Wentworth,£lo7; Mr J.Morrison, £155; Mr Baldock, £150 ; the remaining sums being under £100. 1 The settling passed off successfully. Tho result is, as usual, greatly in favour of the bookmakers, who have had a rare run of good fortuno this season, and notwithstanding their ..continued losses, the backers havo, for the most part met all their liabilities satisfactorily. One bold backer, however, who lost heavily during tho first two days of tho meeting, endeavoured to regain his losses on the third by doing what is known in betting parlance as plunging. The fatal plunge was to lay three to one that Solitude won the All-aged Stakes, a feat Mr do Mestre's good little mare failed to accomplish, and on settling day the desperate backer was iwn cd. As Lang, the trainor, had keen so of ton disappointed in the running of Pollio, ho determined to try what effect whisky would have upon tho son of Tim Whifflor, and with that view he administered about half > a bottle just prior to the race for the Australian Cup, with the best results. A conferenco between tho Australian Jockey Club, South Australian Jockey Club, and Victoria Racing Club was held during tho week, Messrs Scarr and Austin representing the A.J.C., and Messrs S. Barnard and Pile the S.A. J.C., and it was decided that, at a future meeting, tho rules of < tho three clubs should be revised and assimilated. ' It was also agreed that each club should publish a Racing Calendar, and that all three shduld reciprocate. . r The World, a new Melbourne evening paper, has .the following :— The highest price paid for any Melbourne newspaper was obtained in the city last night (20th). Our sporting contributor, whose recent success has made him unusually willing to back his opinion, wagered £100 that the gratitude of the sporting public was sufficiently strong to make them purchase a number of copies of this journal at a sovereign a copy. A rather exciting scene was witnessed amongst the members of the sporting public , and the ring last night at the Prince of Wales "Hotel, when 52 copies were readily sold) for ,£52. As an instance of high price paid for a . penny paper, the incident is worth record. % An Australian Pressman struck the £500 to 10s double, backing Pollio for the Australian Cup, and Hyacinth for the Newmarket Hajhdi- . cap. ■ i , A coincidence about Pollio's and Hyacinth's victories is that neither had previously won a race andthat each was numbered " 22" onHhe race-cards. ,'.'„'.£,, Mr F. Woodhouse, jun., has ]ust finished ' ■ some well-exe'outed chromo-lithographs of Ziilu, tho winner of the last Melbourne Cup, with the jockey Gough in the saddle. The likeness of both rider and horse arc well hit off. ffhe , lithographs are for a well-known New Zealand sporting man. - „„,'',, ™ , ' L, It is,, the- intention of Mr H. Fisher, Jthe owner of Handy Andy, to send' the horsp to England, where he will carry the colours of Mr J. Fisher, a brother of Messrs C. B. fand H. Fisher. . „ - J ' , The latest quotations on approaching events -, are as follow :— I HAWKESBURY HANDICAP. ? ' 7to 1 ajrst Svvoet-william ' '} 8 — 1 Barber j0 — 1 Larpenfc , ' ' ,10_i Batnurst ' . It — 1 TwilluhS , « 14 _ 1 Hawfchornden i 14 _ 1 Inverary i 100 —Ito 5 a^st others. , . i CHAMPAGNE STAKES. ' 6 to i agat Navigator (tk) 4 — 1 Jessie (tk and off) (5 - 1 Solitude (tk) 5— l — . Hccla and others. { A.J.C. ST. LEGER. ' 5 to 2 agst Wheatear (tk) 4 _ 1 Monmouth (tk and off) 4 — 1 Spinningdalo (tk). SYDNEY CUP. 4 to 1 agsb Sweet-william (tk) 12 — 1 Barber (off) 12 — 1 Waxy (tk) 12 — 1 Boyal Maid (tk and off) 100 — 0 others. Concerning the contest for the Australian Cup, tho Leader's sporting writer says:— "lt was a magnificent race, and that it was not won by my selection, Sweet-william, is to be ascribod to the immense running made by Duchess, who led tho field along at a fearful pace; indeed, it is commonly said that she completed her two first miles in 3 mm. 29 sec, which, supposing it is correct, shows that had she not been off she must have won the Melbourne Cup. I do not know any sight that has amused tho public more than the manner of Duchess in this race. Her tail was goingall the time, and the expression of tho people testified to their enjoyment— such expressions as these alternating and catching tho. ear, ' Now they're catching her !' ' No they don't !' ) * They'll never ?,at near her !' ' She's done, her tail's going !' 'No they don't, she's going away from them again !' It was a time of fearful excitement, and tho majority were with the little mare and would havo rejoiced to see her come home first. They did catch her, as the reader knows, but she finished with marvellous gameness, and on the girths of the favourite."