AUSTRALIAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1793, 3 April 1886, Page 20

AUSTRALIAN.

" Asmodeus " writes as follows in the Leader : — In the interest of racing it is to be hoped the " principal clubs " referred to will take up the subject with spirit. Why the leading turf institutions in Victoria and New South Wales are so lethargic in a matter so highly important to their individual interests is beyond comprehension. As far as Victoria is concerned, eft'ortg to legalise the machine terminated with the death of Mr R. C. Bagot, who was a firm adherent of the " machine." Possibly Mr Moore's wellknown indifference to everything appertaining to the turf is ihc solo cause for discontinuing tho good work so determinedly persevered in by his predecessor, who would have regarded the establishment of the totalisator at Flemington as his premier achievement on behalf of the Victorian Racing Club. Now that Mr Murray

has expressed his intention of reviving the matter in Parliament, it is to be hoped he. will receive tho assistance of every racing institution in the Colony. It is a cause in which every turfite should bo induced to work tooth and nail. Tho advantages of the instrument over the present system of open betting, and its inevitable benefit to racing generally, have been so well sung and oft that no recapitulation is necessary. Suffice to say that, apart from the substantial increase to the amount of stakes derived therefrom, not the least of its contemplated boons would be to stop the marvellous growth of the crop of mushroom bookmakers who periodically infest tho paddock and hill at Flemington, and whoso presence is not calculated to improve turf morality generally. The following are the weights for the SYDNEY CUP. st lb st lb Malua ... ... 10 6 Silver-mine ... 7 3 Sheet Anchor ... 9 8 Uralla ... ... 7 2 Nelson ... ..9 0 Ringmaster ... 7 2 Reginald ... 812 Solo ... ... 7 0 Tom Brown ... 810 King's Own ... 7 0 Tempo... ... 8 8 Here's Luck ... 7 0 Matchlock ... 8 6 Margiwe ... (5 12 Silver King ... 8 4 Chieftain . . 6 12 Honeydew ... 8 4 Lancer... ... (i 1:.Mozait... ... 8 -1 Remus... ... 6 10 Fiist Chester ... 8 2 Arsenal ... 6 10 Oatcake, ... 8 2 The Jewel ... 6 10 Prince Imperial ... 8 2 Per Chance ... G 8 Minerva ... S 0 Maronndah ... C 8 Off Colour ... 8 0 New York ... (j 8 Britisher ... 8 0 Pet Girl ... 0 (i Ccrisu and Blue ... 7 13 Florence ... (5 (5 Frand(lateWing)... 711 Bonnie Doon ... (S ■! Monte Christo ... 7 i) Rifleshot ... 6 I Brown and Rose ... 7 0 First Game ... 6 -I Caloola ... 7 7 Burrilda ... ti 2 The Orphan .. 7 li Ferndale ... 6 2 Cyclops ... 7 0 Crystal ... (i 0 Privateer ... 7 (5 Discard ... 6 0 Folly ... ... 7 4 Peeress... ..60 Claptrap 7 4 Kclipse ... 0 0 Preslou ... 7 4 Tramp.., „, 6 0 First Princo ... 7 3 Welcome Jack has Sst 101b in tho Hawkesbury Handicap, Grace Darling being top-weight with 9st. The Glenormiston stud was offered by public auction on the estate on March 11. With a moderate attendance of buyers, poor prices were as a rule realised. Many of the brood mares selected hero and in England by the late Mr A. K. Finhiy brought only about 10 per cent, of their original cost, although the majority wero yet in the prime of lift*. The highest price given for any of the mares was 465 guineas for Frou Frou, the dam of Wellington, Napier, aud Dividend. Tho Gem, amongst whose progeny are numbered Off Colour, Fir.st Water, Tourmaline, Topaz (clam of Precious Stone), &c, realised only 110 guineas ; but the old mare was looking very bad. The American mare Maid of Kentucky, a full sister to the great Amarican horse Foxhall, proved a very moderate specimen of the thoroughbred as far as appearances wero concerned, and Mr Samuel Gardiner, of Bundoora Park, got her for 55 guineas. The stallions brought equally poor prices. Wellington, who was purchased by the late Mr Finlay for 1000 guineas, went to Mr J. .C Stanford for 370 guineas; and one bid of 100 guineas by Mr S. Gardiner secured The Hook. An interesting point in connection with the sale was that on the occasion of Mr T. Chirnside purchasing The Hook, Mr Gardiner went to 840 guineas before letting the former claim the horse, and now got him at a reduction of 740 guineas on the price offered a couple of seasons ago. As Mr Finlay expressed a desire to pension King Cole, and made one bid of 100 guineas for him, no one advanced upon that figure. A lot of young stock by the three Glenormiston sires were sold at ridiculously low prices.

A marvellous jump was made by Patchwork while being schooled at Cheltenham a few clays ago. Fred. Hill was on his back, and the leap seemed such a wonderful one that a tape was immediately obtained, and it was found to be no less than 35ft 2in.

Two actions of considerable interest to the sporting public are pending in the Victorian Supreme Court, before Mr Justice Holroyd. The first of these is Hartle v. The Postmastergeneral, and is to decide the right of the defendant to detain a letter written by him. Mr Hartle is manager to W. H. Rocke and Co., and he sent a letter to Sydney addressed to "J. A Miller." This letter the Postmaster-general stopped under the authority of the recent Act of Parliament which permits the Postmastergeneral to stop letters where he has reason to believe they are connected with such little amusements as sweeps on horse races, fortunetelling, &o. At the time that the letter to "J. A. Miller" was stopped, it is alleged that no authority existed to stop letters to that particular person, although it had been already notified in the Gazette that no letters would be allowed to leave the Colony addressed to "J. J. Miller, York Hotel, Sydney." The second action is by J. J. Miller himself, who intends to test the general question of stopping his letters.

Poor old Pyrrhus, who has for sovcrul years been a performer upon Victorian anil Tsismanian racecourses, has been relegated to the shafts of a waggonette. To what base uses are raiVhorhet. sometimes put ! The "rugged Pyrrhus" may, however, be all at home at the new business.