AUSTRALIAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 24

AUSTRALIAN.

When Mr F. Spofforth, popularly known as 'the demon bowler," was in England, Fred Archer made him a present of three whips. One of these he has since given to the Australian light-weight, S. Cracknell, and the other two he intends to present to a couple of the leading jockeys. , „

Willeroo's victory in the Queen's Birthday Handicap at Randwick was a great surprise. The ancient son of Zetland and Rosebud had not been out of the stable for some days ; and the fact that he had never arrived on the course at all was due to Kelso's head man, Earnshaw. On the morning of the race he was bathing the old horse's leg with some warm water when he lifted up his foot sharply and pushed it. The shoe caught Earnshaw on the bridge of the nose, and made a very ugly wound. Had he kicked in earnest he must have smashed his face in. After the race Willeroo was very bad, and on the Wednesday could not move; in fact, stopped in one position tor many hours after entering his box. Mr Eelso did not win a penny on him. But a backer of the double who landed a "thou:" handed him a century. Strange to say, this lucky backer also spotted the double— Mackay and AH Gold — last year. A recent arrival in the colonies from India says that the Metropolitan Stakes winner, Masquerade has been doing duty in the shafts of a cab.

■ It is intended to hold the Victorian Club Billiard Tournament early in July. In former years this event has been made the medium for heavy speculation, large sums of money changing hands over individual games, and in straight out betting, several prominent members of the ring having £1000 books on it.

Tom Brown, who was fancied a bit for the Sydney Birthday Cup, had to be scratched owing to a curious mishap. He was being trained at Newcastle, and a thunderstorm coming on during the night he was found the following morning up to his middle in water, and nearly frozen.

A case of considerable interest to sporting men, involving the legality of so-called sweeps or consultations, was tried the other day||in the Central Police Court, Sydney. T. G. Green, the licensee of the Guildhall, Castlereagh street, was proceeded' against as the promoter of a sweep called the " Barb " consultation on tha Birthhay Cup Handicap. The information was laid under the Betting Houses Suppression Act, and the charge was held to be sustained. Green was fined £2f>, with costs, or two months' imprisonment. Notice of appeal was given. The correct 'number of nominations for the Melbourne Cup is 128, a decrease of 15 on last year's number, while the Champion entries have fallen from 67 to 53. The Caulfield Cup nominations, on the other hand, show an increase of eight on last year. The list of Melbourne Cup and Champion entries appears in this issu;\

For the first time, writes " Vigilant," in the annals of a Melbourne Cup an English-bred horse, who has distinguished himself in India by winning a Viceroy's Cup, has been nominated, and, it is wintered, is already on his way to these shores. There is considerable mystery about this, though. " His Highness the Rajah of Durbhungah's bay horse" Metal (imp.), by Sterling — Fair Vestal," is a trump card in the V.R.C. nomination list denied to the Caulfield Club ; but while they lack the air of royalty imparted by the tawny Eastern potentate's patronage, the V.A.T.C. nomination list includes " Lord William Beresford's bay gelding Myall King, 4yrs, by King Cole— Queen of the Forest," which — in the parlance of the ring— is about " a dead equaller." Metal, I may inform my readers, is by the same sire as Paradox and Enterprise ,who each won the Two Thousand Guineas. Formerly the property of the Duke of Westminster, Metal, as a three-year-old, aud ridden by the great Fred Archer, carried off the Dee Stakes at Chester aud the Goodwood Stakes at Goodwood — two very moderate performances these — and as he was subsequently beaten very badly by second-raters at Home, he must have improved immensely within the past couple of years to have any chance of appropriating our Champion Race or Melbourne Cup, for both of which events he has been nominated.

On the publication of the nominations (says the same writer) a good deal of fancy betting took place on the Melbourne Cup, 500 to 5 being laid against each of about 30 horses. I saw 500 to 5 laid against Silvermine, and 500 to 2| against Whitebait, the taker of both wagers being the ownor of the lastnamed horse. 500 to 10 was laid against Bravo, 500 to 5 Bohemian, 500 to 5 Lord Wilton, 1000 to 30 Trident, and 1000 to 20 Matador. The fancy wagers of £1000 to half-a-crown (cash) and £1000 to 2s (also " ready ") were laid agaiust Fair Saxon for the Melbourne Cup, the taker in each case being the owner. Mr J. H. Giles has laid 5000 to 25 about some 30 combinations of Derby and Cup horses, Aber-

corn,Niagara, Sumatra, Tranter, and. Aberdeen! being the principal picks for Jthe Derby, coupled ■ with a host of Cup horses. ., Mr J. I.Saqai, amongst' other wagers, .has laid ,2000 -to , 80' Trident straight out, 2000 t0,, 60 Niagara, >nd; 1000 to 20 Fernandez, each for the Melbourne! Cup. Most of the .wagers booked so far have, I ! need scarcely add, been booked, to the public,, and no stable move is likely to be made, until; after the handicaps appear.' There is, however,' a very strong tendency evinced to back Trident,; about whom , the best price forthcoming ; last! night was 1000 t0,50. . , - -( .„ . " Asmodeus" is glad to record that Bob-Batty has been able to resume work, and is again to be seen in the, saddle every morning at Caulfield.j Batty appears! to be none the worse in health; from his recent accident, which is probably due] to the firmness with which he met his trouble,! and he will doubtless in time, "cease, to feel, the present inconvenience of partial loss of sight. i Mr John I. Saqui, pneof the most popular members of the ring, and. equally well-known as the enterprising Trade's Union cigar manufacturer, was recently 'the victim, of a^ruffianlyi attack by some, fellow whose, object wasfevi-i dently robbery. ' Returning to jtus? house, m , Drummond street, Carl ton, about half-past 2; o'clock on the. morning of the, 26th, ult., Mr Saqui had just taken out his latch key, when a ' man who had been concealed in the; garden struck him several terrible blows which rendered him nearly insensible. His cries attracted two friends, Messrs S. Bell and C. Watson, whom he had only just left, and his cowardly assailant running away past the side of the Trades Hall escaped. The fellow (who left his boots ,in the garden) had staffed up the keyhole of the door with .the evident object of detaining his intended victim when he attempted to open it. Mr Saqui, who had been settling over the Queen's Birthday races, had about £500 in cheques and ca«h in his pocket, of which, but for the prompt assistance of his friends, he would probably have been eased. Under the care of Dra.C. Ryan and Willmptt, the wounded met'allician is making satisfactory recovery from ' his, severe injuries, and early in the week was able to drive out.

A race for Chinamen's horses, Chinese riders, was included iv the programme of the last meeting of the Vegetable Creek Jockey Club, and the novelty caused no end of amusement and interest. There were three starters, and Ah Chow's Jim won after his rider had treated the spectators to a very comical exhibition* of horsemanship.