SPORTING NOTES FROM VICTORIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1861, 22 July 1887, Page 23

SPORTING NOTES FROM VICTORIA.

(By Oub Special Melboubnb Spobting COBBESPONDENT " OIYMPUS.")

Meubouhne, July 13.

RACING.

Notwithstanding unfavourable weather, we have brought off three race meetings since my last. The first was last Wednesday, when the Bendigo Jockey Club held^their Winter meeting

at Quarteopqlis, and a right good meeting too the metropolitans patronising the special train * chartered by Mr Joseph Thompson in a very ! satisfactory manner. .There were seven items on the card, including a j Trot and a Military Race. The former was thought to be a pretty good thing, for Leithamstead, but he put himself clean put of it by. continually , breaking, Laehlan (a 4to 1 chance) defeating . 0.V.G., Eaglehawk, and eight others, and cover- . ing the two miles and a-half in '7min 528ec. The Military Race was won by Lieutenant F. ' G. Hughes' brown _ gelding The Athenian, who was bred by Sir W. J. Clarke, and is by Defoe (a 1 full brother to Robinson" Crusoe), out of Maid of' Athens. The Jubilee -Handicap, six furlongs, the. prin- ' cipal event of the day, fell to the first favourite, Jocular (by Emulation— Gaiety), who was' piloted by Dicky Walker, and who cantered home- five lengths in front of R, Sevior's T.W. (Teddy Weeks) in lmin 22fsec. The old South Australian identity Bob Cooper annexed the Steeplechase/ about two miles and -a-half, by half a dozen lengths from the favourite, Marquis" of Waterford,in smin 35sec Bob was artistically handled by' the now one eyed gunner Bob Batty, and it Will go withou ' saying that the popular cross-country horse* man's initial victory since his terrible misfortune was enthusiastically received. The club benefited to the tune of 85sovs in 1 the Selling Hurdle Race won by Gay Lad, and llOsovs in the Selling Race, which Margrave (a smart son Kingsboroagh) appropriated ; the former being purchased by Mr S. Nathan (the owner of J Jocular), and tho latter by Mr J. I. Saqui (the popular vendor of Trades Union Segars). Saturday was another bleak day, but still an excellent attendance braved the • elements at Moonee Valley. Mr S. Miller's stable was in undeniable form, his representatives ' catching the ' judge's eye first three times out of the first four ' events and running second.for the other. Mildura won the Trial Stakes, of four furlongs and"-a-half; Pan the Selling Hurdle Race, one mile and a-half ; and The Irishman the Handicap '• Steeplechase, one mile and three-quarters ; Wxlara being a length to the bad of T. W. in the Oaklands Handicap (for two-year-olds), of four furlongs and a-half. Mr S. MartinVLiddington proved successful in the half mile Selling Race ; - Childe Harold (Gang Forward— Ada) adding another to his numerous successes of late in the July Handicap, of a mile and half a furlong. Yesterday the Elsternwick Park meeting, which had been twice postponed owing to bhe inclement weather, attracted a large concourse, and the programme of seven events (one of them a trot, of cours,) proved a very - interesting one. This Jatfcer was a soft thing for 0.V.G., who mad© a holy show of Ivanhoe, Leithamstead, and half-a-dozen more over a three miles journey, accomplished in 9min 32fsec. Pan had to play second fiddle to Courage, a four-year-old gelding by Don Giovanni, Bravery in Glassock's care, in the hurdle race of a mile and a-half. , Sorcerer gave old Sam Thompson (ask Ted Cutts if he knows him) a very useful fillip by getting home in front of Louise Berta, Orlando, and another quartette in the July Handicap, of five and . a-half furlongs, the winner being ridden by B. Power. The Open Steeplechase, about two miles, was won by Tandstickor, by 12 lengths, albeit there was some good cattle in it in the shape of Sweetmeat, Fickle, Stockman, Kulkyne, Planet, and Miller. Childe Harold landed the odds of 4 to 1 on in the Soiling Race, of five furlongs, Bugler and Carnival being the only other starters, and after Quality (by Starlight out of a Smuggler mare) ,had appropriated the Selling Steeplechase, one mile and , three-quarters, interest centred in the usual , bonne bouche—to wit, the last event,' the Elsternwick Park Handicap, of one mile a furlong and a-half. For this Childe Harold, Sydney, The Knave, Success, and Gulpha, staarted, the , betting being 2 to 1 agst Success and Gulpha. As I have written the five starters so ' did they finish, Childe Harold, winning by a length. But to everybody's supprise the last horse, Gulpha— who, like Childe ' Harold, was the property of Mr E. Weeks— was placed first by tho judge and the winner last. Of course there was a general outcry' when it , was discovered that the palpable error was nofe ] rectified forthwith, and as ,the judge (Mr G. Vowles) left the box without doing so, the fiat had to remain ; and what had been all through an enjoyable afternoon's sport wound up very unsatisfactorily. On Saturday we shall be called upon to interview the lions at Flemington once more, and although the weather gives, every promise of holding up, the course is bound to be exceedingly heavy. I have been, a .pretty regular attendant at headquarters since the, time, when Green Linnet, Samson, and Haphazard were bright particular stars— and that wasn't the day before yesterday— but I muat confess I never saw Flemington to such disadvantage. The training tracks are completely saturated, and ■• anything like a line 'it has been simply, impossible to get. *Our> Grand National meeting will be a thing of . the paat by the time you receive this ; but still there are matters connected therewith that I would like to place you en rapport ,with, so that they may not be altogether out of place even after the opera is over. First and foremost, the intelligence comes to us from Ballarat that Kildare is a better horse than ever Game was. If so the Grand National Steeplechase is all over ; but on that point I am air unbelieving Jew—an 'Ebrew Jew. Horses like Game don't grow on wattle trees. Certainly they have such magnificent trying tackle at Dowling * Forest that their elect needs wary watching;" but, clever as they are— and . Tommy Corrigan, Scobie and Co. are, like the succulent saveloys praised up by their vendor, "quite as good as they make 'em, and a great deal better than some"— l say, clever as they are, they sometime* make mistakes, and very egregious ones, too, at that. Therefore, when you have the result of our great cross-country event of the year revealed to you, should you find Kildare the boss cockie you can depend upon it that yours truly has come a' cropper. sßuts But not bo if an animal named Kangaroo has been- successful. I have always had a sneaking re- ■ gard for this four-year-old son' of Manuka and Kangaroo (curious coincidence .' ), ever since I read, of his performances in Tasmania-^where, > on one occasion he defeated that speedy 'mare ' Pocahontas over six furlongs, in lmin ; l7isec. His [jumping capabilities are said to be something phenomenal, and I read somewhere that "he was quite 17 hands high. .1 had a good look at him yesterday (he swung round the' cinder track a very useful four mile gallop), and although I dare be sworn he is not more than 162, he is certainly the cut of a gentleman to be : all they, describe him. Built on the strong side,' and if anything a little mean to follow behind, he has got the regular Manuka kabaser and (to quote the words of a gentleman who can trace them back nearly to'the brace that went into the ark with Noah) " is as' thoroughbred as Eclipse." So now you have my Kismet. Afttr her running in the Grand National Hurdle Race last year with lOst 121b (a good second ; tbrca miles in smin 35sec), and considering the style in ''• which she won a steeplechase at Caulfield since then, I looked upon Ruby as one of the few with

only 51b more on her back (list 31b) ; but 6he appears to be a bit on the big side, and although an extra stone or two outside is nothing so long as they are clear inside, I want to impress upon you perhaps it chaunceth may that in the merry month of August the Caulfield Grand- National Steeplechase, with its 500oovs added money, will prove metal more attractive. In the words of the immortal Jack Bunsby— "Overhaul your catechism, and when found make a note on" (or a coaple of notes tor that matter, if you like). .Bad as the training tracks are at Flemington just at present — and, mind you, such a state of affairs is simply uupreventable under the exceptional circumstances unless they were to roof the whole caboose in — the accident which befell .Garter King (by Musket— Rosette, and therefore full brother to EJscutcheon) last Thursday was in no way attributable thereto. Mr E. Mitchelson's colt was cantering along with others of Mr W. E. Dakin's string on the grass inside the course proper when he stuck his toes in the ground and coming back smashed his pastern so severely as to necessitate his immediate destroyal. This is indeed a sad reverse both for owner and trainer, as Garter King was a colt of great premise. I hear good accounts of last year's winner of the Melbourne Cup (Araenal) from Sydney, but as yet no more has been announced as having taken place on his behalf in the betting market. By the way, the more I think of it the more I come to the conclusion that Bedouin is remarkably well in the Melaourne Cup with 6st 51b. I am positive he will turn out a stayer. However, we shall not have to wait long now before "trouble will begin" at Flemington in the morning. Ike Foulsham is to take charge of Mr W. Cooper's horses at the stables recently owned by Allsop at Lower Randwick. Ikey knows his business thoroughly, and despite the strong Hebraic flavour of some of his " eccentricities," he is a past master (though not an italic past) in the art of " nicking them." In his place we are to have Mr M. Fennelly, who returned to Sydney last week. It is almost incredible that since last spring Mr Fennelly has come down rom 18st 51b to list. But nevertheless such is the fact.

"Augur" in the Australasian of Saturday last, in summing up the Melbourne Cup horses, says.that if he had to reduce his selection to four he should name Silver Prince, The Jewel, Menotti, and Lord William. Were Ito have to do the same thing, I should name Fryingpan, Remus, Bedouin, and Arsenal. That's not giving your New Zealanders a show, is it ?

COURSING.

To-day the running commences for the Waterloo Cup. There was an immense crowd assembled at the Union Club Hotel, Collins street, last evening, when the card was being read over, although the somewhat prohibitory charge of £1 was made for admission. Several leading coursers from the adjoining colonies were present, and the metallicians were doing splendid •biz." The Last Request was a very firm favourite at sto 1 ; but nearly every nomination was more or less supported. The weather is harming. The half-yearly meeting of the National Coursing Club (composed of members elected by the coursing clubs of the Australian colonies; was held yesterday at the same hotel. There was a very full meeting of representatives, and on the motion of Mr W. F. Lamonby ("Skiddaw" of the Australasian), seconded by Mr J. B. Scott;, Mr W. M'Oulloeh was unanimously elected president for the ensuing year; Mr John Muuday being re-elected secretary. After some cases of disputed wagers had been taken into consideration and sub-com-mittees appointed to investigate and report thereon, a three years' coursing debt incurred by a sporting editor was brought under notice by Mr Bromell, and short shrift was extended to him to square vp — until 11 o'clock to-day; failing which he was to be treated in the manner pertaining to defaulters. Mr 0. C. Skarratt, having called attention to the system of registration recently adopted by the National Club, desired to know whether it was requisite for dogs registered with the New South Wales Coursing Club also to be registered with the National Club in order to permit them them to run under the Victorian rules. It was pointed out that the [rule as passed made it compulsory that all dogs must be registered direct with the secretary of tha National Club. Ths committee expressed sympathy with greyhound breeders in the neighbouring colonies who are unacquainted with the operation of the new rule, and in order to partially remedy the difficulty under which they are placed, it was decided, on the motion of Mr Gore, to accept the registration of greyhounds from other colonies through any recognised club on proof being furnished that the date of whelping is correct; this privilege to remain in force for two months from date, after which registration will require to be made direct to the National Club. Mr S. Willis called attention to the "pedigree unknown " system of nominating so freely countenanced by country clubs and moved — " That all dogs competing under clubs which permit the running of non-pedigreed greyhounds should be debarred from running at meetings where the National rules are in force." However, after some discussion, it was decided that the consideration of the resolution should be postponed until next meeting, in the hope that by that time measures would have been taken to abolish the practice.

FOOTBALL.

The so-far premiers, the Carlton team, are away in Adelaide playing a series of matches there. Hotham have just finished a trip to Tasmania; so that matters are a bit quiet at present in first-class contests. On Saturday, however, there was slashing game between Melbourne and South Melbourne on the M.C.O. ground., the game resulting in a draw, no goals kicked on either side — South Melbourne, 8 behinds; Melbourne, 6behinds. That's Melbourne's f orm of late years all over. Getting donkey1 icked by outsiders, and then coming all of a rush and knocking the best of the seniors into the proverbial •' mish." I remember four seasons back Carlton beat every cjub they met bar Melbourne; Melbourne were beaten by every club they met bar Carlton ; Carlton and Melbourne played iour matches against each other, and Melbourne won the whole four ! READ. MARK, LEARN, AND INWARDLY

DIGEST.

The following is taken from Monday's Argus. Since it appeared there has been a lot of special pleading inserted in the Sportsman, trying to gloss over the affair; but it won't wash. It is headed, " The Five-Style Wrestling Championship. — A Disgraceful Exhibition,"' and proceeds as follows:— The wrestling match between T. Cannon and H. Dunn to decide the question of superiority in the majority of five recognised styles of wrestling, came off at St. George's Hall, on Saturday night, and resulted, as far as one of the competitors was concerned, in a display of brutality such as had never been seen in Melbourne in an affair of this kind, and which, it is to be hoped, for the sake of the credit of athletic sports in the colony, and the manliness of those who patronise them, may not be repeated. The styles chosen for the match were the Grasco-Roman, catch-as-catch-can, Cumberland, sidehold, and collar-and-elbow.

The name of Captain Cowan, who has often officiated as referee* was suggested for the post, but Cannon objected, 'and named Mr R. Carter, who was willingly accepted by the other side. . Unfortunately, the referee appeared to have had very little experience in such a position, and at a subsequent critical period lost his head. Before the match commenced Cannon, wished to make a further bet of £50 on the result, but Dunn said ,he had not the money to bet. Cannon then offered ,to bet the whole of the takings for the match on the result, and this suggestion- was promptly, accepted by Dunn, the articles being with the consent of both wrestlers altered to permit of the wager being made. Slaven, a Queensland boxer, was second for Dunn, and Chrystol acted in the same capacity for Cannon. The former won the toss for choice of styles>'and Dunn decided to commence with the Cumberland, in which he is an expert. When they took hold Cannon got rather !the best of the positions, and tried to cross-buttock his opponent; but Dunn was too clever for him, and with a quick counter-move laid him low upon his bach on the carpet, thus winning the Jfirst fall. Cannon, as loser, chose GraecoRoman for the next bout. With a rush he tried to get behind Dunn* and the latter, in the struggle came to the carpet on His hands and knees, with Cannon above him. In this position the latter might have scored the fall almost at his pleasure, but instead of adopting the usual tacbics he lifted Dunn in his arms as high as he could and dashed him down with fearful violence, jimid exclamations of astonishment from the onlookers. Before Dunn could recover Cannon had him in such a way that the " hammerlock " — ef itself a sufficiently severe hold— was available with either arm. . But Cannon neglected these opportunites, and by a sudden vigorous effort, which Dunn seemed to apprehend and struggled hard to prevent, passed his right arm under his opponent's neck as he lay face downward, and, catching his left elbow with the right hand, and using the left hand to press the head forward from behind, started to strangle Dunn. Under the terrible pressure the latter's face became distorted and grew purple, and foam and blood issued from his mouth, while horrible gutteral sounds, as he tried to call out or draw breath, showed that he was being badly injured. The spectators on the stage jumped from their seats in a state of wild excitement, and appealed to Cannon not to kill Dunn, but without effect. Either the referee should have stopped the bout when Cannon's object became apparent, or Dunn's second should have given the fall. But neither official had much experience of wrestling, and what with the excited shouting, and 20 people calling +o them at once to do something, it was not surprising that they lost all presence of mind. Finally, Dinnie and other wrestlers who were present, told Slaven to give the fall, and Cannon then rose, and left his opponent lying helpless upon the floor. After he was lifted to a chair blood came from his throat, arid Dr W. H. Bmbling, who was upon the stage, found that portions of the larnyx had been flattened and lacerated. The throat swelled rapidly, and in a few minutes Dunn was scarcely able to speak. All hope of his being able' to continue the wrestling was abandoned, and Cannon claimed the match. Several people, sickened by the spectacle, left the hall as soon as Cannon released his hold, and in the auditorium the excitement and indignation were very great. Cannon was received with a storm of groans and hooting, with counter cheering by a few of his friends. Had the garotting wrestler fallen into the hands of the crowd in the back portion of the hall, his strength would hardly have saved him. He came forward to speak, but was met with such cries as " You deserve to be poleaxed." The referee also came to the footlights, and explained that " this sort of thing often happens in America," but the prompt response from the audience was "We won't have it in Australia." Amongst the experts in wrestling opinions differed as to the fairness of Cannon's tactics, but there could only be one opinion about the gross brutality of such an exhibition. Off the stage the iudignation was even stronger, and the general opinion was fairly summed up in the expression of one of the audience, " I don't call it wrestling for a stake ; I call it robbery with violpnce." The rules, as interpreted by some, left the impression that a wrestler might go as far as he dared, or the manliness of the audience would permit, in the way of incurring the criminal penalty for murder or manslaughter. Although the chief rules are of classic origin, some modern American improvements, such as arm-wrenching aud strangling, have so altered the contest that the wrestler who combines science with brutality has the best chance of being champion. In order to understand Cannon's proceedings in this match, the conditions of the eontestrequire to be made thoroughly clear. In the Cumberland, eidehold, andcollar-and-elbow styles, the leg-wrestler has the advantage, and Dunn is a champion leg-wrestler, while Cannon, who is a floor-wrestler, is best in the Graeco-Roman and catch-as-catch-can styles. But as the winning of both these bouts was not sufficient to win the match, his apparent intention was to so injure Dunn in either or both of these bouts that he would be unable to continue the mßksh in the styles of which he was master. Something of the sort was apprehended before the match commenced, and Dunn was strongly urged to give Cannon both the falls in floor wrestling without meeting him. Dunn, however, expressed tbe fear that the spectators would consider such a proceeding evidence of cowardice on his part, and decided to wrestle every bout. That he was foolish subsequent events showed. As the rule permits any hold above the waist, the only prohibitions being kicking, striking, scratching, or gouging, thn strangling was within the rules, and had it been tried on a practised Graeco-Roman wrestler the proper "stop" would have been used. But Dunn was a comparative novice in this style, and Cannon, who might have thrown him in a dozen other ways, took a merciless advantage of his ignorance. Hitherto there has been no police censorship of these wrestling contests, and unless some steps are taken to rid such competitions of the elements of savagery recently introduced from the United States 'ifc will be necessary in future for a police officer to be present on the stage with the power, now occasionally exercised in boxing, of staying the proceedings as soon as the contests may become in any degree brutal.