SPORTING NOTES FROM NEW SOUTH WALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1880, 2 December 1887, Page 25

SPORTING NOTES FROM NEW SOUTH WALES.

(By Our Australian Sporting Correspondent "Warrior.") THE FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF * THE WAGGA WAGGA GOLD CUP. The Murrumbidgee Turf Club held their annual Spring meeting at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday last. Neither the attendance nor the racing was up to the standard of that of past years, but nevertheless the stewards — conspicuous among them Messrs C. M. Lloyd, E. C. Pearson, P. Harm, J. R. Cox, F. W. Gowlland, and the secretary (J. Hawkes)— -did their best to make Sydney and Melbourne visitors comfortable. During the last 10 years the principal event of the M.T.C. has undergone many changes. In 1887 the Wagga Cup was a much more valuable prize than the Melbourne Cup. That year Mr W. Halliday presented a gold cup of the value of lOOsovs, and the club with a sweepstakes of lOsovs each, -ssovs forfeit, added lOOOgs ; the second horse received 200sovs, and the third lOOaovs. On this occasion the placed horses were— Janitor, The Diver, and Woodlands. From 1873 up to 1882 the distance of the Wagga Cup was two miles, but the following year it was reduced to one mile and a-half. In 1884, when Impulse, Favo, and Brown and Rose filled the places, the Wagga Cup was two miles, and continued to be that distance until Thursday last. The Murrumbidgee Derby since i,ts inception has been a fraud, with perhaps one exception, It has invariably been won in a common canter by the favourite. In 1877 Mr C. M. Lloyd's Swiveller started at 3 to 1 on, and romped home ; and four years after two horses faced the starter, one of which was distanced, Tommy Hales riding Birthday, the winner. Mr P. J. M'Alister's bay filly Alice had no opponent in 1884, and walked over the course. No wonder the club has determined to knock the Derby on the head. The township of Wagga Wagga, one of the richest towns in New South Wales, and a place and name that won't be very easily forgotten by the " three-ball men of London," who dropped their stuff some years ago when they backed the " Wagga Wagga Butcher" io carry off the Tichborne baronetcy. There is not the least doubt about it,°my Jerusalem friends had a splendid colt running for the big stake, who was backed up by his dam, in these days, for he was a very firm favourite with both the public and • the books. On the evening of the Cup the townspeople appeared to ' enjoy themselves yery much, especially the Harmy, who paraded the streets beating a worn-out drum, accompanied by half-a-dozen lasses performing on tambourines and tin saucepans. The attendance was 1 not so good on the first as the second day. The weather was good throughout the meeting, and the fair sex showed up in good numbers, To New Zealand sportsmen the Wagga Cup of 1887 was of more importance than any one preceding it, for it was the first time a New Zealand bred horse ever ran at Wagga. Mr Oxenham having scratched Spade Guinea and Phaon, Pasha's price advanced from 5 to 1 agst, to 5 to 2 on for the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup. In my last letter I referred'to Drake's horses and the method in which they had been run, and Mr Oxenham's speech when replying to the presentation of the Gold Cup endorses my remarks. This is how he concluded his brief B p eecn : _« Gentlemen, I can assure you when my colours are up backers can depend upon getting a fair run for their money." Notwithstanding Pasha was within pounds of the form displayed by him in the Van-Yean Stakes, he romped home with 9st up in 2min 40sec. Judging from the easy manner in which he smothered his field when called upon by \ White, Pasha must have won the Hawkesbury Handicap and C&ulfleld Cup. I feel certain

that Mr Oxenham is quite prepared to accept £2000 to £1500 that the son of The MuteRose d'Amour beats Cardigan and Oakleigh over a mile and a-halE at the same weights as they met at Hawkesbury and Caulfield; Mr A. A. Devlin, the Australian Jockey Club starter^ who fills a similar position at Wagga, had his horses at the post strictly to time for the opening event of the meeting — the Derby— which consisted of two bay fillies and a bay v colt. As in the 'past, the race - was won by the favourite in a canter. Puzzle started firm at 7 to 4 on. She is the property of Mr J. Mitchell, a well-known breeder, and is by Glorious, a sire that covered no les3 than 19 mares beOnging to Mr William Reevestoa years ago, amongst thorn many with whom my readers are acquainted— namely, Rupee, Maria Theresa, En Evaunt, Idalia, Miss Flat (damjpf Welcome Jack), Hammock, Fleurange, Becky^Sharp, and Agalice. Mr M. H. Devlin's Buzzard, a splendid bay colt by Darebin out of Thyra, ran second, and a Horatio filly third. The classical event of the day was the Sires' Produce Stakes, for two - year - olds, which brought to the post a field of eight. The DanteGlycerine colt, Wyvis, was served up a very warm favourite, all the two's to one being freely accepted. Notwithstanding the fact that Hales had the mount on Mr J. Cox's bay filly Emotion, he was friendless at 100's to 18. Mr Tom Gough's ratjk outsider SunseS added another storey to some of the buildings in course of erection in Sydney and Melbourne for some of the " chosen few " who offered up a sacrifice to " Dunlop " after the morning of the Melbourne Cup. Affcer a desperate race with the people's fancy Sunset defeated him by a neck most beautfully. Had that agonising, man-eating, devilish machine denominated the "Totalisator" been in practice for at least 20 minutes before the starting of the Wagga Wagga Sires' Produce Stake, the unfortunate and deluded betting public would have received* dividend of £50 instead of £6 for their investment of £1. Never mind about thetotalisator being a curse in New Zealand, I feel convinced that the want of it in Australia has been a curse to thousands in Australia, more especially at Flemington, where thousands and thousands of pounds are won yearly by bookmakers, many of whom would be •♦ hawking vegetables, or selling old clothes, or buying bottles," had the totalisator been introduced years ago. Respectable bookmakers of the stamp of Messrs Joe and John Thompson, Oxenham, Branch, Lyons, Grimwood, Haines, and others can always command a business and treat the totali- ■ gator with scorn, for they can afford to make heavy wagers with owners of horses, and have no connection with the general racing^ public. The sooner the number of bookmakers in Australia is reduced the better for the good government of betting. Returning to the day's racing, Phaon started at 6 to 4 for the Grand Stand Handicap, and the chestnut son of King of the Ring didn't take in his friends, for he won comfortably from Society and Rhetorician. Mr Oxenham followed up this victory by winning the last race on the card — The Shorts, of lsov, and 60sovs added. Faughra-Ballagh, with Bst 121b up, defeated lona by a head. The six furlongs was covered in lmin 17sec ; 10 starters. WAGGA WAGGA CUP DAY. By the time the candidates for, the First Foal Stakes had left the saddling paddock the numbers, present must have been double that of Derby Day. The scratching board showed that Phaon and Invermay had been scratched for the Cup and that there was a probability of only a few horses facing the starter; consequently a rush was made to get on to Pasha, who remained as firm as a rock at 5 to 2 on up to the moment Mr Devlin lowered the flag. Unlike the Sires' Produce Stakes, the public installed Wy vis in the-betting for the First Foal Stakes, 6 to 4 against being his price as he took his preliminary canter. The race proved another argument in favour of the " totalisator " (the costermongers' infernal machine). Emotion, with Hales again up, in consequence of being so easily beaten in the Sires' Produce Stakes, had no friends at the ridiculous, in fact pawnbroking odds of 100 to 15. Sunset hac a particularly good following, notwithstanding the fact that he was carrying a 71b penalty, 100 to 33 being about his price ; and Sunflower was nibbied at for a few hundreds at 100 to 20. Tommy Hales having had no spurs the day before, decided to ride the filly with them in this race. The youngsters got away to a good start, the colours of Emotion and Wyvis showing prominently in front. At the distance the Australian Archer brought the filly to the front, and was never afterwards headed, winning by a length from Wyvis, Sunflower third, and Sunset fifth. Emotion is by the prince of sires, imported by the late Hon. J. Bell to Queensland—Epigram, the sire of L,e Grand, which, it will be remembered, carried off the Australian Jockey Club's classical three-year-old races, the Derby and St. Leger, and the A.J.C. Queen's Plate. Le Grand also won the Champion Race from Commotion, Sting, Navigator, MartiniHenry, and Off Colour. The Disposal Stakes havjng been appropriated by The Frenchman, who was backed at 100's to 20 on, the important race of the meeting came on for consideration, THE WAGGA WAGGA GOLD CUP. When the ball announced the saddling, you could scarcely get a look at Pasha; but "Warrior" didn't want to. Milne had long before voted him a certain winner. He walked about the paddock like a three - year - old, and looked at me as if to say : " You and the boi/s have often lost your sugar when I wasn't on the job ; you may get back some of that three-score-and-ten you lost over me in the Hawkesbury Handicap, Metropolitan, Caulfield Cup and Silvermine's Veteran Stakes." I couldn't help remarking to myself : " Not for Joseph if he knows it." The local horses, Thakambau and Elsie, were freely backed at § and 7 to 1, Genoe Bto 1, and Impulse. In fact, the price at the start should have been a guinea to a gooseberry against the field, and 2tol on Pasha. The old horse was' never asked to extend himself any part of the raep, Whife landing him a winner as easily as if he had been " shelling peas." , The Gold Cup was the presentation of the proprietor of Big Springs, Mr Ct. P. Wilson, and its value is lOOgs. Tbe trophy, which consists of a gold claret jug, pair of beakers, and a salver, was' manufactured by Mr P. Blashki, of the Protectionist city of Melbourne. Another injustice to Freetrade Sydney— residents of New South Wales crossing tbe border to purchase luxuries. Poor Sir John Robertson and Sir Henry Parkes ! The Ladies' Bracelet, of the value of lOOsovs (presented by Mrs John King), was won by Hales on Sooiety, a brown six-year-old mare, nominated by Mrs P. J. Cox; Odd Stockings running second, and Honeycomb third. Mrs H. Oxenham nominated Faugh-a-ballagh, who started at 6 to 4 on him, but failed to get nearer than fourth in a field of six. New Fashion, a four-year-old son of Newminster—Truant, defeated Spoilt Child, lona, and two others in the Flying Handicap, of seven furlongs, the wind-up of the afternoon's programme. Thibd Dat.— Friday, November 18. The last day's racing of the Murrumbidgee Tvurf Club proved disastrous to the followers of

dxenham's stable and the public in general) the "unfortunate" layers of odds having all the best of it. The backers of the favourites in the Mile Handicap, Town Plate, and Goonignl Handicap all came to grief. Thakambau (at 5 ] to 2 ag3t) and Honeycomb (3 to 1) had the most call for the Mile Handicap, but they could get no nearer than second and third. Rhetorician (an aged son of Lecturer) proved the winner, and before the dayV racibg terminated carried off the Town Plate, for which Phaon was backed to win some hundreds at 7 to 4 agst. The Steeplechase was & fiasco, Trickett walking in. Society followed up his victory in the Ladies' Bracelet by romping home in front of Spoilt Child, lona, and seven others in the Goonigul Handicap. Marksman (by Tarragon) defeated Elsie, Odd Stockings, Genoe, Faugh-a-Ballagh, The Frenchman, and Rose of Australia in the Final Flutter, the last race of the meeting. Taking the three days' sport all round, it reflects great credit on the handicapper (Mr J. A. Scarr), the starter (Mr Devlin), the secretary, and the stewards. Although Mr J. Gormby, in his position of judge, was not called upon to give any dead heats or close finishes, he was all at home and attended to hia business. The secretary, Mr J. Hawkes, did bis best for the members of the Fourth Estate, and received the representative of the Otago Witness very cordially indeed. Among the stallions who had sons and daughters running at the late meeting, the following had winners: — Emerald (2), Glorius, King of the Ring, Paris (2), Sunrise, The Mute, Epigram, Capitvator (now at the Auckland Stud Company), Newminster, Lecturer, Tarragon, and Zingari. The following jockeys had winning mounts :— Messrs Tom Hales (3), Harriss (3), Argall, Stanmore, Recce, and Curran (2 each), Robertson, White (New Zealand), Miller, Riley, and Moncrieff (1 each). Williamshad eight mounts, Recce, Moncrieff, and Williams six each, and Tommy Hales five. Considering that a most aristocratic number of stallions have entered for the Murrumbidgee Turf Sires' Produce Stakes of 1890-91, conspicuous among them the New Zealand Stud Company's thoroughbred stallion Nordenfeldt, the Wagga meeting should come up to previous years. Buzzard, who ran second to Puzzle in the Derby on the first. day, changed hands at a very satisfactory price, Mr J. Stevenson being the purchaser. He certainly is a fine colt, and judging by his breeding, should wiu an important handicap. • Buzzard is by the same sire as Australian Pier— Darebin, out of Thyra, by Boiardo, who got the Melbourne Derby winners of 1862 and 1863 and the Ballarat Champion winner Barwon. Mr Hartle Fisher's imported chestnut mare Rose of Denmark, by Stockwell, who ran third in the Melbourne Cups of 1863 and 1864, foaled Thyra. The following are the prize winners at the late meeting -.—Messrs H. Oxenham, £526 and gold cup ; Tom Gough, £412 15s ; J. Cox, £318 ; Mrs Cox, bracelet of the value of £100 ; Messrs W. C. Steel, £205; J. Mitchell, £138; P. J. Cox, £115 ; F. Paton, £129 ; W. Yeomans, £100; W. Higgins, £90; S. Miller, £71 10s; C. Wheeler, £65; M. H. Devlin, £60 15s; C. T. Roberts, £50 ; Mrs O. Cox (second bracelet, value), £25; Messrs C. M'Alister, £50; W. Kelso,£3o; Di'W. G. Tayler,£ls; Messrs J. Monaghan, £15 ; W. Breunan, £10 ; and W. Miller, £7 ; total, £2423. WINNERS OP THE WAGGA .CUP.

* Including 81b overweight. t Including 61b penalty and s Jib overweight. ' SPORTINJ3 NOTES IN GENERAL. Despite the able efforts of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, which has for the past fornight been piling the agony on with respect to " The Sculling Championship, from Our Special Reporter at Penritb," the forthcoming match with Hanlan and Beach has created very little excitement either in Sydney or Melbourne among aquatic men. The latest bulletin states that both men are well and doing hard work. I consider, the match on the Nepeau river will be nothing more nor less than a" white elephant "and a financial failure. When we find men of the calibre of Beach and Hanlan rowing on a rotten river no better than a lake in place of the Parramatta river, which empties itself into our beautiful harbour, no wonder there is little stir among the friends of each. The rowing championship of . the world might as well 1 be rowed on the Yarra ; or the lakes at South Melbourne and Ballarat as on the Nepean. Mr P. P. Dakin is a man •• Warrior '•' has a great deal or respect for. He nev«r attempts to rush into print' unless he has a justifiable grievance. Writing to the Australasian of Saturday last U the handicapping of the New Zealand-bred Silver Prince in the Bagot and Standish Handicaps, he says :— " Sir,— -As there is no redress when one is undeservedly ' slated ' by the handicapper, it seems to me that the best thing to do under the circumstances is to give publicity to the injustice. Now, the weights allotted to Silver Prince for the V.R.O. New Year's Day handicaps constitute what appears to me to be a very gross injustice, for which I can see no reason, and which fills me with amazemant and dismay. Take the handicap for the Bagot Plate only. For this, as compared with his weight for the Melbourne Cup, he has been raised 161b, while many others have only been raised from lib to 131b respectively. Of these, some did not start at the Spring meeting, some were winners, some were placed, others carried no stable money, and, in the opinion of the public, did not run up to their proper form. The last alluded to have, as usual, been treated with great favour. Even The Levite. wh.o won the Hotham Handicap and ran seoond with, Bst 71b for the Spring Handicap, is made to meet

Silver Prince! on only lib wqrse tprms. , For the [ Melbourne Cup, Silver Prince ; was backed for a ■ heap of money ; he ran in the front. to the turn, I then collapsed, and finished a bad tenth. He 19 expqeted to give weight now to horses that finished far in front of him. Little significance, either, can be attached to the position he held during the first part of the Cup race, for he only held it on sufferance; as, as in all long-distance races* most of the other competitors were only biding their time. As he has not then been handicapped on any public form past or present,- perhaps in adjusting the weights the high price paid for him by Mr Pearson and an exaggerated private reputation have been, taken into consideration, in which case a new departure has been made in handicapping. If his price has influenced his weight, then the principle is atrocious, meaning ruinous loss to every enterprising buyer by the mere stroke of a misguided and capricious pen. If a private reputation is to outweigh all public form, then, I say, let the rule be rigidly applied 1 to horses in doubtful stables, not alone to the horses of staunch supporters of the turf, such as Silver Prince's owner — owners whom the public appreciate, and give expression to their pleasure when their horses win. I will conclude by remarking that Silver ; Prince's private reputation was in the most part won by some 'clock gallops' on the training ground, gallops which were eclipsed as time records by the performances, under similar conditions, of Bravo, Oakleigh, and Recall. Meteor, too, was reported to have done a phenomenal trial over two miles. How is it, then, when dealing with these horses our very vigilant handicapper has not also taken into consideration their sensational private feats ?—? — Yours, &c, Francis F. Dakin." Regan, one of the best hurdle and steeplechase riders in New South Wales, nearly made his exit from this life at Wagga, on Wednesday. He was riding Boatman in the Hurdle Race, who stumbled over a bundle of sticks on the course. Regan was very much shaken. We can ill afford in Australia to lose the services of such honest jockeys as Regan, who is generally treated at Tom Taylor's Racecourse Hotel, Randwick. Between Botany, Carington, and Terope Handicaps we are having our fill of foot-racing. Everywhere you go, it doesn't signify whether it is Berrima, Darlinghurst, Gladesville Asylum, or Larry Foley's athletic hall, you are sure to tumble across a professional athlete of some kind. On Wednesday last there was a very fair sprinkling of the " talent" at Tom Malone's ground to witness the second round and final heat of tho Tempe Handicap, of 130 yds, the first prize of which was £20 and a gold medal. J, Farrow (18yds) proved victorious, followed by M. Andrews (15yds), L. Hope (13yds), andE. A. Chickby (13yds). Time, 12 1-lOsec. During the afternoon there was a running long jump contest, won by H. N. Flockton, who covered 20ft 3in. Mr. John Taii, one of the oldest sportsmen in Australia, who spent his 72nd birthday in Melbourne during carnival week, has been on a visit to South Australia. The Adelaide identities treated Honest John in a true sportsmanlike manner. Pasha, Spade Guinea, Mirella, Teddy Yuille, and Rocket have taken up ■ their quarters in their new home, and in future they will undergo their preparations at Randwick under Mr Oxenham's trainer. Sentence, a six-year-old bay mare, by Captivator (now in Auckland), out of Sunbeam, has been sold by Mr Kiss for 17](.g8. The Canterbury Park Race Club had a most successful meeting on Saturday last, his Excellency Lord Carington the club with his presence. The Prince of Wales Stakes, of lOOsovs, seven furlongs, and the Canterbury Handicap, of lOOsovs, nine furlongs, was carried off by Mr H. Hilder's Pinkie and Mr D. Cameron's Soldier's Wind, young Fulton riding both winners. American lovers of the "noble hart" appear to have an amount of pride in them, judging by the latest arrival to our shores, in the person of J. Bourke, who I take to be a •' Greek " or an "Hitalian," who hails from America. Mr Daniel O'Connor, the " great " Dan of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales (Parkes' Australia), has taken the American pugilist into his confidence. "Mr" J. Bourke is prepared to hammer any member of the "noble hart" fraternity for a big stake ; but he draws the line at Professor Jackson, the champion boxer of Australia. Why? On the grounds that in America a white man is not allowed to fight a man of colour. I wasn't aware that fighting men were worthy of such scruples. The idea of Sullivan refusing to knock the Iface off a big buck nigger! It's simply ridiculous, Why, he would lynch him if he had only a phance. More attempts at manslaughter in the way of wrenching the windpipe out of one another were enacted, for the first time in Sydney, on Saturday eveniDg last. Advertisements in the metro? politan journals announced: ". Grseco-Roman wrestling contest for the championship of the world, and a cup valued at lOOgs (presented by Mr Lawrence Foley), with lOOsovs added for the winner and s,osovs, for the, loser, between John Connors, champion of the world, and Thomas Cannon," champion of America." Both men looked well — Connors having the b.est of the ? countinghouse ' ; ; the American displaying a savage appearance. The contest was the best two out of three falls ; 10 minutes' rest allowed between each. Connors got the first fall ia 17min. In the second round Cannon got the " strangler's hold " on Connors, who was beginning to get black in the face when ho slipped out of the clutches of Cannon, who would have certainly choked him had he not done so. Cannon got the next fall in 9min 22sec. After the men had taken a rest, they commenced business in real earnest — Connors securing a fall in 13min Sgsec, thus winning the match. A little of this kind of wrestling goes a long wa£ with respectable and humane people.

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