SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1894, 9 March 1888, Page 24

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

(Feom Our Australian sporting Corrkspondknt " Warrior.")

Melbourne, February 28.

Ere these lines will be read by your numerous readers tho Autumn meeting of the Victoria Racing Club will be a thing of the past, but possibly a few remarks thereon may not prove uninteresting at even this late stage.

NEWMARKET HANDICAP.

Since the inception of the great sprint race in Victoria, in 1874, the distance has always remained the same — viz., six furlongs, and it has only twice been won by a three-year-old [This year the winner, Cranbrook, is a three-year-old also.— Sporting Ed.] whilst the four-year-olds have only managed to get home first on four occasions. The five-year-olds were, however, more successful, as horses of that age have appropriated the Handicap no less than eight times. It will bp observed that neither a six-year-old nor an aged horse has yet succeeded in first catching the judge's eye. The largpst field that ever started for the event under review was 37, in 1882, when tbe Hon. W. Pearson's Hyacinth proved victorious in lmin lOisec, which was the fastest time recorded up to that year. In the following autumn there wero 33 runners, tho uuxt largest field, and Tyropean, trained by Mr W. E. Dakin, carved out the journey in n, quarter of a second slower than Hie previous winner. The longest time occupied in winniug the Handicap was m 1885, when Coronet landed it in lrain 19^ec. Only on five occasions have horses carrying Bst or over been successful, the heaviest weight being apportioned to Sultan, who passed the judge first with Bat 101b on his back. Of those who were handicapped httween 7st and Bst, seven candidate 3 were victorious, whilst the Gth division secured two wins. Tho following table shows the winners of this most important race up to last year : —

ATJSTIIALIAN CUP. This important race, now worth lOOOsovs, with 200sovs for the second and lOOsovs for the third horse, was first introduced in 1863, when it was, like the Newmarket Handicap, wou by a three-year-old, and seven others of the same age proved their ability to get two miles and a-quarter. Only four four-year-olds hw' e managed to win' the prize, whilst the victories of the five-year-olds number one less, as do those of the six-year-old division. The "ancients got home seven times, Bst 41b being the highest weight carried by them. The greatest burden carried to victory was by Malua, asix-year-oW--viz., 9st 91b ; and that by the five-year-olds, Sst lib, when Lurline won. Morpeth, wiw Bst 51b, carried top weight in the four-year-oW contingent, aud Trident last year, with Sst il»i was the heaviest weighted three-year-old ; '» fact, bar Malua, the sou of Robinson Crusoe auu Cocoanut has carried the greatest weight. l&e slowest time for the 18 furlongs was that taken by Nathalie, whose record stands at 4min Si&c, and the fastest time recorded was when Mm* won in 1886. The smallest field that faced tee starter was in 1864, when Nathalie won, and wb largest (22), when Pollio proved victorious, me

ISRDr Bathe 1875iMr Ward 187H Mr Chirnside ... 1577 Mr C Jarara 1878 Mr A Davis 1879 Mr H Haines ... 18S0iMr J Wliittinj{ham 18S1 Mr J Whittingham ...I 1882 Mr W Pearson ... 1883|J>ir T Elder 1884' Mr JO Inglia ... 1885jMr D Robertson 18S6 Mr S Miller ... 1887 Mr G G Stead ... I Owcer. Winner. Maid of Avenel Calumny ... Sultan I'om Jvirk... Lady KUen Diomed „. 6\ 3' I 4, st lb j 7 8 8 0 : 8 io 7 5 j i li h i 7 0 | I jo h m,s. it, 1 1 17 17 1 !i:., 1 k; 2il l ltij •/' 1 I" 120 1 loj y 1 l?i 271 1 I! :.i7' 1 1- 5 } :?.T 1 M 31 : i15i 15 !*» 1 Wt i3o' 11 i, '21 1 I-' 1 ! Aspen (J 8 | lAspen J Hyacinth Tyropean ... Mahm ... Coronet ... William Tell Lochiel ... 5 5 4 4 5 515 1 5 7 8 I 7 6. |7 4 !8 7 [7 o! 8 6 i 8 5 '