SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 953, 25 April 1889, Page 24

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

(Br OUB AUSTBALIAN COBBE- ! ' SPOITOBNT |" WabBIOB.") Melbourne, April 17. THE VICTORIA E.C. APRIL MEETING. On Saturday the V.R.O. opened fire on the racing clubs surrounding Melbourne by holding an extra day's meeting at Flemington. , The attendance was what I expected it would, be, very scanty. Take away the members and their wives, " dead heads,?' the bookmakers,, the hill and flat. books, and the customary, refuse to be found congregated on racecourses, and one would find that the respectable racegoers were absent in teds of thousands, ItVall very well for", one of the best sporting; writers in Australia to write qf the continued success of race meetings. He, however, knows very well who'the majority are who attend race meetings outside Flemington, Caulfield, and Elsternwick; or, if he didn't, Sergeant O'Meara, of Newmarket and Ascotvale, will very soon tell him. The time has .arrived when the racing "Great, I ! am" shoqld do something to, put down every Tom, Dick, and Harry " running a show." Mr" Brad3haw complains.of the proposed new. rule of the : V.R.C. re £400 added money,' &o. .This gentleman deserves all consideration, for he is an honourable man, and conducts his meetings at < Mordialloc on the square. .The Otago Witness ■ was the jSrst paper to agitate ■ for registration of ! bookmakers on the hill, and it has long since \ written down the increase of' racing clubs sur- j rounding Melbourne. Yesterday the V.R.C. met and decided to, discountenance any club: which violated the rule. , : Racing commenced at half -past 1 with, the! Hurdle Race, won by Black Prince, Society second, and. Whalebone third. The Maiden Plate was won by Moorbank, .who had hosts of; friends at 2to 1. The Hill Etandicap, of gsovs, 200soy8 added, introduced us to, the Newmarket Handicap winner, Sedition, who looked much; better than she did last month.; .Dividend looked! himself ,, but' the New Zealand, Russley was far from being " good iron.", Notwithstandmg.tnat Teuton had the, services of Teddy Power in t the saddle, tie couldn't raise a galjop. Sedition started firm at even money, gunning .home. the easiest of winners against Dividend,, who" beat Ginger by , a head ; Fishwife fourth, followed, by 'Russley, Teuton, True, apd Boz last. Although the club added. 300sovs to the Steeplechase their liberality was poorly appreciated, only three horses, facing the starter; Reny was backed at even money,! and Kestrel 3to 1 against. The lastnamedi collared Reny coming into the straight^ passing! him before' reaching the distance post, and' winning easily by five lengths'; Irishman last, a] i dozen lengths ,pff. . The Charmer haying.'defeated the even-moneyed Pakena and the 7 to Is i against Cyclops in the April Handicap, the day's programme finished up with Traveller appropriating the Two-year-old Handicap. THE" TURF IN, NEW SOUTH WALES. ! . HAWXESBUBY AOTUMN, MEETING., ' The Hawkesbury, Racing ,Club v celebrated their ninth annual autumn gathering on Thursday and Saturday' last!, Prior to The Barber winning the Hawkesbury Autumn Handicap' the H.R.C.. held their meeting on Boxing Day,' for on referring 'to the " Turf Register" I find Mr Kite's Woolstone, by Gemma di Vergy, beating a field of 11 in the Hawkesbury Handicap, run on Monday, 26th 'December 1877. That same year the Hawkesbury Grand Handicap was run on 16th August, and was won, cleverly by Janitor.Timothy seco'nd,f ollowed by Priam,Ringwood, Fernhill, Painter, Dockweed^ and others, „ Thursday's programme comprised, a Hurdle Race, a "deaa" birdj" Rowley Mile, and two races for butchers' hacks. The first .'.was won by Drilldool, a bay 'gelding by Goldsbrough,' and the. Claret Stakes', of lOsovs each,' with 30ps6v£ 'added j^ fell an' easy prey to itudolphi'well ridden 1 by Hates. 'J always like to see the colour^ 'ol the Hon. James White being returned a winner He's so charitable; so am I— when, I'm asleep, ; Poor WhTt'e'!. Unless he win's four bixt of five races in a 'day he does look so awfully wretchec and careworn." Merriment, who ran second, it by Goldsbrough, out of Happy Thought; Nets (late l^ina) a good third. Sixteen -'horses' left j the paddock for' the Rowley Mile, for whict Plutarch was heavily backed' by the public That '" knowing " family Brown proved too muot for the Kirkham crowd, whose orders to Fielder were, "Do as you like,' sonny; but be on to 'em at ( the distance." That astonishing lac rode grandly, bringing Golden Crown up on the outside as they passed the distance post. Hundreds'jOf yards from' home Fielder had Hales beaten,' passing the winning post a length it front of Plutarch, Laidy Lyon third, TMe lmin 42Jsec, The Public Auction Stakes was won by Creeper, and Railway' Handicap ,by Allan. The sire of Golden Crown (Julian Avenel) has in his 1 day got some' very good stookj Julian Avenel isby Ace of Clubs out of Mary Avenel,' and last season had five winners whostj Stakes amounted to £1120. Saturday's racing brought the 'H.R.G. meetf ing, to a close. The victory of Keith in the Hawkesbury Handicap was a great blow to the ' general public, and also .to the pastime of racing; ' People can't go on for ' ever losing their money at backing horses. Either the totalisator must be legalised or the good old, sport will certainly collapse. Yabba, who was backed down to 7 10 2 against, must have been "got at," and placed hors de combat. For no horse in the racehas done better work on the training track. ' The Randwiok touts went tooth-and-nail for Yabba 1 . From the account of the race received in Mel* bourne, the Queenslander was never in the racej. No sane man can expect an animal to cover one mile and a-half in 2min 3s|se'o with two gallonj) of bran mash in her stomach. Plutarch's second was also a blow to the stable followers, but they had a run for their money, which' they always have when they back the Hoa. James White's colours. In Keith's win the public have been taught another lesson, that betting is best left alone.- No donbfc Keith's friends have, .been biding their time for months [and months' to. securp a dead certainty and scoop the pool'as! they did on Saturday. Although 'Keith Was' not backed by the public, they would have rushed 1 him had they known he was ph the job. Of 6our,se they wOuld. ' But the owner and trainer weren't fools enough to allow Messrs Smithy Jones,; and Robinson to know/which " tWinible' the pea wejs under." Wycombe's third proves thai he is on the improving side, and may win the ' Melbourne Cub or Metropolitan next spring. Keith is by Goldsbrough out of Aphrodite, and as a two-year-old won Plate at, the 1885 Autumn meeting, and the Rosehill Youngsters' Plate. 'As a three-year-old Keith, carried 6.10 in the Sydney T.C. Spring Handicap, beating Phaoo, Burrilda, Recruit, and four others, covering six furlongs in Imin 16sec. On the 15th April 1886, at the Hawkesbury R.O. meeting, Keith won the Hawkesbury Stakes (500sovs to the first horse), six furlongs, beating Fraud, Soldier Boy, First Demon, The Jewel, Volcano, Sam Cook's Remus, Sorella, and 11 others, in Imin 15sen. After Tunning third with 7.9 to the aged horse Maokay (7.9) and, Corday (7.0) in the Royal Stakes a,t the- Sydney Birthday meeting, Keith -wound up the season by winning the Sydney T.O. 'Flying Handicap, six furlongs, with 7.12, beating

Solo, Toronto, Mftckay/ Yellow JiScltet, »ad nfefc others. Keith stktted on Saturday friendless it S3 to 1. ■ Fet Girl, who ran fifth in tne'Ha>ke*. bury, was trotted but for 'the last .race of the day, which she won after a desperate fight wiifo Fernandez. ' > * ' .',.;, THE MELBOURNE ARGUS Md EO&. RACING IN VICTORIA. •

On Monday last the Melbourne Argus devoted a leading-arfciele occupying a column and a-half to the new role of the V.R.C., which, was carried yesterday afternoon at a special mee.ting convened for the, purpose — namely, ,". That no meeting Within 20, miles of Melbourne 6hould be.advertisedi inthe Racing Calendar if, among, pthej- things, > mp>iey^a4de.d. were lew than ; £4OO per .day^orj? certain-restrictions io regard, to the, jchjaracter pf^the. L r,aces.iandthe distances run wer,e not complied with.'- The Argus gpes on to say lit , , t r , "Indeed, it would appear that #ie efforts of the supporters of legitimate raoingjbaye all been strenuously andproperly directed oflate >&oii ,tp obtain stakes and entries, but rathe? to, suppress a mischievous .development of priyate! ; janfcerprise. , Thus' the tu^f, parliament .otiiyiotQriai is to meet"to-jiay,to consider one. way,, pf cprreotf ing the evil, of m^tings,-,. started., fo?/ \gatemoney ', only, this ( expression, it . would seem, covering events of all, characters, got up by.the professional gambler. At these /meetings, it ia said, not, one weight-for-age race js (run^-a fact which of , itself shows hq\jyjifc(jlo even of pretence there is of promoting true sport or f of developing the Australian horse. , Many; of. them are little more than disagreeable, collections ,of spruce, sharpers and, unsavoury, hangerS'ton—ttie parasites of the men who patronise .hprsßS on their way to ]bhe dogs,, Opinipag differ widely as to the course, to ,be,,takeh, to check the'desceat and the. deterioration of the Englishman's favourite sport."

, ( AfteK a dYW&g the.VJß.Q,tobe p^utioiip. }n di^pusaing the alt^r^tioq of ; the rule, the article becames more, {pterestiqg. , ,

" The problem before the tsuppp.rter.B,,^f , } -thjß turf is how to separate , their fayoufifee,. ftpd national, sport, from .tfae^gamfylingi inania^j The blood horse is the v thon.eßt objejjj; -#f,- a. general British, pride,, i Tha^tjjvfc the/nndj>nbtßdfcsß.g of gpimals, is the.creat^pn, pf;the/ace.,c,ourae, l is sure, and;it is doaqtf^,wh^h£r, hg wQaJ4;,long survive without its stimulus. an^aid,; gut it gradually sapped it it becpms more .and more associated with' gate-i^on'e^.^acticdr.and.'Viich betting practices. ' In an article on the Subject in the l Quarteflyy i ßeview,':^JskiSent ( > made thab there' is iio such card-playing ip England as ; there was. at the' close 6i the last century and the beginning of this., Father^ like Lord Holland do not have' to ( pay'£l4o,j(>CM) to clear a youthful scanegrace of ' 24, .such as Charles ; James JFpx, of (FajrTObleaeht!, '.pff metz has collected a. nu'mber.pf' anecdotes' of the improvement of modern society. ' He tehs'us of Sir 1 j;'B.,who 'lo^,£32,o<3K) itt\sn'e pwht and shot himself ; of Lord F., PWeiaway an estate of fX^ddtf. a j^ l^ J £lWjoOtfta l ready money ? ' and of a certam'duchess; wifp of a 1 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who 'was 'fleeced of £&(X>,ooo. , Lord Kerfyon, frojm thY phqfc, declared^ that he wished' tJtfejse' gamblers', 'in high ' positions) could 1)6 punished^ and safd .tjiafc if any parties' could'be prosecuted and co)iyj6ted before liimVthbugh they'Bhdpl4 u |!et'tM"'drßt ladies in the land, they should certainly eihibit themselves ia the' pillc/ry., J ln, the following year,' indeed, Lady Buckpghamsh«e'anid^wo other ladies of position were condemned to pay £51) fb f r illegal gambling. All such soandaU have passed away, and ' Keavyj card, and dice playing 13 the vice of 'a! disappearmg^minority ; button the piher hand, betting on hprsV race* permeaijee lall^ of isocie^yin Bqgl^nd.'' l^L ruined chimney sweep may pc at one end. of the,, scale, and at, ( the other will be-7-?kc» cording io the London vpapera 6f^Marijh 7— Viscount Mandeville, eldest son ; of the Duke ' of { Manchester^ .with debts, '^ll^,l79 68 6d, and- assets 'til, and' the nominal '(^lvise of inßolvenpy^ • betting. on horsel ra,^js^ And iihe description given of the mother coutftry h'^s of late; been unpleasa.ntily ; ' applicable .hfere.,;, The 1 bookies ' and the ' pencillers/ns the priof^ssional betting men are 'called,' flourish riptwiths^anding the various acts ' passed "4o^ check,' 'nm bets betw.eeri'indiyiduals, butthe systemibf 'oneinaa holding .the hat against all- the ,re§t.', Thei socalled 'classic races ' of the.Elnglish turf, td'^in which! J yiras esteemed V fcrium^h: in ' '&&f}t. ' are rapidly paling 'their fibres 'pefore;new,',and' sensational £10,000 and £l2 t ooo'even^, promoted by the owners of proprietary, course^ vmp v t|oi advertise their, money-making jmeetin^s, the shorj; distance' (handicap, l^ the one raqie of tHese the bpokn^ajkers.theiijchancei aiidjenable,,poutersand tipsters to thrive and Multiply oh ,the rain of morals , and of . the .thbroaguDre'd. >f the /Review/ compla.ins'. of the ' thrusting; of so-palled turf 'telegrams' tjpon' 3 eyery passerrby „in, ,the .fltreete, 'M the number of 'sporting' sties>,,Aiid of /large ' dircSon 'bf turf anecdotes and. stories,. Few of .the anecdotes are (listingaiehed Fpr morality, and most of the stones are of swindles defeated or of, the cutting pf one .diamond by anbtherj! Cleverness, and not honesty, is the lesson inculcated by such literature., Such" s^ecimeris, it may be added, as reach us here principally describe the rise of this 'leviathan ' of the betting ring and tha^ 'king'— libwi this lone '/commenced, ,^rith staking theone^hatf-drown ne WjW^ppssessea pf t and. how another took shilling wagers ' from' his fellow- workmen,, and ( now Has * weajth and affluence,' 6he '/higgest of diamtin&g ■for.fhis wife,' .and the 'finest residence' in one of the prettiest suburbs of Loridpri.' Betting lis^s can no longer be exhibited in.theehop windows of London, but there are tobaccpkjste' 'shdpg which give the information 'and ta^ the mphey," ' , A N.'Z, i$ QOUBi.% , v ; Yesterday mprhipg, Abe Moss, ( (late, of Dunedin), Barney All^n, U, Stubbing,^ n^^ ; Allen were brought before the , District;, <p<oar|, Bench, cha,rged H by the , ,pMef/. Con^Ksipner\of. . ,^o^ce with. , haying committeA .a breach . ,o£ ., the t 4th section of, the Amending ( A,qt p|, ''*f The. rp'Kce Offences Statute 1863," and fpj'.the.sopp^esslon of, betting and, gaming honsea, iyhich rea,^— .""'No housei T officei rdofti, bxf ' cfther 'mace shall be 'opened, Kept, or used f or the purpß^ ofthe pwnerj'bpcupi^f, or keeper thereof , or anj Person using the same^or any person' procured or employed ,b,y or ficting f for; qr on ijehaUc of such owner, ocfcupier f^pr keeper, ojc Ip^son' us&'^jthe samei or, of aqj^ persdh^ Kiving Ibh'e^care or management or in any ,^anfeer condQljtiß'g the business th'erepf, betl^in^ with' perßtfnß"reß^rtinff thereto, o^'fbr the v !purpoße' v of 'any'mpneyjor valuable thing being recovered ' by or 'otf.behalf of such ownet, occupier, keeper, or person as aforesaid as or for the' consideration' for any assurance, undertaking! promise,' or agreement, express or impiiedj to pay or 'give 'thereafter any money or valuable thing on anyeyent'or contmgency, of or Telating to any horse .race. or other race, 'fight; same, sport', ;6r : e^erijlse, or i or the oonsideration fo^^BecarTng'th^'paylfl^or giving by sppe. other iperflpn 'of' any, tnone^, or valuable thing any such'evento'r (Jontin'geticy l aB f aforesa)d; and ev^' liouS'e' f officeV;i^ or other plaob'obeiSerf, k6pt,^r os<ad for me W" poses aforesaid or any of thefiri Jsii^Wclodw* l to be » common hutewice'and contrfcr v ,to Uw,

»nd shall be- deemed to" be a\ common gaming j house." 3 . it,! From the evidence it appears that a constable j entered 1 the toba'ceonist'shop of Barney Allen. I Bourke street, and arrested Abe Moss and a man' Bamed "Kelly for' illegal betting. Summonses were afterwards issued against Moss for having the care of the shop used for betting purposes ; against Stubbins for receiving money on account of bets at the same shop ; and against A. Allen for assisting in carrying on illegal betting transactions. Barney Allen was charged with being the occupier of the shop, which was kept solely for betting purposes. Among the witnesses for the police was Thomas Kelly, carter, who stated that Mosa had laid a wager with him over the gjdneyCup. Constable Flint stated that he had visited the shop in plain clothes, and that Moss had laid him 7 to 1 against Carbine for the Sydney Cup. Mr J. L. Purves, the leading criminal lawyer, made an excellant defence. He said, "Betting itself was not illegal, and it had not been proved that the shop was a mere * blind.'" Mr Purves contended that Barney Allen had made bets as a member of Bowes' Tattersall's. The Police Magistrate (Mr Panton), in giving bis decision, stated that the majority of the bench (Mr Rappiport and Dr Harcourt) were of opinion that the evidence was not satisfactory enough to sustain a conviction. He would therefore dismiss the defendants. The verdict was received with applause by „the fishmongers and three-ball fraternity present in court. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE VICTORIAN

RACING CLUB. An unusually large attendance of members i were present yesterday at the meeting held at Menzies' Hotel, presided over by Mr C. B. Fisher, ohairman of the club, when the following rule was carried, which in future will apply to all clubs within a distance of 20 miles of Melbourne s — ! 9. No meeting shall be advertised in the 'Racing Calendar unless the club proposing to hold such meeting shall be registered in the aforesaid Register of Clubs. ' (a) Nor if the entrance fee to eaoh or any race shall be more than 3 per cent. of. the added money. N.B.— See sub-section (d) of rule 152. The value of a trophy is computed as part of the added money. (b) Nor if the money added be less than £400 per day. (c) Nor If there be more than two races per day of five furlongs, nor unless one of such two races be a selling raoe. X 4) Nor if there beany race on the flat under five furlongs except races for two-year-old«, (c) Nor if there be more than one selling raoe per day on the flat. (/) Nor if there shall be a hurdle race under one mila and a-half, or a steeplechase undectwo miles. (g) Nor unlen there be one race per day at the least on the flat of not less than one mile.

N.B.— No raoe under five furlongs is allowed, except for two-year-olds. Only two races of five furlongs are allowed on each day. If there are two, one of such races must be a selling race. Only one ■elling raoe per day on the flat allowed. Each day there must be one flat race of a mile at the least. Hurdlo races of less than a mile and a-half and steeplechases of less than two miles are prohibited. The Chairman moved and Mr W. Leonard seconded the motion. The latter considered that a five furlong race was short enough distance for any horse to compete, and if a racehorse couldn't go that length, well, he should be banished from the racing field, and placed in some other field in which his exertions would be more successful. Mr A. F. Bradshaw, the owner of Mordialloc racecourse, was of opinion that the proposal' was a piece of protection in favour of the' proprietary clubs around Melbourne. Mr Basil Gray said the committee of the V.R.C. had no right to dictate to owners as to the distances their horses ought to run. Mr George Davis, M.L.C., supported the action of the committee, and would like to see proprietary clubs within six mileß of the city compelled to give £600 for each day's raoing. Mr R. Keirl said the day had come when the V.R.C. must put its foot on so much raoing. After a sharp disoussion rule 9, as above, was carried almost unanimously.