FOURTH (ALL-AGED STAKES) DAY SATURDAY, 7TH MARCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1934, 19 March 1891, Page 25

FOURTH (ALL-AGED STAKES) DAY SATURDAY, 7TH MARCH.

This was another intensely hot day, without a puff of wind to alleviate the sun's infliction. The Steeplechase at Flemington is ever a powerful attraction for the general public; but although the attendance was good it did not bear any comparison with the gathering at the spring tryst. The Earl of Kintore was evidently desirous of witnessing plenty of horse racing prior to his journey through the Northern Territory, and once again was the capacity of the vice-regal box thoroughly tested. Speculation was naturally restricted over two of the events — the All-aged Stakes and the Loon Plate— both of which appeared to be' the deadest of dead birds for the eleot of Mr D. S. Wallace's stable. And so the sequel proved. A three-mile steeplechase on a blazing hot midsummer day seemed to savour somewhat of cruelty to animals, especially when the two top weights were Ircposted at 18.12 and 12.5 respectively ; but still the first-named won, tbe other four contestants all turning turtle during the tussle. Andy Fergu«on, who rode Tyro, came down an awful smash on his mount, crashing through the post-and-rails before the gap into the straight, and at the time of writing he is still in a very precarious condition. Poor Andy ! This was his first es*ay over Flomington since he sustained a terrible fall on Wangaloon there, which laid him up in tbe boipital for some months, after nearly proving fatal. Mr Charles Pilgate, too, received a nasty toss off Screw-wrench, his collarbone belug jarred ; but although Tom Corrigan fell on Blister the dapper little fellow was up like an indlarubber ball, and, after chasing Ills horse for over a furlong, he succeeded iv Catching him, and pluckily remounting finished third, Mr F- F. Dakin thoughtfully remaining in the judge's box until the gallant little son of Krin trotted past the post, which he did amidst a perfect salvo of c'aeers. Schoolboy, who was seoond. bad very hard luck throughout the contest, as Blister, balking at the first of the double by the river side, caused him to do the same, after which he stumbled over the same animal when he fell at the stone wall near the abattoirs. Sir Wilfred only escaped the goneral downfall by a miracle as he ran down the lojj fence and took the wing, carrying away the top rail with him, and eventually pulling up very lame after winning. To take the events in their proper sequence, the botting was 6 to 1 on Garbing for the All-aged Stakes, of one mile, whilst tbe same odds were to be obtained against Penance. Yarran cut out the running the champion laying last a couple of lenpths behind Shur. Passing the scraping sheds Penance began to sulk and dropped to tbe r6nr, Carbine running up to second placo. Approaching the home turn Penance put oa all cail, and when fairly into the straight Oarbii o ijave Yarran a racing go-bye, and loud shouts proclaimed a;i easy victory for the popular idol. Huh bare Moran put in a caveat, and at thn dist>inc« Penance had h'u head in front of the favouvite, on whom Raraage was moriuff vigorously. Thru eommPDced a desperate ffcrusiglo; but the game son of Muskot. never flinching irom a few vigorous prods with the hooks, hlowly but surely forged ahead, aud v/on n magnificent race by a long neck amidst deafening plaudits, which were also showered on Penance an he returned to scale. The time — lmiu 41Jsec — was exceptionally good under the circumstances ; and it was generally

conceded on all sides that Carbine never bad a' tighter struggle at Flemiogton since the day Ensign downed him in the Derby. Last Thursday Monaghan informed me he wanted £2500 for Penauce, and after the All aged Stakes running he ' should be dirt cheap at the price. At least I fancy Mr D. S. Wallace will think so. Nine started for the Unplaced Iwo-year-old Stakes, and on the strength of Some wonderful display of speed in a private trial La Grippe (by Glorious —Perfection), in Harry Yeend'e stable, was made favourite at 5 to 2. The Newminster— Ouida colt Strathmore (late Bandolier), the property of Mr W. B. Wilson, was also credited with being able to snatoh turf , and he was supported at 5 to I—a1 — a price which was also forthcoming about Lai, a blaok filly by Boolka from L'Afrioaine, bred and owned by the Messrs Miller. Strathmore was undoubtedly the speediest of the whole lot, but he was also the greenest, as he ran all over the shop, stopped twice, and then finished second, four lengths behind Lai and a head to the good of The Magistrate, La Grippe being last. Time, lmin IPseo. Nine also saddled up for the sucoeedlnk event, which, as being likely to throw some light on possible eventualities in the spring, I will give in detail, as follows t — THE PLACB HANDICAP* A sweepstakes of 6aovs each, with 400 added. For horses that have been placed first, second, or third in any raes in any country of the value of lOOsovs or upwards since the V.8.0. Autumn meeting of 1890; second horse SOiovs, and the third 40jovs out of the stake. One mile and a-half. Mr B E A Oatley's blk g Highborn, by Grandmaster- Her Ladyship, syrs 9.3 ... (Sough) 1 Mr D S Wallace's br f Wilga. 3yrs, 712 (Moran) 2 Mr B H Austin's oh c Enuo, 3yrs, 7.12 (Power) 3 Mr D Greenway's b c Tarcoola, 4yrs, 9.0 (Sanders) 0 Mr S G Cook's br h Jebusite, 6yrs, 8.3 (Huxley) 0 Mr O BUiotfc'B b h Wycombe, srs, B.ff (Flood) 0 Mr S Miller's br m Pingara, 6yrs, 6.7 (West) 0 Mr J Wilson's oh f Swing, 4yrs, 7.12 (Moore) 0 Mr WS Gray's brg Wattle, aged, 7 9 (Tomlln) 0 The betting at the start was : Bvens Highborn, sto 1 Bnuo and Wycombe, 6to 1 Wilga. Wattle led for three-quarters of a mile. Highborn being fourth and Wilga dead last. Wycombe and Highborn displaoed Wattle ooming to the sheds, and Wilga began to make a forward move. Once in the straight Bnuo passed Wycombe; but Highborn shot away, and looked to be winning easily, when Wilga came with a great run, and momentarily appeared dangerous. But fihe never actually was so, as the black gelding swept past the post a winner by a length, whilst Wilga was only a head in front of the consistent Bnuc, the others following in the order in which they are placed above. Time— the record for that special distance at Flemimton— 2m in 36£ sec. Sir Wilfred was the only one "to escape "the falling sickness" in the Steeplechase, and he landed his backers their sixes to four right gallantly ; Sohoolboy getting second after a stumble; and Blister snivelling third money after missing a fence. (But kept it dark 1) lime, 7min 24§see. The Loch Plate, of a mile and three-quarters, was deemed suoh a certainty that the fielders demanded 7 to 1 on Megaphone, 7 to 1 being on offer against The Spot, whilst the other starter — The Serf— was absolutely friendless. The race needs no description, aB Megaphone played with the other two, and finally came home four lengl hs In advanceof The Spot , and nine lengths ahead of The Serf. Time, 3min 32£seo. Nineteen numbers went up on the board for the concluding event of the meeting, and such was the rush to get on to Amina that she aotually touched 2to 1. Towards the finish, however, Churchill came with a rattle, and 5 to 2 was offered against Amina, Churchill being a strong order at 4tol. There' was a South Australian gelding in it named Dillon (by Savanska out of Brenda) who had won a couple of races iv the farinaceous colony besides annexing one up at Sandhurst recently. Early in the day I had been put on to him as a " good egg" for the last event ; but on making inquiries on the course from "the right parties " I was told that although he was a horse that would undoubtedly run well they didn't fanoy their chance on the present occasion. But if they didn't, somebody else did ; for although the books thought that Dillon was as good as in the bag, young Bobaon, who had the mount, tipped his friends aright, and some nice little " bits " were got on at hundreds to five, four, three, and in some cases at hundreds to two. And again did the good thing (that's for Mr Jockey and Co.) come off, as Dillon won very comfortably from Norbert and Churchill at the finish in lmin 43£seo. And so fell the curtain on as remarkable a succession of turf finessing as ever It has been my lot to witness. From first to last— that is to say from the Newmarket Handicap to the Farewell Handicap— turf chicanery and deceit were the order of the day. But I thank heaven that the scoundrels have jj6t paid back in their own coin at last. " The iniquity you teach me," says Shylook. •• I will execute, and it shall go hard, but I'll better the instruction." The jookeys have bettered the instruction ; and the wealthy knaves who— true to old oonviot instincts — have heretofore chuckled over the pelf drained from the pookets of an all too-oonflding public can now go and lave their brows in the pellucid waters of " our beautiful harbour," and meditate on the applicability of the old copybook maxim. " Honesty is the best policy." One penny gained by villainy has ever been to them more precious than pounds obtained by fair and legitimate trade; and oh, bow harrowing muit it be to them, now that their way of life is beginning to fall into the sere, the yellow leaf, to find that their hoary-headed schemes are completely upset, and that they have been led by the nose as easily as asses are until such time as three or four of the " rising generation " thought fit and proper to utilise their cherished " tools of trade" without letting them into the transaction 1 Oh, what gall and wormwood it must be to have the handioappers put fly as to the strength of certain gee-gees before the Clever Push behind them had an opportunity of securing the golden harvest that was to be such a " dead cop " whenever they meant business 1 It was so refreshing to hear some of them " biting " on the grand stand just after the Autumn Handicap 1 Oh, I can assure you. Cockatoo Island slang had a rare old innings 1 Which perhaps was not to be marvelled at, under the circumstances, seeing that the best laid schemes anont the last raoe of the meeting had so .unmlstakeably ganged " aeley." For the Farewell Handicap was all over and done with, bless your heart and soul ; and the Sydney doves who were fluttering around the New South Wales Falstaffa were already exercising their minds as to the plumage they were to bsdeok themselveß with thereout of.