SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2010, 1 September 1892, Page 28

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Horfi Poene. Mklbbourne, August 23. THE TURF.

As this epistle will reach you just in time to forestall the opening of the spring season proper, which will take place on Thursday September 1, I will seize the opportunity to utter my thoughts thereanent. I need hardly remind readers of the Witness that only a few years back the September meeting on the Clarendon course was watched with intense interest as likely to throw some light oa the forthcoming events of the spring ; but for the last two or three years the Hawkesbury gathering has fallen from its high estate, at least in so far .13 Victorian interest is concerned. For all that the issues of tho two principal events— the County Purse (of one mile) and the Hawkesbury Grand Handicap (of a mile and three fur. lon°-s) are bound to have some sort 01 effect on the more classic events to come on for decision later iv the season, and therefore are worthy of due consideration by the would-be student of racing form. At the time of writing 47 remain in the County Purse, the best in my opinion being Tridentine (9.8), Dan O'Connor (8.7), and Ely mas (8.5). Tridentine(who isbySomnuafrom Matilda) has proved herself to be such a superlatively great mare under heavy burdens, that should her party mean business I think she would be bound to scoop the pool, but as the prize is only Llso— why, there you are, circumstances might possibly alter cases. In hor absence commend me to Dan O'Connor or Elymag, with Spyglass or Can

Can to fill the other situation. In the Hawkesbury Grand Handicap Tridentine figures at 9.3, and again, should business be meant, she must be put down as properly dangerous ; as also must Florrie 8.7, Dan O'Connor 7.9, and Insignia 7.7The Spring meeting of the Australian Jockey Club commences at Randwick the Saturday after (10th September), and consequently I have got a week longer to meditate over my likes and dislikes in so far as the A.J.C. Derby, the Epsom Handicap, and the Metropolitan Stakes are concerned. But yet the voice from Randwick training track speaks with no uncertain sound, that voice nominating that whatever the syndicate racing under the name of "J. B. Clark ' decide to send for the A.J.C. Derby must just about fetch it. That would be small matter for surprise/were either Autonomy or Camoola to be apportioned the mission ; but still it must not be forgotten that Arquebus gave us a taste of his quality last March, and he is now reported as doing excellent work in company with Camoola, whilst Donation and Autonomy are likewise coupled. Then, again, there is yet another string to the bow in Ulrlc, whose condition is also highly spoken of. Still I fancy Autonomy or Camoola will be the Derby"Colt, the former for choice. Marvel and Bungebah have been performing such prodigies on the tracks recently that it looks odds on tney will both be wanted in the immediate future, and even with 10.7 I should be loth ito pass Marvel by for the Epsom Handicap of one mile. But then the gay Paris has likewise been prancing along right merrily, the Randwick touts averring that The Workman is not of the slightest assistance to him in his work. Well, Paris showed us something like that here in the autumn, and yet failed to set the Saltwater river afire ; so that possibly history may repeat itself in his case. He is a terrific horse for a mile with 8.10 on his back, though, and I shall pick him as one of the few in the mUe dash. So I should Trieste were I certain the stable would risk her Caulfield Cup chance ; but I don't think they will, and therefore I shall select Florrie (8.6) in her stead. Hero (7.10). Helene (7.9), and Crirdoness (7.7— a 101b penalty) shall be other three selections, my special fancies being Paris, Florrie, and Cardoness. The Metropolitan Stakes haying been reduced from a two-mile race to a mile and a-half tryst, all sorts of things will of course have to be taken into consideration— in re the" Caulfield Cup and so forth. However, Tridentine (8.8), is not engaged therein, and so I will give her a chance (and a good one too) for the Randwick event. Paris on the same mark may also be a tough nut to crack ; so would Bungebah (9.7), who is bounding along like a lion. St. Blaize, Realm, and Impulse I will look for later on, arid in their place select Attholas, Danton, and Pilot Boy, eventually summing up in favour of Tridentine, Danton, and Pilot Boy. There has been nothing of special interest transpired on the Flemington training tracks of late; but both Walter Hickenbotham's pair, Antaeus and Titan, are coming on splendidly. Antseus ran fourth in the Flying States, of five furlongs and a-half, at Caulfield last Saturday, and would undoubtedly have been still more " adjacent" had he not unfortunately got blocked when making his run. His performance was a rattling good one, and that he will improve thereon by-and-bye is beyond the shadow of a doubt. Talking about Caulfield reminds me that Hickenbothara proved successful with Comedian, a four-year-old brother to Tim Swiveller (by Swiveller from Burlesque), in the Victorian Club Handicap, of a mile and a-quarter and a distance : and as the event may tend to point a "moral' Avith regard to some of the contestants who might have been labelled " Not wauted on the voyage." I append it in full.

VICTORIAN CLUB HANDICAP, Of 150sovs ; second, 20sovs. One mile and a-quarter and a distance. Mr W. S. Hickenbotham's b c Comedian, 4yrs, by Swivoller— Burlesque, 7.0 (H. Maybin) 1 Mr W. R. Wilson's g c Dillon, aged, 7.13 (P. M'Gowan) 2 Mr S. M. Wilson us eh g Graduate, aged, 7.7 (H. Cripps) 3 Mr M. Jacobs' b g Little Bob, 6yrs, 8.12 (G. Trainor) 0 Mr W. T. Jones' eh h Gresford, syrs, 8.10 (J. Anwin) 0 Mr C. Rudings' b g Accident, 6yrs, 8.5 (H. Cusdin) 0 Mr J. Wilson,'jun.'s, b m Magic Circle, syrs, 8.0 (C.Moore) 0 Mr J. Redfearn's eh g Meltonian, aged, 8.0 (J. Flood) 0 Mr C. T. Roberts' br g The Swell, 4yrs, [carried 8.5, including 71b penalty] (J. Vander warden) 0 Mr J. A. Lang's b m Opera, syrs, 7.10 (D. Ring) 0 Mr VW. Pridham's b g Star of Erin, 6yrs, 7.0 [carried 7.7] .• (E. Power) 0 Mr J. H. Davis ns b h Tim Swiveller, syrs, 7.5 (J. Cunningham) 0 Mr H. Yeend's g g Jack, aged, 6.7 (E. Dixon) 0 Mr A. Elliott ns br h Leichhardt, aged, 6.7 [carried 6.B] (S.Kelly) 0 Betting: 2 to 1 agst Dillon, 4 to 1 Tim Swiveller, 7 to 1 each Comedian and Graduate, 8 to 1 Gresford, 10 to 1 others. Magic Circle was the first to anticipate the fall of the flag, and immediately cut out the running at a tremendous bat, at onetime being six lengths ahead of the field ; but as they swept into the straight Comedian was upsides with her, followed by Dillon, Accident, and Graduate. Then the sister to Ringmaster suddenly collapsed, and although Dillon headed Comedian half way up the straight the latter outlasted the grey son of Savanaka, and won comfortably by two lengths in 2inin 28sec. Opera finished last ; but we have Holy Writ for it that circumstances sometimes alter cases in this connection; I bad the pleaiure of interviewing Malvolio, Correze, and Marco in their boxes at James Redfearn's Beverley Lodge stables (Caulfield) the other day, and was thunderstruck at the improvement 12 months has made in the trio. On the first blush they look very big and lusty ; but you have only got to put your bands on them to become seized of the fact that there is more thew and sinew about them than bull beef and adipose tissue. Redfearn is bound to shake one of the cups, if not annex the double. He informed me that they had been doing everything he apportioned them in a most satisfactory manner. Mr S. G. Cook subsequently intimated to me that my particular pet, the Admiral, was doing as well as his best friends could wish. Ike Foulsham's team— Malolo, Wild Rose, Dundas, G'Naroo, and Villiers — are all getting pink ; a remark that will also apply to Glenloth, on riding whom in the last Caulfield Cup poor Wally IChfford had such a bitter experience of the foul manner in which some of our Victorian jockeys ride. Clifford always maintained but that for being interfered with on many occasions, and being finally blocked in the straight, he was sure to have won on that occasion, and the circumstance may be worth remembering come Saturday, 15th October. You will have been advised per cable ere this reaches you that Neeld Rundell Duncombe Bond, late secretary of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, passed away at a private hospital at Albert Park yesterday morning. It was a happy release, as the veteran Victorian sportsman (he landed here in '52) had been a terrible sufferer for many months, during which, to their honour be it said, the members of the V.A.T.C. made every possible arrangements for his attention and comfort. Mr Bond was born in Hertfordshire in 1827. There have not been many movements of interest in the betting market as yet, albeit last week Titan was supported to win about L3OOO down to 100 to 6 for the Caulfield Cup. I am fully convinced that it was only a speculative move, however, and net stable money. Of course Autonomy rules the roost for the V.R.C. Derby, whilst Malvolio is very firm for the Melbourne Cup. The following may be taken as a fair sample of the prices at present on offer :— Caulfield Cup : 100 to 6 Titan and Malolo ■; 5 Trieste (taken), Zalinski, Steadfast, Antimis, Impulse ; 4 Marco, Dundas, Magic Circle, St. Blaize, Correze, Opera, Fortunatus, G'Naroo ; 3 Liubura. V.R.C. Derby : 100 to 30 Autonomy ; 10 The Captain (taken), Azim, Blarneystone, Candour. Melbourne Cup : 100 to 7 Malvolio ; 5 St. Albans 11, Stratmnore, Zalinski ; 4 Correze, Autonomy. Penance, Oxiae, Malolo, Titaq, Honour Bright, Sternchaser, Little Bcrnie ; 3 Steadfast ; 2 Blarneystone. Blarneystone is a three-year-old brother to Marvel, and is highly spoken of by the Randwick cognoscenti. The Royal Agricultural Society's Show opens today. Town Moor (by St. Leger from Mies Laura)

is in the thoroughbred sires' class, and as he is iv. great fettle, his owner, Mr Luck, jun., who has. Drought him over from Tasmania (where he hastaken many first prizes) is very sanguine of carrying off the honours here. Dan O'Brien was to leave here yesterday afternoon for New Zealand, via Sydney. His horse, Freeman, about whom there were some curious rumours afloat as to Ned Millers having bought him prior to the Caulfield Grand National. Steeplechase, has gone into J. E. Brewer's stable. CRICKET. The sub-committee appointed by the V.C.A. to ' formulate a scheme to regulate the pennant pr&- ? miership next season have evolved a system off dividing the 12 competing clubs into two sections — A and B — and giving separate pennants foe * each. It will be submitted to a meeting of the V.C.A. next Monday. FOOTBALL. /; Geelong fell before St. Kilda on Saturday, and Essendon scoring a lucky win against South Melbourne, they are now fairly on the road towardsachieving the premiership again this year. There; are terrible squabbles every Saturday about, "stiff" play and "cronk" decisions of the field! umpires. The positions of the clubs in the' pre- * miership list as follow : —

Club. 01 . -p & i a to , .3 Is <2ri a 9*" •§s; Essendon Carlton Fitzroy Geeldng Melbourne '. Sfc. Kilda South Melbourne ... Richmond Port Melbourne ... Footscray North Melbourne... Collingwood Williamstown 14 15 16 13 13 1416 14 15 15 15 15 15 11 11 11 9 7 7 7 6 6 5 4 2 1 3 i 2 101 71 105 82 77 77 66 64 55 45 46 36 35 40 48 52 47 63 63 58 71 GO 78 78 95 107 56 60 64 52 52 56 64 56 60 60 60 60 j 60 48 4& 4»" 32, 32 34T 2& 26, 22 20 8 a 7 8 9 9 13 14 3 1 1 1 2 - — 1