SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2171, 3 October 1895, Page 31

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Hobi Pobnd.^ Melbourne, September 18. AUSTRALIAN JOCKEY CLUB SPRING M.EETING.-FIRST DAY.

Despite the depressing effects of the long-con, tinued drought in New South Wales, delightful weather on Saturday last attracted a large gathering to Randwick, where the principal events assumed quite an intercolonial character. There was a fair sprinkling of Victorian visitors, though not nearly so many an there would have been had The Admiral and Frostoo crossed the

Murray, or even had Wallace and Challenger been engaged to try conclusions with Bob Ray, Mannlioher. Form, and Co. Pro.'e^ditics commenced with a two-milo and a-half lluidle Race, for which 10 started : Favour 12 8, with Unny Underwood in tlie saddle, tcitig made a hot pot at 7 to 4, Dv'eoy 10.5 coming next nt (>V, with Messenger 10.11 at Ts, and Llena 9.0, Wliilefoot 11.8, and Warden 11.10 at 10'h. Llena ! id a t'our-yeai old dsuuhter of Blue Mountain and Lorida, and after Murden and Favour turning turtle she got the beat of a bumping finish, and defeated Muss.ii<g-*r by a lrng h, U.ols being a neck aw,ij tbird, followed by Decoy and Whitefo.it. Time, smln ssec. A tlve-yoar-old chestnut named Clive (Ctiovedea — Golandt-) ha-t b. en showing suc-h consistently go id — alb it somewhat unfurt;un'\tc--forin for some mouth* past that it was eiu.ill entire tot woudoruunl ho should be selected for sjpeeL j pi cferment among.-}; the 11 contestants in the Trial Stakes, of a mile and a-qu.tijwr, his cl^binjj price being 2 to I— only half a point in advance of Mr Sam Hordorn's Derby colt Vivian (by Abercorn— truly Vivian). After these two 7 to 1 was procurable about Woodfoul, 10 to 1 To Whiti, ami 12 to 1 other.". The "others" included a bay colt named Loch Loigh (Ijochul— Loli), owßed by Archie Thompson, and uftor Clivo had attempted tugct to the fiont at the «ix-furloug po<>t and fell in the atismpt, Pastille, Vivian, Fort, Kelio and Loch Leigh all got together in a bunch, Vivian Iwing drat to break the lmc, and landing at tl»e distance, until Nernker sat down on Loyu Leigh, and fairly outriding P. Harris on Viyian, ho secured a clevor victory by a head, Kelto third i half a leusth aw^y, followed by Cartridge, Mount ; Victoria, IV VVUiti. Woodf-ml, Fort, and Surge, t Tune, 2min K^cc. TLU brought the A J.C. Deiby on for rie'isitn, and on tl»o btrougth of some marvellously good gallops on the trailing track, Mr II C. Whito'H clio-t nut colt form (by Cranbrook — La Mode) was Ui»talled favourite at 2 to 1, 'JTVrcsvior (CUevfcT or Abarctm — Tempo) figuring at S's, B<«b Ray (Wol- • come Jack-G-jje d' Amour) at ft, M.iuijUclwr 1 (iUxim— Sappfcire), wko w:w much above him- ,' JK-If, at iS'.j, ftud Ouwiud (G»jg Forward — Hjiklex 1 ), I'liutlock (fa'iUHlier—^vl«n'lorftX **"! Il*d»vi»i (Invade*—Barbuttu) at 10"s. B>ib Rvy Lv>ho<l a p*my alongside the r*at, bdt Dim O'Brien evidently hud him Ir4iued lo tho hour; whihti of thu oihurd Onward undoubtedly carried tho boat polish. Rediivut was firat awsvy, but aa sooa as he <ot fairly int) hia aMda Ma»Dl(clu>v swept to tha frout, le^Ho < tho favour its by a length pusi tho atti'id, then coming Li onlw It^lavin, Toretnlwr. Onw*vd, Flintlock, and Bob 11 \y. flight round to the n>ilo po*t and ftkv«>j» tho bui-k. straich the po.sit'onß wero n»actic»Uy uncriitu^d, bnfc ajv proonkiue the three-furlong fO*.t Fo*i» tun up to M'thnticher, whiUt Bob Hay hkbwLso rawdit a forward move, and lay third throe Jeogt»h>s bohind thu leaders. Approaching the turn for hoitae Toreador put in his claim, entering the &fcrw4jW along side Muunlicbcr aid jtwt in tho year tf Fmiik I'sitifiitly vvaiti -g until n<>&rii>g tlio (h'staur.u i>osfc, Hnx!b> iK>ver mov. d ou B >b ll»y nnbl be saw au Oijt-ninot, and taking ad vantage of it f n tbeinntaiit jhe joined the Jovlofs and had the race w»n, the otUera heiog hoi>el»'«aily b<'aten .is be s*ilcd j>«^t tk« VTinning p:»t two lengths in ndvan-'w of Oa\v»«-d (w£w) wuiv tke othrr» down aftor Bob Bay bad fu.ixhed with themX he in ti.ni holding a h*'ad adv.»ntac;e over T«-readoi and Musnlicher, who Hnislted a doad hesU; for tbird, with Form aiiothnr he id ay/ay lif-.h, Flintlock sixth, and Ked.wni lft*t. Time, 9<nin 41fuc. Aj will bft s<e« from t,h» above descriptiou.it Wiis no r;«;e at any ono portion of the journey. Tho vray tho rest of the field finished— " howls atwl t*ila" — argues the geiie'r^l form oa b*i»g br>t medioC'C. and thaielore m >t that aft»r hiso*sy »ictory D«Jib gelding, iusti-nd of botn^a prouounccd fuvoutite for tht Vlt O. Derby, only divides fnvouriteship vitli Aururia at 6to 1. Still B*.b R*y kvl Leon wi'U b*ck«d ptcvioukly for the dim)>le — Derby and Cup— and aa Dnit imn>e<liat i jly withdrew him fiwn all his ll»n<Twick engn>uepte^uttt on hie sustair»k^a^igc<lkick w>>eu weighing iv, the "sign" porUmL the Wblcoiimj Jack gtAdisg boi*>g i»pcciallT duDg^erou^ at OtiuWleld and I'll mingion during tliw spriag— that's, of courho, unless the disability turns out to br. a M'-rioi'S ono. I Bob R&y was well bachei Lii Melbourne for the Sydney D*rby, vrhilst On>vaul wasnomplalely forsaken. Ilia position at the finish, though, pioves him to ba fuuly pood cclv, and if Jfm Si:-.»l>ie popßttS^es a b<>ttcr ia KulUr i (Duuloy — Frou Frou), M©^3r3 Bailey and Orr will have to be re* koned on in tho eowtvot for the Blue Riband of the Victorian tur£. Like »tl the Ab-iivo ns, Toreador will b« s*rrcd by ti«n_e. Form didn't impress me everk.\kli at R*udwick Last April, but he, too, may sbuw to mrtio advantage Utar on. As for MtuvnHciiar— wolJ, acccading lo all account* be'.s a racehorse. After the Derby excitement had settled down, puHter* spread themsolrea out for the next ev^iit, the JEpaoni H*Rdic»p, a clash <-f a mile, for whioh stf ht a»d twenty »Urted ; the b*tling b*iog— s'a Nobleman, 7"a Hopscotch, Ufa Musketry or Ceurallie, 12's £k/lanum, ilitidoo, or Montyn, Ha Albecore. 20'^ Mo*»uiatc or Acton, $1 othota. The advAi>ce of Ilopdeoteh to the position of second f*Tourit« w^s on* of l*ose otevontuhonr demonstrations only txprrienoed at R<*ndwiok, as the night bof->-:e olfeis of U»0 to 7 f.-itetl to lend to I u-i-ucß«, whifet on the Thurhd*y u'^ixt 100 s to 3 1 ad been cslrcd for »h*n loo's to 4 wer<s offcied. A thick tuzeof siunk* pruventod tho pooitionfi of the horses being clearly distinguished dunug the greater p-irt of the contest; but fi"m tlie start Babel cut cut the running at a treniendous bat, leading Musketry by two tanpths, with Tricolour third, followed by Conrallif!, Hopscotch, Nobleman, WakAwalea, Bel Gioruo, a»d V.igaboi.d, JCoroli.* being loat. B*bel still held tho pii- ; o of plao.t: :w they d<v>hed iv.to the straight, but Mu--kftry by I'iia time had dropped back, TricoLnir, Courtillie, liuphvotrh, D/lmeay, Nobleman, and Wakawate.* being nil of a bunnh. An the di>t;<nco Cour*llie »hot to the front, but Efctridge riding Hopsco'ch most vigorously, ttw live-yetvr-okl son of Grand Flaneur and -Terrar* anawt-red in the ! gftiuobt powil>le uunnc-r, and creep- ug up inch j hy inch no mmngrfl to at l<fct get ou timn with the leadtr, aad ev<«ntu»Uy necurcd ft brilKftnt victory by 9. he<d, with DAlmony a Jength away third, followed by Georgio', Ophir, Miufictry, Mostyn, Hindoo, W»k»wati«a, and Nobl»ra«n ; Sadur boiT-g last, and the time linin 40^. c, For some time post Hopscotch had been qwiotly passed round aa a real good thing for th<s Cau'fleld l)«p, but more recently disquieting rumonra have been circulated as to his having gone pmtes on Tom Brown's hands at Chipping Norton, and in comcquence ho ha? been allowed to diop out of remembrance. That bis purty effected a p,ood coup $ota without anying, and wt with hiu lllb penalty he will only bo imported at 8.10 in the Caulfield Gup, we must take all sorts of good care to huve him on our side in case Mr W. A. Long and Co. mean buiiness once more. Hopscotch is a fine, stiapping horse, and 8.10 is a fair raciDg weight for a flve-yrar-old. 1 here were some approved good ones among the 11 startera for the Spring Stakes, a vr f.a. event orer a mile as.d a-half of ground ; Atlas b«ing favourite at 5 to 2. with Delaware and Rewi at f>'s, Newman and Quiver at 7's, and tho rcßt at 10'e. Quiver (Tronton — '1 remuloue) was one mass of condition, whilst Portaea and Patron were evidently "fat and tcant ef breath." Taking I advan'age of her condition, Charley Kttridge (who had piloted Huppcobth to victory in the Epsom Handicap) took Quiver to the front at once, St. Hippo lying second, followed by Mahee, Valiant, and Atlas. From this out the issue was never serionsly in doubt, for although Delaware momentarily preiaged danger approaching the home turn, Valiant ran past him in the straight, and finished second, two lengths behind Quiver, Delaware third half a length away, then coining Atlas, Mahee, Trenchant, Porteea, and St. Hippo, with Patron "Absolutely." Time, 2min 40ieo. The exploit was a clinking good one on the parr of Quiver; but, all going well with him, St. Hippo will show to much better advan. tage later on. Jimmy Monaghan's colt Valiant (Antaeus — Vie), who was palpably sore, endorsed the high opinion I formed of him at Randrrick last April, and it was a mos< unfortunate thing that he missed being nominated for either the A J.O. or V.R.O. Derby. Ho will earn winning brackets eno', though ; never fear. ! MrW.A Long and his party have been having such a high old time of it that it was something remarkable that Witchery (by Splendour— The Witch) didn't pose as first favourite for the Kensington Handicap, pf one mile. However, mmtew considered they had founds much better thing in '

Bill Kelso*s four-year-old brown oolt Attachment (Clievcden— Affection), and against 15 others the* sent him out at 2 to 1, Witchery coming ii'-xt at 4*B, whilst outside this brace Wa nnd 12'h wora to be obtained, Navarino 7.7 aud M >lu3 8.12 boma nibbled at. WUchory was handicapped «t7 •*, but to secure the seivicos of H. J. Thompson lib over weight wm put up, and waiting on tho fiold till the home stre'eh was reach d, sho walked away, winning by two lengths fr«m Boko 73, whilst Wyalong 7.4 and Palo Alto 0.0 made a dead host of it for third pLicp, and and Ebony brought up the extieme rear ; the time bcin^; luiin 43 J sac.