(From Our Own Correspondent.) Melbourne, November 9, THE CUP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 57

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Melbourne, November 9, THE CUP.

This year's Oup was the most brilliant for three years past. Lord and Lady Brassey had just arrived. Perhaps that brought the strangers bo town. Wcol has had a rise. Possibly that had more to do with it. Anyhow the people did come to town, more of them than for years past. New South Wales had Hopscotch, Delaware, »nd The Trier bo do babtle ; Soubh Australia had Auraria ; and naturally the New Soubh Welshmen and bhe Soubh Australians had to come to ccc the race for themselves. Two bishops were consecrated the day before the Derby, and seme people had to come to see that ceremony. There were half a dozen bishops in Melbourne this Cup time. Their churchwardens were comiug. Why should not they ? Any excuse is better than none. The old Scotchman in Dunedin who went home fuddled was hard set when he had no better explanation than that it wa« the Jewi3h Now Year ; but it served. So th» plea that a visit to Melbourne was necesBa.- y at the begiimiog of November to see the bit-hops consecrated probably tecved in some cases. But whatever the excuse, there was a greab Cup gabhering this year, and Melbourne was very gay. The Age tells Hova's jockey that he ought bo have remembered the fate of Lob's wife. He looked back. Never did a victory seem surer to either jockey or onlooker.* Hayes certaiuly had every apparent reason to believe that he had 'everythiog beaten. His looking back did nob occur ab bhe critical moineob — that is ju3t as Aurnria was on his quarter. Bub he lcoked back well down bhe straight and saw nothing near him, and he eased a little. He saw Auraria in plenby of time bo beat her if his horse had had it in him, bub she fairly beat him at the finish for pace. The judge from his box says Hova bored out and ioterftred with Auraria; thab if he had beaten tha mare there wou'd have been fair ground for a protest ; and that if he had not interfered with nor shs would have won by a length in place of a neck. The public did not notice this. Their opinion is that if Haycj had never looked back, bub had ridden all the way as if he had a challenger ab his girth, he would have won. No experienced jockey, howover, ever does ride like bhis. Why did Auraria lese the Dtrby? Ib was nob a bruly run race, say bhe sporting writers —bhab is, bhe horses only galloped bhe la&t quarter of a mile or so ; and Auraria wants a long gallop to bring out her Bpeed, which is by no means a satisfactory explanation. . Her owner ccrbaiuly wanbed her bo win ; and her jockey could scarcely have an adequate motive to cauce her to lose. She was not such a favourite that the bookmakers would pay him to lose. He might have l.^bt the Derby to enable himself and his friends to geb longer odds for the Cup ; bub w'Miing the Cup was so problematical thab pulling in the Derby was nob worth bbc risk. Why Auraria lost bhe Derby, therefore, remains a mvsbery.