SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 38

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Ravensworth. MELBOURNE, November 29.

Since the Melbourne Cup meeting things in the racing world, in Victoria have been very j quief, and they have been no better in- Sydney. -. The request by the hardicapper for-^an" in- ! quiry into April Fool's running at Fleminglon J ha? been the only "live" subject that we have J had to discuss, since Merriwee's dual victory has, as a topic, been talked about until threadVjre. - i

VICTORIAN CLUB MEETING.

There was racing at Caulfield on November 38, when the Victorian Club meeting took (place. The Victorian Club is our premier •"betting institution, and the meeting has some\ao7f got to be looked upon as a bookmakers'^ one. It is not so popular for this reason ea other fixtures at Caulfield. We tolerate the foookmaker because in the absence of the to-.-oalisator he is necessary to the existence ol •>.he turf, but we don't. like him. As a xnatrcei of fact, bookmakers have nothing to do -with the conduct of the meeting. There is not a bookmaker in the committee — the rules of the ciub forbid it. Usually the Victorian jOlub meeting is bad for the books; on this occasion they did well, as only one favourite got home during the afternoon. The racing ■was not dangerous foi a hor.=e suffering from Lieart disease to, venture. It was, in fact, ' tame. After the feast of good things at Flem- . mgton one is rather inclined to turn up his nose at the not too attractive l/Al of fare put i iorward by the Victorian Club. The principal ' ■event was the Victorian Cmb Cup. The ciuxance was only a mile, but the stake money amounted to 175sovs. The winner turned up j an Model (6.12), who is a four-year-old filly by j '.Carbine from Paisana, by the Caulfield Cup | jwinner, Calma. She is owned by Carbine's '• .' .ite owner, Mr Donald Wallace, whose colours 'nave not been seen in front for some time. ' She was second favourite, Tabilk 7.5 being a - etrong favourite. Tabilk is the soil of iial- \ voiio, and won at the V.R.C. Spring meeting. ! £Le has got a reputation for uncertainty, and ! played right up on this occasion, running a j very bad race. Heiress 7.12 was second and ' '3acchus 8.3 third. The latter is now owned i by Mr R. G. Bell, who comes from New Zealand. | i Another Carbine, in addition to Model, was successful at the Victorian Club meeting. This was Marie Corelli, who, like Model, is trained I at Flemington by E. Power. Marie Corelli's dam is Vendetta, by First King from Vindex, ! dam of Vengeance. She is uncertain, but j pretty smart when in the humour. She is a mere weed. Her race was the Stonnington J Handicap, five furlongs and a-quarter, and • Bfle carried 7.11. She beat Locksmith 8.7 by a neck, the latter being a strong favourite. The Sommeil gelding English. Slave 10.2 accounted ior the"ii\irdle Race, for which Bethnal 12.4 ran badly, and it afterwards transpired that iae was suffering from a cold. There were only two starters for the Steeplechase, Whern»ide 13.3 and Euro 11.5. Odds were laid on the top weight, but he was badly beaten. He has not been up . long enough to show his jtrue form, and has never yet, strange to say, .■won a race at Caulfield, though he has a 4>ig list of victories, and has started any numter of times on the course. Malacca won the '^Selling Haco and the Welter went to Glen j Albyn 8.5, who is by Malua from Verdure, | and is in the same stable as sheltered the , Caulfielb Cp winner, Hymettus. i

WARWICK FARM RACES

These races were held in Sydney on the same day as the Victorian Club meeting. A feature of the sport was the success of three horses by Splendour — viz., Hyde, Ambition, and So Long. Splendour, who is an imported horse by Speculum, has had a very successful stud career in New South Wales. The two-year-old race at this meeting was won by Mr W. Kelso's Sweet Erina, by Sweet William from Erina, by Goldsbrough. She was a <;beap yearling.

RACING AT MENTONE

Suburban racing has taken a sudden spurt. The meeting at Mentone on November 22 was a. great success. No fewer than 78 horses contested the six events. The principal event, the Mentone Handicap, one mile, went to the Gibraltar gelding Surge 7.9, ■whose trainer, I. T. Carslake, is just recovering from a very severe attack of illness. Yule Cake and St. Louis, both sons of Glorious, appeared as successful sires, Jadoo, a daughter of Yule Cake taking the Trial Handicap, and Jowah, a daughter of St. Lewis, the Junipers' Flat Race. Vade (by Lochiel) carried 7.9 to victory in the Flying Handicap, for which she was well backed, though Neva 8.0 started a better favourite. Neva was ridden by A. Luckman, who recently made an tinsuccessful trip to England. W. P., a son of tho Champion winner, Commotion (long since defunct), was successful in the Welter Handicap, starting at an outside price. W. P. was one of the 100 to 1 chances that encumbered the Caulfield Cup field.

TtlE BALL AR AT CUP.

On Friday last the Ballarat Cup meeting

took place. There was not much interest taken sere in the meeting, only a few metropolitan horses taking part. One of these, Model, carried a 7lb penalty to victory in the Summer Cup, whicl- was run over a mile. Tecoma and Jackson following the Carbine filly home. Tho other eventb were only of local interest. One of the winners, Separator, was got by 7<<alinski. A PROMISING TWO-YEAR-OLD. Commander, who won a two-year-old event at the Moorerteld meeting in Sydney last Saturday, is described as the best-looking youngster ou f this season. He is by Projectile from Hirondelle, by Lochiel, and cost his present owner Mi S. Fielder, 150gs as a yearling. Commander is in th. V.R.C. Derby next year. Ho is also in the A.J.C. December Stakes, Champagne Stakes, etc. Th principal event at the Moorefield mooting was the Moorefield Handicap* one wile and. s-auarter. Wxalong

(by Trident), who carried 7.12 and started favourite, was successful.

CAULFIELD RACES

The Victorian Amateur Turf Club held, their November meeting at Caulfield on Saturday last. The sport was good, but results were against backers, who have lately been having a sultry time. The Two-year-old Handicap, five furlongs, went to Vanity Fair 7.4, who is by Pilgrim's Progress (imp.) from Madcap (dam or Malvolio, Maluma, and Chesney), by Robinson Crusoe. Vanity Fair is owned by James Redfearn, and this was the first win he has scored for a very considerable time. The filly was quite out of it at the turn, but won easily at the finish, and she will, I fancy, turn out more than useful, and so will the Neckersgat colt Rothwell -with c bi 1 of luck. He is not ready yet, but shaped ■well. Reedcane 9.0, a son of Lord Wilton, had an easy win in the Hurdle Race, but the opposition did not appear to be very "willing." The stewards pounced upon Edge, the rider cf Parakeet, and fined hm? £5 for not riding out his mount, and also cautioned him for suspicious riding. The fiosetown Plate, six furlongs, the top division of a divided handicap went to the Malua filly Neva 7.4, who led all the way and beat the favourite Kalingo comfortably. There was a lot of talk about Tramp's running in the race. The Steeplechase at Caulfield was taken by Land's End 11.0, who has had a run of luck of late, Euro 12.0, the favourite, taking second place. The stewards censured the rider of Passion Fruit for not persevering after his mount ran ofi, and they told the rider r.i Quatre Bras that he ran a risk of disqualification by starting a half-schooled horse. This is an old game to get weight off, and I am pleased to record the stand taken by the V.A.T.C. Stewards. The event of the day was the Armadale Handicap, run over a mile and three furlongs. Tabilk 7.0, despite his poor running in the Victorian Club Cup, was favourite, and a warm favourite too. Why, deponent knoweth not. Somebody apparently thought he knew something. Tabilk, however, again ran moderately. He is a • most erratic horse. Sedge by Segenhoe) was successful with 6.1?- up. He belongs to a crowd who know their way about. Sedge seldom misses fire when ho is properly charged. Eileen, a full sister to Skein Dhu, by Lochiel from Beta, by Anteros from Asia, by Captivator, a regular New Zealand pedigree, won the Rosetown Purse, carrying 6.13.

ODDS AND ENDS

The s.s. Damascus, which left for England by the Cape route this week, had on board seven racehorses. Three of them belonged to Mr S. H. (Jollan — viz., Australian Star, a three-year-old chestnut filly by Dreadnought, and a two-year-o'd gelding by Captain Webster. The la3t-namod pair came over from New Zealand some days age. The lcmainder of the consignment for i^ngland comprised Cranberry and three oi Mi il. C. White's horses— viz., Spark, 4yrs, by Antaeus fiOia Mundaine, n, two-year-old gelding by Cranbrook fiom Mirage, and "a two-year-old filh by Yardley (imp.) from the Musket mare Pearl Shell. The last-name' l was bred to English time. If she turns out a fpilure as a racer she will* after a short trial, be served by Flying Fox, the Derby winner, and returned to Australia. beb Ray, who was supposed to be broken down c, season or two ago, has lately been running well in Central Queensland, where he i 3 rdgarded as a champion. The son of Welcome Jack, »\'ho won the A.J.C. Derby, for Dfui O'Brien, is under orders to proceed to Brisbane, where he will meet a better class of horses.

Tho Bill of Portland filly Wigelmar, who was not quite herself when she ran such a good race in the Maribyrnong Plate, is to be blistered and turned out until the autumn. Beaucin (by Bowrnont from Cinderella) fell and broke his neck while cantering at. Randwick last week. He was a very moderate performer. A colt by St. Simon from Mimi (winner of the Oaks) has been purchased in England by Mr John Brown, of Motto Farm, N.S.W. The colt is to arrive at the beginning of the year, The proposed inquiry into the running of April Fool at Flemington ended in smoke. Mr Francis Foy, owner of the horse, made a declaration to the effect that the cause of the horse's poor running in the Carnival Handicap was that the saddle was insufficiently padded, and pinched his withers. Without asking Mr Foy to come over from Sydnej, the V.R.C. Committee decided that Mr Foy's explanation was satisfactory. And so ends what must be considered a very nasty matter. Andy Ferguson, the trainer who was disqualified during the pleasure of the stewards in connection with the notorious Parthenopseus case, is asking the V.R.C. Committee to take off his disqualification. He is to come before the committee at their next meeting, when, after the usual lecture, Ferguson will no doubt have his disqualification taken off, and told to go and sin no more. S. Allen and T. Arnfiekl, the owners of tho horse, are still under the ban. Their turn to be readmitted into the fold will come in due course.

It has been decided to have four extra two-year-old events at the next V.R.C. Spring meeting. The present progiamme is not to be disturbed, so that there will be seven races on each day of the meeting. A sum of .£llOO in added money is to be set aside for these new races. The idea of a large proportion of the prize money being given to the second and third horses is to be applied in connection with these races. vVith sweepstakes there will be £1400 for the four races, and £200 is to go to first, dEIOO to second, and £50 to third in each lace. It wi'L also be stipulated that no single horse shall win more than one of these four races. It is a good idea, and will give encouragement to breeders, who aftct all are one of the most important factors in the great game of racing. The V.R.C. continues to flourish in a financial sense, and the committee have decided to increase the added money of the autumn meeting by £400, and of the Queen's Birthday meeting by a similar amount. The Maiden Stakes at the* next Autumn meeting is to be abolished," and a two-year-old race substituted. Maiden races are not popular with owners at Flemington. The tendency of the handicappers is tc treat the winner of such a race as a weight-for-age horse.

The cross country jockey H. Underwood, who is, I believe, in business in Sydney, was called ur/on by the V.R.C. Committee last April to explain his riding of the hurdle lacci- Cranberry, the inquiry being asked for by Cranberry's owlier, Mr CM. Lloyd. Underwood did not put in an appearance, but went io Sydney, and was disqualified for 12 months for foul riding. lie has now written to the V.R.C. Committee announcing his willingness to answer any question. IJnderwood has beon informed that he can bring up "the matter when hi 3 Sydney disqualification is over. H. Holmes, a well-known Melbourne jockey, lias gone to West Australia. Eiridspord, sire of Challenger, Hymettus, and other good horses, died in New South Wales last week. He was by Isonorny, and was imported from England by Mr W. R. Wilson. He stood for some years at St. Albans. INTERCOLONIAL EIGHT-OARED RACE.

Melbourne, probably owing to the . crookedness of her river, the Yarra, cannot produce a sculler of note, while Sydney has produced them by the score. Yet in the eight-oared contests between the two colonies Melbourne has won 18 out of 23 times. In Tecent years the ether colonies have joined, in the contests, ami

this year there were four colonies competing — Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland, and they finished in that order, Victoria scoring an easy win. The winning team comprised: A. Watson (bow), lOst 131b; A. Dawson, list 31b'; L. J. Nolan, list 121b; H. J. Hughes, 12st; T. Davis, list 101b; C. Donald, lOst 105b; A. Chamley, 12st 21b; J. Donald (stroke), list; J. H. Connihan (cox). Mr A. Chamley, of the Albert Park Rowing Club, who rowed No. 7 in the Victorian crew, lias represented this colony on seven occasions. This record is only equalled by Mr R. D. Booth, for he represented the colony seven times, but Mr Chamley was never beaten, whereas Mr Booth was beaten once. Mr Chamley's first crew was 18SG, so that his intercolonial career has been extended so far over 13 years. LAWN TENNIS. The annual lawn tennis match between rerepresentatives of New South Wales and Victoria was played in Melbourne last week, ending in favour of New South Wales after some exciting play. The new South Wales team was strengthened by the inclusion of the old Victorian player, Tom Irving, who is ow settled in Sydney. The figures are: — Results of Singles. N.S.W , is points, 9 rubbers, 24 sets, 230 games. Victoria, 18 points, 9 rubbers, 23 sets, 228 games. Results of Doubles. N.S.W., 15 points, 5 rubbers, 14 sets, 125 games. Victoria, 12 points, 4 rubbers, 10 sets, 116 games. Grand Total. N.S.W., 33 points, 14 rubbers, 38 sets, 355 games. Victoria, 30 points, 13 rubbers, 33 sets, 344 games. RIFLE SHOOTING. This year the Queen's Prize (rifle shooting) was won in Melbourne by C. W. Prott, of Wollongong, N.S.W. Mr Prott was at one time v printer, but is now a post and telegraph master. His total score was 272. He is a German.