SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2408, 26 April 1900, Page 42

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Ravestsworth. MELBOURNE, April 10. Nothing of any particular moment has transpired in sporting circles since I last wrote, but the Easter meetings are now close at hand, and my next letter may be found a little more interesting. ROSEHILL RACES. The postponed Rosehill Taces took place on Wednesday, April 4. The Rosehill Cup was run over 6| furlongs, and went to Manganese 7.4, who is by Metal, and went out rt 8 to 1. Sequence 8.12, who up to this time had been considered a certainty for the A J.C. Dojacaster Handicap, was a red-hot favourite. He ran well to the half distance, but then the weight told in the heavy going, and he faded out, .Yellow and Black and .Cozon following Manganese home. Another horse by McSal in Surbiton 7.3 accounted -for the Autumn Handicap, which was run over a mile and three furlongs. Surbiton, who was a rank outsider, -won in a canter by half a dozen lengths, with Seaufort, the favourite, nowhere. Crinan 8.0 <by Autonomy) was sue: -sful in the Maiden Handicap, six iurlong3. a strong favourite in Soldier 9.9, by Prodigal, got home in the Jumpers' Flat Race. Tno Nursery Handicap was -won by Pilot Boy's sister Isa 7.8, who seems pretty" smart. She started at evens and won as she liked from Gonaro 7.12 and Tricum 7.8. Jenny Moore 5.7, by Lochicl, was successful in the Flying Welter, six furlongs, for which she started favourite. ASP3NDALE PARK RACES. There was only one suburban registered meeting in Melbourne last week, and that was at Mooaoe Valley on ths Saturday. After the rains of the ear.y isari/ of the week it vas a treiJ to get a calm, fine day. The Maiden Plate went •oo Maloa, ivho is by Malua, and went out a strong favourite. After several disappointments, Insult 10 1 at last scored, the Hurdle Race falling to him. He is by Bengal (son of Chestci) and is trained by B, Davis, who is always dangerous at suburban meetings. Insult and Mort Avis 10.3 were equal favourites, and nothing else was backed. The New Zealand-bred Mana (son of Musket) claimed the winner of the Trial Haaclicap in Gunbar 8.0. There was only a small field, and C unbar, starting at odds on, won as he liked. He is a tliree-yeai-old, a"d a sLaVe companion of Melody 11, who subsequently came out with 9.6 up and ran a dead heat for first place with Glen Albyn 8.7 in the Welter Handicap. Neither was much fancied, the favourite being ' Skysail 7.13, who shaped disappointingly. The run-off was won by Glen Albyn, who is by Malua. The Asr.endale Park Handicap ended in a great surprise, Wild Raven 8.4, by Trenton, •winning easily. He is in Foulshain's stable, a stalSe which usually sends a horse out favourite when "the heads" fancy it. On this occasion Wild Raven figured at any price in ihs betting. These Ihiiigs do occur occasionally. The Jumpers' Flat Race went to the grey West Australian Speculation 8.13, whose -drst win it was, I fancy, since he arrived in Victoria some months ago. He was favourite, but only just won from Insult, who had been eaddled up again. HAWKESBURY RACES. The old-fashioned Hawkesbury Autumn meeting has lost most of its glory, and no.v excites no more interest than an ordinary Sydney isuburban fixture. r Jhe meeting came off on Saturday, and was fairly successiul. The lead ing event, the Hawkeabury Autumn Handicap, one mile and a-quarter and 100 yds, was taken "by Wyalong 8.0, who is by Trident. The field .was small, and Wyalong went out at 5 to 1, tne % favourite being Surbiton 7.7, at 6to 4. Sur■biton ran second, being only beaten a neck. The Nursery Handicap was won by Portland Light, who is by Bill of Pox-tland, from Torifcile, by Txenici, so the successful St. Simon — Musket cross comes in again. Portland Light was an outsider. The favourite, Marvel's half"biotiier Bar One 8.0, finished a moderate second. Autocrat 6.7, by Autonomy, accounted ior the Park Stakes, six furlorsgs, and two other events — the Clarendon Handicap, seven furTongs, and Welter Handicap, six furlongs, went to Jenny Moore, carrying 7.2 in the former event and 9.0 in the latter. She is by Lochiel, and won at Rosehill the previous Wednesday, as noted above. She thus had a busy and very Successful week MOONEE VALLEY RACES. The meeting of the Moonee Valley Club, postponed from the previous Wednesday owing to unfavourable weather, took plsce on Monday last, but like most postponed meetings was not a great success. Signal 10.9, who is in IE. H. Frew's fashionable jumping stable, accounted for the Hurdle Race, for which he was a strong favourite, while Lyddite, a, three-year-old fHly by Zalinski from Splendour (dam of "Sri King, whom 'Mr S. H. Gollan took to England), was successful in the Maiden Plate. There was a good field for the lsttor eve:rt, for •which Dr L. L. Smith's Rescued, who ran well «t Epsom a little while back, was favourite. Tritantus 8.1, by Trident, won the Welter Handicap, with the favourite Horonda 8 8 in second place lowah walked over for the Jumpers' Slat Race. The West Australian Speculation ,17011 the April Handicap, 5J furlongs, with 8.2 ■up, which weight included a 7lb penalty for his 'Aspendale Park win. Isola 7.5, in J. Cripps's stable, was a strong favourite, but Speculation •fceat her very easily. Hurrah 6.13 won the Valley ( Handicap, 8£ furlongs, for which Adjuster 7.7 and Palmerston 7.1 were better favourites. Hurrah has only won three laces in Bier whole career, and all at Moonee Valley. She is a half sisler lo Orla and Strathjoy. ODDS AND ENDS. The jockey, R. Lewis, who is, financially, pretty " solid," has given a donation of £10 ♦o the funds of the resuscitated Chines Racing Club, which will hold a meeting next month. * Bobby 'is the jock, who went to England with Brewer, but quickly returned on finding it hard to gain a footing there. He was " bred " at Chines. Dr Spooner Hart, of Calcutta, is in Melbourne again. Last time he was here he .purchased a number of horses, and he has aliready started in a small way to buy. In consequence of the war in South Africa, the prices ef all kinds of horse stock have gone up. The New Zealand two-year-old Irnpati (by •Hotchkiss from Weasel), purchased in Maoriland by the Caulfield trainer, S. Griffiths, has (turned out a failure so far, and she has been Bold at auction, Mr T. Couway getting her for SBgs. On the same occasion tba well-bred 3)anebury (by Grand Flaneur — Fair Duchess), is a trifle dotty on one of his pins, was sold for 7gs. M. Harris, the Sydney jockey, disqualified fey the Moorefisld Hieing Club stewards for 12 jnonths for his suspicious riding of Hector II en St. Patrick's Day, got the stewards to re©pen his case. Result — the disqualification stands. The V.A.T.G. stewards have decided to have a Fifth Caulfield Futurity Stakes in 1902. It

will be on identical lines to the Fourth Futurity Stakes (to be run in 1901), it being a weight-for-age event of 1500sovs, with, penalties and allowances, seven furlongs. Nomination is free. The committee increased three two-year-old races to be run next season — viz., Juvenile Stakes, Alma Stakes, and Federal Stakes, from 200sovs to 300sovs in each case. The Caulfield Grand National Hurdle Race will remain at lOOOsovs, Grand National Steeplechase at ISOOsovs, Caulfield Cup at 2500sovs, and Debutant Stakes at 1200sovs.

Matchlock's brother, Firelock, who was purchased in New Zealand on behalf of the late William Pearson at a high figure, was sold on April 3 for 77gs, the purchaser being Mr H. Lyon, of Gippsland. The occasion was the bieak-up of the Kilmany Park stud, founded by the late Mr Pearson. Firelock was only a small horse, but he has got some fair stock, Meteorite, who showed such good form at Moonee Valley on March 31, being by him. Several yearlings, two-year and three-year olds by Firelock were sold, but no high prices were realised, 50gs for a three-year-old filly by Firelock fioir Lady Teazle (dam of Mischief), purchased by the Flemington trainer, Mr P. Whitty, being the top figure. The hurdle racer Navarre (by Stilta.ii — Helen), who won the Hurdle Race at the Mconee Valley meeting on March 31, dropped dead after doing a gallop at Caulfield on Thursday last. On a post mortem examination being made, it was found that the horse had broken an artery over the heart. He was owned by G. P. Brewer, who had refused £150 for him a few clays previously. Botadd is not likely to race fcgain. He has injured the muscles *of his back, it is said. Personally, I think he had always suffered from kidney troubles. There is some talk of compelling the suburban clubs, by rule of the V.R.C., to increase their stakes. One club, the Moonee Valley, intends, J hear, to do so without wailing for the V.R.C. membeis to move in the matter. The well-known Sydney trainer, W. He] so, died a few days ago. He had lately icfcred from active duties, and left training operations to his son, who trained Parthian for his V.R.C. engagements. Mr Kelso, sen., wo a nru.y races in his time. He was a rosy-faced, rather handsome man, and always well-dressed. He was not one of the sort who tl±ovtght that bocause ho v, as connected villi horses he should always look like a ctaVe hand. An iiT>-cotintry club, the Bendigo, is giving £825 in "stakes for its winter meeting. There will be a steeplechase worth £225. A steeplechaser named Maxim fell while hcinj schooled over fences at Cauifield last Saturday morning and broke his neck. He was owned by Mr H. J. G-idney, an Indian buyer. We " kil 1 a tremendous number of horses in Australia. ' Mr W. R. Wilson, of SI. Albar.s. is lying periously ill at his residence, St. Kilda. He recently paid a visit to Now South Wales to attend "the wedding of a relative, and came back in a very bad state of health. Mr H. Yeend has returned from a tiip to New Zealand. He speaks well of the way racing is conducted in New Zealand, and of the manner in which he was treated.

Mort Avis injured himself when he ran in the Hurdle Race at Aspendale, and wa^ in consequence not sent over lo compete in" the Onkaparinga (3.A.) Hurdle Race. The plague in Sydney has frightened both Victorian bookmakers and owners away fcorn the A J.C. Autumn meeting. Only eight Victorian horses, La Carabine, Symnietrv, Kinglike, Alix, Merriwee, Maltster, Paul Pry, and Miliiades went over for the meeting. Usually there are from 15 to 20 Victorian hor&es represented, iiost of the bookmakers, who are a class or men who do not "caie about any sort of risk, declined the trip.