SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2424, 30 August 1900, Page 41

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Ravens worth.

MELBOURNE, August 18. "With 'the conclusion of the Cauliield Grand National meeting things turfy settled down a little, and there will be a spell of quietness until the A.J.C. Spring meeting starts in September. The Epsom Handicap at this meeting promises to be a good betting race this year. Already one horse, Ampier, who is trained at Cauliield, has been backed the stable to win £10,000, and by friends of the stable and the public to win probably another £10,090, and yet 100 to 8 can be obtained about him. Two other Victorian-trained horses. Reaper and Fleet Admiral are likely to be backed for the same event. On the tracks nothing of interest has expired of late. The Cup horses have hardly yet got into full swing, but New Zealarders may be interested to know that Lancaster continues to do well. V.R.C. ANNUAL MEETING. The anr.uil meeting of the members of the V R.C. was held on the date my last letter was despatched, August C. I then mentioned the chief features of the leport and balance sheet issued by the coruniittee. They were adopted by the meeting without comment. The election for six members of the committee lesulted in the six old members — Messrs E. Manifold, C. M. Lloyd, Phillip Russell, Arch. Yuille, R. Grice, and R. Ciawford — being leturned in tha order named. The only debatable subject at the meeting was on the pioposed new rule of lcicing, raising the minimum of stakes which inusL be given per day by suburban racing clubs, Excluding the Aspendale Park Club (whose proprietor made a tearful appeal to the members not to ruin him) the rule was passed by a large majority. A ballot was demanded and was taken on the following Thursday, and resulted in the motion being carried by 102 votes to 86. SALE OF ST. ALBAXS HOUSES. One of the b^«t gatherings of racing men seen around a for a veiy considerable time assembled at Newmarket on Friday, August 10, when the horses m traiuing oi "tha late Mr W. R. Wilsjn wcie .submitted. Contraiy to expectations theie were no commis-* sions from English buyers. They are probably! waiting until the valuable brood mares are o£4 fcred m October. St. Albans is still -a goingi concern, Mr C. L. Macdonald, the manager! under Mr Wilson, occupying a similar uositioijl

for the trustees. One of the bsst-dressed men in ' the colony, Mr Macdonald is always ' a thing oi beauty to look at, but he knows the game oi racing all the same. He trained his own filly, Hoitense, when she won the Maribyrnong Plate, and though Hughie 2\lumo is leuu-nea as the trainer oi St. Aibans, Air jxlacnoiiald is •fchfa rnnn at the hcim. lie has had pic-my ol cxp&ricnce ot Derby winners and it is significant, that ha cough <. the V\ ailace gelding, Axing- j Uike, and the iiiiy, Atuous. Kmglike l have always had a good opinion of, but 1 iancy Mr ' 3J?.fuonald let the best three-year-old slip • through his hands. '±Hia was JUeOenture, who was ii>rrat>riy a delicate geicung, but is now xt-.ucu more iobuat.. He is on the leg, but is j a laic. galloper, as he showed when he won a j se\ t!xi~xurlongs race at Fleming ion last season | ■with a good weight up. He had oniy juat le- ! covered irorn a cold, and was not muca fan- ! cied. He v,a& purchased by Mr \V. JVlurrr.y, a ' outmber ot the ring. The highest-priced lo; j •waa ox ccurse La Oarabme, Sir Rupert Clarke ! securing her for 1200gs, ana she will be trained ' m d-iituie at Ballarat by James Saobie. Soon j aiter the sale she was baclied ior the Mci- j .tourne Cup to wm £3050 or £4000 at 100 to 4. J It was icared before this that she might go <m» of the country, and alter Sir Rupert bought iher he got a cable irohi England otrermg him*' lOJOgs on his bargain, but he refused to deal. ' .jua uarabme will piobably run well in the Mel."boj.rne Cup, bub 1 do not like such a, small mare with her weight. Ido not know .hat James j iScobie's style of training will suit her. James ' Wilson, jtm., could do very little good with ! ihei, and Scobie belongs to the same J sjhool oi trainers, who believe m slipping the work into their horses. Bobadil, though he as quite sound, and may stand another preparation, only realised 500gs. Such a brilliant 'huxaa was surely worth more than that as a (Stallion. 1 append the full list of sales : — Guineas. itumour, eh 'i, 3yrs, by Eiridspord — • Eieusis, by Barcaidine. Mr P. T. Hey-A-ood 135 p'^unsula, b g, 4yrs, by Bill of Portland — Lady Carome, |jy iN r o±-denieldt, Mr #R M-Kenna 220 A gonaut, bl h, syrs, by Arnphion — Sandfly, by Isoiiprny, Mr Osboi-ne . . 150 Regained, Jbr n, fayrs, by .KouiuEon Civ- " soe — Happy .Land, by Musket, Mr C. Li. Maedonald 280 E nmence, br h, 4yrs, by Bill of Jrort.anti — JLmmie, by iiobinson Ciusoe, «"■ _VLr J. H. Davis ICS E adland, "b c, 3yrs, by Bill of Porfc.and — iiontalto, by Ncckersgat, Mr A. Bellamy 175 S-irragvuda, bl c, 3yrs, by Bill of Porcand — JMelccuas,, by Go-asb^ough, Mr I. Earnshaw 60D Ecna, bl f, 4yrs, by Bill of Portland— ' She, by jSTordoafeldt, Mr Glasscock . . 170 E-mghkc, bl g, Gyrs, by Wallace — Bonnie iiosette, oy xJarcaidine, Mr C. L. Macdonald ..- 900 Dvbenlure, b g, 3yrs, by Eiridspord or vVallace — Water Lily, by Rapid J3ay, Mr W. Murray 575 \\ ateful, br i, 4yrs, by Trenton — Insomnia, by Robinson Ciusoe, Mr C. L. Macdonaid 310 La Carabine, eh m, 6yrs, by Carbine — O'jolava, by Barcaldine, Sir Rupeit Clarke 1200 R venue, b g, 4yrs, by Trenton — Water • l,i:y, by itatsid Bay, Mr C. L. Macdonald ". 725 Bcngbird, br f, 4yrs, by Bill oi Portland — Melodms, by Goldsbrough, Mr Gordon 400 ftLlburn, br g, 4yrs, by Trenton — La x'osca, by JXobinson Ciusoe, Mr R. v£-Kenna 210 Aurous, eh f, 3yrs, by Wallace — Aura, by Richmond, Mr C. L. Macdonaid . . 350 Bombard, br g, 3yrs, by Light Artillery — Hortense, by Gang Forward, Mr C. Mallen 100 B g. 4yrs, by Carnsge— Maid of Honour, by Kelpie, Mr J. Leek 180 Bl f, 2yrs, by Bill of Portland—Melodious, by Goldsbrough, Mr D. Hairis 400 B. f, 2yrs, by Bill of Portland— La Tosca, by Robinson Crusoe, Mr C. Mallen 175 Eobadil, br h, syrs, by Bill of Portland —She, by Nordenfeldt, Mr F. S. Grimwade •• * 500 FINDON HARRIERS RACE MEETING. Sir Rupert Clarke is the president of the 'Findon Harriers Hunt Club, and he took the | opportunity at their lace meeting on August j 8 to allow hi 3 colours to re-appear m Victoria aftar his recent reconciliation with the V.R.C. Committee, in connection with which there seems some doubt in the public mind as to ■whether Sir Rupert took the V.R.C. Committee to his bosom or they performed a similar operation in lespect to Sir Rupert. His colours were carried in the firsfc event, the Khaki Handicap, five furlongs, by Metallic, but he unfortunately "broke down hopelessly m the race. The Messrs Miller used to run the- Findon Harriets pack privately, but since it has been a club they still have the largest say in its management. They framed the piogramme, anJ there was a chorus of "Oh's!" on the ■course when they won the first two races, Lock 6.10. taking ihe Khaki Handicap for Mr Septimus Miller and Mournpool -11.9 the Trial Hunters' Steeplechase for Brother Albert. Both horses started hoi favourites. Mournpool is ihe horse about which there was a lot of "bother a year or two ago. He was backed for pounds, shillings, and pence for a hunters' flat race at FJerainglon, and won easily, and then it was said that Mournpool had not been properly hunted, but had, like the horse in Gordon's '• How Wo Beat the Favourite/ only been stripped for a trot in sight of the hounds. The comments of a leading weekly paper on the matter were strong enough to invite the Messrs Miller to take an action for libel, but the Messrs Miller knew too much to go to law. This is ihe first j'urnping race won by Mournpool, and 1 with all the schooling he has no doubt had j rince his memorable Flemington race he is no». \ret a-n adept at the game. The other events i >n the card were of no particular importance. ♦ Juatre Bras 9.0, by Wellington, beat Warlight £'.3 by a head in the Whittlesea Steeplechase, •with Crusado, who has been suffering from a cold, badly beaten. The New Zealander seems to be going back instead of coming on. Springhaven 8.3, a rank outsider, won the Jumpers' Plat Race ; Sunlight 11.13 the Findon Amateur Steeplechasp for hunteis; and Fast Lady 6.8, foy velocipede, the Pretoria Handicap, eight fin longs nnd a-lialf, m which the hurdle racer i Beau Brummel 7.12 started favourite and ran ftsdly. V.A.T.C. GRAND NATIONAL MEETING. The Grand National meeting of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club was concluded at Caulfield on Saturday, August 11 As you will liave learnt by cable, the four miles Grand National Steeplechase was won by Colonel Campbell's Chelsea 11.10, Signal 9.12 and Eino 11.3 filling the places. There were 17 starteis for the race, which was almost as disastrous as the V.R.C. Grand NaLiojul, only seven fin-" ishing. Chelsea's usual pilct is Alf. Williams, but he was injured at Flernmgton, and G-. Brooks took the mount. The change in riders, I fancy, accounted for Chelsea not being much fancied by the public this time. He •went out at 0 to 1, Euro and Mysore being better favourites. Mysore is an unreliable horse. He tries to get off at every fence, and j this time he only got over three of the 2<i | jumps, running oft at the fouith. Another , Kti-ongly- fancied candidate ill Lady Agatha, t who

is more of a hurdle-racer than a steeplechaser, came down at the third fence. Chelsea was always in a nice position, and he went to the front at the commencement of the last round, and remained there to the hiush. Euro looked like making a lace with him at the last fence, but ho died away, and Sign?!, v.ho is owned by li. H. Ficw. tramer of Chcista, beat him for second place. All the houses that finished, | with the exception of tha first and third, weie outsiders,. The victory of Chelsea was a kxiock j to the books, as though the public did not, • as I have said, come at Lmi i?i the same way as in the past, he vas veil oacked, both straight out and m doubles with Redc-emer, the Huidle ] Race winner. Chelsea ~s by ihe Champion ! Stakes winner Portsea, md slays as well as j his sire. He is a compact horse, and though i not particularly gooc 1 -looking as a racehorse, lisby no means a bad sort to follow. Frew, ' who trains at Flemington, has been very sucj cessful in Grand Nationals. He won the i V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase with Dia- ' mio twice, and had prev^cioly won the Caul- , field National with .Diaraio \ncl Dommo. Apart from the Steeplechase, most interest centred in the Malakofi Stakes, run over a mile and three furlongs and this went to Fouisliam's expensive New Zealand purchase I Lancaster 7.4, by Hotchkiss frcin Frailty. This is the best race up to date -run by Lancaster. He only beat iDgleslon 7.1, the favourite, by a head, but he gave the latter five lengths I from the straight^ entrance and finished with ! a great lun. He can be improved a good | deal, and is destined, I nancy, to make a good ' record this spring. He is booked for Sydney to run at the A.J.C. Spring meeting. He is in both the Ep3om Handicap and Metropolitan, but as the winning of either race would mean a 10lb penalty for the Melbourne Cup, for which he has been heavily backed, he may not show at his best there. Wait-a-Bit 8.11 ran in Lancaster's rice, but, though looking very well, he again shaped badly. I do not attach any importance, however, to the form. He will improve with racing. Redeemer, carrying 11.12, was a starter for the Hurdle Race, but he was sore, and could not get going in two miles, the race being won by Mr R. M. Turner's Cynic. A well-bpcked mare in Heiress 7.2, with the all-conquering Cooper up, was successful in the"Oina Plate, six furlongs, with the promising Harpist 7.13 in second place. The field comprised 17 runners. The Chatsworth Coimtluan, one mile and three furlongs, for huniera, amateur riders, was won easily by Arthur, owned by Chelsea's trainer, with a supposed cleacl lirci in Mournpool in second pl»ce. The Si. Aubrn Welter, seven, furlongs, was taken by the favourite Reaper 9.8, this being the third grey to win during the day. Reaper is vi der orders for Sydney for the A J.C. meeting. RACING IK SYDNEY. Monday, August 6, being a bank holiday in Sydney, tho Canterbury Park Bating Club held a meeting. Two of the winners, Gallina 7.10 (Tellers' Handicap) and Dozon 10.5 (Holiday Handicap) were sired by Gozo. all of whose stock show pace, and seem to improve with age. Doreen 7.10, by Metal, vas a hot favourite in a field of 11 in the Paik Stakes, six furlongs, and the s>ood thing duly came off. Glenore 8.10, by Kuanalf, accounted for the Stewards' Mile, and The Ttuk 9.2, by Chatsworth, for the Jtimpois' Flat Race. Tho Bank Handicap, one mile nrcd a-quarter, was taken by Eulong 8.0, by Gibraltar. Eulcng was an outsider. The approach of the A.J.C. Spring meeting made the racing at Tattursall's Club meeting at Handwick on August 11 o£ nioie than ordinary importance. Bange, who carried 7.8, won the Tramway Handicap very easily from the consistent Dozon 8.5 and a big field. The winner, who is trained by Allsop, was a rank outsider. The young three-ycai-old Haulettc was favourite, but she ran badij. The Melbourne candidate for the Epsom Handicap, " Ampler, will stay at Allsop's. when he goes over to Sydney, 9nd Bange, who seems smart, should be a good trial horse. Bange is a full sister to The Idler, by Far _ v >iente from Waiting. Daring 7.2, by Biragambil, accounted for the August Stakes, seven fuilonas, Staner 7.3 and Triem 7.3 in the iilaces. Triem was the favourite. He is by , Truant, and made up for his failure here by subsequently taking the Welter Handicap, one mile, with 7.7 up. Ireland's Eye 8.10, the favourite, proved a great disappointment in this event. The Hampden Stakes, w.f a., penalties and allowances, was taken by Kelso's Martini-Hemy gelding Dandy, who is in great foim just now. Vocalist and Haut Boy followed him home. The latter had a 101b penalty. The winner was favourite, with The Chief, who ran mcJerately, next in demand. Paris was again h, starter, but ho did no good. The Spring Handicap, one mile and a-quarter, was won by Blue Metal 8.10, who is in both the Epsom Handicap and Metropolitan. He is a bit uncertain, but good when in the humour. Here ho won with a nice ltm at the finish, Neagara gelding Turbine being second, , and St. Clare, Ahx, Johansen, and Carberra, all wel 1 backed, nowhere.