SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 41

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Ravensworth.

MELBOURNE, October 20.

I am despatching this letter a few hours before the Caulfield Cup i 3 run, and long before the time it is published you will have known whether Kinglike, or Mora, or Ingliston, or some other outsider has this year done the trick. Twc days of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club Spring meeting have been numbered with thejihings of the past. The .racing on both days was highly interesting, and I snail get on with my remarks thereanent at once.

CAULFIELD SPRING MEETING Fihst Day.

To my mind one of the most interesting day's racing of the season is provided for the opening of the spring campaign at Caulfield. Jhlverybedy is on the gui vive-with the idea of. picking out winners for more important races auead and even if -one loses -there is the pleasurable excitement of the wagering with the dominant idea that the money has only, been lent to the bookmakers for a while. 'ihe Caulfield Stake 3 is always contested by a good field cr£ Cup horses, the Guineas gives the Derby candidates a chance of showing their mettle,- the rich two-year-old 1 event, the Debutant Stakes, excitesalmodt as much interest as the Alaribyrnong Plate, while there is a good mile handicap and two jumping races. All classes of horses are theretore provided for. The Caulfield Stakes iorm is not always reliable. Too many of the hor&es, as a iul©-, are out "nerely for an airing , but if the r«tce- were run again to-morrow, and all were ''on it," I think the same horse, Seve1 rily, would win. i±e is by, the Trenton horse Tienohant, who ran second to Waterfall in the I Caulfieid Cup, (and is owned and. trained by the J Sydney man, J. Allsop, who brought two good I -horses to Melbourne last spring — Voyou arfil April Fool. . They were backward in condition, and diet not show tu-eir true form until the end of the campaign, but profiting by this mistake, Allsop has got Seventy very forward, and previous to winning here, he had him backed lor the Melbourne Cup to win a. big stake. In appearance Severity is quite a "toff," a big bay with grand, style. ills form when he ran second to Hautboy m the V.R.C. October Stakes was noted by many, and he was well backed^ for the Caulfield Stakes, but Paul Pry — on the strength of his Sydney form — was made a strong favourite. Paul Pry was leading at ther distance, but when Severity got alongside of him he collapsed, and Severity won in hallow fashion, while the fast-finishing Tarrquin beat Paul Pry for places. That Paul - Pry was not quite himself was proved by Tari quin beating him here. In Sydney Paul Pry with one Taco m him took Tarqu'ih on and beat him easily. Scobie trains Paul Pry, Malster, La Carabine, etc., at Ballarat, but they have had so much rain there that he could never get good galloping for 1 his horses, and as I mentioned in my last letter, brought his team to Flerniugton. Al' his horsos appear, a little backward. Merriwee was' well backed for Severity's race. He was slow in beginning, but was putting in some good work at the finish, and I expaot to see him run a great horse in the Melbourne Cvp — a race for which he has been specially prepared. Ho looks a stone better horse than he. did in the autumn. Among the-^ other starters Cornquist, George Frederick, and G-auleon sliaped best. The most interesting feature of the Caulfield Stakes to New Zealand readers is the fact that Seahorse took part in it. The fonts at Flemington reported that he was going well, and it was reported that he would take a prominent part in the race; but- as a matter- of fact he shaped badly. He was very fresh at the post, and made several dives at the starting barrier with his head. When the rope as.cended he jumped back, and being cut out, ha-d to bo pulled into last place. Half a. mile from home he ran up a little, but soon died away, and finished last with the South Australian^ Gunga Din. The leading Derby candidates, Malster, Hautboy, Finland, and Kinglike, started in the Guineas, Fides, Polyxena, and Haulette also running. Malster was favourite, but Hautboy and Kinglike pressed him closely. The race was an unsatisfactory,one, as Hautboy was badly interfered with at the half-mile by Finland ; and Malster was twice blocked at the borne turn. The one satisfactory feature of the race was the way Kinglike won. He certainly had a 51b gelding allowance, whereas Malster and Hautboy each had a 71b penalty, but he won in the style of a, racehorse, and it is now evident that Mr C. L. Macdonald made no mistake when he bought him for 900gs at the St. Albans sale. Five furlongs from home Kinglike, who is a slow beginner, was absolutely last, but finishing with all the dogged determination of his sire Wallace, he got up in time to beat Finland by a head,, while Malster was/third and Hautboy fourth. As the race was run Finland, who is by Bill of Portland from Fishwife, by King of the Anglers, should have won, but Burn, whe had the mount, seemed afraid to ride him at the finish, as the colt has a habit of stopping quickly. He will, I think, go very near winning the V.E.C. Derby, unless Malster is given a lot more work. Scobie, however, seems afraid to work Malster too much, as he is a delicate colt. Kinglike, in view of his Caulfield Cup engagement, is wound right up, whereas Finland can be improved a little. Unless Kinglike wins the Caulfield Cup I think Finland will start favourite fo the Derby.

Theie was a fine field of 16 two-year-olds for the Debutant Stakes, Tom Payten providing the favourite m Hautain, a very neat filly by the St. Sirnor horse Haut Brion from Spite (imp.), owned by Mr "William Bailey, of Ballarat, owner of Hautboy. Hautain cost 700gs as a yearling, and is a fine galloper. She led all the way and won easily from the Gossoon colt, Beau Hampton, with the Bill of Portland! colt, Altitude, in third 1 place. The latter- is owned by James Scobie ; and is- a fine-looking colt. Portree, in Foulsharn's stable, showed plenty of pace, but spoilt his chance by running very, wide at the turn. A fine colt named Ibex, by Gossoon, was greatly admired, but he has been suffering from a cold, and was not so forward as some of the others-. He will probably do bette- in the Maribyrnong Plate. Hautair has incurred a 101b penalty for the Mar-ibyrnong Plate, and I suppose the- stable' will rely on Grasspan, who shaped so well at Flemington the other day.

There were 22. starters for the Toorak- Handicap, run over a^mile with a. large percentage of them backed, Sta-gelight 7.13, in J. H. Davis's Caulfield stable, going out favourite. He did not run at aU well. The race- went to an outsider in Lochaber 8.7, who is by Lochiel fiprn Eily O'Connor, and is trained on a private track by P. T. Heywood, trainer of George Frederick. Two other outsiders in. The Idler G. 12, by Far ETiente, and Barbarossa 8.1, by Medallion, filled the places. Argo (.3 finished veiy fast, and I expect to see her win a good race during her Melbourne trip. The Hurdle Race, two miles and a-half, was taken by the wellbred Oarfciniei 9.12 (Carbine— Barley^ who. ia .owned,

by Mr S. Miller. -He was well backed, bufl Redeemer 11.9 and Valdis 11.7, neither of whom I got a, place, started in better demand. Iht! only othei race decided was the Steeplechace, two miles, which proved a good thing fon the favourite, Riccarton 11.0, who is by Wel-~ hngton (sire of many good jumpers), and is a stable companion of Waii-arßit. The Caulfield Champion Steeplechase winner, Steers* man 11.2, was in the field, but he ran off at the first fence.

Second Day.

There was again splendid weather for tha second day. of the meeting, Wednesday, October 17. Racing started with the Moonga Handicap, a five-furlo.igs sprint, for which there was a field of 23 rnnners. The betting was of a remarkable nature, as at the finish odds of 7i to -1 were taken about Prelusive, while 12 to 1 ! could be obtained bar one. Prelusive is a beautifully bred filly, four years, by Abercom from Prelude, and is trained by the Sydney, man I. Earnshaw. prelusive may be good in! private, but she showed no form in this race. 'Che winner -turned up m the Trenton filly. Omrah 6.10, who went out at 10 to 1, and won, easily from Fides 7.12, c Omrah is owned l by Mr Septimus Miller, and brother Albert supplied the favourite for the Jumpers' Flat Race, one mile and three furlongs, in Carbinier 10.13, but^the son of Carbine was in a bacj position, al tho way, and never got near striking distance-. The winner proved, to-be Messrs J. C. and E. Manifold's mare Cintra 10.6, by. Wellington, ridden by C. Moore, who has long lost his place |s a leading jockey on the flat. The M.ona Nursery, four furlongs, ifor- two-year-olds, came next, G-ra3span 8.6,. who shaped so well at Flemington,. was favourite in a big field, and. leading all the way, he won easily from Portree 7.12 and Solitary 7.11. The winner is by Grafton, who is a son of St. Simon's sire, Galopin, and is owned by Mr Agar Wynne, M.L.C. Grasspan is also owned by Mr Wynne, who race 3asMrA. W. Roby. The Australian. Hunters' Cup, a welter steeplechase for, hunters, was won by Tonbridge 11 5, by Clan Stuart (owned by Mr Albert .Miller), and not at all fancied. The favourite, Glen Kerry, fell, and was injured so Badly that he had to be destroyed.

The two last races were the most interesting of the day, because Kinglike started in the one and Sagacity m the other. Previous to the race, these were the Caulfield Cup favourites, but while Kinglike covered himself with glory, Sagacity fell info disgrace. Kinglike v s race was the Eclipse Stakes, weight-for-age, one mile and three furlongs. He- started a strong favourite ai 6 to 4, Paul Pry and Merriwee being the most ifancied of the others. Seahorse ran a far different race to what he did in tho Cavilfiekl Stakes. In the interim he had performed a splendid gallop on the track at Flemington, and this evidently had a beneficial efffect. Seahorse was always in a grand position, and at the distance led with Paxil Pry. EHnglike, as usual, began, very slowly, and he was last at tjie five furlongs' post, and fully ten lengths behind the leader. jfiom that out, however, he came very fast, and getting a lucky opening between Paul Pry and Seahorse in the straight, won easily by three-quarters of a length from Seahorse, Paul Pry a head away, third. Odds of 10 to 1 were actually offeree! against Kingiike at the turn, but we have nofc seen such a brilliant and dogged finisher since his sire, Wallace, -was racing. After- tho race he was installed favoivrite for the three leading events, the Can Wield Cup, Derby, and Melbourne Cup. Seahorse's good' form of course 1 brought him into increased favour for the Melbourne Cup, Merriwee and Lancaster were close behind the placed horses, and Mora finished very fast, but Gauleon shaped poorly for a well-baokod Caulfield Cup horse. Sagacity, started at sto 2 for his race, the Coongy Handicap, also run over a mile and- three- furlongs-. He had every chance, being in a good position all the way, but when asked to go out a-nd win at the distance, he collapsed, as he did at Flemington. The -race went to Clean Sweep 6.10, by the Nordenfteldt hoTse Zalinski, George Frederick 8.13, who lost a little ground at the turn, being unluckily beaten a neck", with War God 8.4 third. George Frederick was taken out of the Caulfield. Cup, but is heavily backed for the Melbourne Cup. Clean Sweep is a three-year-old; and is a stable companion of Malster. He is owned by MiFrank Cumming, recently" elected to the V.A.T..C. Committee. THE V.R-C. SPRING ME*ETING.

Before another letter can reach you the T.K..C. Spring meeting will have commenced; so I shall endeavour to give a- forecast of the events. On the 'opening day the Maribyrnong Plate, for two-year-olds, and' the Derby, for three-year-olds, will be run. The Plate I thank will be won by Grasspan or Ibex. At one time I thought the Derby a certainty for Malster, but I am afraid there is now a screw lqose, as Scobie is- giving him no strong work. He cannot win a Derby or Melbourne Cup with a mild preparation. Finland is also under a cloud, and- i fancy -the- race v/ill go to Kinglike. The five I like best 'in the Melbourne Cup, after studying recent form, are Severity, George Fred'eriok, Kinglike, Merriwee, and. Lancaster, and my place tip is ~- ' Severity „ ."1 Kinglike „ 2 Lancaster ..3 A LANCASTER SCARE. Backers of Lancaster for the Melbourne Cup ' got a severe shock one day last week, when I Foulsham's colt pulled up lame after doing a gpod gallop at-Caulfield. The son of Hotchkiss I Sad been ba-cked down to 10 to 1 1 for the Melbourne Cup' the night before, but he wss driven back to 100 to 5 a-s soon as his lameness ap- ; pearcd. Opinions differed as to whether his [ case was aciious or not! He was wearing a boot at the time, and on this being removed the lameness disappeared. He has since been cantered and galloped without the trouble reappearing, and perhaps his -lameness was only I temporary. * Nearly all the Musket breed are troubled more or less "with tender feet. After he had registered, a good, mije on Monday last, i Lancaster was once more installed at the head of the quotations for the .Melbourne Cup, along with Severity, and he has since run in the Eclipse "Stakes at Caulfield without suffering any inconvenience.

SANDOWN - -PARK BACES

Races were held at Sandown Park on October 10. Four of the races went to horses by New Zealand-bred animals, Lyddite winning two and' Starling one for Zalinski, and Trent one for Trenton. Lyddite carried 8.4-to victory is the Suburban Handicap, five furlongs and a-quar-ter, and 9.4" in the Welter Handicap, winning both races" very easily. She is trained at Flemington by Frank M'Namsxa, who is generally on the mark when he backs "one of his.Starling won the Trial Handicap after a deadheat with Scylla, who was in receipt of 71b. Lewis had the mount on Starling, who was a. rank outsider. Trent's race was the* Jumpers" Flat, in which he beat the favourite Early; Mom and'a fair field by half "A dozen lengths. The curprise of the day was 'in the Sandown Park Handicap, one mile, the winner, Sand' Boy 6.7, going out at any price. He is a» three-year-old by tha Cauifield Cup winner Sainfoin. Fadladeen 8.5, who has been doing so well in Adelaide, was well backed, but ran nowhere, and this extinguished his Caulfield, 1 ! Cup chance. The Steeplechase went to Bella] 9.4, who only returned from her Sydney trip ! a week or two ago. Mysore started, but oicourse baulked. He was well up in the betting; quotations, starting second favourite^ TheJ wonder is that people can still bo found *a^ back Mysore! v

ROSEHILL RACES. These races were held in Sj'dney on Saturday last. The Sailor 10.10, by Sweet William, landed the Hurdle Ra.ce, in a small field, and Sovereign 7.12, by Blairgowrie, was successful iii the Granville Stakes, six furlongs. Hereford 6.7, by Clan Stuart, won the Carlingford Handicap, six furlongs, but the Suowaids wcic not satisfied with the junning of Cast Iron, •who finished" second, and administered a severe caution to the parties concerned, The Two-year-old Stakes, four furlongs, j^roved a good i thing for Perplex, in Earnsha-w's stable. Per.plex is by the imported horse Grafton, who is ;by'St. Simon's sire, Galopin. Grafton.promiscs ( to "do well at the stud. In a field of four Flodclen 8.10, by Lochiel, accounted for the October Handicap, one mile and three furlongs, and Cleori S.3j by Juan, won the Mile Welter. J MOONEE VALLEY RACES. There were no horse 3of note competing at , tho Mooriee Valley meeting last Thursday. An, up-country mare namedi Brown Ribbon, by itKe Choster horse Bengal, took a double, Welter (Handicap, 7.7, and Valley Handicap^ 7.0, startling- at a nice price each time. For the Welter [•Handicap a- strong favourite waa found in the (■"Sydney gelding Scientist 9.3, trained by R. jiWotyton, but lie ran disappointingly. Spring!'3iaven 10.4, the favourite, won the Hurdle jßa,ce, and another well-backed dfie in Leth[bridge 7.7, by Richelieu, got home in the Trial 'Handicap. Lethbridge is owned by E. B. Bell, j^vlio. come 3 from New Zealand. Billy L. 9.12 atpset the favourite, Gladys 10.10 in the Steeple,'chase, and an outsider in JMartyr Bs, by Middle-zna-rch, got home iai the Jumpers' Flat Race. I. ' ODDS AND ENDS. "' The fol?owing additional horses hflve arrived in Melbourne from Sydney — viz., Moravian and ..Stellarene. Nitrous, the S.A.J.C. St. Leger (V/ihner, has arrived from Adelaide. ! The Australian Tiotting Association has been revived in Melbourne, and a new committee .'and a new set of officers appointed. I don't ■ know how you get on with trotting- men in :~Nev? Zealand, but in Australia they are always , quarrelling 1 amongst themselves. Mr John ' the leading patron of trotting in has been elected president of the resuscitated association, and there appears a fair chance of its existing for a. time at least. "Mr A. H. Cox, proprietor of the Moonee .Valley and Maribyrnong racecotirseSj now pays for the carriage by rail of horses to his meetings. This by way of inducing larger fields, 'i'hs cairiage of each horse costs him 10s. Mr P. Monagiian, the well-known Tasmanian liandicapper, died lasb week. v Mr John Field, a -well-known Tasmanian I breeder, is also dead. He bred two Melbourne Cup winners, Sheet Anchor and Malua. ! On the day after he "ivon the Caulfield ' ( Guineas, Kinglike had two teeth removed. \> The only horses that were backed by the ! public for the Caulfield Cup who failed to were George Frederick, Tarquin, The f.Chief, and Reaper. The latter haa changed ! stables, and will in future, along with*Chilla- ! goe, be trained by T. Fergusson. U J. E. Brewer was banquetted this week by 'friends who wished- to welcome him on his [i-etiurn from his English trip. Sir George Tur'jner was amongst the guests. H; 'Finland and Hautboy were both gallopped on 'jia the Caulfield, Guineas. Finland's leg has /.'since filled, and'hs has been on the easy list jevei Bince. Ha/atboy, after the race, showed "signs.of breaking down altogether, and to avoid Lthis he was struck out of all engagements. His from the Derby and Melbourne Cup a great blow to Backers, as lie had been [steadily backed for these events right through the winter. «■ The billiard match between John Roberts and "3?. Weiss ia now in progress. They are playling 21,000 iip, 'Roberts conceding his opponent ,7000 start. Half of th.c match was played in Sydney and the other half is being played in Melbourne. The Sydney half was finished jla-st Wednesday, 'Weiss having all the best of 'it. Tiie scores at the end of the Sydney game were Weiss 13,700, Roberts 8467. ,' An offer of £2000 has, it is said, been refused •for Kinglike. I suppose the gelding will eventually find his way to England. ' The thoroughbred stallion Oakleigh. (by Rooidee). winner of the Caulfield Cup, has died in Tasmania.