SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2436, 21 November 1900, Page 42

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Bx Ravekswosth. MELBOURNE, November 14. I brought the V.R.C. Spring meeting up to Cup Day in my last letter. The meeting has since then been brought to a successful conclusion. The club was favoured with splendid "weather for the foui days of , the gathering, .md made a good profit, upwards of £11,000, which is highly satisfactory, considering that the added money was about £1400 more than, last yeai. OAKS DAY. The racing on Oaks Day was commenced ■with the November Hurdle Race, two miles, .the race going to the Sydney grey Turk 10.9, aloto 1 chance. He won easily from the steeplechasei* - Riccarton 9,10, who was Bold

after the racu to Mr S. Miller, chairman of the V.R.C., for £100, and contingencies. "Welfare, owned by Mi Millar, started favourite for the race, but met with a most terrible accident. Moravian fell in front of him in the straight, and Welfare being brought down, his leg snapped off below the knee, and he hobbled about on three legs, with about a foot of bare bone showing, and the hoof dangling by a thread of skin only. A veterinary" was, fortunately, near, and he was destroyed within three minutes of the- accident. He was probably the best hurdler ,n Australia up to two miles. Elderslie, by Wallace, with only 6.11 to carry, easily accounted for the second Nursery Handicap, six furlongs. I think Wallace, who was undoubtedly Carbine's best son, will turn out a great success at the stud. Elderslie is owned by Mr Phillip Russell, a member of the V.R.C. Committee, and is trained by James Wilson, ,'un. Rock Gun 8.6, who started favourite for this event, proved a great disappointment, but Haymaker 8.10 was a good third. 'Maltster was backed at 9 to 4 on for the Flying Stakes, seven furlongs, and with only a pair of moderate two-year-olds and Tarquin and Wait-a-Bit to beat, he won easily in the good time of 1.27J, a record" for- the distance with the starting jmachine in use. Auld Lang Syne 7.7, by Lochiel, who! aad failed on each of the two opening days of the meeting, won the Carnival Handicap, one mile and aquarter, with the greatest case from Nitre 8.6, Fleet Admiral 8.4, and a good field, in which Kaaba and Nitre started favourites. Auld Lang Syne was not \mcied this trip, and went out-at 15 to 1. Major George started Labourer 6.8, who' showed some pace 'to the turn, 'and then died away, finishing last. There was a field of six " - for the Oaks, with the Maiden Plate winner, The Union Jack, m most demand at 2to 1, and Haulette at 4 to 1. With Haulette all right, it was 10 to 1 on her, but she was known to have been coing rather badly. She was, however, well enough lo win in a cantei from the moderate field opyjsed to her, and she put up a record for the race — viz., 2min 40Jsec for the mile and a-half. Haulette is by the St._ Simon sire Haut Brion, and is trained by I." Earnshaw at Randwick. War God, who had run badly in the Melbourne CuPi was good enough' to wm the Veteran Stakes, one mile and a-half, with 8.11 up, Grizzle 6.12 and Borromeo 6.10 following him home. The field was only a small one, and The Bride 7.10, in Scobie's stable, who went out favourite, was last. The concluding event, the' Filly Stakes, foi two-year-olds, special weights,, proved a good thing for Mark Thompson's filly Australia, who started a warm favourite. Thus ended a splendid caj r for Sydney trainers, five of the seven events going to them. STEEPLECHASE DAY. There was a splendid attendance for the concltision of the meeting last Saturday. Fields in most cases were small. ' There were only three starters for the. opening fsventj the Spring Stakes, for three-year-olds, one mile "and aquarter. Maltster w.as scratched in favour of his stable companion, Clean Sweep, on whom odds of 8 to 1 were laid against The Idler and Fides. Clean Sweep won all right, but those who laid odds on got a shock when they saw The Idler run past Clean Sweep at the distance. The Idler, howevei, died away as quickly as he came to the "ront, and Clean ; Sweep won easily. Had the run of 'The Idler been delayed for 150 yds, he Must have won. The Flemington Stakes, a handicap, for two-year-olds, went to the Padlock gelding Cadenas •8.3, his second win for the meeting. Manlock 8.13 and Sweet Soimd 7.10, who each started a better favourite, were second and third respectively. Sweet Sound, who is a stable companion of Lancaster, has plenty of pace, but does not stay at present. In the V.R.C. Handicap, one mile and three-quarters, La Carabine put up a good performance by winning easily with 9.7 up. She started favourite, the unlucky Alix 7.9 following her home with the over-rated Tarquin 9.6 third, and War God 9.6 close up. This was the only race won by Sir Rupert Clarke at the meeting, and his first since his return to the Victorian Turf. The Cup Steeplechase, three miles, brought out nine runners only, with Ihe ex-New Zealand gelding Ditto 11.6 in most demand. He struck a fence early, and after scrambling over three or foui more jumps, was ytilled up. He bioke a blood vessel, it is ?aid. The race went to the Adelaide representative The Duke 10.9, by Wellington, whose form was a marvellous improvement on that shown by him at Caulfield. It was thought that Lancaster would be brought out for the C. B. Fisher Plate, w.f.a., one mife and a-half, l/ut Foulsham did not produce him after ' his Cup failure^ Maltstei only had Tarquin, Wait-a-Bit, and Merriwee to beat, and he easily landed the odds laid "on him. A heavily-supported favourite got home when Beauba 8 6, by Wallace, won the Aidful Stakes, for two-year-olds. She is trained by Earnshaw, and won eafily. The meeting concluded with the Final Handicap, one mile and a-quarter, for which there was a field of 14, with Lochaber 8.13 r.nd Revenue 7.12 most in demand. Neither ran well, the race going to Auld Lang Syne 8.5, with Bor-romeo-7.2 second and^Nitre 8.11 third. And so ended a first-class meeting* •» SUMMARY. Of the 28 races run during the four days of the -meeting, 10 went to New South ~Walel horses, one to a South Australian, and the remainder stayed in. Victoria. Sydney trainers had a l-~re string of 'horses, and. they, did fairly well i clering that before the campaign starteu ifc was not thought .that the Sydney horses would be able tc hold their own against the Victorian lot. They wetc weak in three-year-olds, though they owned one good one in the Oaks winner, Haulette. With the_ exception of Maltster and Clean Sweep the Victorian three-year-olds were also a very moderate lot.. New South Wales ha« the credit of possessing the champion two-year-old in Ibex, who is a long way superior to anything of his age. He only ran in the one race, the Maribyrnong Plate, but he beat the best of the other two-year-olds in a common canter. Other pretty fair two-year-olds were Cadenas, Australia, Manlock, and Haymaker. Tom Payten's pair, Grasspan and Hautain showed no form at all. As a matter of dact, Payter did not win a race at the meeting. The two-year-old events were equally divided between Victoria and New South Wales, each taking four. Three of the four extra two-year-old events wcnl to New South Wales. The best handicap performer - at the meeting was La Carabine. James Scobie was the most j successful trainer. Ho won three races with Maltster, two with Clean Sweep, and one with La Carabine. He trains at Ballarat, which is 80 or 90 miles away from Melbourne. Formerly a first-class cross-countrji rider, it is only lately that Scobie has come to the fore as a trainer. He seems to have profited _a lot by past failures, and does not work his horses to death as he used to do. Scobie is a very genial, good-natured man, and I don't think he has a single enemy. The success of the Musket blood was very prominent during the meeting. Musket sires, to score were Carbine (three races), Wallace (two races), Zalinski (two races), Hotchkiss, and Mana. Fivo other winners, The Union Jack, Nitrt, Haulette, and^adenas (two races), have the Musket blood on the dam's side. Thus 14 of the races, oi just one-half, went to horses descended from Musket — a truly remarkable record. The Galopin sires that were successful were Bill of Portland (three races), Gossoon (tw« races), and Haut Brion. The other successful sires during the four days were Lochiel (two races), Wellington (two races), Padlock (two races), The Admiral, Off Colour, Gib- J raltar, Mostyn, Glorious., Neckers^at, and Chats-

worth. R. Lewis, with five wins, was the most successful jockey at the meeting. He had, however, four choice mounts in Maltster, who started at odds-on in each of his three winning races, and another odds-on chance in Clean Sweep, while his other winner, The Union Jack, started (favourite for his race. W. Burn rode well throughout the meeting, winning twice on Cadenas and» once each on Lancaster and Fides. He handled Cadenas each time particularly well. The only other .jockeys to ride more than one winner were J. Gough, S. Bennett, G. Osborn'e and E. Cleal, with two each. All these jockeys hail from Sydney, while Lewis and Burn belong to Victoria. A word of praise is due to little Richardson, of Sydney, for the way he handled Clean Sweep in the. Cup. WILLIAMSTOWN CUP MEETING. It is not only the Caulfield and Flemington meetings that attract owners to Melbourne inthe spring. There is the Moonee Valley Cup meeting, the Maribyrnong Cup meeting, and several good suburban meetings ,and last, but not least, the Williamstown Cup meeting. This fixture extended this year over two days, and when I say that the stake -money was £1900 it will be seen that it was an important fixture. The first day's racing took place on the Friday between V.R.C. Oaks and Steeplechase - Day. J. E. Brewer won the opening event, the Tiial Stakes, with Patna 8.2, by Bengal, with Old Salt 7.2 second. Later on Old Salt, who is by Mainsail (son of Rapid Bay) came out, and starting at 10 to I,'won the Prince of Wales Plate, five furlongs and a-half, for which Spindrift 7.11, with Cooper up, was a warm favourite, and ran nowhere. Mr A. M'Cracken, of the V.R.C. Committee, took the Weltei Handicap with Madrid 7.5, ridden by ihe successful rider, W. Burn, while the Williainstwn Handicap, of 200sovs, two miles, was won "by the Sydney colt Acumen 8.1, by The Australian Peer. Acumen is in the same stable as Ibex. Both are owned by Mr W. H. Mate, a wealthy New South Wales grazier. Patna was saddled up again for the' Prince of Wales Purse, but with half a-fur-long farther to go and 121b more to carry, she just failed tc stay jut the race, .Youihess 7.9 beating her on the post. An outsider in Tor7.4, by Mentor, won the Federal Stakes, six furlongs. The meeting concluded on Monday, which was a public holiday. There was a splendid attendance, the railway people taking down over 6000, while a large number, went by road. The course is only a few miles out, of Melbourne, and the appointments are very good, the grand stand being the Iprgest in the colony after Flemington. The principal event, the Williamstown Cup, of 500sovs, one mile and three furlongs, proved a gift foi Sir Rupert Clarke's Paul Pry, as it should, seeing that he was let in at 9.3. A few months ago Paul Pry, who is undoubtedly the best old horse in Australia at the present time, carried 10.5 to victory in { the Adelaide Birthday Cup, one mile and a-half, and since then he proved himself. the weight-for-age champion at the A.J.C. meeting. Mr ! Knowles must have been dreaming when he j made the handicap. Scobie, the trainer of Paul ' Pry, thought that he would get at least 10.3. Backers took even money in a field of nine about Paul Pry, and he won in a canter from the unlucky colt The Idler 6.10 and Meet Admiral 8.5. The Idler was wall backed at fours', Borromeo at sixes. Dirk Jlammerhand, who has been raced to, a standstill, had friends at 10 to 1. Next to the Cup the "Two-year-old ' Handicap, of 200 soys, .five furlongs and ahalf, was the most important event. Manlock, 9.0, opened favourite for this event, but travelled .badly in the market at the finish, and only got third, the winnei being the Adelaide gelding Fotheringay, 7.9, owned by, M; John Crozier. Both 'Fotheringay and Manlock are by imported Padlock. Mi C. F. Glasscock, the Indian horse buyer, took the Hurdle Race with Havelock, 9.12, by the Levite, and the Jumpers' Flat Race with 'Metalloid, 8.6, by Metal. For the latter event Mr S. Miller, Chairman" of the V.R.C., starred his Melbourne Cutd Horse, Carbinier, 9.3, who was favourite, but even amongst a good lot of old jumpers could only get third. Sir Arthur, 10.6, was successful in the Steeplechase, and Eugene, 7.7, by Neckersgat, in the Farewell Handicap, one mile. SANDOWN PARK RACES. At a small fixture at Sandown Park on the day between Cup and Oaks Days upwards of 3000 people were present, and the meeting therefore paid handsomely. May, a three-year-old filly by imported Harmonist, won the Maiden Plate, and subsequently started favourite in the Trial Handicap, but in that event could get no nearer than third to Martin 6.12, by Fryingpan. Jack Hornei 8.12, by The Englishman, beat California, the favourite, by a neck in the Jumpers' Flat Race. Goodman, 7.12, by Segenhoe started at p fail price in a small field ,and won the Sandown Park Handicap, one mile, from Snort Royal 7.8, with Terlinga 9.0, the favourite, last. The winnei is in the same stable as Martin, both being trained by R. Wren. Buckingham 10.2, a son of the Melbourne Cup winner, Sheet Anchor, was returned the winner of the Steeplechase, while Robin^ 7.7, by The Gem, took the Welter Handicap, in. which Kola 8.4, the even money favourite, ran badly. ROSEHILL JRACES.' . l The-Rosehill Racing Club in Sydney; held a two days' meeting on Saturday and Monday last. ' On the first day. Trid Or 9.0, by Triderit, won the Hurdle Race, and Redmond 7.9, the MaidenHandicap. The Birthday Handicap, six., furlongs, ' went to Victory, by" Invader, and the -Nursery Stakes to the Medallion filly Numidia, with Trifoli, the odds-on favourite,- third. The Prince of Wales Handicap, one mile and a-quar- ' ter and 100 yards, was won bj Portague 6.10, who boasts the successful Galopin — Musket cross, being by Bill it Portland (son of St. Simon) from' Coin, by Nordenfeldt from Realisation. Old „ Wakawatea started favourite for the race, but found the distance too fai. Popgun 8.7, by the New Zealand-bred Krupp was successful in the High-Weight Hs&idicap, six and ahalf furlongs. On the second day, Sweet Erma 7.5, by Sweet William had a close win in the Granville Stakes, six furlongs, while Cast Iron 8.10, by Beauchamp, scored in the Pence's Handicap, six and a-half furlongs. Starting favourite Ambulance 8.0, a filly by the Trenton horse. Light Artillery from Miss Mostyn (dam of Lady Mostyn), easily accounted for the Two-Year-Old Stakes, Numidia 8.10 running second. Delusion 9.10, by Pacific won the Stewards' I Mile, La Ho'gue (only a pony) 6.8, by Lochiel," took the Royal Handicap, one mile and three j furlongs ; and Popgun 9.3, the Weltei Handidicap, six furlongs. ODDS AND ENfJS. The returns on Cup day wore £3700 better than on Cup day last year. This is the best result since 1892. Final returns haye not yet been made up, but it is believed that then is a profit of over £11,000- as against about £10,000 last Spring meeting, and this notwithstanding the fact that the money added by the club showed an increase of £1400. The following were the j principal prizetakers "at the meeting: — F. T. "Forrest," £4100; R. Orr, £2172; W. H. Mate, £1137; H. V. Foy, £844; Sir Rupert Clarke, £578; J. Wilson, £513; I. Foulsham, £510; W. Forrester, £4a5; M. Thompson, £434; J. Rowen, £433; W. Leonard, £399; Hodges Bros, £390; W. Brown, £383; C. N. Kidman, £360; J. James, £337; D. Smart, £309. Xhe total amount of stake money, including ownersV sweepstakes, was £17,067. Mt H. Bryon Moore, secretary of the V.R.C., managed his twentieth Melbourne Cup this year.

A profit of £1100 was made over the Williamslon Cup meeting last Monday. A sale of racehorses was held by Messrs Win. C. Yuille and Co. at Newmarket on Monday last. Major George put up Labourer, but he has shown no form here, and was passed in. The highest genuine bid was very low. The ■ following were the principal sales: — On Account of the Executors of the Late Mr W. R. Wilson: Gs. Ch c, 2yrs, by Wallace from Umilta, Mr J. N. M' Arthur 650 Br c, 2yrs, by Bill of Portland from Happy Land, Sir Rupert Clarke 700 B c, 2yrs, by Wallace from Bonnie Rosette, Mr H. Skinner 500 Br f, 2yrs, by Light Artillery from Fairy Voice, Mr S. Miller 50 On account of the Executrix of the late Dr Stewart. >Tarus, br h, syrs, by Thunderbolt from Pantoufle, Mr T. Madigan 80 Malleolus, br c, 3yrs, by Richmond from j La Cheville, Mr C. F. Glasscock .. .. 145 j On .Account of Mr John Crozier. . Bloodstone, eh g,, aged, by Carlyon from ; Atholine, Mi J. E. Brewer 85 , Belemnite, br g, 4yrs, by Thunderbolt from i Da Capo, Mr E: Zilles - . . 145 Fotheringay, b g, 2yrs, by Padlock from Queen Eliza, Mi H. Skinnei .. .. .. 260 • On Account of the Owners.- < Prelusive, eh f, _4yrs, i»y Abercorn' from- ' Prelude, Mr J. Hayes .. ..■ ' 140 Kenley; b c, 3yrs, by Far Niente from Sa- | ponite, Mr Eden George (N.5.W.) . . . . 250 ! Pearl Skipper, bg, 3yrs, by Gigue from . , Pink Pearl, Mr C. F. Glasscock . . ... 100 ' Flintlock,' gr h, aged, by -Carbine , from • Duenna, Mr C. Kidman (W. A.) .... . . 90 i Alix, br m, syrs, by Trenton from PrinJ cess* Alice, Mr C. F. Glasscock 550 , The settling over the recent important racing passed off satisfactorily at the Victorian Club on Tuesday last. It was^a very heavy one,'em- ' bracing, as" it did, Melbourne Cup day, Oaks day, Steeplechase day, the Sandown Park meeting, and two days' racing at Williamstown. , During the day a petition to the committee of , the club was largely signed in the room asking | them to use ; their influence to induce the i V.R C. to refuse permission to any club to race , during Melbourne Cup or Australian Cup week, J so that settling could take place after each day i of the spring and autumn meetings. J Tarquin' s owner is 'returning to West Ausi tralia, but the horse will remain in Melbourne.