SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 46

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

1 By Ravensworth. SYDNEY, March 2*. The attention of racing men is now being ■turned Sydney wards. The whole of James ' Scobie's team, comprising Paul Pry, Maltster, 'fj» Carabine, Clean Sweep, Hautvillers, and .United States, left Flemington for Randwick ton Saturday, and Mr, C. L. M-cdonald's pair, Wakeful and Aurous, went over the same day. /Sagacity, Cicero, and Gunga Dm h«*ve also /gone over from Caulfield. Tins about comUiri'ses the Victorian team, in addition to Debenture, Private Willis, and Berenice, who [■went over some time ago. It is not a big team, [■Tout there are some cracks amongst it. I would .not mind having the cheque that the combined iteam will win at the A.J.C. meeting. It appears that United States was omitted from the '•official list of first acceptors for the ChmnVoagne Stakes m error. |[c is still in, and the "*«• long-expected meeting between Lira am? Ibsx (will probably take place in this event. HautVillers is also m, and the winner is almost certain to rule as the winter favourite for the |V.R.C. Derby. If Ibex is as well as he was >vhen he won the Maribyrnong Pl«*te, I think be will beat United States. Advance does not appear to have done any »rork to speak of since his arriva.l in Sydney. He will have to be brushed along if he is to win races at the A.J.C. meeting. He wi l ! meet horses there wound up to the very day.

DEATH OF MR E. T. BARNARD. On Saturday last Mr E. T. Barnard, who *ras for over 20 years handicapper for the V.R.C. at Flemington, and also acted in a similar capacity for the V.A.T.C. and other clubs, died at the Tipe age of 75 years. .He wrs a tall, thin, aristocratic-looking man, a soldier by training, a perfect gentleman in manners, and a natural 'handicapper. He was probably a little careless '.as to figures, and made a few mistakes, but Tluck always seemed on his side, as. when he let I the Queenslander Friction into the Grand 'National Hurdle Race at Flemington 2st or so /below his weight the horse wpb beaten. Mr ■Barnard retired from active service seven or eight years ago, and the V.B.C. membeis gave Jiim a pension of £500 per year. By his death )fee V.R.C. will save thjs amount each year. 'An instance of the summary way in which he could, if required, make a handicap was, according to a sporting writer, afforded in connection with the opening meeting of the Mentone Racing Club a few years back. On bringing his handicaps into the secretary's office, it was pointed out to him that he had overlooked one race — for which there was a numerous entry — altogether. Thereupon he sat down and, taking the list of horses engaged, placed a weight opposite each. In five minutes his ■work was done, and, as he was not feeling well, Ihe asked the secretary to place the horses in rotation according to their weights. This handicap, it is interesting to note, produced one of the best finishes of the day. Mr Bernard was in recent years exceedingly "hard of hearing," but this was not altogether an unmixed evil. When accosted on the racecourse by an owner who wished to complain about the weight his horse had been allotted, Mr Barnard invariably answered, " I am very deaf, and can't hear what you say." This saved much argument and possible unpleasantness. The late Bir William Clarke (father of Sir Rupert Clarke) raced a few horses in his time, but with indifferent success. He owned a pretty fair one named Menotte, and was highly indignant when Mr Barnard put the minimum weight on the horse in an important race. Sir William regarded this as an insult to his horse and to his colours. Present-day owners are not built that way. Sir Rupert himself is very sensitive about the Weights his horses are allotted, but m another way.

SUBURBAN RACING. There was nothing exciting about the racing at Mentone last Wednesday. The leading event, the Mentone Handicap, one mile, went to StageKght 8.6, who was 8 pronounced favourite. The Tod Sloan style of riding is coming into favour Again. Two of the winners, Mat 7.10. in the Trial Handicap, and Epitome 7.3, in the Flying Handicap, were ridden in this style by R. |£'Namara and E. Turner respectively. There *as a dead heat in the Jumpers' Flat Race between The Pirate King 9.7, by The Admiral, und Blodwyn 82, by Middlemarch. For the run off Blodwyn was favourite, but The Pirate King beat him by a head. Deerfoot 10.4 took the Steeplechase, and Bacchus 7.11, by Boolka, the Welter Handicap. Bacchus is next door to a cripple, and was allowed to go out at 20 to 1.

Lpst Saturday the Sandown Park Racing Club held a meeting. It rained heavily all the morning', and under ordinary circumstances a subuibaix club pioruptly postpones when this Lup-

pens; but a Saturday is hard to get, pnd the club decided to go on. The afternoon turned out quite fine. Backers had a very bad day, not a single favourite winning. In the concluding event, the Welter Handicap, there were 15 starters, and the miner, Canada, who was in at the minimum weight, but carried 61b overweight, went out at 100 to 3 offered. He is a well-bred horse, being by Niagara from the dam of Light Artillery, but though five years old, this was, I think, his first win. The principal event was the Sandown Park Handicap, run over a mile, the stake being £100. There were 15 starters, with Miss Carbine 7.4 and Omrah 7.12 favourites. Neither got a place, the winner turning up in Orient 7.7, who beat San Fran in a similar race at the previous meeting of the club. Orient is by Sunrise, and owned by Mr H. Skinner, the principal proprietor of the Sandown course. The gelding is very ancient, but was certainly well treated in only being called upon to carry a stone over the minimum, as he has won numerous races. In the particular race he only beat Skipper 8.1 by a short half head, getting up in the last stride. There was nothing exciting about the other events, except in the Trial Handicap, Kitty 6.7 beating the favourite, Aroona 8.3, on the post by a head. Kathleen 8.0. by Reginald, took the Jumpers' Flat Race, Malva 7.8, by Malur, the Suburban Handicap, and Primate 10.7 the Steeplechase.

RACING AT BALLARAT,

Ballarat is the place where James Scobie's horses are trained. It was years ago a great sporting centre, but lately the sporting community seems to have become scattered, and the meetings have gone down a lot. There was a bit of a revival this year, however. The Ballarat Turf Club commenced their meeting last Thursday, when the Ballarat Cup, of 200sovs, one mile and a-half, was run. This brought out 15 runners, and class was represented by The Bride 10.8 and Tasman 9.5. The latter went out equal favouite with Battenburg 6.7, by Vengeance, a stable companion of The Bnde, both being in Scobie's stable. Scobie's luck did not stick to him this trip, as though he got his two into places, the winner was Atbara 7.4, a four-year-old gelding by Carnage from Lady Disdain (imp.), by Lecturer. He won by close on ten lengths from Battenburg, with The Bride two lengths away. The winner used to be an inmate of P. T. Heywood's stable, but is now owned by the Caulfield trainer C. Carter, who has been ill for some time, and was not present. A dose of medicine like this is the sort to do a man good. Tasrnan, who is a Queenslander, ran poorly, but his stable mate, Fortune Teller (who ran fifth in the Newmarket), carried 11.3 to victory in the Flying Handicap, five furlongs. The other eventß were not of much interest. Curbs 7.7, by the Australian Cup winner Carlyon, took the Welter, and- Coronal 6.7, by the Newmarket Handicap winnei Coronet, was successful in the Trial Handicap. The meeting was concluded on the following day, when the principal event, the Ballhausen Handicap, cf lOOsov^, one mil^. went to p 10 to 1 chance m Grandee 7.1 by cH'ind Prix, who led all the way. Scobie's Battenburg 7.0 started favourite and finished a moderate second. Scobie, however, won the Ladies' Bracelet foi his wife with Annotate, a filly by the^V.li.C Bagot Handicap winner, Annesley. Glenore, with 12.5 up, wae winning the Second Hurdle Race easily when he fell at the last obstacle, and the prize went to Monsoon 10.0 The Queenslander Fortane Teller carried 11.7 to victory (minimu7n 6.71 in the Railway Handicap, six iu T lo v ipfi. but he only had two. Tit for Tat 9.0 and Coronal 70, to beat. Burgess, who tiains Fortune Teller and Tasman, is taking the pair to Adelaide this week. He intends after the Adelaide meetings to settle at Flemington as a trainer. He will get a iew mere horses down fiom Queensland. The Jumpeis' Flat Race v/ert to Sir John 11. and the Farewell Handicap, four fvulongs, to Malacca. On the next day the Bnllarat Miners' Turf Club held a meeting, but only the second and third-rate hoises competed. The favourite won in nearly every race, but backers made a mistake when they laid odds on Malacca 9.13 for the Half-mile Handicap as Cornelia 6 11, by Coronet, beat him by half a length. Two of the winners, Martyr and Blodwyn, -were sired by the Manbyrnpng horse Middlemarch.

ROSEHILL RACES

The Cup meeting of the Rosehill Racing Club was concluded on Satuiday. There were no fewer ihan 19 starters for the Rosehill Cup, which was run over six and a-half furlongs. The betting was 7 to 1 on the field, with De Aar and Bother most in demand. The winner turned up in a rank outsider in Belus, who is by Clan Stuart, and trained by I. Eamshaw. The stable had a few pounds on. The winner is a, fine big gelding, and his trainer had serious thoughts previous to this of putting him over hurdles. The Granville Stakes went to Dalmore 7.4, with Spring Rose 7.10, a stable companion, who was in much better request, in second place. In a field of 23 Australian, owned by the West Australian bookmaker R. Phillips, went out a 2 to 1 favourite, notwithstanding that he had 10.10 to carry. Australian managed to run second, albeit a moderate one, the winner being Welcome 7.9, by Metal, who went out at 7 to 1. Paradox 8.2, by Stockwell, won the High-weight Handicap, and Robato 7.4, by Gozo, the Autumn Handicap, one mile and three furlongs.

ODDS AND ENDS

Coota and Billy L. were killed in a Steeplechase at Corowa last Wednesday. We get through a tremendous lot of jumpers during tlie year in Australia. The Trenton gelding Idle Boy has changed hands, and goes to the East. Roacommon will not race again in Australia. His new owner, Mr R. M'Kenna, intends, to ship him to India at the first opportunity. Ampier, who went wrong after winning the A J.C. Donc»ster Handicap, is being hacked about again. A horse named Gunnedah, in J. E. Brewer's stable at Caulfield, got away from his attendant abotit six months ago and had a gallop all over the eastern suburbs on his own. He injured himself a good deal, and had to be placed in Mr S. O. Wood's horse hospital at Caulfield, where he remained "until last week, when he was discharged cured. Brewer is putting him into training again. At the recent Kyneton meeting several of the horses competing in the Steeplechase fell at the first fence. One of them, Sealing Wax, has since been placed in the hands of a vet. for a very bad. knee. It appears that the cause of the falls was a horse and cab being in the road. As might be gathered from this, the whole meeting was badly conducted.

The Messis Manifold, who own a stable full of good jumpers, will not be represented at the important Onkaparinga meeting, all their horses having been scratched. Euro, who was thought to be in reserve for the Great Eastern Steeplechase, has also dropped out. I suppose the Messrs Miller will win this lace with one of their horses, Hayseed or The African. The first prize is lOOOsovs— a nice little stake for a lump. A three-year-old filly closely related to the flying Mylae has joined J. Cripps's string at Flemington. She is by Gossoon fiom Feainought, a sister to Dreadnought. She is not such a fine filly as Mylae, being, m fact, a little weedy. Mr J V. Smith bought hei m Sjdney as a yearling for lOOgs. Thieo of the Victorian polo team which recently visited New Zealand — namely, Messrs 11. A,! D. Hood, R, A. Affleck, and E. Manifold,

who left Sydney on February 2, returned m the Moana last week. The other two members, Messrs C. and G. Robertson, went on a tour through the South Island. The team played 10 matches, winning 7 and losing 8. Mr E. Manifold m the course of an interview said that the team played two matches against a representative New Zealand four, the first at Palmerston North, and the second «<t Wellington. The former was won by Victoria by 8 goals to 5, and the second resulted in a victory for New Zealand by 4 goals to 3. There was very little to choose between the two sides in the second match, which was very exciting. One other defeat was by 9 to 6, at the hands of the Rangitikei. The ground was very heavy, and, said Mr Manifold, "our ponies would not gallop. When we met Oroua, an alteration was made in the four that lepresented New Zealand, Allan Strang's (No. 1) place being taken by Gpwer. This was the best game we played. There was no goal scored till the last period, and then we won by 1 goal 15 behinds to 15 behinds. It was the closest game in which I have ever played, and the others said the same thing." Asked whether there was much difference between the Victonan and the New Zealand ponies, Mr Mpnifold said thsit the best they saw were at Chnstchureh. They were as quick as the Victorians, and looked replly well. With reference to the progress of polo in New Zealand, the Victonan cav)tain stated that in the opinion of some of the players over there the game was not being pushed as keenly as it had been. A few of the clubs were dropping out, but even with the reduction, there were many moie clubs in New Zealand than there were in Victoria. " The team had a very good trip," said Mr Manifold, "were splendidly ezitertained, and got through the campaign with nothing more than a hit on the head to myself and a bad knock on the ankle to Hood."