SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 53

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Ravenswobth. MELBOURNE, June 12. BENDIGO RACES. The Bendigo Jockey Club . meeting,, commenced on June 5, was associated with bad weather. There had been a diought in the district for close on seven months, and the rain, of course, started to come as the day of the races arrived.' As a local wit remarked, it was a pity for the district that the meeting was not fixed for an earlier date. The club gave about £800 in stakes, and this, of course, takes a lot of getting back. The attendance in con&eauence of the unfavourable weather was not as good as usual, and a loss of about £300 will be made on the fixture. The leading event on tho first day was the Grand Annual Hurdle Race of 150sovs, two miles. Rosemont, fresh from his triumph oathe Monday at Flemington, was made a strong favourite, as with, a penalty, he only had 11.0 to* carry. The sticky goings evidently did not suit him, as h© ran very badly. The winner turned up in Earl of Carrick," who was in at the minimum weight 9.0. Considering that he has run well in a number of races lately, he was leniently treated. He was a well-backed second favourite, and leading most of the way, won. easily from Informer 9.10 and Moroney 9.7. Earl of Carrick is by the Grand Flaneur horse Fenance, <whose heart -was nearly broken, when, as a two-yeax-old, he battled out a finish with Carbine. Yellow and Biack 7.11, a son of the Doncaster Handicap winner, Russley, took the Epsom Handicap, five furlong's and a-half. He is owned by Mr John Cohen, a member of the ring, and was well backed, though there were two better favourites. That brute, Locksmith, was in the - field, and delayed the start a quarter of an hour by his pranks. He eventually got off well, but died away in the straight. The long wait at the post extinguished the chance of Malwa, the favourite, as she got cold, and when the signal was given would not leave the mark untiL the others were well on their journey.' Locksmith has spoiled so .many starts that it is a. wonder racing clubs ta-ke his nomination. The .stewards after this sa-ce told the starter if Locksmith came into his- hands again, to give hini three minutes' grace- -only. Hatwood 7.6, -a smart gelding by Salisbury, ridden by the Tod Sloaner, E. Turner, won the Bendigo Plate, one mile, all the way, -but his owner was- subsequently fined £40- for the late scratching of the gelding for the Cornwall Handicap, seven furlongs. He was favourite at 6 to 4 m the latter race, while Combat was • backed at 3 to -1, only to jump to even money when Hatwood went out. Combat won easily. Convent, by the Melbourne Cup winner • Tarcoola, took the Up-country Handicap,' six- furlongs.

On thceecond day the Grand Annual Steeplechase, of- '17650V6-, two jniles and three furlongs, was run. Freedom, a chestnut gelding who. recently won at Warrnambool, and was purchased after running well in the Steeplechase at Flemington on 3un-e 3 by Mr S. Lazarus, president of the Bendigo Jockey Club, carrying 9.10, started favourite for this event, and in a field of 10 won easily from Spieler 9.0 and Butler 10.11," nothing else standing up. Blue Peter cut his elbow badly in the event, and may not race again. Freedom is by Postmaster (son of Panic), and will, I fancy, go into Alec Taylor's stable at Ballarat to be trained for the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase. Moroney 9.10 easily accounted for the -Second Hurdle Race, and the grey gelding Malacca 9.0 led all the way in the Flying Handicap, half a mile. Two or three Chinese punters who have been doing pretty well -of late "backing 'em,"- got oh to Vcsperus 10.1 at 4 to 1 for this race, putting £100 on him, but they could have been accommodated at 10 to 1 at the finish. Hatwood easily carried a 71b penalty to victory in the Winter Handicap, of ISOsovs, one mile, and Impati 8.2, a New Zealand-bred filly by Hotchkiss from Weasel, landed the Welter Handicap, six furlongs, by half a length from Yellow and Black 10.3. A protest for interference was dismissed, but an appeal to the V.R.C. is pending. .Impati is owned by Tom Conway, at one time a cuamnian. wrestler.

MELBOURNE HUNT CLUB RACES. 1

For a long time the Melbourne Hunt Club refused to hold their meetings outside of Flemington. They thought it mtra dig for such an aristocratic club to do so, but pressure was brought to bear, and they had to leave headquarters, where they had raced "free, gratis, and for nothing" for years, and now hold their meetings at Moonee Valley. They find they Xiay better here, as there is no V.R.C. dead head list. The meeting held on Saturday was a great success, especially from a backer's standpoint, every race being won by the favourite. Report 10.1 easily beat his only opponent, Bruce 9.5, in the Hurdle Race, and Tangiers 10.7, by Gibraltar, had no difficulty in dishing his three opponents in the Handicap Steepiechase. Fair fields ruled in the other events. The Sydney-owned gelding Abington 9.0, by Dunlop, was backed down to evens for the Flat Race, six furlongs and a-half, and he won easily, landing a good stake for a member of the ring who has the backing of him. Abington, despite his failure at Epsom the previous week, is no doubt pretty good. He is. trained by S. Fielder. Tonbridge carried 13.5 to victory in the Hunters' Steeplechase, showin" once again that weight does not stop a, «ood one. Witch Elm 6.13, by Zalinski, m J. Cripps's stable at Flemingtou, led all the way and easily landed the Oakleigh Handicap, eight furlongs and a-half. She. is very fast, and will I. fancy, win a much more important race. The Jumpers' Flat Race proved .a good thing ifor Loch Fad, the' son of Lochiel making very • li«ht of his 11.7. He started favourite with Attairs 12.0,- ridden .by Mr J.. O. Inglis, who rode-Malua to victory iv the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle- -Race, next in demand. Altairs finished" a moderate second. -■ '■ ■ RACING IN SYDNEY: The feature of the Moorefield races last Saturday was the dual victory of Redeemed, a Lochiel gelding owned.- by that astute racing man R. Wootton. Redeemed won the Kogarah Stakes, six furlongs, with 8.0 up and carried 8.5, including a 7lb penalty, into first place in the Stewards' Mile. He was well backed each time, as was every other winner, the bookmakers, as in Melbourne, having a bad time. Centurion 8.4, by Metal, took the Flying Handicap, and Rugosa 9.0, by Medallion, the two-year-old event. The Moorefield Handicap, one mile and a-q\iarter, proved a, good thing for Kaphro, who is by Gozo. Peppercorn 8.9, a full brother to Interlude, by Abercorn from Prelude, by Martini-Henry, was backed down to 5 to 4 for the Welter Handicap, and scored a very easy win. CUP ENTRIES. On Monday entries were taken for the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, the Flemington and Caulfield Grand Nationals, the A.J.C. Epscm Handicap and Metropolitan and several important classic events. There is a slight falling-off in the entries for the Cups — that might have been expected, as we have, after all, only a limited number of horses in Australia, and last year's totals were a. record — but there is an increase m most of the other events, as the following comparative tables will show : V.R.C.

The two best horses in New Zealand are probably Seahorse and Advance, and both are in the Melbourne Cup, and so is Record Reign, who is now in Sydney. I hope that both Advance and Seahorse are fit enough to come over, and if they do, that they will come over in good time. Seahorse, I see, is entered for the A.J.C. Metropolitan, to be-run in September, and this looks as though Major George intends to pay un an early visit with him. Both Seahorse and Advance will, of course, get big weights in tho Cup, but La. Carabine M»ill be an easy top. Taking the entries of the Melbourne Cup right through, it cannot be said that the quality i 3 particularly good, but the best we have, with one exception, is there. The exception is Ibex, whose owner announced some time ago that he would not enter him. He has, however, put him in the Metropolitan, and also in the V.A.T.C. Toorak Handicap and Caulfield Cup. Last year's Melbourne Cup winner, Clean Sweep, is on his way to England, but the Derby .winner, Maltster, is duly entered, and he will it may be taken, for granted, get a pretty tidy weight. The other States have entered well for the Melbo\irn« Cup, Limber, Honiton, Manlock, Carbineer, and Warrior II representing West Australia. Brise de Nuits and Muskefc ! are there for Queensland ; and Royalty for Tas- . mania ; while all the best horses in training in New Soiith Wales and South Australia are engaged. A few New Zealand horses appear in the entries for the Grand Nationals, Cavaliero, Korowai, Record Reign, being in the V.R.C. Hurdles and V.A.T.C. Hurdles, and Korowai, Volcano, and Ciusado in both Steeplechases. One noted omission fr<jm the Hurdle Race at both places is Wait-a-Bit, who has apparently been retired from the turf at last. Carbinier has already been backed for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race — £800 to £100 being taken before the nominations were made. His owner, Mr S. Miller, cannot understand his backing, as the son of Carbine is only doing useful work. Everybody, however, knows that he is a good one, and if all right on the day he will probably start favourite. ODDS AND ENDS. Melbourne is to have a surfeit of billiards this winter. There are three betting clubs in the city — the Victorian Club, Bowes's Tattersall's Club, and Tattersall's Clvb — and each is running a billiard tournament. In addition, the Commercial Travellers' Club and other institutions of more or less importance are also promoting tournaments. Tattersall's Club is to some extent a private affair, the principal man in it being Mr Sol. Green, who recently resigned from the Victorian Club to join it. He lias spent between £1000 and £2000 in fitting lip quarters for himself on the ground floor, and here he conducts a big starting-price business. He has a representative at each meeting to telegraph the starters a few minutes before the race, and also the betting quotations. The club gets these wires by telephone from the telegraph office, and business can be done right up to the advertised time of starting the particular race being wagered on. The Caulfield stewards have at last disposed of the Norman case. They got some strong evidence implicating other people, but it was not of a sufficiently convincing nature to justify them, in taking any action. They therefore simply confirmed their previous action in disqualifying R. Coffin, rider of Norman, for 12 -ttifiatlifi for suspicious riding, on March. 16.

Coffin is appealing to the V.R.C. Committee I against this decision. i Loch Clieveden, who ran so unluckily at the I V.R.C. meeting on .Tune 3, was this week shipped to India by Mr S. F. Reynolds, who also sent the steeplechaser 8.8. to the same place. . | Two horses, named Mat and Fust Lady, have recently been running in a very erratic man- j ner. The stipendiary steward reported to the^ V.R.C. Committee on the matter, and the committee last week called the owner, J. Moffat, and rider, R. M'Namara^ before them, and cautioned them as to their mture conduct. These cautions have, as a rule, very little effect. It is after all a weak sort of a decision— neither one thin" nor the other. There is 100 much of the "not" guilty, but don't do it again." flavour sbout it. Fortune Teller and Tasman have returned to Flemington from Adelaide. They only won a single race between them at the recent meetings in l.he South Australian capital. While being schooled over fences on the Maribyrnong course last Saturday Serf, by The Serf, fell and broke his neck. He was owned by Mr A. M'Kenzie, of Warrnambool. We have already killed a number of jumpers this season, and ths season has hardly commenced. Bonnie, who was injured in the Maribyrnong Steeplechase a week or two ago, subsequently Light Joy, by the Trenton "horse Light Artillery, won the Gawler (S.A.J Cup last Saturday in a canter. The V.A.T.C. handicapper, Mr Geo. Vowles, has returned from his trip to England. He does not look much improved in health. Brazen Boy, a brother to Brazen Lad, has been sold in' Sydney to Mr H. Chisholm for 1 85gs. In Melbourne Cardinal '(by Priam— ■ Happy Bride) has been sold to Mr H. J. Leeder for West Australia, and Malacca (by Whalebone—Silver Fox) to Mr S. F. Reynolds, who will ship the champion sprinter to India this , v. eek.

Name of Race. 16 J* ( 'i<B l'99 157 154 130 124 51 53 58 62 105 96 68 71 110 107 Bfi 72 'CO '01 170 148 138 121 68 81 7& 97 IC9 137 »1 105 102 124 105 1 16 66 75 67 62 Caulfifld Cnp Toorak Handicap ... Juvenile Stakes ... Fuleial Stake? ... Caulfield Guiteas... Alma Stakes tFuturity Stakes ... Debutant Stakes ... G.N. Hurdle Race G.N. Steeplechase... 154 114 46 54 W 69 137 110 51 03 83 79 117 73 149 108 41 48 86 56 87 81 84 H - - -

t Not yet closed

- Name of Kace. '93 1*93 '97 •881 IWOO Melbourne Cup Maribyrnong Plate Ascotvale Stakes ... Victoria Derby Oaks Stakes St. Logev Stakfs Grard National Hurdle... Grand National St«eple... 14ft VOl co 8? 58 48 13? 131 87T03 99101 87108 •R1 63 77 93 64 80 ! W 44 !42 U4 03 H8 75 US 52 35 I 147J71 101127 108117 128146 '66 79 101 121 60 57 42 40 156 ITS 137 178 92 148 61 40

V.A..T.C.