SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 55

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Bi Ravexsworth.

MELBOURNE, .June 17. MAJtIBYRNONG RACES.

The race m°eti'ig at Miinbyrnong last Wednesday was of the u=ual ordinary or garden 'crt, and requires but little notice. The Padlock ihree-year-c-Id Staple 8 2 easily won tiie Trial Handicap ; while Romany Lad 10.2, who comer from the Warrnamljool district, scored in the Hurdle Race. He was, however, disqualified for interfering v.th the odds-on fAvoii'ite G. P. O. 10.1, who wis awarded tlit race. Atonement 7.7 (by Penance, sK>n of Granct Flanem) was successful vi the Welter Plate, in which Air Albert Miilei'-. Fetter 8.1, after being left 20 ' lengths at the post, ran a fair third. Mr Miller was more fortunate in the Sterp eclia.se, winch he wen with the GoldreeJ gilding Miner 9.9 Another by Goldreef (wko , b a sot of GoV'brough) to win waa Goldbar S.I. On his running m the Birthday Handicap at Flemimglon the race looked a certainty for him, but he was atil! allowed to go out at to 1 He won easily. Louie 3.9 (by St. Louts) won the Welter Purse

OAKLAND'S HUNT CLUB RACES,

Once more the Mooneo Valley course — it has had plenty of wear aud tear this winter — was ,jn use last Saturday, when the Oakl&nds Hunfc Club held a meeting. There was a first-clas3 attendance, but the racing was of more in-tere-t to hunting people- than to the general public. There were two exent3 for amateur nder3 — the Woodlands Amateur Steeplechase, won by Mr J. Dolan on Black Lea 13.5, and the Springbank Corinthian, by Mr N. Wood on Eveline 9.11. Black Lea wi»« tri«?d in open 1 company at Bendigo a lev, \sttk3 ygo, but with,

fnly 98t up was outp?oed> from the start. In their own class hunters can carry any weight, but amongst steeplechasers they often fail very badly. Still, some of our best steeplechasers— Domino, Diamio, and Drummer, to wit — were recruits from the hunting field. The Waster 10.4, who is an erratic jumper, accounted for the Hurdle Race ; while the Arsenal colt Murmur 8.1, who had only arrived from Tasmania % ifew days previously, started at 10 to 1 and iifen. the Dunbelen Handicap (five furlongs). The field was not a particularly good one, but Murmur finished in the style of a good horse. Miner 10.8, also an outsider, scored in the gteeplechasa for Mr Albert Miller; while pefendant 9.0, by Newmaster (son of Newjninster), scored an easy win in the Glenara Handicap (eight furlongs andi a-half). Defendant shortly goes to India, and so does Sandboy, who started one of the favourites for this race and shaped badly. RACING IN SYDNEY. The Rosehill Racing Club held a. successful ineeting last Saturday. Two of the riders were cautioned— J. Gough for not riding Lifebelt out in the two-year-old event, and W. Bradahaw for crossing with Dan O'Connell in the Clyde Stakes Jjefoie his mount was two clear lengths in front. The latter Tace, which was run over six furlongs, was won by Dan O'Conxiell 7.10, who is by Gozo; while another by Cxozo in Nahpro 8.5 was -victorious in the principal event, the Rosehill June Handicap (one mile and thTee furlongs). .Nnhpro was ridden "by J". Barden, and went out second favourite at 5 to 1, winning easily. Two horses by imported Grafton were successful— Graft 9.5 taking the Nursery Handfcap and Euston 9.0 the Parramatta, Mile, a welter race. Graft ■was a 5 to 1 chance, and the other a favourite at 5 to 2. R. Wootton has Euston, who only beat Ariana 8.4 by a head. Barindi 8.3, by Mandrake, was successful in the Apprentices' Handicap, and the Queenslander Velocity 9.7, by Vigor, took the Flying Welter.

PORT ADELAIDE RACES

Some confusion was caused at the Port Adelaide races on Saturday owing to Hodglon's patent totalisator breaking down in connection with the fifth race, but the club managed to pull through somehow. The V.B.C. Grand National candidate, The Actor, clouted his rider off at the second last fence in. the Steeplechase, but was well beaten at the time. The principal event, the Port Adelaide Handicap (one mile), went to Discussion 7.4, by Light Artillery (son of Trenton)? The Trial Stakes saw Randwick 8.3, by imported Hindoo, successful. Gough lodo three winners — Bombastees 9.7 (by Bomba) in the Hurdle Race, Fortune Teller 9.10 (by Othello) in the Flying Handicap, and Gipsy Girl 9.2 (by Pascarel) in the Jumpers' Flat Race. This was the first win scored by Fottune Teller this season. The ex-Queenslonder has been Tunning unluckily under big weights for some time past. Mermaid 9.12, by Crayfish, was successful in the Steeplechase.

V.R.C. GRAND NATIONALS

"Weights for the V.R.C. Grand National Race (run July 4) and Grand National Steeplechase (run July 11) were declared on Monday by the new handicapper, Mr W. A. Menzies, who it is understood conferred with the V.A.T.C handicapper, Mr R. K. Mai Hand, with the consent of the V.R.C. authorities. At anyrate, Mr Menzies has produced two very good handicaps, and both are regarded as very open. He has admitted his mistake in regard to the relative handicapping of Fusilette and Freedom. In the Steeplechase at Fleming-ton on June 8 Freedom had to give Fusilette 61b in the GTand National Steeplechase; Fusilette is made to give Freedom B\b. The lot I like most in the Hurdle Race are Fusilette, Rawdon, Coat of Arms, Pilgrim States, and My Mistake, and will pick

Rawdon and Coat of Arms

against the field. In the 'Steeplecha=e the Messrs Miller have five engaged, including Co'onel Shihn=ki, Emms, The African, ar>d Error. The elect of this lot must be hard to boat, and I fancy Freedom, Anchor, Sir Harry, and S'oth II have all got good chances. My fancies against the field are Freedom and Sir Harry. -»

The declaration of weights for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race and Steeplechase on Monday led to a i.ttle speculation at the sporting resorts. Fusilette was the nominal favourite for the Hurdle Race at 10 to 1, and was backed lor a few pounds at that rate, while Springbank and Steelrail were each supported mildly at 100 to 8. For the double 1000 to 10 was offered on the fie.d, the favourite way being Fusilette and Freedom. The Ballarat double, My Mistake and Sir Harry, was also in good request. Othei horses taken in doubles were Springbank, Steelrail, and Rawdon for the Huidle Race, and Emms, Anchor, &nd The African for the Steeplechase.

SANDOWN PARK RACES. The meeting at Sandown Park yesterday was considerably interfered with by the rain. There was a bungle in connection with the initial event, the Trial Handicap. All the horses went the course, Levard, the favourite, winning easily from shine and Justice. The etarter, Mr Godfrey Watson, announced that the horses went off without being despatched by him, and the stewards ordered the race to be run again. At the second attempt Sandown led all the way, and won easily from Darook and Levard. Sandown is by the Cnulleld Cup winner Sainfoin from Bla-ck Princess, and is thus full brother to Sandboy. He is trained by I. T. Carslake, who also took the Jumpers' Flat Hate with Speculation 9.11, a !to 1 chancp. B Carslake rode both winners. Bubble 8.5, by Simmer (imp ), was successful in tho Welter Plate ; and Legatee 8.2, by Sunrise, easily beat his only opponent in the Welter Purse. Glenvale 9.12 won the Steeple and Reflector 710 the Sandown Park Handicap, the latter giving B. Oarslake his third successful mount for the day.

ODDS AND ENDS

The well-bred Courtesy (by Zalinski from Courteous, by Chester) won a double— Trial Handicap and Welter Handicap— at the Wolonga meeting last Wednesday. The principal rvent at the meeting, the Winter Handicap, ireni to Transvaal, who was sired by the Newnarket Handicap winner Churchill. The Loyalty colt Captain Camngton went ip to the Sale- (Victoria) races last Thursday, Hid ran second to Sentry (by Escutcheon) in he principal event, the Sale Handicap, but nibsequontly won the Handicap Flutter. The committee of the Newcastle Jockey Club on TlrarFday last concluded its investigation with Tcgaid to the recent tampering with scaies on the racecourse. They adjjdged James Kingsley and Herbert James Moran guilty of suspicious practices in connection with the circumstances attending the running of Gentleman Jim in the Pace Welter on April 20, and disqualified them and the horse for life. The committee also disqualified for hie George Lucas and a. man known as Bo'.vcn, alias White, alias Breunan, hTus "Old Hess. Kingsley and Moran gave notice of appeal.

W. Kaescn, the light-weight jcckc>, v.lio accompanied W. KeUo to Bribbauc, 'i.'.ciuh to remain in the northern city

The crack Tasmanian hurdle rocpr Orlando, who is engaged in the Flrmnx^ton Grar.tl National Hurdle Race and Stieplecha"e, and Caulficld Grand National Hurdle Tincc and Steeplechase, is expected m Melbourne in a few dap.

R. Bradfield, who has returned from Adelaide, intends putting The Victory and Patronus into work forthwith.

The three-year-old colt Murmur, by the Melbourne Cup winner Arsenal, from Millsrreara, has arrived at Flemmgton from Tasmania in charge of his owner, Mr T. Bailcs. Murmur has won five races in Tasmania this season, and started well in Melbourne by winning at the Oaklands Hunt Club meeting last Saturday. Of the 169 horses entered for this year's Melbourne Cup no fewer than 16 were sired by Pilgrim's Progress, who is now in New Zealand. Some good one 3 are included in the number, seeing that Abundance, Sojourner, Vanity Fair, Lieutenant Bill, Felicitous, Bright Beauty, Progredior, and Rapid Pilgrim all claim him as sire. Bill of Portland, now in England, is represented in the event by 13, including Maltster and United States. Grafton has 11 representatives, and, Gozo and Wallace nine each, while the sire of another is returned as Emdspord or Wallace. The Wallaces include the crack two-year-old Emir, while five of the others are nominated by Mr C. L. Macdonald. There is a solitary representative of Carbine in the race. This is Mr F. Foy's filly Playaway, who was foaled in England, her dam Concertina, being by St. Simon from Comic Song, by Petrarch from Frivolity, by Macaroni.

Mr E. Keys, owner of Fireclay, made a request to the A.J.C. stewards last week for the running of that horse in the Ellesnrere Handicap at Randwick to be investigated, but as he declined to make a complaint against any person the stewards would not take action. Fireclay ran third in the race in. question. Mr J. B. "Harrington's" complaint against the handicapping of his horse Seaman by Mr W. A. Menzies for the Hurdle Race run at Flemington on June 8 was on Friday last before the V.R.C. Committee. After considering the complaint, the committee crme to the conclusion that there was no Teason to Tefer it to the handicapper. There is no doubt Mr Menzies was, on the figures, wrong, but I suppose the committee thought it would be a reflection on their judgment in selecting him if they condemned his first bit of handicapping. As I remarked last week, Mr Menzies's handicapping at the meeting was on the whole very successful. G. P. Brewer ia back from Adelaide. He brought Australian, Chassepot, Lieutenant Bill, Adelaide, Profit, and Yampar with him. The 30-months-old stallion Belmont M., winner of the One-mile Handicap Trot at Richmond last Thursday, wa-s bought at the clearing aa.le of trotters in the estate of the llate Mr Mace, of New Zealand. His performance reduces the Victorian two-year-old mile record by about 13sec. Puella, tha dam of Belmont M., is a full sister to Fraulein, dam of Fritz. Seaport, owing to a clerical error, was entered for the Melbourne Cup as Portsea. The V.R.C. Committee have given permission to the owner, on payment of the usual fee, to amend the entry. The Sydney jockey C. T. Godby is now in Melbourne.

A.M.8., a jumper, by Meteor (son of St. Albans), has- arrived at Flemington from Tasmania.

Instances of handicappers differing are common enough, but rather a remarkable illustration was afforded m connection with tho Mentone and Sandown Park weights issued this week. Under Mr Maitland at Sandown Park there was a difference of 12lb between Godwin and War Chief in the Sandown Park Handicap (one mile), while between the same horses in the Mentone Handicap (run over the same- distance) the difference under Mr Vowles was 251b!

Amongst the horses sent to South Africa by Mr S. Green on Saturday, per the s s. Gracchus, were Composer, Insect, Self-Defence, Venganza, Altitude, and the ponies Duration, Acorn, Bobadil, Morning Star, Little Swan, and Little Bess. Neither Santoi, Undecided, nor Independence went. S. Griffiths was in charge of the consignment. The New Zealand mare Wesfguard (by Vanguard), who arrived in Sydney on Saturday, is to bo trained by J. Sieley.