SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2622, 15 June 1904, Page 52

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Hori Poene. MELBOURNE, June 1. THE TURF. 1 mentiored in my last that Harry Harrison once more taken up his quarters at Fleaamgton with the Messrs Manifold' 3 team in View of the approaching Grand Nationals; 'and now I have to ohrondcle that his charges Siavo been putting in very serviceable work, cpecially pleasing tilie touting talent. On Saturday A. Quiim likewise- readied headjWarters with Mr J. N. M'Arthur's CamperjcSown contingent, consisting of Falkirk, Billali, Warmont, Mornington, MaTio, Merrion, Rodyigo (a three-year-old brother to Morningionj, BUbuera (a two-y,ear-old sister to Marmont), ■and a yearling colt by Wallace* from WaaTa* Iwee, who has been <3ubbed Wee M'Gregor — & >iamie_ that has already been appropriated for a ff/ochiel three-year-old racing in. New South JWa-les. Quinn is located at Bob Mitchell's lio-stelry, Ascot Vale. Amongst local trainers no one has a more formidable detachment than Mr R. H. Frew, who, during 'his 13 years' residence at Ascot jVale, has oairried of! two V.R.C. Grand NaAi'Cual Steeplechases, tlmo Ca.ulfieldl G.N,. Steeplechases, three Onkaporinga Great {Eastern Steeplechases, and' innumerable other events at the metropolis and in the {provinces. .Strangely enough, R. H. F. has mot trained the winner of ia Grand) National {Hurdle Race yet, albeit lie was proximo ac;eessit in 1896 with Zouroff, who suffered &e'feat in the V.R.C. event from the dual ywinner Buzzi. Fxew has a string o-f 15 or 16 Sn hand at present, the whole of which appear ,*o be thriving on. tlhe stout pacing meted out jio them. The giant of thsi team is the Vengeance — Priscilla six-year-old yclept Grenville, /who stands 17.3, or only a.n inch lower than the Si.mous South Australian fencer Umslopogaas. six years old, Grenville has only 'started twice — at Caulfield in April, when he finished fifth, and last Saturday week at ,3£oone,e Valley, where he proved victorious. Oienville is susceptible of a great deal of imIprovement in the matter of condition, .and may J>ossibly develop into a champion 'chaser. One »f the most promising "leppers" under Frew's -care ia a taking-looking^^iree-year-oldi named STingal, by the Chester horpe Chest exman, from Ohoice, the last-named baing the progeny of p. full brother to Commotion (by Panic — Evening Star) ancl Claudme, a full sister to Sheet lAnchor. There's a bit of the "purple" aboutt that pedigree ; and, moreover, Fingal has some"ithing more than aristocratic lineage to recom)nend him, seeing that his mentor has been unJtiring in his exertions to perfect him in the jtrt of jumping, with the result that he is now £.11 adept at it. As a matter of fact, Fingal began Jiis schooling last winter, as a two-year-old \ suid signs are of it. The artificially-bred Syricga (returned as by Guinea from Phila}nel) looks magnificent after his win at Onkayarinfra, so does Pierrot, the Glen Dhu geldang who finished! fourth in last year's G.N. {Hurdle Race. The veteran steeplechaser Lod(dion presents i very muscular appearance, and ds bcund to give us anotheir taste of his quality ere long; and although Frew is stated to be losing confidence in "that grey deceiver Landxost, he solaces himself with the reflection that he is only six yeairs old, and that another of Landsborough's gei— the migiuy •DoHiino — wasn't worth a dump a.s a tirnber■topper until he was .seven years old. In fact, rthey do say That when, m Jiis early days, SDoir-ino was submitted by auction at Wodonga !ho failed to elicit a higher bid bham £8. Another of Ficw's charges is Quo Vadis, a nuggety brown horse, who has won over hurdles jmd en tho flat, as a grandson of the unbeaten Grand Flaneur should be quite competent to do. This natty-looking gentleman bids fair to strip in the pink of condition wQien wanted, and I sha.ll be very much disappointed if he does not prove true to name, and the ricteirs of some of the opposers ejaculate "Whither goest thou?" with a vengeance. Another likely to prove true to nanue is Sweet Posy (Positano — Sweet Ernia), a perfect lady, and a true Positano. Amongst other inma.tes of Frew's stable is a xiseful-looking customer named Prolector, a* five-year-old gelding by the Melbourne Cup -winner Patron (Grand Flaneur— Olga) horn Fenella B. (by Wellington— Fenelia, by fisherman); a four-year-eld gelding (the proparty of Mt G-crald Buckley), by Tradition horn Phantom; and a full brother to TahsLze

* who won a good few steeplechases for that genuine Western District spoitsman, Mr Geo. Russell. It is reported that Mr Septimus Miller, the chairman of tho V.R.C., has purchased Blue Rock from, Hanry Rayner, and that lis is now looated in the Redleap establishment, with an eye to hurdle race distinction. Blue Rock has in private in New South Wales exhibited a special aptitude for the illegitimate game. By the way, the aged Gozo — Necklace geldi ing Cordon, who anaiexed the Rose'hill Handij cap, of 11 furlongs, last Saturday, has been j schooled over hurdles for some timei past by W. Kelso. Cordon is still the property of the Tasmanian gentleman who races under the noia dte course of Mr S. M. Wilson. At Ros'ehill on Saturday Tconga (Sir Oliver — Poddy) 9.6 -was tho only on© to stand up in the two-mile and a-half Steeplechase. Toonga. started favourite at 7 to 4, and is spoken of as being likely to visit Victoria. Port Admiral (lull brother to The Admiral, by R'chmond from Footstep) sired two winners at Adelaide on Saturday — The Admiralty and Ganyrnecltes. The last-named must be a pTetty fair animal, as he romped home in tike two-year-old event with 9st up. Both The Admiralty and Ganyrnedes are engaged in thei Y.R.C.. Derby Mentioning the V.R.C Derby reminds me that am-ongst the nominations for next spring's e\cnt is r, half-brother to Strata Florida and Lord Cardigan, a black colt named Dividend. He has becm entered by Mr J. B. Whitehead, and is by Simmer from Lady Trenton. Some months back I was informed that his owner intended to have a shot at the Derby and Cup with him. Of course, by the time this is in print the Melbourne Cup <eartnes will have appeared; so that, as the Chelsea bun man was wont to remark — "We shaJl see what we shall see." Owing to the heavy condition of ihe going at Eagle Faam (Queensland) on Saturday, tlhe ov-iier of Fitz-Graiton withdrew that colt from the Royal Stakes, a mile and a distance, w.f.a. event, which was won by Sir Leonard by a bead from the three-year-old Joyance in 2mm, 4sec. St. Quentin (St. Blaise — Question), who annexed the Moreton Handicap, of a mile a-ndl a- quarter, with 8.7, fiom. Whitebait 7.10, Trustee 8.3, and a dozen others, by four lengths in 2min 14sec (starting at 10 to 1), saddled up I again in the Royal Stakes, but was beaten, out of a place. In dull, showery weathex-, the racing class foregathered at Epsom on Saturday, the wagering being very spirited. The system of keeping back the names of the scratched horses till 25min before the race — previously adopted at j Wiiliamstown with aai idea of "cruelling" the I stay-in-town punters — was in vogue for two I or three races, but there was so much clamour i amongst br.cktro over the disability that Mr I George Mayger knocked the business on the head, arid reverted to the o'd order of things. Sweet wound carried 10.4 to victory in tiie Tiial Handicap, of five furlongs, in lmin 4Jsec, being backed down io 5 to 2 against 12 others. She didn't start favourite, though ; ihe four-yeai-old mare Chcsteimere 8.2 being half a 1-oint shorter— to wit, 9to 1. . Sivcefc Sound was laidoubtedJy favoured by the fact of Chester-mc-re running out wide at the entrance to the straight — carrying Koiaishi 8.2 with her; but a3 against this the Bill of Portland — Melodious niare dit!l not get away any too- well, and finished resolutely; so resolutely, indeed, that it is quite within tho rarg-s of "possibility for her to develop staying powers in th-9 land of tb.3 laiadis, whither she is to be deported ere loug. Jim Barbour ha.s been riding a number of winners of late, and yet his mounts contimie to start at fairly remunerative prices. He was up on an aged gelding, The Toiler (Savcxn,ak — Marion) 9.11, at Epsom, in the Two-mile Hurdle Rar^e,- for which half a r-eore started, Tri dOr 10.12 b^ing fav.onmo at 7 to 4. Vision 10.4 being at 7 to 2, and The Toiler a* 6 to 1. The latter won by a couple of lengths from the favourite in 3min SOiec. In a field of 18 for a six-furlong Welter Race, the "initiated" eccepted 6 to 4 about, a sdx-year-old gelding named Stopwatch, by Jeweller from Matilda, who carried the nice racing v eight of 7.10 in the person of W. Beunett. O.i recent form Stopwatch, did not appear to have any too good a chance; but then recent torn-, is not always reliable, and co the sequel proved, as he landed the attenuated odds — albeit only by a neck — fioim L. L. Smith's niaTe Rescued, who was conceding him 161b. The pair of them scampered over the distance in 1.1 7J — not a bad perfoimance o;i stick a day. Barbour' s mount — E. B. Bell's aged mare A. M. B. 9.7 — started a 2 to 1 favourite for the Handicap Steeplechase, of two miles; but she only succeeded in making a ctead heat of it for second with Killaraey 9.11 (including lllb overweight), ten lengths astern of The Dicver 9.13, who started at s's. The Drover is ~a grey gelding by King of the West from a Kright Templar mare, amd had proved successful at Moonee Valley the preceding Saturd.iy. He flouted a fence opposite the stand ■pretty severely the first time round; but when his pilot — A. Williamson — sent him along at a faster gait he never laid a toe on another obstacle, amd proved himself to be a very useful sort ; how useful, time alone may determine. A Malvolio — Treason four-year-old — Langwarxim B.l2— won the Jumpers' Fla.t Race, 11 furJcngs, m the very creditable time of 2min 27Jsec; his victory being anticipated by his party, who supported him down to 2 to 1. Adjuster, who was quoted at 7's, had 9.13 in this event, and finished fourth. D-arook 6.13 was the only one unmarketable in the MordiaJloc Handicap, another 11 furlong event, for which, Sweep Clean 8.0, MacDocovan 9.0, and Cluster 7.11 divided favouriteship honours at sto 2 each ; Destroyer 7.9 being quoted at s's', Nimbus 7 5 at. 6's, and Sans Pte-urr 7.9 at 7's. The last-named is a five-ycar-oldi mare by Penanc6 from Olarinda, and she managed to squeeze home by a short head from Sweep Clean m 2mm 27sec; Destroyer, who finished! third, being more than, half a dozen lengths oft". Sweep Clean, who is only three yeaa-3 old, had' incurred a 7lb penalty, in addition, to which his rider, J. Thomas, was hard at him from the start, a line of conduct which eventuated in his being euchred in the last few strides. Sweep Clean is by Valala from Mollah, and is evidently one of the improving kind. Five hundi'edl guineas is not a bad price to realise for a rising five-year-old maiden; yet that is the sum. Tom Paytetn paad Mr W. H. Mate, on behalf of a client, for the Grand Flaneur horse Bewitcber. Shimose (a Japanese explosive) is tiie name bestowed on ai black colt by Lochiel from Fulminate Shimonrcnee! Famous (whom the late W. E. Dakin considered to bs the fastest tniler of his day in Australia) has been galloping "great guns'" at Randwick recently. That's "great guns" for Australia, of course. Mademoiselle Gladsome, whom Frank MacNamara is about to put into work again at Flemington, of coursei holds the record for Australasian training track sharpshooting. Abundance, looking big aaid lusty, is credited with putting in strong work at Randwick. The stewards of the South Australian Jockey Club upheld the protest lodged 1 against the bay gelding MacLsay, the winner of the Totahsator Handicap run on May 14 (th.a grounds of protest being that MacLeay was a "irung in" animal, and not ih<s progeny of Goodfel-

low and Oiphan Girl, as stated by his owner, Siattery). While awarding the stake to Chatter, they disqualified! MacLeay and Slatteiy for life. I. T. Carskke's ancient gelding Speculation (Albatross— NegTess) scooped both the Hurdle Rages at the winter meeting of the Bendigo Jockey Club last week, with 11.0 and 11.11 respectively , J. Clrevally steering him on each occasion. There "wore nine starters for the Grand Annual Steeplechase, but only two finished— Goyura 10.5 and Wooral 10.3; the former winning by a dozen lengths, and negotiating the two miles and three fnirlongs in smin 33sec. Goyura, is an aged gelding of the Messrs Miller's breeding — by Glorious or Bcolka from Wydgel. He is ovnie-dl and trained by H. J. Taylor, of Ballarat. 'Nuff ged. Doctors differ; so do handicapuers. At the V.R.C. meeting on June 6, Mr Menzies makes Dangai 7.9 concede Unknown 6.12 no less than lllb, whilst in the Welter Handicap, over identically the same distance', at Epsom, Mr Bradshaw put Unknown on the 8.11 mark andl Dcngai at 7.12. Only a difference of 24lb — that's all! Unknown did not start in the Welter at Epsom ; but Dangai did ; andi in this connection I cannot do better thaw quote "Goodwood's" remarks tliereanent • — "Amongst the field wni lhc lenie-ntly-treateoi Dangai. He opened favouiite, only to drift out to a long price when his condition was seen." He was ne^ er once dangerous. Concerning Fitz-Gra.fton, a Queensland sporting writer utters his thoughts as follows: "Thfre seems but little doubt that Fitz-Graf-toji is the best three-year-old we have seen siioce Dundonald anci Master Beinie — both of ■ whom might have been Australian champions had they »ot gone wrong. Mr M'Gill will no doubt take an early opportunity of shipping Fitz-Grafton away south, to fly at higher game than there is to be found in Queensland." On the first day of the recent Queensland Turf Club's meeting, the second richest event on the programme — the Autumn Stakes, of se^ en fuilongs, for two-year-olds — fell to Truce, a fu'l brother to Fitz-Gxafton, who defeated Jcyanw by a length and a-half m Imin 31Jseo. According to the conditioais of the race, thci'gh, Joyaaice had to concede the victor 17lb, cdnymg 9.6 to Tiuce's 8.3. Joyance's subsequent performances against Sir Leonard m tho Royal Stakes makes him out to be a bit oi a bobbydazzler. The New Zea.land-br-d Soult— Hotchcarina colt in Tom Dempsoy's stable has been named Grenadier. On Monday night the stables, occupied by R. 11. Ellis at Moo.ice Ponds, were destroyed by fire, and two of the equine inmates — Billy Mantoii and Tri dOr — wcra badly injured; m fact, the injuries sustained, by Billy Manton aio so severe that the sight of one eye is feared io be destioyed. Tri dOr was likewise terribly burnt about the neck aad head.