RACING IN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2642, 2 November 1904, Page 57

RACING IN AUSTRALIA.

V.R.C. SPRING MEETING. "First Day — Saturday, October 29. Tile V.S.C. carnival never opened more suspiciously. The weather was perfect, and consequently there was a- very big crowd cf ladies, in addition to a great assemblage. of interested visitors. The gubernatorial repre- , »ent»tives included Lord Northcote-, Sir R. and I.ady Talbot, Sir H. and Lady Rawson, Lady Fiunket, and the Hon. Miss K. Plunket. • The ' coxtrse was in good order, the lawns looking their hekt. The following are the results: — MAIDEN PLATE, Weight for age. One mile. Mr J- C. Bowdin's eh ni Bewitcher, by Grand Flaneur— Witchery 1 Mr J. Wilson, jun.'s, borbr h Fabric .. 2 Mr J. H. Whitehead's blk c Dividend .. 3 Two others started. Betting: 6 to 4 on Fabric, 6 to 1 agst Bewitcher JvVon by three-quarters of a length. Time, lnin- 43Jsec. MARIBYRNONG PLATE, Of 1200sovs; second 300sovs, and third 150sovs. For two-year-olds. Colts, 8.10, fillies 8.5. geldings allowed slb. Five furlongs. MrH. V. Foy"s b c Murillo, by Velasquez — Balsam " • .. .. 1 Mr W. T. Nowlan's br c North. Head, by Graffcon — Loch Mea 2 Messrs Clarke Bros.' eh c Charles S-tuart} by Wallace — Sweet Alice 3 Also started: Scotland (10lb penalty), Royal Star, Tulkerao, Mosnian, Shimose, Dantzic, Picturesque, Amazon, The Infanta, Decollette, and Bovo, Betting : 2to 1 agst Marillo, 6to 1 .Scotland. From a good start Dantzic,. Murillo, and Scotland were first away. The favourite took charge on entering the course proper, and won by a neck. Time, lmin 3Jsee, . • HOTHAM HANDICAP, One mile and a-half. Mr C. Barlow's br m Elvo. by Malvolio— Treason, 7.9 1 Mr R. Crcvmford'a b a Oeaiwr/itca, S.l3' .. a •IJr "W. Ireexning's eh h Patromi3, 8.10 .. 3 Thirteen others ran. Betting : 3to 1 agst Harvest Home, 4 to 1 Highflyer, 15 to 1 Elvo. Mario and Highflyer led the field most of the way Elvo came fast from the distance, snd won by a length. Time, 2min 35isec. VICTORIA DERBY, ©J IQQfiSQVSj second 200sovs,t and third iOQsovg.

For three-year-olds. Colts 8.10, fillies 8.5 One mile and a-half. Mr R. C. Casey's br c Sylvanite, by Grafton

—Gold Dust (Lewis) Mr E. Frazer's br c Lord Fitzroy, by

Grafton — Disgrace (Hickey) Mr J. Turnbull's br c Billingsgate, by Bill

of Portland— Fishwife (Smith) .. .. 3 Also started: Demas, Koopan, Nuncio, Blinker.

Betting: 6 to 4 agst Sylvanite, 5 to 1 Koopan, 12 to 1 Lord Fitzroy and Billingsgate.

Lord Fitzroy made all the running along the river, and was followed by Blinker, Billingsgate, Kcopan, and Demas, with the favourite 1 last. With Lord Fitzroy still leading, the field ' closed up as they approached the abattoirs, and on passing the sheds Sylvanite began to move up rapidly on the outside. Demas led shortly before' the straight was reached, but soon gave way, and Lord Fitzroy led into the straight from Sylvanite, Billingsgate, E>nd Koopan. Once fairly turned for home Sylvanite challenged Lord Fitzroy, and a gcod race to the post resulted in the favourite gaining the verdict by half a length ; a length and ahalf between, second and third horses. Time, 2min 39sec. MELBOURNE STAKES ' Weight for age. One mile and a-qttarter. Mr S. Gieen's eh m Gladsome, by Seaton I Delava.1 — Miss Gladys, 4yrs, 8.9 . . . . 1 . Mr J. Mayo's br h Lord Cardigan, 4yrs, 9.0 2 ; Mr Hickenbothain's b g AVingaroon, aged, 9.1 3 Also started: Canteen, St. Ambrose, Ruenalf 11. Mannont, Tartan, Cato, F.J.A., and Emir. I Betting : 2 "to 1 agst Emir, sto 2 Gladsome, 4 to 1 Lord-Cardigan, 25 to 1 Wingaroon. Canteen played up at the post as usual, tut got away with the van. F. J.A., Gladsome, and Lord Cardigan led along the back from Emir. Canteen, and Euenalf. Gladsome !nd by two lengths at the abattoirs from F.J.A , Canteen, Emir; and Lord Cardigan. Emir ran into second plaos at the turn, and Canteen also moved up. Gladsome led into the straight from Emir and Lord Cardigan, and eventually won by three-quarters of a length." Emir, who died away in the straight, finished fourth, and ; Canteen eighth. Time, 2min 7£sec. ; COBURG STAKES. One mile. Mr A. Fuller's b h P.K., by St. Swithin— Crusade. 4yrs 1 Mr Morgan's eh f Red Streak, 3yrs .. 2 Messrs. White's b h Cherson, 4yrs . . . . 3 Twelve others ran. Betting: 2 to 1 agst Port Jackson, 6 to-1 Cherson, 7 to 1 P.K. Won by half a length. Time, lmin 41sec. 1 I THE ENCOURAGE STAKES. i For two year olds. Five furlongs. t Scorcher 1 ! Japhet 2 i Grenadier 3 Betting: 2 to 1 agst Japhet, 5 to 1 Scorcher and Grenadier. Won by 10 lengths. Time, lmin 3g3ec. Wairiki covered a mile and a-half in 2min 43sec, but afterwards walked very lame. Mr Wren, the owner of Murmur, is hopeful that the horse will go to the .post for the Cup. MacDonovan. broke down so badly in the Hotham Handicap that he- had to be destroyed. Tartan^s Saturdays running is considered attractive, and he is now a firm favourite for the Cup at 7 to 1. Sylvanite was backed to win £1000 at 100 to 4. after which he hardened a point. Other quotations are : — 100 to 11 agst Lord Cardigan, 100 to 8 Marmont, 100 to 7 Canteen and Emir, 100 to 6 Wairiki, 100 to 5 St. Ambrose. Wairiki's friends consider his lameness not serious.

THE DERBY RACE.

MELBOURNE. October 31. The Derby crowd in the birdcage went for Sylvanite and Demas. Nuncio was the more favoured of the Geelong colts, and Koopan was in more request than his stable companion,. Lord Fitzroy, but Billingsgate was interviewed more because of his reputation as a rogue than from any- belief in his ability to silence opposition. In the ring, however, a different tale was told. Backers went solidly for Sylvanite. Nearing the sheds the fi?ht was begun. Lord Fitzroy had been leading by a couple of lengths, ivhe-n, at the point mentioned, Demas ran through his field, followed by Sylvanits. The former ranged up alongside the Sydney colt as they swept round the turn. Between, the abattoirs and the turn a good deal of bumping too!: place, and the favourite got more than, his share. Lord Fitzroy came into the straight with Demas and SylvarCrta in hot pursuit, but Demas was the first to crack up, and, as hn beat a hasty retreat, Billingsgate dashed up ■ into third place. At the distance Stickey had I to trail the whip on Lord Fitzroy, while Syl- | vanite was going 1 strongly at his side. A shout j went up " the outsider wins," but though Syl- { vanite was going hard under pressure he kept j coming on. ' The Queensland colt responded •■ again and again, but could not shake the i fa-vourite- off, and at the half distance- the latlsr; \ had drawn leveh For some distance the> pair ran almost locked-together, neither showing the least sign, of flinching. Finally the magnitude of the taak he had undergone told its tale . on Lord Fitzroy, and Sylvanite began slowly but surely to forge ahead, eventually winning an exciting race by half a length. Demas was "last, apparently knocked up and much distressed.