SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 52

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Hoei Poene.

MELBOURNE, November 30. THE TURF.

Last Wednesday and Thursday the Bendigo Jockey Club folk held their two-day spring meeting, and although the fields were somewhat attenuated there was a rare muster of metropolitan racegoers, which, with tne patronage of the locals, resulted in a credit balance to the club of some £250 over the reunion. Mr J. H. Hemming, as usual, had all arrangements working with the precision of well-oiled machinery, and visitors (amongst, whom was Mr S. Bradley, Wairiki's owner) were loud in their praises of the_ course and its appointments. The Bendigo country takes some negotiating, and as the steeplechase course is just as difficult and awkward as ever, it was remarkable th^J there were no accidents. The three placed horses in the Steeplechase — The Drover 10.8, A.M.B. 9.9, and Goyura 10.3 — are all capital "leppers," without a doubt, and ' to their prowess in this direction the trio owe their positions -at the finish of the race, as in the metropolis The Drover's 4min 35sec for two miles wouldn't gain him a situation ; but then it is simply impossible to race over the obstacles at Bendigp as they do in and around Melbourne. Jim Scobie's Miners' .Rest and J. H. Taylor's Burrumbeet stables came out on top, capturing the two principal races of the meeting — the Sandhurst Cup and the Bendigo Handicap, — besides the Welter Handicap and the two Hurdle Itaces. The stewards felt incumbent to hold! an inquiry into the ruiwiing" of W!P. fa. the Junipers' Flat Race, with the result that, after taking evidence, it was decided to severely caution the rider (F. Fielder), whilst G: H. Hunt (W.P.'s owner) and Jas. Lynch (trainer) were entirely exonerater from any connection with the surroundings.

In 1896 Scobie annexed the Sandhurst Cup and Bendigo Handicap with the same horse (Kiilara), and last week he caused history to repeat itsefif with, a four-year-old chestnut horse named Sfrnnang (by Eiridspord from Lady Helen). Sinnang, who is Scobie's own property, had- pulled off the Select Stakes, at the V.R.C. autunrn meetings of 1903, when, carrying 6.12, he defeated Czarovitch 8.5, Sea Kale 6.10, and half a dozen others. He only started twice as a three-year-old — to wit, in the Caulfield Cup won by Sweet Nell, and in the WiHiamstown Cup won by BilLali ; but In neither event did he gain a place, and he was not seen under silk again- for a twelve-month, ■when with 7.9 he; finished third for the Williamstown Cup on the 4th inst. J±is victory -on Wednesday ma.de Scobie's fourth Sandhurst Cup. There were half a score started for the Sandhurst Cup (340sovs, second 30, third 10), the betting closing at 3's Sinnang 7.4, s's P.K. 7.9, 7's-'feach Athamoora 7.9 and Australia 9.6, 10' s each Purser 8.9, Ohassepo* 7.6, and Newmarket 6.13. Afchamoora and Ayaion 9.2 were in front at the home turn, but just below the distance Lewis brought the favourite along, and won in the hollowest of fashions by foiir lengths from Newmarket, who beat Athamoora by half a length for second money; the mile and a-quarter being traversed in. 2min lO^sec. Qn the Thursday Sinnang had 8.2 in the Bendigo Handicap, of a mile and a distance, and odds of 13 to 8 were laid on him against six others. He once more took charge below the distance, and won by three lengths from Purser 9.1. with Chassepot 7.10 iwo lengths farther back still; the time being lmin 58Jsec. It is pretty generally supposed that a, Tattersall's consultation is an advantage to a race in the matter of ensuring a- Ifrge field and keen competition, as regards the late Sandhurst Cup the reverse appeared to be the case. No doubt, among the 30 original entrants there were a few who-, without the attraction of Tattersall'p, would have been absent ; but, on the other hand, not a- few of those same entrants were withdrawn at the last moment, owing to their connections not having been laid "a bit to nothing" abotit their chance. Their scratching is one of the great evils of the consultations, and one, moreover, that can hardly be gtiarded against. Last year the starting or otherwise of_ several of the horses hung in the balance rign. up to the last moment,, and a similar state of affairs prevailed last Wednesday. Epsom (Mordialloc) was the metropolitan trysting-ground on Saturday, but although the afternoon was a glox-ious one — perhaps a wee bit [on the warm, ei'de — there was only, a moderate attendance. There were 15 starters for the six-furlong Maiden Plate, but only two — Tulkeroo, at 6 to 4 on, and Aggressor, at 4' s — were supported for money, and they finished first and second, albeit Aggressor downed the favourite by a length in lmin 18sec. Aggressor is one of old Tom Rennison's breeding, being by Pilgrim's Progress from TorXDedo ; and as he is only a four-year-old he will doubtless bring more racing grist to the mill. Another four-year-old — a Gozo gelding named Kangatira, who brought a big figure in Sydney recently— started in the Maiden Plate, but he was never prominent during the Albeit opposed by 10 others, pimters laid 5 to 4 on Killua 10.8 in the We£tev Handicap, and the five-year-old Harmonist— Lady Goiightly gelding, piloted by Bobby Lewis, emphasised the soundness of their judgment by winning by three-quarters of a length from Mr E. B. Bell's Mars 7.10 in lmin 16Jsec. Mars, who is by Mr R. K. Maitland's old Hawkesbury Handicap hero, Meteor* is evidently a pretty useful sort of neddy, although he failed to hold his own against Killua. The Epsom' Handicap fell to a. five-year-old mare named Goldlock (by Padlock— Calendula), who started second favourite at 4's — (Mandeville 8.5 was at 2's) — and carried, her 8.1 to victory by a length and a-half from Chiss 8.2, with the favourite three lengths farther back still, whilst compassing the five furlongs in lmin 3£sec. , „ „ There were only four starters for the JMLordialloo Handicap, of a mile and three furlongs, but it was a splendid tussle f of all that, the quartet being heads and tails half a furlong from home, the M«lvOho— Tottie foitr-year-old Maltie 8.3 squeezing home by a neck from Avaloln 9.6; whilst Newmarket 7 3 who started an tven-money favourite Maltie and Rhapsody 8.1 dividing second favouritesihip at 4's, was only half a length behind the pair. Time, 2min 24sec A protest, entered by the Avalon people against Maltie on the ground that his rider (W. Bailey) struck Avalon with his whip, was subsequently dismissed, th« stewards considering the protest friTOlsiuu «»d fesfeitips: Ms. .CLtesisi I&ysh.^

deposit, as well as rnakicg him pay a couple of guineas for "ex.'s." By the way, it appears that Bowes-Kelly's three-year-old colt, Mandeviile, was badly interfered with in the Epsom Handicap, bemg knocked clean on to the rails, and losing several lengths thereby. It is higih time some of our jostling jockeys were dealt with drastically in this connection.

On the Sydney side they likewise experienced fine weather on Saturday, but Warwick Farm races were sparsely attended. Airlock (Lochsfel — Fiancee) carried 9.2 to the front at the termination of the Flying Mile, which occupied lmin 46Jsec; Lord Chve 7.12 being second and Insolence 9.2 third. S. Fielder's Master Joe (Orzil — Dunisle) put up an attractive performance in the Nursery Stakes, as with 8.2 up he ran home four lengths in advance of Relish 8.0, Steel Trust 8.0, and six others, covering the half-mile in 50Jsec. Steel Trust started at 2's, Master Joe at 4's. Piloted by J. Barden, Mr C. B. Westmaeott's Gerardy (by Gerard — Bess) 8.6 won the Farm Stakes-, of a mile, from Jack Mayo's Parrot 7.9 and Missile 7.10 by a couple of lengths; whilst Parrot was seven lengths in advance of Missile, six starting, and the time being lmin 44isec. The betting was 2's Parrot, 4's Gerardy.

Loredano (Gibraltar — Venetia) 6.9 won the Farm Handicap, of a mile and a-quarter, in 2min 12Jsec, but only got home by a neck from Phillibeg 7.9 ; Fireclay 9.5, a. length and a-half away, being the nearest of six others. Phillibeg started at 3's, Fireclay 4's, the winner at s's.

Mulison (Oscuiator — Monesque) 8.7 (Barden up) won the Pace Welter, six furlongs, comfortably by a> couple of lengths from. Horologist 8.7; whilst Parting Glass 8.12 was most euphoniously third and Lord Clive 9.9 fourth ; the time being^lmin 16Jsec.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Bookmaker T. Arnfield is lying dangerously ill in a private hospital. Mr 33. Miles, the "'hard-graft" secretary of the V.R.C, though able to get about again, is fair from being himself. In the course of a chat with him on, Monday, he informed me that he suffers terribly from insomnia. The veteran has been connected with the V.X.C. secretariat for some 40 years now, and it is about up to them to give him, an extended trip. It might set him up. The two high-class American trotting mares —Lottie Derby (Charles Derby— Lottie) and Ruby Wilkes (Dictator Wilkes— a Skipper jnare) — recently arrived from New Zealand, and the property of Mr James Pettie are to be offered for sa«e by Messrs Campbell and Son at Kirk's Bazaar this afternoon. They have been much adnUred since being on view at Mr H. Steele's Melbourne Club stables, Exhibition street.

Mr x W. A. Menzies, the V.R.C. weightadjuster, has been appointed haildicapper for the Camperdown Turf Club anmial meeting, albeit Mr A. Vowles has secured the permanent position. During the four days of the V.R.C. autumn meeting, to be held at Flemington in March, a race has been set down each day in which apprentices can claim an allowance of slb. The rule which deals with apprentices specifies that the allowance can only be claimed in races in which the stake does not exceed 250sovs. It is in the conditions that apprentices outside Victoria may claim the altowThe added money at the V.R.C. autumn meeting will be the same as last year, the Newmarket Handicap being a sweep of 25sovs each, with lOOOsovs added (six furlongs), and the Australian Cup also a sweepstake of 25sovs each, with lOOOsovs added (two miles and a-quarter). The New Zealand Cup winner, Grand Rapids, who was recently purchased by Mr J. Wren, is located at F. M'usgrave's stable, Caulfield. Mr C. Lenny has forwarded Avalon a,nd. Fabric (a recent purchase) to West Australia. Fabric is engaged in the W.A. Derby, and Avalon in the Perth Cup. Regio, whose recent performances in Victoria under welter weights I have kept you posted up in, has been allotted 10.2 in the AJ.C. Villiers Stakes, o\f a mile (run on December 26), and 10.7 in Sydney Tatt. s Carrington Stakes, of six furlongs (December 31). I notice the flying Bee Bee figures m the Carrington at B.7— a perfect hixury if the Maribyrnong Plate winner starts fit and well on the day. O-win°- to the dearth of bowling talent our batsmen have been piling up tremendous scopes of late. Public intereat in crickets manly toil is at a. very low ebb, however; that's so far as the seniors are concerned. The juniors still attract their crowds of enthusiastic supporters Saturday after Saturday. Frank Layer has been mentioned as likely to be appointed manager to the next Australian team, but personally I fancy that if Bob M'Leod can obtain his pater's consent (ms dad is getting well up in years now, and has sin extensive business), he will obtain the position.