SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA

Otago Witness, Issue 2674, 14 June 1905, Page 52

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA

Bt Hori Poene. MELBOURNE, May 31. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Monday next being Prince of Wales's Birthday, nominations for the Caudfield Cup and Melbourne Cup will close on the following day, Tuesday, June 6. Front the "sign" I anticipate very large entries for the two great Victorian handicaps of the spring, and confidently expect that these will be thoroughly Australasian in character.

Sony few weeks back I informed! you that a celebrated Australian jookey of the fifties — one Johnny Higgerson — had received serious injuries 1 through the accidental discharge of a gun at National Park, N.S W., where the veteran was acting as> ranger. Last Saturday he succimbed to the injuries, and so another of the landmarks of the early racing days has to bo relegated amongst the things that have been. He waa 95 years oi age, and first commenced riding in races 78 years ago. Ho rede the Victorian mare Alice Hawthorne against Cardinal Wiseman in a two- miles and c-half match for JEISOO, and! subseqitcntly defeated the Victorian champion marc with Veno for a three-mile contest for £1000 aside. The same aftcrnooo. he downed Tomboy v;ith Coxswain in a mile and) a-half match for £200 aside, and a couple of hours afterwards successfully piloted Veno against Van Tromp in arother three-mile race for £800. He rode Ben Bolt aginst Lauristina for £1000, and Gratis aginst Chevalier, two miles, for £600. On lone occasion Lauristina, ridden by Snell, beat Higgerson's mount — Vteiao — over two miles, for £2000. Old-timers always averred that his skill as a jockey has never been excelled since, and 1 , better than all, his honesty «s a jockey was never called in question. If I remember aright, when communicating with you before re Higgerson, I stated that he was up on Volunteer the day Smuggler defeated him in a three-mile race at Fl'emington. I was wrong; Jimmy Ashworth had the mount on Mr John, Tait's horse on that occasion. Keverting back to J. Higgerson, he tad been a, great benefactor to Australia in another way, as he Tnmight up a family, of no less than 27 children. The racing round Melbourne has been mainly of local interest since my last. Mr George Mayger, looking as gay and debonair as ever — and we have not had his equal as a/ point-de-vie little sportsman since the days of dapper Sam Waldlock— l'Egaledi us at Epsom last Saturday, where nn aged Martini-Henry — Melanie gelding named Melancthon 9.4 won a tv.o-mile Hurd.lo fia.ee froim Kingfisher and

four others in good stylo and fair time — 3min 54sec.

Joe Cripps's three-year-old Noithcote (Proton — Sland'eress) 8.5 accounted for the Epsom Welter Purse (six furlongs), in lmin 18Js.ec, and E. Swan's Miss Peggy (Cydnus — Irma) 8.2 followed suit in the Epsom Handicap, the five furlongs of which were registered in lmm 3s>ec.

Mr R. G. Bell's Dencalion (Hova— Trade Wind) 8.0 experienced little difficulty in appropriating th'i Mordialloc Handicap, of one mile and a-quarter, from Sans Peur 8.0, Bail 7.0, and five more, the time being 2min 12sec, starting second' favourite at 4's, Sans Pcur being at 2's. On the Sydney side, at Rosehill, Mr A. B. Paterson's geidmg Bardenvo (by Hawthorn frcm a Geniima di Vergy mare) won the> two miks and a-half Steeplechase with great ease ; whilst Mr W. J. Day's six-year-old Gibraltar — Venetia gelding JLoredauo 8.33 added another bay to his laurel crown by euchring Teddy Kcjs's Fireclay (Ruenalf-— Doodee) 7.3, when the latter looked^) all over a winner, in the Rosehi'U Handicap, the mile and three fua:lcßgs being traversed in the reraaikably "slick" time of 2min 22isec; and the ancient Lucknow (by Russley from a Kingston mare; 10.7 did Mr G. M. Slate and his party a real good turn by landing the s's to 1 procurable" about him at the start by three-quarl.ei-3 of a length from the 7 to 2 favourite Araxes (Little Bernie— The Nun) 8.10 in. th© Paxrainatta Mile, which only occupied lmin 442 sec.

Thuiid&rboll's get were muchly in evidence on the opening day of the Adelaide Racing Club's meeting on Saturday; Mr M. Quinn's two-year-old Staccata (from De Capo) winning the Maiden Plate, of six furlongs, very comfortably in lmin 17sec; whilst Mr S. E. Bowman's four-yeaa--old F'uilminator (dam Sunlight) carried 8.7 (in the person of B. CarsJahe) to victory in the City Handicap, winning by two lengths and a-half from Florin 8.4 and Fortune Teller 7.12 (dead heat for second), and a score of others. Time for the seven furlongs, lmin 2S£sec. Fulmiuator returned a dividend of £11 6s. Swivel (Swiveller— Verus) captured the* Kensington Steeplechase (two- miles) in 4mm 14sec, and Goldstud (Stiitcn — Sleevelink) the Victoria Park Hurdles {about two miles and a-quarter) in 4min 16sec. I should, say there was much viitue in that woid "about," or else Golclstudi must ba a bit of a bobbydazzler to spin along- over hurdles at such a gait as that. Tho Siimrtr — Carbelle two^-yaar-old coll, Simola 8.8 proved the best of the youngsters in the Adelaide Stakes, the seven furlongs of which occupied lmin 31Jscc; but another tvo-year-cld, owned l by Mr G. Anderson and nsnusd Torah (Koran— Tarloch), accentuated tho excellence at some former displays by winning the Parkside Stakes (v. eight for age) by three lengths from Sinnang, Possum, Roller, Zspho, Irvington, Destine, Ganymedes, and Enigma-, the while he sccoted over the nine ftrlongs in lmin 57£ sec. I have advised' you anent this same Torah before, aaid would ccunscl you to keep him in remembrance later on.

The Grafton— Olive Branch horse Fitz-G-iafton unfortunately went amiss when he visited Victoria last spring, but he appears t.> be all righ* again, as on Saturday he reasserted hi 3 claim to the championship ot Bar.analand by carrying off the King's Plate, of a mile and a-quartex, at the autumn meeting of the Queensland Turf dub, from St. Quentin, Raeburn, Fascinator, and Forge, with consummate ease in 2min 9Jsec. Before crossing the Murray this same Fitz-Graiton had acquitted himself something moxe tJian creditably against the top-notchers at Ra-ndwick, and as he has had the benefit of another year's seasoning, he may have to be reckoned with either at Caulfield or Flemington, or, perchance, at both. On Monday Fitz-Grafton proved successful in the Brisbane Cup, of two miles, for which he started a 7 to 2 favourite, against 15 others. He had been given the steadier of 10.3, but, after a ding-dong finish, ho managed to hold half a ineck advantage over Lord Bernie 7.9, Edgar 7.8 being third. Time, 3miu 32sec.

On Monday Mr Septimus Miller disposed of his hurdle racers and steeplechasers, having announced his intention of retiring from jumping contests. There weire seven lots offered, and Mr Albert Miller, brother to the chairman of the V.H.C., purchased five of them »t what the 'papers describe as "satisfactory" prices. Thus, Cardinal (by Riohelleu from- a. Humphrey Clinker mare) was knocked down io him at 290g5,; Adjuster (Off Colour— Swing), at 230gs; Snrasati (Tostig'— Halle), at 205gs ; Error (Mistake—Lady Peri), at 55gs; and Baa-ton (Grosvenor — Mascotte), at 37Jgs. These will still remain Tinder the care of Mi' J. H. Siade.

Mr W. Reid, «. prominent member of the Victorian Owners and 1 Trainers' Association, has announced his intention of standing for election as a committeeman of the V.R.C. at the next annual meeting in August; and! has issued a lengthy address to the members setting forth his views on prominent racing questions. Amongst numerous other things, Mr Reid is opposed to betting, proprietary club stewards, proprietary racing dates as they have been allotted, country race meetings where tbe stakes are less than £80 a day, and bookmakers owning and racing horses. Pea* contra, he is in favour of the legalisation of the totalisator, oi the appointment of paid slewaids, and of tho more stringent punishment of offenders in cases where turf malpractice is proved.