SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA

Otago Witness, Issue 2675, 21 June 1905, Page 55

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA

1 Bl HORI POENT3.

MELBOURNE. June 8. THE TURF. It was a mAgniflcent bracing afternoon last Wcnday. and there was a very satisfactory, attci.ds.nco at Fieniingtcn, where the V.R.C. had provided an enticing bill of lare for their Prince ot WaleVs Birthday meeting. There were 14 starters in tho York Hurdlo Kece, of two miles, wlnich was won nicely by Mr A. Evans's five-year-old chestnut horsa Solano (Padlock-Gazelle) 11.7 from Melanctlion 9.7, and The Toiler 11.12, the time— 3.552 — being really good considering the. state of the going after the recent heavy rains. Solano is trained by Mr M. P. Whitty, of Ascot Vale, a gentleman whose charge— Buzzie— carried oK ihe V.R.C. Grand National Huidla Race in consecutive years — 1596 and '97. Whitty has a very staunch, coterie of supporters, principally up-country men, and when they think h.e has a winning chance they back right spiritedly, as they did Solano on Saturday, sending him out at 3 to 1. There were only a couple of two-year-olds in the Royai Handicap amongst the half-score starters — The Amazon (The Admiral — The Dauphine) 7.0 and Vibrate (Wallace— Swing) 7.9,— and they finished first and second, S. G-. Cook's fii]> (a 15 to 1 chance) winning through sheiar gameness by a length, running the six furlongs in lmin 17s.ee. Billingsgate was only half a length behind Jimmy Wilson's filly, and as the three-year-old son of Bill of Portland and Fishwife had 8.12 up, it was a very fair performance on Ma part. Mr E. Feme's four-year-old Coronet — Lady Peri gelding Decoration 10.7 was a- great street corner tip during the morning for tho Prmcs of Wales's Steeplechase, of about two miles and a-half, th* consequence being that ha went out a 5 to 2 favourite against seven others; Error 12.7 being at R's and Smdhia 10.7 and Forty Winkss 95 at 7's. Forty Thinks is an aged gelding by Sir Oliver from Friendship, owned and ridden by Walter Douglas—one of th© most reliable and plucky riders in Australia. He is a clever little jumper is the same Forty Winks, and as he had successfully negotiated the Flcrnington country before his backers imagined they were on a pretty good wicket. And so they wsrej for, although the favourite appeared to be holding the others pretty easily during tha earliei stages of the journey, he collapsed when tackled by Sindhia and Error, the subsequent proceedings apparently interesting him no more. Douglas kept Forty Winks away from the fiont until the last obstacle was safely crossed, but then ho let out a reef or two. and after Sindhia had settled the pretensions of Mt Albert Miller's horse, ho tackled the Wellington — Silvinia, re are, who looked a bit above- herself, albeit she had recently won a cross-cc'antry event at Warrnambool, and even comfortably- by .three lengths in 5m in 2Ssec. Aberfoyle, The Traveller, and* C. U. L. fell during the race, the latter breaking his neck; but all the radars escaped vithout Injury. Sweep Clean (Valala— Hollah) 8.2 was - swooped on as a real good 1 thing for tha Birthday Handicap, of a mile and a-half, and! so persistent were the partisans of Ike Foulshara's stable nnd the general public to get on that at one. time he actually touched 6 to 4, though when the Boabdil party stepped ia ; and supported Mr Jas. Wilson, jun.'s, three- | year-old Bobadlil — Circle colt down to 4's, Sweep Clean receded a point. Mark Whdtty's representative Madagascar (Hoya — Harvest Lass) 7.13. ridden, by N". D. Godby, found - much favour at 10's, whilst Mr J. X". MacArthur's Marmont, who is now under the fostering care of Willy Filgate, finished up at B's, despits the fact that he had th© steadier of 9.7 to carry. The start was a rather straggling one, Madagascar getting all the worst of it. After Avalon had acted as avant courier, Bobadii took up the running at the abattoirs, and, never being headed, ha won pulling up by a length from the. fastfin'lshing Madagascar, five lengths behind . whom canta Manner.!, Rhapsody 8.7, and Lieutenant Biii 8.7, followed by half a dozen others ; the time being 2min 41sec. There can be no two opinions about Boabdil being a gem of the first water; but still I liked the way Madagascar finished — he looked like continuing another half a mile at a great gait. Filgate thought Marm>ont would run well, altougb. he was not sanguine alto-Tit winning, and as he has got the Wellington — Lady Gay gelding in fine, lusty condition, he may bo relied on to- give us another tasts ol his quality over a distance, the same as ha did in the last Champion Stakes. The Princess Handicap — another six-fur-long dash — was contested 1 by nine two-year* olds, of which M. Foulsham's Sfcrathmore— ■ Doria filly Bonnie Lassie 7.11 and W. R. , Morgan's Bobadii — Ambsiress filly Miss Bobby 8.7 divided favouriteship at 5 to 2 each. Sam Cook nad a colt engaged in the- event r arced, The Merry Sailor (by . The Admiral, from. The Merry Girl), and although he was allotted the minimum) (6.7), your old friend decided' to put up 61b overweight to secure the services of young Mr Cowan. He was quito right, too; as, although The Merry Sadlor did! not win, he was the only one to_have tha ghost of a show against Bonnie Lassie, who won by three lengths in lmin 18sec. As her pedigree would lead you to believe, Bonnie Lassie was bred by James Wilson, jun., who disposed of her at the last March sales — when he parted with, a number of subsequent winners — for 65gs. She is engaged in tho Oaks, and is a moat promising pandidate therefor. Tho a-fternoon's sport terminated with the Cornwall Handicap, of a mile, there being st field of 11, with Shipmate (Mainsail— Halle; 8.10 favourite at 7to 4. The event fell to a three-year-old filly named Distraction (Destiny — Attracfciou/ 8.2, about whom the connections of I. T. Carslake obtained remunerative odds down to 7to 1. Mr James Wrilson j , jun.'ss, four-year-old Chubb 7.10 — who is only by Hova frorg. Key, that's all! — showed a very bold front for seven furlongs, but then. Distraction cut him down, and ran home a three-quarters of a length winner from Unr known 8.1, with W. Filgafce's Mollusc 9.2 third; the time being lrnin 45fsec. A Tasnianian-bred four-year-old named Lord Allendale (Chesterman— The Pet) displayed a rare dash of foot at the Melbourne Hunt Club meeting at Moonee Valley on Saturday, when he scored a couple of victories in moat holloa fashion — the Dingley Handicap, of five fur« longs (with 7.2), by five lengths from the smart Elgin, in lmin 7£sec; and the Tally-ho Welter Fla-t Race, of six furlongs (with 8.11), by five lengths, pulling up, from Mandeville, in lmin 21Jsec. The ground was terribly heavy, "but tk© noble Lord fairly revelled in it. He is an inmate of J. Williams's stable, at Caulfield, and is certain to be heard favourably of again. Under the tender system, the V.R.C. prink ing — a very considerable item yearly— is now divided between two large Melbourne firmsj arj

arangement which bids fair to result in a very ! jubstantial saving to the premier club. J Mr James Mitchell, of Table Top, in the- | floury district, has forwarded a yearling colt jy Trussing Cup from ErJ Queen to Walter 3. Hickenbotham (Flemington), and a yearling ' illy by Sir Foote from Kelvin Grove to J. I Ulsop (Randwick), to be prepared for their i acing engagements. F The V.R.C. Sires' Produce Stakes of 1906 Sttiacted 62 nominations on Monday, as against 16 last year. <, After he ran second in a hurdle race at' jDolac on Monday, Mr Andrew S. Chirnside *>urcha«ed The Sailor (by The Sailor Prince from Little Countess), and is under the imjpression that he is likely to develop into a. Rod steeplechaser. He is bred on the right Jftyes to do so, without a doubt. j i Taken en globo the nominations received at ' »« V.R.C. and V.A.T.C. secretariats on Tuesmay were very satisfactory. Though the " two fcupß" show a falling off as regards numbers, ihere has been a vast improvement in the f 'young" races; whilst the jumping contests , jtave also shown a marked advance. i f Last year's Melbourne Cup winner — Acrasia — las again been entered for the great two-mile landicap, and so has Revenue, the victor of L9Ol, who has only been recently taken up ifter his prolonged spell, compelled owing to ;H*. knocking about he got in the Australian Chip. - J. Scobie's stable is, as usual, well presented, nis 10 including Charles Stuart, Emir, Canteen, Sweet Nell, Sylvanite, and -, ?.J.A. " Mr J. Wren, who' has a Caulfield Cup to "his credit, is representea! by fbiu in the "- iwo-mile "Taces — Murmur, Melport, Pius, and -Jihe New Zealander Grand. Rapids. Mr J. Wilion, jun., can, however, easily beat this re- ' rord, as- he has no fewer than eight entered, Boabdil, Scotland, and Vibrate being amongst Jhe number. Amongst the outside entries are Rfaniopoto, from New Zealand, and several smart ones from New South Wales or South including Cato, Mack, Murillo, (Torah, and Tartar. , One of the inter-State entries is Neirbo, which, read backwards, spells p, well-known Irish name. j ,' Marmont is again entered for the Grand 1 National Hurdle Race, though it was under- | )stood he had retired from the jumping bm«i- j ;ai6S9. Apart from him, the quality of the torses engaged is not particularly high class, ,<though there is plenty of promising material. ffn addition to Marmont^ a previous winner ol [ »the race in Sarasati is nominated; while for ' jbhe Steeplechase three previous Grand Rational Steeplechase winners figure amongst j Ihe entries — viz., Freedom, Grafnell, and The ; JG-eneral. | i - At a conference between delegates from the leading^ountry clubs throughout the State knd the committee of the Victoria Racing jblub, held on Tuesday, it was "carried unani:~lnously," on the motion of Mr W. H. Croker ■IV.R.G.). seconded by Mr H. P. Keogn (BairiieVtalej t^-"l'hat this- conference is unanimously pi opinion, that t-h« legislation of the totalisa- { for, under proper restrictions, is to the b«st ! Wrantage of racing as ft sport and the «n- . •ourageinent of horse-breeding." /j