SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA

Otago Witness, Issue 2686, 6 September 1905, Page 56

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRAL IA

Bt Hoki Poene.

MELBOURNE, August 2& . THE TUEF.

A spring-like afternoon last Saturday attracted a, goodly assemblage out to Flemington with tho idea of forming some estimate aa to the chances of the Victorian contingent about tc proceed to Randwick, as also to cbtain an insight into tho strength of iL.f> form of our more prominent' stables, notably those presided over by Walter S. Hickenbotham and Jamc>3 Wilson respectively. Viewed from an "educational" standpoint i.b.3 af fcemoon's sport left nothing to .be desired ; ar.d when the popular idol, Dividend (who promises to take the place m the hearts of the racing public ones occupied by Carbine), woie down Grand Rapids in the concluding halffurlong of tho. August Handicap, whilst traversing the mile and a-half in the very fair time of 2min 39isec, there was a tremendous c.\ation. Dividend •was carrying 9.2, Grand Rapids 9.0; and, ais I informed you last week, both of them are still slightly on the gross side. If anything, the Simmer horse is more forward than the Gipsy, Grand gelding, and to my mind it was this fact that enabled him to get upsides with Grand Rapids 100 yard's from the winning post and beat him home by a couple of lengths, S. D. Fisher wisely refraining from punching Mr J. Wren's representative when lie found condition was failing him. Had not N. D. Godby rode an exceedingly patient race on Mr J. B. Whitehead'3 Champion Stakes winner, Grand Rapids would have proved successful to a certainty, •as he took the lead soon after the start and ran very generously all the way. Dividend, on the contrary, evinced a dispooition to loaf, and six furlongs from home was actually whipperin; and it was not until they were rounding into the straight that Godby really began to ride him in earnest, when he responded in tli3 gamest possible manner, stretching himself out in a style that pleased his admirers greatly. Favourite as he is of mine, however, I cannot shut my eyes to the fact that Grand Rapids's performance was quit* on a par with his ; and when the Randwick campaign is over I doubt whether there will be much difference between the pair of them up to a mile and a-half. Over that distance I shall favour the son of Simmer and Lady Trenton-— the Galopia. blood commingled with that of the mighty Musket.

First Tenor scored his fourth win during t the jjast few. weeks by. earning oft the Skow.

Handicap, of six furlongs, in lmin 15Jscc. The five-year-old progeny of St. Swithm and Satanella had 8.9 (in the person of N. D. Godby) up, and after the ancient Mairp 8.10 had displayed a trace of his old-time Newmarket Handicap ability by acting as avant courier for the greater portion^ of the journey First Tenor assumed conimand and won comfortably enough, albeit Godby allowed Attendant 9.1 to get up within c long neck at the finish.

On the strength of having slipped over six furlongs in lmin 18sec at Caulfield during the week the punters put it in to such an extent on Jim R-edfearn's big baby Chatsworth 6.9 for tho Three and Four-years-old Handicap that the son of Auric and" Winifred actually started at 5 to 2 against a dozen others. As you know, I hold a pretty good opinion oE Chatsworth, and confidently look forward to him some day adding additional lustre to his aristocratic lineage. But that day is not at present, and is not likely to bo for some considerable time yet. He is a great big — I was going to say lumbering, but he's far from that — overgrown three-year-old, fact toning down into racing shape, but not at all likely to win over seven furlongs of ground with anything like an opposition. And as Sam Cook had The Infanta engaged at 8.6, whilst ■Postique had but 6.11, it appeared to me to be a species of lunacy to imagine Chatsworth could have a possible chance amongst such company. The Infanta was well befriended at 6's, and after young Jim Wilson's Scorcher (Simmer— Lebel) 7.11 had been supported at s's he drifted back (consequent on the advance of Chatsworth — owned by James Wilson, jun.'s, particular pal) until 10 to 1 was freely procurable bbout him. As Redfearn had notified his intimates, Chatsworth died away after leading the field a merry dance for a few furlongs; but Japhet 7.9 was first into the straight, followed by Scorcher and Graftondalle 8.1, a good sst-to resulting in Scorcher winning by half a length from Graftondelle, the time — lmin 32sec — being only mediocre for seven furlongs.

The Bonny Vale stable -was again to the fore in the succeeding event, a Welter Handicap, for which Chubb, a five-year-old gelding by Hova from Key, handicapped at 8.4, was backed down to 2 to 1, after opening at s's. The good thing -duly came off, Chubb winning by a length and a-half from Mario 9.0, who in turn held a neck advantage over Norman Leak's Leal 8 30. Time for the mile, lmin 461 sec.

This dual success by James Wilson, jun., proves tho stable to be in pretty fair nick; snd although he informed me on Saturday that he had not definitely nmde up liis mind yet about taking Boabdil to Sydney, it is quite on the cards that he may do so. It was prior to Scorcher's victory that I was having a chat with him, and perchance after bringing off a double he may cogitate upon the advisability of following up his luck whilst- it io in. Circumstances do sometimes alter casa^s in this connection. , , Machine Gun has evidently exhausted all his blank cartridges, as on .Saturday, at Randwick, he scored a bull's-eye in the Tramway Handicap of six furlongs. His victory was evidently not unanticipated by his party, either, as he started at 5 to «2, despite the fact .that he was called upon to hump 10.6. The other betting ■was as follows: — 9 to 2 each War-rco-8.10 and Binnia, 7.13. 7's Picturesque 7.2. B's Sir Leonard 9.4, 10's Dantzic 7.8, 14's Scot Free 7.9, 20's Isos 7.12. ■ There were a dozen starters altogether, and just as it looked a pretty fair thing for either Isoa or Picturesque, Hewitt brought*th'e favourite up alongside the rails with a mighty "swish" and beat Isos by a neck, Picturesque being: only half a length away third. Machine Gun cut out the six furlongs in lmin 14sec. L. H. Hewitt was entrusted with the mount on Marvel Loch (Lochiel — Marvelette) for the Rawson Stakes, of a mile and a furlong, for ■which 11 started, the betting baing: Even money Marvel Loch 7.13, 6's Tartam 8.4, B's Fitz-Graiton 9.4, 12's each P.K. 8.4 and Tatterdemalion 8.1, 14's each Grafton Lad 7.1 and Berthier 8.1. 20's the others. Knowing the piece of stuff he had under him, Hewitt took the favourite to the front at the start, and albeit Fitz-Grafton got within half a length of hsr at the distance he failed to sustain the effort, and sha sailed ho. l nc a length in advance of Tartar, with Fitz-Grafton and Berthier heads and tails &.i->s.-.',her length behind, P.K. being fifth five lengths off. The time — lmin 52|sec — constituted a, new Australian record, bsing 2isec faster than FitzGrafton' s lmin 54|sec.

Dr Slate's Lucknow threatens to pursue as lengthy a winning career as Whakawatea did in his day. Last Saturday, at Tattersall's Club .meeting at Randwick, there were 14 started for the Spring Handicap, of a mile and a-quarter, Lady Wallace 7.8 being favour-, ite iat 2's, with Gig 7.11 and Famous 9.3 dividing second favouriteship at s's, Lucknow 9.1 being at 100' s to 5. At the finish the ancient Htussley— Kingston mare gelding scored a decisive victory by two lenstths from another outsider — Apsley 7.8, — with The Laird 7.8 three lengths farther back still; the reason for this spread-outedness being that Lucknow had spun over the distance at the remarkably slick gait of 2min 7J?ec. It would almost seem as if Lucknow, like good wine, is improving with age. At the Victorian Club rooms, in Melbourne, on Saturday night, £1000 to £100 was accepted in one hand about Ma-chine Gun for the Epscon, Handicap.

Mr G. Anderson's Al Forkau 8.0 won the Doquettville Stakes at the Adelaide Racing Club Grand National meeting (second dayi last Saturday by three-quarters of a, length from Mr J. H. Aldridge's Wonderland, who was two lengths in advance of Mr A. D. M'Donald's Kismet, the half-mile being covered in 49fsec. Al Forkau is by imported Koran (sire of thsxt sjood performer Torah) from Vixena, who in turn was by Melissa from Virago, by Neckerseat from Meg Merrilies. by Gang Forward. He is not engaged in the Maribyrnong Plate. Mr O. Lenny's brown horse Fabric (Bill of Portland — Chintz), who carried off the Boulder Cup (W.A.), has incurred a 141b penalty for the CaulfieM Cub (uplifting him to 8.1 therefor) and 101b in the Melbourne Cup, in which he will have to put up only 7.3— a perfect luxury, x Hughey Munro has put a couple of two-year-olds into work at Caulfield. One is a full sister to Duke of Graft^n. and the other a filly by Harmonist from Gaillardia. On Monday, in Sydney, Berthier (aiter Hie acceptance of £1000 at 100' ato 8) advanced to the position of favourite for the Epsom Handicap at 100's to 10. Maniapoto (who is expected to arrive to-day) being at 100'g to 9, and' Machine Gun (very firm) at 100' s to 8. Fitz-Graftbn was in some request at 100' s to 7, which prioo remained still on offer, and although no business resulted the fielders refused to sprinsr better than tOOs to 6 about eithei'-^Grand R.a,pids or P.K. Her Rawson Stakes victory did not lead hackers to support Marvel Loch, even at Sic tempting price of 100' ato 5", -whilst Emerald, Warroo', Lord Fitzroy, an 3 Apsley -were quiescent on the same mart, a point longer feeing ohtainaVe about Lucknow.

For the Metropolitan, Tartan would" have ■been backed at 8 to 1, t>ut 6's was the best to h& had. Dividend and Grand Rapids were brought into the market, hut only at quotations; the closing prices on offe! being as follows:— 6's Tartan, 10*8 Dividend, 14'g FitzGraftrau, U'fl PJU 12*4 each Maxvel Loch or

f Sylvan King, 20' s «ach Lord Loveil, Lord Fitzroy, or Grand Rapids. ! Scobie'a team for Eandwick— Canteen, i Charles Stuart, Emir, F.J.A., and Sylvan. King — arrived from Ballarat last night, and proceed this morning to Sydney. E. Lewis goes over as principal jockey. A „„,,„* on