SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 55

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Br Host Poekk.

MELBOURNE, October SL THE A.J.C. SPHING MEETING.

Financially the A.J.C. aie likely to achieve a record should the weather but hold up tomorrow. On Saturday there were more persons assembled at Handwick than ever Veforo put in an appearance on Derby day; v.hilst on Monday and Wednesday there were enom.ous attendances. So far, ,ths weather has been extremely propitious, and though there, were not tho same record-smaen-ing performances registered as those accomplished by Noctuiform, Maniapoto, and Co. :t twelvemonth back, from a purely time-test point 3l view there was little left to be desired. Certes, the A.J.C. Darby took over Ew>c longor than lasi, year; but still 2min 38sec is not at, all b«d for a three-year-olct to register for a mile and a-half with 8.10 up in September. Of course the downfall of the Haut Brion — Collarette colt Co liar rt waa a terrible facer to the rank- and- file of backers ; but it appears to have been » messed-up sort of a. race, and for once in a. ' way J. Barden pursued vcxitable " butcher-boy " tactics. NotheleES, he is to pilot him in our Derby. .Some scribes assert that Collarit was asked to do too much in tho way of triais — private and public — before the Derby. There did not apper.r to hz much signs of "over-work" about his .Yew Stakes win on Monday and Gran* tham Stake* victory on Wednesday, however, for in the last-named event he carried slb more than his Derby weight and won front stait to finish, romping home in Imin 43seo for tho male. Perhaps thero is something; in the contention that Collarit is not a. stayer; but yet it appeared to bs a, suicidal policy to rush him half-a-dozen lengths in front of the field at the home urn in the Derby. I have no desire to underrate the victory of Poseidon in the Blue Riband — mote especially as he performed excellently well in the Metrop. ; but all tho same for that I shall confidently predict a very different eort of contest at Flemington on the first Saturday in November.

According to on© of our leading Victorian scribes, "the disappointment of the race was tho Maorilander-Huascar, who, after showing an exceedingly bold front for a mile, faded out, and finished last." The same eyewitness remarks that "Io!»ire, whom C. Cooper in the earlier stages of the race kept too far from the leaders, held his own when the paco was clapped on ( the last six furlongs, and finished fourth*; but ho waa sei» an impossible task to give colts like Collarit and Antonius ten lengths' start in ihreequarters of a mile. Had he been with his horses— and the time shows it was not a fast race in the earlier part — it is quite possible lolaire would have at least secured a place." lolaire is trained by Ike Foulsham, who has likewise the Maribyrnong Plate winner Oreillet under his fostering care.

Porcelain ensured a pace for Isolt in the Spring Stakes, but this appeared to suit tho four-year-old Wallace — Lady Mostyn m reLoCy Wallace even better than Mt l». or. &4e..- rf mare, as she drew up level with him as soon as headi wero fairly turned for home, and going on won by four lengths from IsoJt in 2 ruin 35J sec. It was a. smashing good performance on tho part of the "triple crown" victris; but although Hewitt did not rid* Isolt out to the bitter end when pursuit seemed hopeless, the effort it took the winner to get there must hav^ been a pretty severe one — judging from her somewhat inglorious display against Solution in tha Craven Plate- on Wednesday.

At tho time of writing no one will have, it th.'t there is leap or binge to hang a. doubt on about the iivc-year-old daughter of Soult and Problem being tho very best mare in Australia. And considering that Solution started a pcint betteT favourite bhan Lady Wallace in the Craven -Plate, and defeated her absolutely "pointless," it must be admitted that "the general" have good and sufficient warrant for the faith that is in them. Still, that Solution is a marvellously good mare, no ono can deny; but she haa not set the "hall" mark on her performances up to date in the same pronounced manner as Lady Wallace haa. . And yet she rules the roost in the Melbourne Cup betting, 3 to 1 being recently the best offer egainst her, u'bet yesterday she receded to s's owing to a_i> idea getting abroad that the Caulfield Cup was her Jnrt. Wo arc over, four weeks off the Cup, too; and from time, immemorial mare? have be.-i "kittle cattle" for the Melbourne Cvp — the victories of Briieis, Auraria, aj>d Acrasia to the contrary notwithstanding. Solution must have been pretty nearly at her lop i/i the ma-ttar of condition during tri3 v.cek jus., closincr, and the history of tha Austialian :urf has proved conclusively that s ou cannot have an animal "cherry ripe" for the A.J.C. spring meeting and the V.R.C. Fpring meeting as well. Colts have won 1-oth, Dcrbys limes and again, without a doubt; but the-i the Melbourne Cup is a. handicap — not a set-weight race. Another thing: How will Solution take to our left1 and-xl stylo of miming? To the majority of hordes it doesn't seem to matter a dump whether they run left-handed or right-handed. But— thero are others; and Solution may La ohe of them. Commotion in his day was practically unbeatable at Flernington, where the d.ffk.ilty was — as he bored-in to th« near 9ide, to keep him off th> rails; at Rand-wick, i mining tho reverse way, the difficulty was to kc-p him on the courpo at all! Do not inhuuderstaml niel I only wieh to impress

upon readers of the Witness that Soluticj in at -altogether & false price, and, although undoubtedly well in in the Melbourne Cup with (including hex IQlb penalty) only 211 xuoxe th»n aha romped kerne v=ith in th Metrcp., the odds are decidedly against he bung ablo to -sender herself eueh justice a Scming^or. * s she did -at Hand wick. Onl' that, and x-oihiag; more! TUSCF TOPICS. Owing . r* recent downpours the V.R.C October.- meeting en Saturday will have t< be held or. ihe 3&ral£eld -course. The Flem iugton 'isairang tracks are still in a vpry bac etaAe; but one £. C. Bagct whsn he tlrainw B*Masgton moor drained it well, and wftl only * week's dying weather the VVR.C dsnacsice will 4e «s "'rigki ms pi«" again. Dividend appears to be standing his Hand ■wick lacing all right, and his Victorian ad JWtera -were mi fbs best -of good terms tvitr Acmselves when they found the big blacl son <*f Sinrmex and Ledy Trenton was forvwrd -enough taxi scoind enough to fiuisl third an the -faet^rnn Spring Stakes. 4. little bird has whispered me to the effect "tb»t Mr S. G-. Ccok has hopes of hi: beautiful mate The Infanta battling out the ICelfoourne Cup at something lika a winning gait with 7l€. Your old friend of the Weet C=a«t is like--wuse .sanguine -enough to imagine thai Lc xitas carried cut the EruoenLcwe bieedina theory in its integrity, and that his ViceAdsniral — The Dauphine filry The Jfine is the sb nl us ultra -of what a two-year-old shou'd bp. Writing Ircan. Sydney after -the pocon.i Acy's jneeting, Mr Kslly Maitland, tht V.A.T-.C. handicapper, remarks : — "Collarii may «r jaay not run again at this meeting. But w«a Mr Crick well advised he wou»J grre him a «ast. Freshened up, and waited with usual -the distance, instead of bairg sent out for a long lead -five furlongs frcm home, »8 in Hie .A.JX. Derby, he might still prove dangerous «,t Flemnigton ; , a] be:; unless Ebullition can do the trick, PcEeidon looks tha_ bea*. of good things -on paper. Antoniua has not grcv/n mucii, and, thoug'j trained xo perfection, made but a poor *ho v, asd all -wha declared Coliarlt -Mb euperior axe justified. Poseidon was the surprise, and no soul on eartb iould have picked him en Ids iwo-yoar-old, form. But one caa? never tell what may happen." -An inquiry concerning the running ol Hydrant in the Hturdle J&ftre at +he Hawkes•buvy Cub nt-eetiog. compared with his pezIbxnwnoes in Ihe" First Hssdle Kace at ISis AJSi. spring meeting, in the coanuutiee cf the Australian Jockey Club deciding to take no .further action in the matter. According* to thiß morning's Age the oammittce "regarded the case with much snepscion."