SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 55

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

BY RAVEH-3WOBTH.

MELBOURNE, August 11. The Steeplechase meeting of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club was brought to a closflt on Saturday last at Caulfield. Delightful weather wias experienced on each of the two days, but the attendance, though large.' ■was not quite &o good as last year. There was, all the same, a substaabia-l profit ovei* the fixture, which was successful in every, way, but two horses had to be destroyed oni Saturday, as a result of their race in th« Steeplechase. There were 16 starters foU' the race, which waa worth lWOsovs, and was run over four miles. Only five horses finished, accidents being numerous in con* sequence of the pace at which they went.! This question is becoming an acute one in Victoria, as we kill a tremendous number" of jumpers here in a year. The time fort the four miles was 7min 59isec, which beat

the, previous record—held by by 4isecrand it was probably a world's record. How to slacken the pace is what troubles the turf authorities. The outcome of this particular event shows that it is no use makiriff the race long. The riders go just as fait, and even big fences will noi; stop them. -If a little sense could be knocked into the heads of some of the riders a. change might be brou. ht about. It only Requires one rider to go out for a break and the others follow' like a flock of .sheep, generally with disastrous results. v. The race went to Nigel 10.11, whose fmlner (Adam Skirving) was not present to see the win, being over in .New Zealand to attend' the sale of the late Mr O. G. Stead's horses. He won easily from the favourite (Bribery 12.9), with No Trouble 9.3 third. The only .others to finish were BoiedaJe and Boomerang. Nigel is owned by Mr-J. E. Stanley, and is held on' lease from him by Adam Skirving, who rode Redeemer when he won the Caulfield Gran<? National Hurdle Race in 1900.' This trae only the second occasion -on which Nigel (who is seven years old) had run in a steeplechase.' His first appearance- was at Moonee Valley ob July 2&, and that was a successful one. • He won races on the flat Jor^'Mr J. E. Sltanlev, and was ft good jhurdle-racer — one of his performances being m, win in a. two-mile -hurdle race at . Flemdngton with 10.12- up. He .has taken -very kindly to jumping- fences, the only obstacle 'he touched in Saturday's race being the sod y/fil. He ie not the first hurdle-racer to win this particular event. The course is snot so difficult as Flemington, but- it stilltakes jumping, especially at the pace they travelled on Saturday. He is a. Stud Book horse, being by imported Padlock (sire of any number of useful horses, more especi•Jly of the sprinting kind) from Wydgel, by Ifewmineter from Noko, by Bras-de-Fer, and was bred by Dr Lang at Corowa. ■Wydgel was a smart sprinter, bred and iraeed by the Messrs Miller. Mr A. Landale, the well-known amateur rider, purchased- Nigel from Dr Lang, and passed him on at £50 to Mr Stanley. Nigel has ifcw'ice -broken down since he came into Mr Stanley's possession. Both his forelegs have 'been fired,' and if it is added that he possesses a curby hook, it can -well be {imagined that he has been a difficult horse j "t»^ train' S&irving is certainly entitled to •every credit for getting him fit to the fWBt. Cardinal would have been an easy second tut after passing the distance he faltered, j and was pulled up, .having broken a \ paßtern bone. Cardinal was destroyed as soon as possible, and Maine, -who fractured his, shoulder when he fell in the second last round, met with a- similar fate. , Topaz cut his stifle and bruised his shoulder badly, and one or two of the other starters ■were more or less injured. Charlemagne, who fell at the first fence, gave his rider <J.- Ryan.) «v bruiEed -thigh, while F. Burn, ,-who had the mount on Bribery, had his ear cut; and tfie wound to his. foot which he sustained- at Moonee Valley recently was reopened. Bribery, in trying to- get off fit a fence," jumped the win)?, and it was while he was so doing that Burn's injuries were ; sustained. „ RACING IN SYDNEY. The going at Warwick Farm on Saturday , ■was very heavy, "and fields were not large. There were only two starters for the Liverpool Mile, Settlement 7.7 .(by Diplomat), with the recently returned J. Pike m the • saddle, winning easily from Lady lnst. j Binyah 9.0 (by War God, con of Carbine) took the- Hurdle Race, and Empirical 7.13 (by Regained) the Faro? Sftajcea. The principal event, the Warwick Handicap, one tail© and- a-quarter, attracted seven starters, *>nd Kum&lo ff-10 (by Haut Brion) easily heat the favourite (Mafoofca. 6.7). „ The i Slying Handicap, six furlongs, .was won toy ! «, &ort head by Bally 8.0 (by Niagara) from , Marry Days 8.11. Imported Claydon Comknon '8.0 (by Ugly) won the Stewards Male hv a, neck from Duma 8.0. * • „ Yesterday the twice-postponed Moorefield Bacing Club's meeting was held. J. Pake •was on two winners— Lunar Light 7.2 (by Gossoon) in the Flying Handicap, and Victoria Cross • 7.10 (by Musketoon) in the Stewards' Mile. Each was well backed. A ?ank outsider in Sattamba. 7.0 (by Acumen) Was successful in the Kogarah Stakes, while /the Three-year-old Handicap went to Emerald Isle 7.8 (by Sir Tristram, imp.). East Chance 9.10 (by the New ZeaJand^red XAUneeston) won the SteeP l ? o "^'*™ 1 iligh lX 8.4 (by Haut Brion) the Moorefield Hatfdicap, one mile and a-quarter, tor Mordialloc 6.7, who was beaten a length, was a better fa.To«rH<=. Tb e •was very heavy. MISCELLANEOUS. During the past racing season the V.R.C. committee he£rd no fewer than 39 appeals , from decisions of other racing clubs The stipendiary stewards attended over I 100 race meetings in the suburban radius j Jast season, and 33 in up-country districts. Owinjr to insufficient nominations being received, it was decided by the Victoria Coursing Club to abandon the Goodwood <Jup and St. Leger meeting, which was to ■haye been held at Moonee Valley last week. - Mxs Whitty, wife of the Flemington trainer, Mr P. Whitty, died last week. Savoury the Simmer horee, cent to "Western Australia, some time a,go, left Fremantle on Wednesday for his owners station in the north-west, where he will do stud duty. Statistics of the principal winning owners tond sires for the past season, prepared by the compiler of " The Turf Register,' have •been published. Grafton is again at the top of the list of winning sires, but Wallace gave him a good race. Grafton !had no fewer than 75 winners, and they won amongst ■them close on 200 races, of the total value of £20,443. Wallace had only 25 winners, \yiit there were some good one 6, including Mountain. King amongst them; the total 6takes won amounted to £19,004. Positano comes third, with £13,334, and then there •is a drop to £8615, which is credited to Maltster. The New Zealamder, Phoebus Apollo, is fourth with four winners of 11 races (including Apologue's Melbourne 'Cup}, totalling £7645. Mr John M'Donald, pi New South Wales, heads the list of wintting owners for the season. Mountain King won for him a dozem. races, of the total *alue of £9497. Mr P. A. Connolly, of Western Australia, is second, with 24 races, l>f the value of £6908. while Mr A. Wynne's ■11 wins were worth £6134. Mr H. R. Denia>n, owner of Poseidon, is fourth, with £5976. and Mr B. J. Clelland, of New Zealand, who owned Apologue when that horse vron the Melbourne Cup, fifth, with £5903. The annAl report of the A.J.O. committee. Sydney! 6tates that the prize mon^y udded by the club for the coming season will amount to £40,350. The balance sheet #ojv tie past year aho\r« >Hat the revenue

' reached £79,3*5, and the expenditure was £77,550. leaving a credit 'balance of £1795. The Distressed Jockeys' Fund is in credit to the amount of £6421. / Yuelba, having broken down, has been scratched for all spring engagements. The Sydney racehorse owner, Mr J. J.--Macken, is seriously ill. C. Bolton, TV. Xaeson, and D. Colem&n were the most successful pockeys during the two days of the V.A.T.C. Steeplechase meeting. Each rode a couple of winners. The stakes won at th-e V.A.T.C. Steeplechase meeting amounted to £4150. A. Serving, as the lessee of Nigel, taking £1100, while Dagoba's two wins credited £1050 to the Adelaide trainer, H. Hopwcod. M. Whelan returned to Adelaide to-day with Workmaster. Step Out travelled at the same time. Step Out has finished racing, and will go to the stud in South. Australia.^ 1 Gapon, the disappointing son of Menschikoff and Sunningdale, for whom. Mr J. Wren refused 1000 guineas after Gapon had yon the Hopeful Stakes at the V.R.O. spring meeting, was a starter in the five furlongs Richmond Handicap yesterday. Gapon has been renamed The Traitor, and his present owner purchased him in a city saleyard some months ago for 11 guineas. The Traitor could not negotiate the turns, and finished Jast. T.hens were two events of £100 each for ponies, that for 13.2 hands ponies going to Flying Shot (7.6), by Bloodshot, and that for 14 hands monies to Blarney Girl (7.7), by Blarney. Both were outeiders. The pony Empire ha« been ©old to go to India. A high price was paid. Tie Tasmanian steeplechaser, Wol&eiey, was sold in Melbourne yesterday to Mr D. O'Brien, of Warrnambool, for 195 guineae. August 18. RACING IN MELBOURNE. The Moonee Valley course was in use last Wednesday, when the Oaklands Hunt Club Race took place in spring-like weather. BacKers did much better than usual, all the winners with the exception of Scotch Mist being well supported, and two of them started favourites. The race won by Scotch Mist was the Warlaby Handicap! and it was his firsb victory for nearly 12 months. j He !B a Wallace gelding, and is trained for Mr J. N. M' Arthur by A. Williams at Flemington. Mollusc, who ran second lost several lengths at the start, otherwise he , may have been returned the winner. The I OakJands Hunt Club Cup was a splendid ! race. Pivot could not jump, end after covering half the distance was wisely pulled vp > by Mr A. J. Caton, but the others kept fairly well together all the way, and there i were no accidents. Lee, who had run off in the Fmdon Harriers' Amateur Steeplechase the previous Wednesday, was returned the winner. He was ridden a nice race I by Mr T. M. Dean, whose health, as well as .that of Mb Everard Browne, the owner, was afterwards honoured in the stewards' , room. Lee i 6 trained with the Messrs Millers' horse at the Millpark stable, and was not generally fancied, as in private h© had shown, himself a poor stayer. This stable j won tho Gvernewton Steeplechase with Mayo, whose first win it was in the colours of Mr S. Miller, and he has had him ( about 18 months. G. Woodburn, who rode him, had rieyer previously ridden the winner of a. steeplechase. Woodburn formerly rode on Mr Wren's courses. F. Burn rode Argument 10.11 to victory in the Hurdle I Race, while C. Bolton was on the back of Cryograft 7.11 (by Grafton), who was sucrceeeful in the Donalister Handicap, that cast-iron horse Akim Foo, with 9.8 up, ■being a close second. Tawonga. won the Hunters' Flat Race. The meeting on Saturday was again at : Moonee Valley, which is the most popular !of the Melbourne suburban courses. The i proprietary raced on this occeeion. Two of the winners. Argument and Snowy River, were well becked, but the others started at long prices. Argument, raised to 11.6, won ■ the Hurdle Race by a neck from Sienna , 10.9, who changed hands the previous day ■ and will in future be trained by the crosscountry jockey S. Howie. Two of Mr J. E. Stanley's representatives, Eoscommon and Snowy River, both imported mares, were suffering from soreness, Showy River particularly so, but whereas the latter was able to throw off her soreness in a race over six furlongs and a-half and win, Roß- > common could never raise a gallop in a ! mile and a-quarter race. Snowy River , finished very fast in tho August Plate, and, j nicely ridden by young Fergusson, ju6t got up in- time to beat the favourite, Monody. Roeoommon, -who -wa.& a. liot fa.vourifc© for tha Valley Handicap, got no nearer than, fifth to Lady Hova, who was a rank out- . sider. Pistol opened at 4 to 1 for the j August Handicap, but at the .finish odds of 10 to 1 were freely offered against him, and even longer odds could probably have been had for the asking. The stewards after the race held -an inquiry into Pistol's running, and cautioned the owner (E. Davis) ! and rider (G. Haines). Red-and- White, an I ancient gelding by Gozo, won the Trial I Handicap for Mr J. Brock, of Tasmania, j while the Steeplechase went to Hilton (by Firelock, son of Musket). There was a field of 2* for the August Purse, and a , scratch lot they were. An outsider in Bold Bay j(by Middle-ton) was returned the winner. RACING IN ADELAIDE. The Grand National meeting of the Adelaide Racing Club was concluded on ! Saturday.- The Grand National Steeple- | chase, of £350, three miles, went to the i hurdle-racer Snob 11.0, a comparative out- ! sider. Snob, who is a stable companion ,of the V.R.C. Grand National winner Lady I Quiz, and is owned in Victoria, was ridden I by the Gippsland iockey W. Ray, who had the mount on Lady Quiz at Flemington. Snob started the previous Saturday in tho Adelaide Grand National Hurdle Race, and 1 after showing prominently up to the last hurdle, died out. He won easily on Saturi day from another hurdle-racer in Gal way j Lad 10.12. The field included Workmaster, ■ who matched his performa«ce in the Aue- ! tralian Steeplechase by falling, his rider •■ j (M. Whela.n) being badly injured*. Alarm 7.7 (by Vengeance) took the Welter, while ■ Firepan (by Firelock, eon of Musket) scored ; in the Eastwood Hurdle Race. The second [ two-year-old race of the season, the Degnett- : ' ville Stakes, a handicap, was won by The , Tinman 8.5, who is by imported Tistig, sire by York and Sarasati. A rank otit- . sider in Pretender (by Fortuneteller) won i the Beaumont Trial, Lancelot 8.6 (by . Portsea) the^-Tennyson Handicap, and Mod- , jeaka 7.2 (by Carlyon) the Corporation Handicap. RACING IN SYDNEY. The Flying Handicap run at the Canteri bury Park meeting on Saturday was won by , | Lady Hoyden, who i-aced in England under : i ihe name of Tomboy. She was in R.

Wobtton's stable, and as a two-year-old was twice successful — in the Two-year-old Selling Plate at the Eglinton Hunt meeting, and in the Juvenile Selling Plate at Alexandra Park. Two of the winners — Westmead 9.0 (Stewards' Mile) and Hope Royal 7.7 (Park Stakes)— were sired by Lochiel. The Hurdle Race went to Dinyah (by War God, son of Carbine). The Canterbury Handicap, one mile, was taken by Mordialloc 6.10, who is by the New Zealand-bred Lancaster. - Mordialloo only beat Abandoned 6.12 by a neck. G-narantee 9.9 (by Orzil) was successful in the Welter Ha-ndicap. RACING IN WEST AUSTRALIA. The Kalgoorlie Racing Club opened a meeting last Saturday, when the events on the card included the Spring Stakes, of 300sovs, weight for age, one mile and aquarter. The Melbourne jockey G. Ross, who broke his return journey from Germany at Western Australia, rode Prophecy to victory in this event. Prophecy was engaged in the two cups, but failed to survive the first acceptances. She is a New .Zealand mare by Phoebus Apollo. The leading event, the Hanna Handicap, of 405sovs, one mile, was won by the Grafton gelding Severity 8.5, ridden by Callinan, Pierus 8.12, #ie favourite, being second. Booby 9.0 (by Albatross) won the Hurdle Race," Sample 9.10 the Flying Handicap, Dangar 10.9 (by Positano) the Ladies' Bracelet, and Separator 7.10 the Goldfields Stakes. The leading event at the Brisbane meeting on Saturday, the Q.T.C. Handicap, was won by the Grafton colt Metograph, Mho was a strong favourite. Another Grafton to win during the day was J. C. The anmyd cycle road race from Bathurst to Sydney, a distance of 133& miles, took place on Saturday in ideal weather. Out L of an entry of 126 riders, 98 started, the limit man (H. Richardson) getting away at^ 55 minutes past 6 a.m. in the presence of 3000 spectators. George Horder and iom Laroombe, the scratch pair, were despatched at 15 minutes past 8. The contest excited j much interest, large crowd© witnossnig the ' struggles of the men as they passed through the various towns en route. The fact that ; £150 was offered in prizes for the winners . and fastest time men caused the champions j to put forth every effort to wjn. All the ■■ States and New Zealand sent representatives. The first man to finish was A. S. Turner, 48min start, who arrived at Ashfield at 31 minutes past 3 p.m., follo-w«d llmin later by R. B. Patterson, 45min. Shortly afterwards .Hyslop and Honeymam arrived, only a few yards separating them. Following is the result: —A. S. .Turner, Goulburn (48min etart), riding time Bnr 4mm; A. B. Patterson (45min), riding time Bhr 15min 7seo;- A. J. Hyslop <52min\ ridinsr time Bhr 24min 41s*c; A. J. Honeyman (54min), riding time Bhr 26min 43sec ; E T O^Keefe, Tasmania (20min), riding time Bhr 57min; W. Meldrum (42min), riding time Bhr 19min saec; A. Davis Victoria (50min), riding time Bhr 31min 36sec ; L. Cosier (52min), riding time Bhr37min; A. Larcombe (52min), riding time Bhr 38rmn 30sec: A. Aplin (20min), riding time Bhr 6min 37seo. The fastest time was put up by T Larcombe, the Goulburn crack, who, from scratch, covered the 133* miles irC 7to 53min 20sec. He finished fourteenth. Mr C. L. Macdonald's twc-year-old colt by Wallace from Wakeful has reached Laulfield and is being broken in. Ho is some- , what on the small side, but is a very nice C °Lady Trenton and Diploma arrived in Melbourne from Sydney last week, and ' went to to the Shipley Stud, at Warrnambool, where eac«h will be mated with Posihas been sent to Tasmania, where he will be treated to a long «**. Meeers Nieholl Bros, have pxiTchased the thoroughbred stallion Thundercloud, by , Thunderer (son of Thunderbolt). He will do stud duty in the Mount Ga-mbier clis- j tr Tho Broken Hill Jockey Club ***<&• ; oially reported' to tho A.J.C., V.X.C. S.A.J.C, and W.A.T.C. the names of J several of the bookmakers, leaders of the recent bookmakers' strike against the club s After the declaration of first acceptances for the big spring" handicaps last week 144 horses remained in tho Melbourne Cup and 126 in the Caulfiekl Cup. There- were originally 190 entries for the Melbourne Cup and 194 for the Caulfield Cup, so that a large percentage has survived the first forfeits in each event. The top-weights Poseidon, Dividend, and Mooltan, stand their ground in tho Melbourne Cup, but Poseidon has gone out of the Caulfield Cup, in which Moolt&D (9-0> is now -top -weight. Tatterdemalion, who recently returned to Sydney from Melbourne, is to be blistered and turned out. . Certificates of identification, submitted by W. H. Keith, in the case of the following horees, bred in New Zealand, have been accepted as satisfactory by the V.R.C. : — Oh m Lady Bab (1903). by Sylvia Park— Ingata-rangi ; br g Walter Young (1904), by Phaeton— Mahina ; br g Ngauruhoe (1904), by Phaeton— Vapour. j Cruciform, purchased! by Mr A. Yuille , at the late Mr G. G. Stead's sale, was secured! for Mr J. V. Smith, of the Bundoora Stud (Victoria), where Wallace and import&d Challenger are- located. Mr Smith next day received a cable message from New Zealand, asking if he wished to sell Cruciform at a profit, but he cabled # in reply that he would not sell at any price. Two of the other mares purchased by Mr Yuille. Problem and Rattler, were secured on behalf of Mr S. Green, of the Shipley Stud Wa-rrnambool, and another, Zinpr&na for a. West Australian studmaster. Otterden and San Peur, two more of Mr Yuille's purchases, were secured for Mr William Brown (of New South Wales), who also secured (through Mr John M'Donald) tho stallion Multiform. Nigel's trainer, A. Skirving, who got Idyll, was buying on behalf of a new patron of this stable. Idyll is engaged in the Epsom Handica-p (6.12), Metropolitan (6.16) . " Caulfield Cup (6.8), Melbourne Cup (6.9). and Williamstown Cup A.J.C. Derby. Skirving also purchased Sir George Clifford's mare Clanchattan. The Allendale Stock Farm, Mentone, gave the Ribbonwood horse, First Ribbon, two races in succession at the Richmond trotting meeting last Thursday. He waa defeated by the Tasmanian horse, The Golfer, in the 2.40 class trot, but won the concluding mile and a-half trot in capital style. First Ribbon, 'who was the outsider of the four contestants, is a half-brother to Laughing Bells. Emulator was also seen out in two races, and on each occasion he finished second. He went in saddle, and but for the blunders he frequently made may have ■ annexed the double. In his first essay lie traversed his mile in 2min 17 2-sscc. The Sydney trotting gelding, Talbraaax. by-B"ux-

lington, jun., continues to win at our trotting meetings, and he usually starts at very nice odds. At this particular meeting at Richmond he recorded his fifth successive victory ia Victoria by annexing the 2.25 class trot from Emulator. R. Loseby, who owns and rides Talbragar, has only had possession of the gelding a couple of months. The imported gray mare, Lady Elect, by Re-elect, won the 2.35 class trot for the Allendale stock farm, .while Tardy, by Kintore, took the 2.45 class trot. The jockey, Percy Holland, who rode Scorn in the Trial Handicap at Ascot on July 27, and was seriously injured wihen Scorn and Oromer fell in the straight, died in the Melbourne Hospital last Thursday from the effects of injuries to his head. Holland, w.ho was a' member of the Camberwell Reohabite Lodge, was burred next day at the Box Hill Cemetery, where Mr W. H. Judkins, deputy chief ranger, read the Rechabite funeral service. Mr Judkins' is Mr J. Wren's great opponent, and it was on one of Mr Wren's courses that Holland met with the accident, so there was some significance in Mr Judkins's appearance at the funeral. The transfer of the racehorse Mooltan from J. Samuel to his new Indian owner, Gordondhaa Khatau, has been approved by the V.R.C. The Sydney hurdleracer South Head has changed hands, W. J. Day having sold him to J. Steenson. The well-known performer, Sir Fau6t, dropped dead while exercising at Morpeth, New South Wales, a few days ago. H. Coffey has left for^ Japan, where he has 'a three years' engagement to train and ride horses for a syndicate. The V.R.C. Committee decid-ed last Friday that in future each bookmaker operating on the flat or hill at Flemington should be provided with a small stand, with a ' post (bearing the bookmaker's name) at- | tached. Mr Chve Bailheu's- imported mare Intellect, by Lamias from Poverty II (dam of several fair performers), in foal to imported Pistol, died at Mr'J. H. Aldridge's stud, South Australia, last week. The loss of a. mare so well bred as Intellect is rather , a severe one. I The wrestling match between George Dinmie and Buttan Singh for a champion- i ship belt and the " gate " took place in the Alfred Hall, Ballarat, on Saturday night. Dinnie weighed IZ^t 101b and Buttaji Singh list 61b. About 1000 people were present. Buttan got the Scotchman down by a leg hold. From this position Dinnie extricated himself, but the Hindoo turned the tables again. After wrestling for about 15 minutes Buttan obtained a leg hold once more. This was followed very , quickly by a half-Nelson by Dinnie, but ■the Hindoo carried him over on the roll, and won the first fall in 16 minutes. Dinnie made the pace from the start of the next bout, and swinging his opponent round brought him down on the mat. Buttan Singh, however, slipped through th^ hold and got top position. The heavyweight wrenched himself away, and pva"c- j tically the same "work was repeated. Buttan was next forced into a sitting posture, from which he fre^J himself and gained his feet. By this time five minutes had been taken up with lively wrestling. Dinnie continued his aggressive tactics, and once more brought Singh to a sitting position. Working himself to the side of his adversary, the Scotchman got his leg across the Hindoo, and by sheer force levered him on to his back. The fall took eight minutes. With one fall to each man, the wrestlers faced each other for the final trial, the conditions stipulating that they must keep on until 11 o'clock in the event of neither xn&n getting a second fall. Buttan Singh was the first to get into a good position, but Dinnie broke away, and regained his feet. It was next Singh's turn to bo under, but with surprising agility he turned Dinnie over and assumed the attack himself. With 10 minutes gone both men were on their feet, and some fine* work ensued, when Dinnie brought his man to the mat again. Applying a halfscissors hold he worked into position to get on a full Nel?on, and in 12 minutes gained tho fall. The win was received with much applause. W. Williams, who supported Buttan Singh, said that he did not wish. to make any apology for the defeat, but said that Singh had wrestled with two injured finsrers, and was willing to meet Dinnie in three weeks' time for £100 < a-side. Dinnie thereupon stepped forward and remarked: "I'll wrestle him for , £200 if he likes." FOOTBALL .jrrEECEEThe carnival in connection with the jubi^ lee of Australian football commences on the Melbourne Cricket Ground to-morrow, and will be carried en daily until August 29. That Queensland, New South Wales, and New Zealand (where the Victorian game is not in vogue) should be represented speaks volumes for the growth of the Australian game, for these nave been great Rugby centres hitherto. The six visiting teams will have with them nearly 300 footballers, and it is plain that South Australia is not going to leave a stone unturned in her efforts to gain the championship, for, in addition to her picked men, the five leading clubs in Adelaide are at their own expense sending teams over to Melbourne, so that the Adelaide selectors may have the fullest possible material upon which to draw. There will thus be "at least 130 South Australians to pick from, for the final matches if the Adelaide men should get" so far. The programme of matches arranged is as follows : — August 25. — New South Wales v. -winners of Western Australia v. South Australia match of 22nd. I August 26. — New Zeailaiid v. Tasmania; Victoria v. Tfsers of WesU-rn Aiistralia, v. South Australia match of 22nd. I August 27. — Queensland v. New South "Wales. August 29. — Final matches to decide positions on list. ; Third -team on list v. fourth, team, to decide third and fourth places. First teaaji on list v. second team on list, to decide the championship of Australasia. All matches will be played on tho MclI bourne Cricket Ground, and on the days when two games are set down the first wiil start at half-past 1 p.m., the second al j half-past 3 p.m. The New Zealand team arrived last Saturday, and waa welcomed at the Orient Hotel, Bourke street, by Mr C M. Hickey, the president of the Australasian Football Council, which body is defraying the expenses of the receptions. It has been de- ■ cided to fittingly welcome the New Zealand football team on the occasion of a match against the North-Eastei'n Association, to be played at Seymour. The players will '

be given a dinner, and will also be enter* tamed at "a ball." ' " '