SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 64

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Ravensworth. MELBOURNE, January 13. AUTUMN ENTRIES. Last week entries closed for the leading racing events of ~ the autumn V.R.C NewHandicap, Australian Cup, and Champion Slakes, to be run at Flemington, and A.J.C. Doneaeter Handicap, to be run at R.-iudwick; and Oakleigh Plate, to be run at Caulfield. Taken all round, they arc ■\cry satisfactory. There is, however, a slight falling off in the sprint races, the the Newmarket Handicap and Oakleigh Plate ; bm this may be regarded with com.placencv when it is lemembered that the f long races have filled so well. There are - : 35 for the Newmarket, a« against 95 last veai- ; s*. for the Australian Cup, as against - *o7 ; and for the Champion Stak<*«*, 27, - • against 14. The Oakleigh Plate has '• drifted from 94 to 70. Both the Doncaater '. Handicap and Sydney Cup have filled very <- ' -well.- Three New Zealander* figure in th© entries for the Sydney Cvp — viz.. Downfall, fiobrikoff, and Signor, and Signor is also ■in the Australian Cup. We are certain to Jtiave Signor, and if the other pair of notables were also to come over, interest in the A.J.C. autumn meeting would- be considerably increased. RACING IN MELBOURNE. The race meeting in Melbourne on Satur- ' 'day last was at Mentone. No horse* of j note were racing. The Flying Handicap, • five furlongs, went to the Orzil filly Narad- { ham 7.13, who fell in a race at Caulfield recently when expected to win. She only won by a head from the New Z-ealander, Captain Shannon 8.10, who is getting into form again. Mola 9.8, with N. D. Godby up, won *he Jumpers' Flat Race, while the leading event, the Mentone Handicap, one niile, proved a good thing for Gelingite 8.1, wjio has been running unluckily of L Jat-e. The iield was a. large one, and in--eluded Vereniee 9.1, who made no show. L She has quite gone off since she won the Sandhurst Cup in No\enifaer. Stately 9.10 proved successful in the Steeplechase. He -is a grey, owned by Mr F. B. Brennan, ■who brought R-ealm to Melbourne from Gippsland. and. like Realm, is by Majestic (sou of Trenton). S. Ferguson rode the two best winners on the card — Wave Hill 7.1 (by Grafton) in the Welter Plate, and Hautville 7.0 (by Haut Boy, son of Haut BTion) in the Welter Purse. - RACING IN SYDNEY. —^ The leading event at the Moorefield xneetmg on Staurday, the Moorefield Han- . dicap, one mile and a-quarter, went to the Grafton filly Hela, who had previously ran second to High Lady, by Haut Boy, in the Stewards' Mile. HeLa is the- mad filly that ran in the last Oaks race at Fleming- , ton, and proved almost unmanageable at the poet. Borodino, bj Simmer, who ha>been a great disappointment since he van second to Mother Goose in the Maribyr«ong Plate over 14 months ago, was twice suceeosful. He easily wen the Flying Handiean, gix furlongs, with 8.4 up, and then carried 9.7. including a penalty, to victory in the Bexley Handicap, run over the Fame distance. In the last-named event he only *" beat Diplomatist 8.0 .by half a head. A. Hood rode Borodino on each occasion, and he aleo rode High Lady to victory. The Kogarah Stakes, one mile, went to Glenpelia 8.4, by Grafton. The Two-year-old Stakes went to The Twister 7.10, who is by the imported Goesoon, and easily boat the much-fancied Flavigny 7.10. MISCELLANEOUS. The inter-State cricket match South Australia v. Victoria concluded on the Melbourne Cricket Ground last Thursday, was rather a sensational one The wicket was deati at the start, and the South Australians only compiled 127 in their first inning*. Victoria re»ponded with 34b. After this lieavy rain fell, and the match could not be resumed from the time pay oeaeed C!i Sa^urd-av evening until Wcdnesdav • BiOPiiing. It looked like a one-innings de Jeat for Sourh Australia, but though the J«ick<et wa* trioky at th.c start pf play on '. iWednesday, and the visitors made a pluclty iland, putting up ?51 runs. The Victorians cijlv (-i-j-.irfvj "?3 rujys jo "wip, but th«>y #» : I<hl '<> ye: '.Ll ijumber by 15. M'Ken#,ic, one «>» i .10 fii- 1 men in, and Sa.unc]ers. tJ:e Wi i . ' j:. r-aoh run out, which '& -.' :'i._o br<--.-i.' about tue defeat of tjae .Victx/r'e r-=. ffs- Australia:! bow!«r

1 O'Connor took 6even wickets for 35 runs. He bowled 144 balls, and had a record of 36 maidens. He is now looked upon as a certainty for the Australian Eleven to go to England. Of the four inter-State matches for the Sheffield shield played this season, South Australia have won two, Victoria one, and New South Wales one. If South Australia v.ir. the return match against New South Wales, now in progress, tho former must win the shield ; but if they are baaton its po=?ef-sion will depend upon | the result of the return match between New South Wale*; and Victoria. The triangular competition is cherefore as interesting as it could po^ibly lx>. Post Town, who went very light on his racing here after his arrival from West Australia, is not to be teken up for some time yet, and may not be seen sporting *ilk again until noxt spring. He is owned by Mr P. A. Connolly, and is likely to be freely mentioned, all" going well, in connection with the next Melbourne Cup. Tho stable companions Neith 10.2 and Virtu 9.10 occupy the pride of places in the Challengr-e Stakes as a result of their successes at ihe Randwick summer meeting. The top weight is a<ked to concede a •tfone to the Carrington Stakes winner, Lord Heauehamp. Noith is top weight for th> Anniversary Handicap, one mile and a-half, vvith 9.5. These events will be run in connection with the A.J.C. meeting at Randwick on January 23 and January 26. AI Forka.n, a sprinter from Adelaide, has joined James Lynch's team at Fleiuington. Lynch is one of our smartest trainers of horse 3 for short courses. Moani, whose form for some time (since he unexpectedly won tho V.R.C. Hotham Handicap in the spring) has been indifferent, ha-i been fired and turned out for a good spell. The performance of the Tasmanian trotting pony,. Ace of Hearts, in. the 2.27 class trot at Richmond last Wednesday, wa& considered so unsatisfactory by the Melbourne Trotting Club stewards that they decided to disqualify the gelding, together with his owner-rider (H. Emery), for 12 months. An unfontainaio mishap occurred to two hor*ee »n the 2.45 class trot at the meeting. Daisy Dean was endeavouring to pa-s on the inside of Clarke M'Kin.ney, when her off fore hoof struck and smashed the wheel of Cia-rke M'Kinney's s-ulky, necessitating the pulling up of both horses. T. Martin, the rider of Daisy Dean, accused L. Robeirfcon, who wae piloting Clarke M'Kinne\, with having- pulled in when. Daisy Dean was m the act of passing on the inside, but a searching inquiry which was subsequently held by the stewards completely exoneiated 1 Roberteon. As a result of the inquiry the stewards concluded that Martin had attempted to force Daisy Dean through on the inside when the opening was insufficient to warrant him taking such a ri3k. Thej considered that Martin had been guilty of negligent riding, and, after severely censuring him, ordered' him to make geed to Robertson the cost of the damage done by Daisy Dean. The Bendigo gelding Haut Boy (by Parcben) won the 2.45 bamdicap {&sec behind) and the 2.42 handicap (4see behind). The Emulator mare Nelly B. al. c o won a double — the 2.27 handicap (3sec behind) anil the 2.32 handicap (12eec behind). Certificates of identification in the case of the New Zealanders, Signor a.nd Cari6sima (who are shortly expected in Melbourne), have been, accepted as satisfactory by the V.R.C. The Australian jockeys, F. Bullock and C. Pratt, who were riding in Europe last season, returned to Melbourne by the German mail steamer Yorck last week. Bullock broke his journey at Fremaaitle some weeks ago, and rode at the recent West Australian Turf Club meeting, but Praitt came direct from Hamburg. Pratt hae decided to remain in Australia, but Bullock will return to Germany in six weeks' time. Dr Wateon, of Sjdney, has decided to dispose of his horses shortly, including the New Zealand jumper, Pilot. A profit of £6400 was made over the lecent West Australian Turf Club meeting. Prophecy, Hauiake, and Scorcher are expeoted in Melbourne from West Australia shortlj, and Kuorber, Lady Bobadil, Cat hard, and Ladj Motly (if she is well enough) are ateo returning: to Melbourne from the VVtbt Australia State in a few days. Neith. it is said. :« not hkelv to start for either the A.J.C. Challenge Stakes or Anniveisary Handicap. After a good spell, Poseidon hae reappeared on the training tracks at Raoid-wic-k. It is not intended to race him at : i he V.R.C. autumn meeting, but he will be given a chance of earning further fame as a racehoise at the A.J.C. autumn meeting. He will, howexer, only run in weigiit-for-age events. Lor-cl Xolan i* going on .\ell in his work for the autumn racing, and he will probably be given a special pieparation for the Aiittralian Cup and Champion Stakes. Peru was fhipppd to India, last week. During the course of a four-handed billiard match in Sjdney last week the Grajs (father and eon) against the Smiths (father and son), George- Gray made a break of 545. Included in the break were 145 conaecutne losing hazards off the red, which i<- a world's record. The Grays won | til..- match by 9000 points to 6459.