SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 173, 1 November 1910, Page 8

SPORTING.

THE MELBOURNE CUP. • SCRATCHIXIiS. By Cable—rress Association—Copyright . | Received 31, 0.53 p.:«. j Melbourne. (.molkt 31. | The following li.r.e Im.il scratched fru:,i the Cup:— Langloh, Conge Dsla-e anil :.lo!-.:i.i. L'nlikely starter: l'jtroniit: ■'.. | LL...CRIBING THE DERBY. ! Sydney, October 31. The Sydney Morning Herald describes the Victorian Derby.as a veritable boil over. Right up to the rise of the barrier it was all Tananii. After that a lot of other horses were mentioned, but Tananii was never heard of. He started off as he finished, at the tail. The field was, on the whole, well conditioned and the largest since Carnage won in 18!)2. When they lined upon at barrier St. Wynne was on the rails, and the extended order was Beverage, Indiscreet, Tananii, Hartfell, with Desert Rose on the outer wing. They were quickly despatched on their important mission in a line which was soon broken bv Beverage, Desert Rose and Styria, while St. Wynne and Tananii dropped to the rear. Setting a sound pace, Beverage carried the field along the riverside until nearing the bridge, where 1) - rt Rose ran past him and, fully main, lining the pace, conducted the field 1 aloir the back to the ha'f mile post. Here Leverage, who had been kept within" easy striking distance of '■ the leader, again assumed the command and successfully resisted a bold challenge froj- who had escorted him into, th. -ti:iight, and won by three-quarters I of a length, with Bobadea four lengths away and Hartfell next. . The Telegraph says that common consent allows that there was not a real smasher among the eleven starters, and that many winners of previous Derbys could have wiped the floor with the lot. Desert Rose went to the front at the end of the second furlong and carried the field along right to the home turn where Beverage and Styria joined issiu, but once in line for home the one-eyed 'Beverage assumed command. He was two lengths from Styria at'the distance, and shook off a bold bid by that filly and won by a short length.

FLEMINGTON TRAINING NOTES. Flemington, October 31. Matouree did s six furlongs in lmin 20 sec., Olivaster a mile in lmin. 48sec, Alawa the same, Trafalgar a mile in lmin. 46y 2 sec, Flavinius a mile in lmin. 50sec, Maltine half a mile in 56sec, Comedy King and Apple Pie a mile in lmin. 48 1 / 2 sec, Lady Lucy twelve furlongs in 2min. 48y 2 sec., Eric a mile in lmin. 46sec., Pendil half a mile in 52scc, Bobadea and Danaus the same, Kirn a mile in lmin. 50sec, Flavian the same, Prizefighter a mile in lmin. 49sec, Mutilator did strong work, and Moorilla and Isothermal slow work. THE MELBOURNE CUP. (By "Moturoa"). "Melbourne Cup Day!" There is something electrifying in those three words. The 3 Melbourne" Cup—to Australasians the greatest cup of all—will be decided this afternoon, and the very thought awakens in the sportsman's heart a thrill of interest unsurpassable. Flemington is our Mecca to-day. Flemington, with its thousands upon thousands of worshippers at the shrine of Pegasus; its wonderful hill and lawns ablaze with a vast, restless concourse of men and women garbed in summer raiment; the whole place a shimmer of excitement, of pleasure, of unmixed joy. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have witnessed the great sight—to have been lost'in the glorious fever of the hourhave stamped in our brains an indellible picture of a scene unparalleled. Our less fortunate brothers can only enter in spirit into the interesting event, but they can promise themselves, when the fickle dame smiles on them, a trip to Melbourne and a share in the joy and excitement which envelopes a Cup gathering. To-day's race is a jubilee event—the "fiftieth occasion on which the race has been run. From 1861 to the present tlav is a long call—that is, for the young colonies—but year after year without cessation the trump drawing-card has been this race, and it goes without saying that this generation shall not see a break in the march of events.

In its way, the Melbourne Cup has a lot to answer for. The huge band of avowed sportsmen can have no idea of its outside influence. Xo doubt you have met hundreds of men and women who would hold their hands up in holy terror if you mentioned putting, say, a pound on Paritutu in the National. They would also probably tell you that Hobart "sweeps" ouffht to be wiped right out. But a considerable majority of these humbugs quietly put a note or two on their colony's representative,' or send to Tasmania for a ticket in a sweep, and only once a year—at Cup time. They probably spend the rest of th>> year making it up with their con=ciences. Who knows? Truly the infiur (■' the race spreads over a big field. Taking an average, twe" : s about the usual field for t' l 'i.

Carbine's year it rose to 3D; ."'it dwindled as low as in. To-dav's :• • 'vis drawn forty acceptors, and after making allowance for those only Wt : p -■' iV off-chance of sharing part of tlu 1 "- money," the Held should h-> well ;•' the average. Maoriland horses wv ■■■ freely nominated, but sickness and other misfortunes have decimated our ranks, anil, as the card shows, we can claim but four—Artillerie. Lady Lucy, Kerlie and Idyll—in to-day's race. Favoritism will probably rest on Comedy King and Trafalgar. * The former is a well-set-up son of Persimmon, and has been solidly supported since he defeated "Prince Foote in the Spring Stakes, one and a-half miles, at Rand-Wick recently. A fortnight ago he was troubled with'a touch of influenza, but has now thrown that off. Trafalgar has been the hero of so many long-distance handicaps that

his deeds require no re-counting. He is the genuine stayer of the crowd, and even with !).'2 is sure to run a solid race. In recent years the favorite lias mostly been well up at the business end and, commencing with Carbine (18!)0) the publie have had a good run for their money, '.'u the interim, Xowhaven (18!)(i), Merri•vee (18!)!)). Revenue (1901), Lord Car"isriin (1!)03). Apologue (1!)07) and Prince Voote (1!)0!)), all'flrst favorites, have been first past the post. Of the Xew Zealandevs, Lady Livjv must have a stayer's chance, and she is reported to be quite well again. Artillerie mi well on Saturday, and may shake things a little. A victory for either of the latter pair would be hailed with delight throughout the Dominion. May the best horse win! Six racehorses were shipped north lithe Rarawa last night by Messrs E. .!. Watt. J: O'DriseolCand R. Barlow. 1). Ma her has pocketed .£4OOO for r \- iii2f Lord R'osebcry's Xeil Cur this yea/. Lord Rosebery, who is a genius and tumultuously rich, lately said that poverty was good fiir men of genius. Up to now he has not applied for admission to any workhouse and fte didn't have to borrow tint £4OOO to pay Mailer with. The attention of horse-owners is drawn' to the fact that nominations for the Waitara meeting close on Saturday evening next, November 5. The telegraph' office closes at 8 p.m.