AUSTRALIAN CUP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 134, 16 February 1893, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN CUP.

The second forfeits for this race are also due to-day. Here are some more opinions of the Australian turf writers. “Rib'leden” in the Australasian says :—“ln the Australian Cup Mr Dakin has again begun too high, and with 9.10 I don’t expect The Admiral to start. The Champion Stakes will be more in his line. Malvolio, on form, cannot be classed as a weight-for-age horse, and people are beginning to say that his victory in the Melbourne Cup was a fluke. Possibly it was ; but personally I do not think so, and if Mr. Redfearn can bring him to the post fit and well he will take a deal of beating, because I think a long course suits him. Glenloth also won the Melbourne Cup, but also bearing in mind the circumstances under which the race was run, I am half inclined to think that in dealing with the probabilities of the future was no Melbourne Cup in 1892. Glenloth may win, but Ido not fancy him. Hopetoun is a vastly improved animal, but at equal weights I prefer Portsea’s chance to Hopetoun’s ; and St. Hippo may have to be reckoned with. St. Hippo, all the New Zealand critics agree, is the best horse seen in the insular colony for many years, and therefore he is entitled to respect; but as Mr Dakin has not the means of comparison on hand, I am at a loss to understand how he arrives at the conclusion that St. Hippo is a 41b better horse than Camoola. The New Zealand colt ought to have been placed on the same mark as Camoola, who is probably a better horse than the horse that is called upon to give weight to him. I have my doubts about Little Bernie, Realm, Chatham, and La Tosca. Camoola was a strong tip for the Melbourne Cup, and with the improvement he is supposed to have made in the interim his prospects cannot be over looked. I don’t care about Litigant, Clonard, Leviathan, and Autonomy, but Norbert has a handy weight, and for a place I should take him to be a good investment. Even with his penalty Sternchaser ought to have a chance; fit and well, he is a real good horse, well up to weight, and a good stayer; and The Captain may run better than is generally expected. Among the light weights I don’t fancy anything except Newman and Wolf. At present my preference is for the following half dozen:—Portsea, St. Hippo, Camoola, Norbert, Sternchaser and Newman.”

The Sydney correspondent of the same paper says : —“ I don’t think we shall see the best of Camoola this autumn. Booted and bandaged, the chestnut does not please me, and on January 24 he was not in it with Autonomy and Piecrust in a once round gallop on the training track. Autonomy moved in great form, and easily performed the journey in 2min 26sec. It was a real good gallop.”