OUR SYDEY LETTER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 175, 30 November 1893, Page 8

OUR SYDEY LETTER.

(from our own correspondent.) November 23. 4 N.S.W.’ has returned from the Melbourne carnival, and will have to replenish before it tackles another big meeting. Not only owners, trainers, punters and jockeys lost, but one of this unfortunate colony’s mammoth bookmakers came out on the wrong side.

Toby Moran has wasted no time in his profession lately. Last Saturday week he rode a second at Canterbury Park ; on the following Tuesday rode a second in the Melbourne Cup, and followed this up by winning on Bendigo last Saturday at Rosehill.

The recent reverses affect every phase of sport. The entries for suburban meetings have fallen off somewhat, but with so many horses in training it can only be temporary. Several country horses names appear in the last list. The roan hurdler Violin is showing his heels to South Australian horses. He won a race at the Gawler Meeting. Newman, Froude, and Lord Plausible are the strong addition to Orville-Lodge stable. Kelso will be more dangerous than ever with this stayer, sprinter and hurdler contingent. £395 was all the stable money won by the syndicate stable. This must have been wiped out very soon and a big lump on the other side put up. Backer: ‘ What won ?’ Bookie : 4 Donation.’ Backer : ‘ What price ?’ Bookie : ‘ Pay-tens.’ Pulverised and removed. Rats desert a sinking ship, and the tote man is advertising his ‘ sporting business’ for sale. The Rowans were fined /'bo for the Redfern business. On dit, that an Anti-Tote League is to be started, and the question will be a serious one at the coming elections. That will knock some of the apathetic stuffing out of the would-be-members again. The grand little Portsea showed the most consistent running of any horse during the V.R.C. Meeting, but Cup Day was not one of his lucky ones There is more luck than people imagine in horse racing. The 4 photoracia’ is causing a great deal of comment, as any man with eyes cannot believe the photo taken of the Caulfield Cup finish can be correct. They might prove whether it is so by placing six cameras side by side and take half a dozen snap-shots at the same moment by the aid of electricity. The ‘ people’s watch-dog’ calls it < hynotic influence’ that the toteman has over the police. One could understand the no tic part of the word, but not more. Some of our jockeys are very partial to doubles, and are far from strangers in the shops. It is laughable to see one of the knowing crowd watching the boys, and then sneak off to forestall them at another place. Cremorne turned out to be the tip for the Coal Stakes, and not the Melbourne Cup. The son of Nea was backed as heavily as anything else in Sydney, but he ran absolutely last. All There is another smart ’un coming to Sydney, and this bay gelding goes into Forrester’s stable to be readied. Considering the son of Leolinus —Lyre cut out the V.R.C. Farewell mile in imin 4 1 sec he unmistakeably possesses pace, and under the clever tuition of W.F. should annex a valuable handicap. The owner of Loyalty is coming to take up his quarters permanently at Randwick. He owns some smart horses, and with his trips to Maoriland and his luck on this side Dan O’Brien should make things hum. Cecil Parker was suspended for a month by the V.R.C. for disobedience at the post when riding Mirridong in the Epsom Handicap on Tuesday. He did not get placed, and the fast two-year-old has not proved such a success as anticipated. Regina did keep up the prestige of N.S.W. youngsters when he won the Flemington Stakes, or matters would have looked glum indeed. Twenty Winks, own sister to the sensational chestnut Forty Winks, by Somnus —Brenda, has joined the pony ranks. She looks very racey, but has never run up to anything like her relative’s form.

More talk of another unregistered racecourse. This time near Ashfield, a place very easy of access from the city. It seems absurd to endeavour to open up another course when we have twice as many as are required at the present time.

Such luxuries should become a source of revenue to the country, and considering gate-money is so heavy a little ‘ earmarking’ would do a world of good (to the country).

Say, for instance, that half a million of people go racing in the year (and this is only allowing less than ten thousand a week with all the meetings held). Of these 300,000 pay their half sovereign and go into the paddock, and the other 200,000 patronise the Leger. Earmark the half-sovereign a shilling for the Government and the Leger and entrance sixpence, and it would bring in the neat little, amount of twenty thousand pounds to the revenue. It is worth thinking about by a country which welcomes a £3 fine into the treasury, even when squeezed out of the swindling toteman.

It passes all understanding why the richest men in the colonies, who never turn a hand to the supplies or work for the country, but live on luxuries from the time they are born till they die, should escape taxation so easily. These men are bookmakers, and if they had the reins of power they could not have arranged matters better for themselves. Why should they be allowed to give or receive without the usual stamped receipt ? The betting ticket is really an unstamped receipt besides an acknowledgement to pay, and thereby ought to be on the P.N. basis if not on the receipt. At present nothing has been said about owners having 4 stood in’ over the big consultations, and more than likely the changes in the routine, causing an additional amount of time toelapse between drawing and knowing who are the lucky owners of prizes, have stopped the participation business. Let us hope so.

Backers of the second favourite on the system of going one better each lose, and coming back to the original directly you win at the V.R.C. Meeting would have lost /12 on the meeting, betting in 4 pounds.’ A great many did worse than this backing their fancies, and first favourite backers went home 4 bust.’

The Melbourne Sportsman fell terribly into the mire in their last issue through copying an interview with Carnage’s jockey in the Melbourne Cup, which considering it was printed in Sydney before Moran returned, was purely a matter of imagination. The illiterate and somewhat blasphemous style had it been true, would not have shone to the credit of Toby, and it is just as well that those who don’t know him should be made aware of the fact that he is nothing like he is painted in the sketch referred to.

From all accounts the ‘ Wallaby’ crowd going and coming to Flemington was larger than ever. No wonder. We had just the same thing at our Randwick meetings, and if things don’t improve there will be more still next time.

It is a pity one or two of our three-year-olds cannot be conveyed to England to see how they would shape beside the cracks there. A race between Carnage, Isinglass, Loyalty and Raeburn would cause intense excitement.

Change of trainers, horses, etc., is freely reported now the big meeting is over, and there is a lot of tiuth in the rumour. These matters are not done too suddenly. To show what a remunerative game ‘ laying ’em’ is several of the big bucks on the other side have gone to India and the 4 Continong’ for a holiday. A strange coincidence. A great favourite’s name in the Caulfield Cup ended in * eller,’ and he was beaten by an outsider whose name also ended in 4 eller.’ A great favourite’s name in the Melbourne Cup ended in ‘ oola.’ He was beaten by an outsider whose name ended with the same letters.

Jeweller nearly won the Cup, and had the race been a 1 ooyds longer he would have brought the rich prize to Sydney — bar accidents. His running last week showed he was improving, and he came with a tremendous rush at the right end of the fast run two miles, which would have been 4 questioned ’ had he passed the post first.

W. Delaney made up for not winning the Cup on Jeweller by getting Utter home for the Yan Yean Stakes in the smart time of imin 41-fsec. Leviathan Oxenham soon scored a win on his return with Utter.

A well known Sydney lawyer who won a fair stake last year over Glenloth, received the tip to back Tarcoola. He wishes he had taken it to a good amount now, but like many others he could not 4 Imogene’ such a horse winning. A few falls in horse racing knock the nerve out of the best of jocks. Some can stand more than others, but every fall tells. One of our used-fo-be smart boys, who was riding in the Cup, would have taken his mount home first, had he retained his old form.