Our Australian Letter

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 427, 29 September 1898, Page 15

Our Australian Letter

[By Our Own Correspondent.] New Zealand sires and dams — Levanter— Weight-for-age races at Randwick—The record high jump — Wayfarer—The Toorak Hatt dicap—Betting. Melbourne, September 20. Of a verity, has New Zealand come out on top at the recent A.J.C. Spring Meeting, for her direct —or indirect —descendants have been re sponsible for more than the ordinary and general average of races. The Musket sires, Nordenfeldt,

Trenton, and Carbine, each claimed a couple of winners, whilst Musket mares were the dams of The Grafter, Cravat, and Alemene. Then Captivator, Lochiel, and Russley, all New Zealand bred, sired each a couple of winners, whilst the Northern horse Castor sired Cravat. As showing the preponderance in favor of New Zealand-bred sires the only other to have two winners was Blairgowrie, whilst Sweet William, Abercorn, Saidnara, St. Swithin, Metal, and The Australian Peer could only have one winner each. What greater testimony to the New Zealand grasses, rearing, feeding, and mating could possibly be desired.

I presume you have had from Sydney the news that Levanter won both the Steeplechases during the meeting. It was generally considered a lucky performance beating Ranji on the first occasion, but “all’s well that ends well.” Levanter was some time ago sold through Mr W. Power to Capt. Scott (Mrs James White’s relict), and the horse will be shipped to England next month per the s.s. Ninevah.

The w.f.a. form at Randwick appears wonderfully puzzling to those “ not in the know.” First of all The Chief in the Hampden Stakes beat Merloolae, The Grafter, Cocos, etc.; then Merloolas defeated Amberite, The Grafter, and Co. Nevt we come to The Grafter leaving behind him Merloolas and Amberite, and then finally Amberite beating home Merloolas and another. It only shows what false events w.f.a. races are, and it would be as well for time limits to be fixed to all such. Right throughout we must consider the Rand wick running as being more than inconsistent, and I think it well to take very little notice of it, although the performances of Clarion bear a hall mark. A Sydney correspondent writes me that Merloolas will always beat Amberite, and should have won the Randwick Plate last Saturday. At Albany last week the high jump record of Spondulix of Oft 9in was badly beaten by Mahonga and Fairfield, who divided after tieing at 6ft 10|in. The height was certifi dtoby a surveyor and other gentlemen, so must stand as the Australian record

On Saturday last at Caulfield the Ten-miles Cross country Amateur Championship of Aust tralia was decided, the run being over the Caulfield course and natural country. As you are fond of amateur athletics in New Zealand I enclose the following tab e : —

TEN MILES CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP

OF VICTORIA. C. A. Bennett, Ballarat, 60min 23sec ... 1 H. G. Whiting, East Melbourne, 60min 31sec ... ... . 2 E. E Webster, Melbournians, 61min 45sec 3 C. E. Suffren, Ballarat, 61min 55sec 4 J. A. Stillwell, Essendon, 62min 15sec; A. L. Rowed, Malvern, 62min 213ec ; D. M'Donald, Auburn, 62min 42sec ; C. F. Scott, Ballarat, and P. Cook, Ballarat, 63mm O.lsec ; A. H. Wills, Essendon, 63minllsec; A. O. Barrett, Melbournians, 63min 12sec, and 85 others finished. The following are the scores of the teams: —Ist, Ballarat, 61; 2nd, East Melbourne, 123 ; 3rd, Melbournians, 129; 4th, Auburn, 188; sth Essendon, 197 ; 6th, East Ballarat, 2004; 7th,.Malvern, J 227; Bth, Melbourne, 237 ; 9th, Coburg. 430 ; 10th, E«st Melbourne, 437 ; 11th, Carlton. Bennett and Whiting came over the last jump but one together, when the former drew away and won very easily by five and twenty yards. This year’s champion is a cousin of last season’s hero, W. Cumming, to whom last year he ran second. Some first class entries have been received for the w.f.a. events to be run at Flemington oyer a mile and a quarter both next and the following Saturday. They include the names of Bobadil, Majestic, Elvsive, Heritic, Cardamon, Locksmith, Repeater, Catspaw, Battalion, Maseinissa, Wayfarer, Eiridsdale, Patriot, George Frederick, Hymeihus, Olaf, Moonlyong, Wait a-Bit,Cordite, Reaper, Lee Metford, Cocos, and Rosebery. We are thus anticipating seeing Bobadil in public pretty early, but as several of his opponents are better seasoned with racing the champion of his year will have to be on his best behaviour, and for one I shall quite expect t > see him downed. Wayfarer is not pleasing 'h tows so much as he was. It is only recently he has been despatched over a longer distance than a mile, and as he is a tearing beggar, always fighting with his bit, it is just possible the unbeaten one may exhaust himself over a journey. Eiridsdale and Thunder Queen are pleasing with their work most particularly, and this morning Contrast cub out a mile in the good time of linin 47isec, this being the fastest recorded this season. Catspaw is doing

grandly, and will take a lot of beating in any event he may be started in. Cardamon is on the improve, and. although he has too high a barrel to carry big weight it is quite on the cards his beautifully rounded ribs may enable the halfbrother to Abercorn to get a distance with a light weight. At Caulfield George Frederick and Marusa are acquitting themselves well in their work, whilst I hear that Olaf is doing all that Bob Batty asks him. Good reports are to hand from Burrumbeet concerning Cordite, and we shall in a couple of days see Cocos for ourselves as Payten has left Sydney by boat for headquarters. Yesterday the weights for the Toorak Handicap were issued, and Mr Vowles has made an especially flattering handicap, but at first glance I like one one of those in at 7.7, viz., Aroha, Contrast and Ota.

Wayfarer still rules first favourite at 100 to 8 for the Caulfield Cup, and has been backed at 1000 to 4 for both cups. At 100 to 6 Reka is in strong demand, but fair prices can be obtained about others. Merloolas and Clarion are equal favourites for the Melbourne Cup, at 100 to 8, whilst 100 to sis on offer about Amberite. £5OO to £4OO has been written about Bobadil for the V.R C. Derby, and the doubles, Derby and Cup, Bobadil and Clarion, as also with Reka and The Grafter written for £lO,OOO each.