Sport in Australia.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 763, 20 October 1904, Page 8

Sport in Australia.

(By Our Special Correspondent.) Sydney, October 10. Those who have put their dollars on the Auckland horse Wairiki for the Melbourne Cup have some reason to feel uneasy about him, as he has been an absentee from the training track at Flemington for a whole week. When last seen out at headquarters lie did not please the touts as he seemed to be going short, and the latest bulletin from Flemington is “ Wairiki is still missing. It : s now nearly a week since we saw anything of him and it must be said that things begin to look a bit serious.” It should not be forgotten, however, that very much the same thing occurred in Wairiki’s training when he was being prepared for the last New Zealand Cup, and yet he ran a great race in that event, finishing second to Canteen. I was a regular attendant at the morning work at Riccarton at that time and spoke to his trainer, Jerry M'Hugh, concerning the horse’s absence, and he assured me that the horse in his opinion did not require half the work of other horses as he was such a perfectly clear-winded animal. Notwithstanding that assurance, however, I think M £ Hugh must have doubts about the horse’s soundness or he would put more work into him to enable him to meet horses that have been wound up to the hour. Wairiki still maintains his posi-

tion in the betting, but that may be owing to the fact that he already carries a considerable amount of public money as well as to the respect which the bookmakers show towards anything with New Zealand credentials, and especially to a horse that has run second in a New Zealand Cup and first in an Auckland Cup. While Wairiki has been causing anxiety to his followers the performances of the other New Zealand candidate, Canteen, for Melbourne Cup distinction have been filling his backers with increased hope. A dav or two ago he is credited with a smashing gallop over eleven furlongs on the sand track at Flemington. He did not begin at a particularly fast pace, the three first furlongs taking 40scc, but later on when he picked up Narelle the grey began to reel off the furlongs at a tremendous bat. He coveted the first mile in lmin 46sec, nine furlongs in lmin 584-sec, a mile and a-quarter in 2min 12isec, and. the full trip in 2m.in 25 J, see. This is easily the track record for Flemington. Hova once astonished the touts by covering the same distance in 2niin and years before that Mata was credited with a similar performance, but Canteen has now knocked them ail out, and what is more it did not appear to cost him any great effort either. This watch-breaking - performance is the talk of the hour, and it is not surprising, therefore, to find that he is now increasing in favour and if he maintains his foim he will nearly start favourite. It will be a great surprise indeed if New Zealand does not supply the favourite for both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. The New Zealand-bred Gladsome is a hot favourite for the Caulfield event. At the V.R.I . October meeting this brilliant mare sported silk in the October Stakes, a wcight-for-age race, and although she carried a 71b penalty, making her weight &st 21b, she romped home in 2min Sqsec for the mile and a-'quarter. She started favourite at 3 to 1 on in a field of nine, and had behind her, hopelessly beaten, such horses as Combat and Fairy Stakes. The first two-year-old race of I he season, the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes, was decided at the October Alee ting of the V.R.C., the 175 sovs bringing out a field of eleven. The unexpected happened, as The Infanta, the biggest outsider in the race, going out at 20 to 1, won by half-a-length from the favourite, Royal Star. The winner is a filly by Bobadil out of The Heroine. A three-year-old filly, Harvest Home, by Hova —Harvest Lass, distinguished herself by winning the double, the Paddock Handicap, six furlongs, and the Stai Handicap, one mile and a-quarter. With 7st 41b in the saddle she beat Gladsome’s time in the October Stakes, so that it is evident she is not a bad one. A fatal accident occurred at the Maitland Hospital Benefit Meeting. Previous to the running for the Ladies’ Bracelet Boy Jim, ridden by L. Bushell and Jessie Moss, ridden by John Logue, were doing a preliminary in the straight when Boy Jim swerved and colliding with Jessie Moss both horses fell. Both boys were tendered unconscious, and 1 ogue died in a-quarter of an hour. The other boy recovered consciousness, but his elbow was fractured. Chere Amie has left for Melbourne. Fe put up an excellent performance at Randwick before leaving, covering a mile and a furlong in lmin 59sec, and easily defeated Fashoda who received a long start. Chere Amie, it will be remembered, started favourite in the Epsom Handicap. The V.R.C. received a splendid general entry for the Spring. Canteen, Wairiki, and Gladsome have been freely engaged. Training operations are now in full swing at both Caulfield and Flemington, but the winding-up stage has not been reached and the best gallop reported so far is that of Canteen. The Melbourne Cup candidate Lord Cardigan has left for Melbourne. He has been doing remarkably well in his work at Randwick, and a morning or two aso he galloped a mile and a-quarter in quite his best style. He went at an even pace all the way, and traversed the distance in 2min 15-?,sec. Evans, the crack pony jockey who has had wonderful success, has been disqualified for a year by the Kensington stewards i'ot for any fault of his riding, but because he was the owner of a pony named Freelander, who in the opinion of the stewards was tied up in a race last week. The stewards on the nony courses arc more wide awake than those at Randwick, but perhaps they need to be. Sydney, October 13. When T strolled into the Rosebery Park Racing Club’s office the other day T was pleasantly surprised to find two old Aucklanders. These were Tim O’Connor, who is on a visit here, and Paddy Nolan. Their mission was the entry of the pony Vulpine for the 14.3 Handicap run last Monday. Handicappers view importations from New Zealand with a very considerable amount of respect, and Vulpine was made second ton-weight with Bst 71b. She failed, but she did not appear to be quite ready, and T expect to see her run better later on when she has a

little weight ta/ken off. '1 here is a good field for ponies here as there are three pony meetings every week, at which the sum of £23,910 is distributed among ponies in Sydney alone every year. The only business done in the Sydney betting market on M ednesday was the backing of Acrasia for the Caulfield Cup for several thousands at 100 to 4 and 5, and she finished up at 100 to 6. Some solid business was transacted on the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne, and Gladsome promises to start the hottest favourite on record for the big mile and a-half handicap. She was supported to the extent of £12,000 at 4 to 1, and the same price was on offer at the close. Demas was well supported at 7 to 1. Murmur was backco for £4OOO and advanced to 100 to 7, at which price Tartan, Wingaroon, and Acrasia were quoted, 100 to 5 was on offer about Emir and l<>o to 4 against Ossian. The victory of Sylvan King in the Coongy 7 Handicap brought him into notice for the Melbourne Cup, in which he is weighted at 6st 131 b, and he was quoted at 100 to 8, but no business was done. Consequent on his running in th Eclipse Stakes Canteen receded from 8 to 1 to 12 to 1. Acrasia was backed for the Melbourne Cup at 100 to 4 for £4OOO. Demas for the Caulfield Cup and Acrasia for the Melbourne Cup was backed for £4OOO. The second day of the V.A.T.C. Meeting yesterday was favoured by fine weather. 'The Nursery Handicap was won by the favourite, the Sydney-bred colt Dantzic, by Haut Brion —Dearest. Achilles sister Dora Grey ran prominently for a time, but failed to see it out. The Eclipse Stakes brought out most of the prominent horses in the weight-for age division, and was consequently full of interest. In the field of eleven Canteen was made favourite at 3 to 1. F.-'.A. cut out the running, but Nuncio took command in the straight closely attended by Canteen. The favourite quite failed in the struggle home., Nuncio, who is a three-year-old by Strathmore, winning by three-parts of a length from Koopan. who was a length in front of Canteen, who had the benefit of the services of the crack jockey R. Lewis. The Coongy Handicap brought out a big field, including candidates for both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Sylvan Kino-, who had a 101 b allowance, was a strong order at 2 to 1, and he won easi by two lengths from Acrasia. with Mac Donovan third, Antilles fourth, and Chere Amie fifth. The Moonga Handicap was won by Baden Powell. in this event the Medallion horse Regio started favourite, but he failed to run up to his Randwick form and had to be content with second place. Canteen changed hands on Tuesday last, his new owner being Sir Rupert Clarke, and the New Zealand grey will in future be domiciled with the aristocrats of Scobie’s Ballarat stable. The price at which Canteen changed hands is not stated, but it is understood to be more than 3000 guineas. He sported his new owner’s colours in the Eclipse Stakes yesterday, but ran so disappointingly that he at once receded in the betting for the Melbourne Cup. I do not think that there was much cause for the retrograde movement for the extra Cup distance will suit such a proved stayer, and moreover he will have a lot of weight off his back.