CARDRONA RACES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 228, 24 March 1874, Page 6

CARDRONA RACES.

The- Annual Oafflrona came off on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 17th and 18th instants. Notwithstanding the faot that a very attractive programme had been "prepared by horses was very poor','and on the whole the •meeting miist be described as. the, worst '..'wliibh has ever come off, the auspices of the: Cardrona,, Jopite'y' Club, , Nearly a : couple ! of hundred people gathered to see the raoes, the attendance being confined, with ;only a rew, exceptions, to people resident in the Cardrona and its immediate neighbourli6od.'; Of those who were present, about one half were Chinamen,' who appeared to take a lively interest in the proceedings.". , The sports, which tpok place on both days, appeared to give much more satisfaction than any of the races. The Chinese races especially were the cause of, much, amusement to both Europeans and Chinese. The Chinese were amused, because it connected them, as it were, with the day's proceedings, and, no European, one would imagine, could help laughing at the strange gait and action of the Celestial runners. Ah Goon proved himself the best runner the first day, but, on the second, it was Ah Chong, apicanninny Chinaman, abont ten years old. The handicappers are suspected to have somewhat favoured 'Mm. : i The White family proved too many for ""their opponents in the foot-racing, leaping, and vaulting contests, as may be seen below. Bobbin was the only competitor who could • contend with them on anything like equal terms, and it appears he was not in his usual 'form. Although the meeting on the whole, from a 'racing point of view, was a failure, yet the ' Stewards deserve great praise for the manner in which they carried through the work they had to do. No unnecessary delays took place between the various races, as generally hap"pens; Mr M'Doftgall acted on both days as /'judge, Mr Bond as starter, and Mr Cullen as 'Clerk of the Course. Each,of,them filled 'their offices well. . .'* ' The details of the various races are" as follows : "_'*'' u ;% A '"..' ". .,'., . .j,'./!;? '"- F I PT ; DAY. ,". ,:; " Maiden Platk, of 10 sovs. Weight for age. ~ Onemile. . ■ > P. Welsh's eg Little Dick, 4 yrs .. ... ... 1 1). M'O/regor'3 b g Garryowen, aged ... ,;. 2 D,. .M'Oregon's b m Nellie,,4yrs ~. ... ... 3 "T. Cottar's br g Chance, 4 yrs ... ... ; ... 0 H. Jones' b m Black. Bess, 4 vrs ... ... ... 0 J. Tome's ghj Monarch, aged ...... ... 0 District Handicap, of 15 soys. One mile and a half. "Toughy's c g Port Philip Buck, 4 yrs, 9st 31b 1 Eussells cin Lady Pembroke, 3 yrs, 6st 61b 2 Little Hawea, 9st 121b, and Stonewall Jackson, 9sfc 61b, were scratched. ,-. - Ladies' Purse, of 15 sovs. Welter weights for , , age. One mile and a quarter. ..'Toughy's Little Hawea, 5 yrs, list 131b ... 1 Russell's Cissy,.3 vrs. lOst 4lb ... 2 Toughy's Port Philip' Buck, 4 yrs, 11st 51b 3 Handicap Trotting Back, of £7 10s. Three i miles. , Russell's Jessie, 250 yds 1 Ewing's Smoothy Jack, 300 yds ... 2 Partridge's Bendigo, scratch 3 Torrie's Monarch, 200 yds 0 The handicappers in this race thought fit to place the only horse from a distance at scratch, although it had never won a race before. Their conduct in so doing was very unfavourably criticised by many of the spectators.

SECOND. DAY. Purse, of 10 sovs. No weight less than lOst. H. Jones' Black Bess ... 1 Austin's Nelly Grey ... 2 Russell's Smoothy Jack was scratched. - Cardrona Handicap, of 30 sovs. Toughy's Little Hawea, 5 yrs ... .. ... 1 Toughy's Matilda ... ... 2 Tuoghy's Port Philip Buck was also entered, but, as can easily be understood, was •scratched. Hack Rack, of £7 10s. Three-quarter mile heats. No weight less thau lOst. T. Cotter's Jennie ... 311 D. McGregor's Garryowen ... 12 2 R, Welsh's Little D'ick 2 3H. Jones' Black Bess 0 0Hurry Scurry, of 5 sovs. One mile. Catch weights. Toughy's Port Philip Buck 1 Cotter's Jennie ... 2' Russell's Lady Pembroke 3 ATHLETIC SPORTS. Several sports took place on both the first and second days, before and between the horse racing events. The principal of these were as follows : Handicap Foot Pace, 150 yards. First prize, L.2 ; second, L.I.—H. White, (5 yds), 1 ; Dobbin (scratch), 2; R. W. Wells (scratch), 3. The following also ran :—A. Torrie, 9 yds ; J. Torrie,. 8 yds ; D. White, 5 yds ; G. Partridge, 7 yds. Running High Leap. First prize, 30s; Becond prize, lOs.~D. White, 1; Dobbin, 2; J. Torrie, 3. Chinese Race. First prize, 20s; second, 10s.—Ah Goon, 1; Ah Chuck, 2. Foot Race. L.l. D. White, 1; 11. Dobbin, 2; H. White, 3. ' Chinese Race. First prize, 203 ; second, 10s ;" third, sa.—Ah Chong, 1; Ah Sing, 2 ; All Sue, 3. Four others ran. Vaulting with Pole. ' First prize, L.2; second, L.1.-W. Allen' 1; J. Tome, 2; D. White, 3.