SPORTING NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 3620, 29 September 1874, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

{By our Sporting Contributor.) Captain Hutchison’s mare Miss King has dropped a colt foal to Traducer, the sire of bo many racehorses that have run foremost at the various New Zealand meetings. The Australian Jockey Club Spring Meeting concluded on the 12th instant, and files to hand furnish us with full particulars of each day’s racing. The rainy weather that prevailed during the meeting appears to have had a depressing influence, the attendance on no one day being large. However, some bieelleHt sport to have been provided for Bucp as werd present, f hoticed the first day’s racing in a previous issue, so shall now proceed to that on the 10th, on which the great' event, the Metropolitan, was run. The bare result of this race we have previously learned by telegraph,' but now th< fpu description before up. It appears that Goldsborough started a rather warm favorite, being freely backed at 3 to V; Reprieve, The Arrow, and Fits Y attendoo were next in favor at from 5t07t0 I; Sterling at 8 to 1, Horatio and Dag worth in the outer division, at 20 to 1 against eah. Ninteeen started, Sterling taking a good place, Goldsborough being one of the last to get away, but the latter coming up on the outside after the stand was passed. At the five-furlong post, however, just as the favorite was being called upon, Llama, who had cut out the running at a gnat pace. and swerving against him, fh°cked £im out his stride. Some people say this lost Goldsborough the race, but be that as It may, f terling came out on receiving a reminder, and won rather easily by two lengths or nearly so. Goldsborough was fegopd. bpatjpg Dy Bathe’s plucky little Maid p| Ayenel by only a head; Horatio fi?m® very fast at the finish, and was close on to the Maid, while Dagworth cantered in among the last half-dozen. Mr Ivory’s win Wag a source of grpat dplight tp the bookmakers, for his colt had not been backed by the public, while Goldsborough had for months past been strongly supported, be aides being largely taken in doubles. There is great diversity of opinion as to the time in which the race was ran, the official one being something under 3min 37sec, while other time-keepers give 3min 38sec. and even as much as 3min 39sec. On the third day, in i^ ra F e h Platej Mgjd pf Ayepel, parrying 191b more than in the Metropolitan, neat Goldsborough by a clear length, though the latter carried on by the same as in the big race, but this defeat is ascribed to the pasting he then got. There was a fine race for the President’s Handicap, Fitz-Yatteudon, who met the Metropolitan winner on 91bs better terms, turning the tables on Sterling, but beating him by a head only. The popular Governor secured another win also with Kings, borough in’ the'‘Mart s’ ‘Produce Stakes, in which he pantered in with ost 9lbs on* his back at bis leisure. It is this colt’s fortune to nave met nothing this season that can touch him. Llama managed to pull off the Members’ Handicap, carrying 7st 91bs, and beating Melbourne, Nea, The JNovice, &c., and the Maid of Avenel again carried Dr Bathe’s colors to the fore in the Waverly Handicap, receiving a stone from Fitz-Yat-tendon, and beating him by a length and In the Randwick Plate, Dagworth (9at lllbs) and Horatio (9at 51ba) met, the former winning easily ; but as in the Cup the latter will meet the old horse on 91bs better terms, their positions will probably be reversed. According to the ‘ Leader, ’ Horatio s running in this race was sufficient to cause him to be backed to win L 5.000 in the Cup at 100 to 8.

Owing to the majority of the bookmakers not having yet returned to Melbourne, there is not much doing there in the betting market, but vi olds borough still holds the post of honor at, nominally, 5 to 1 against him. Horatio and Lapidist have been baeked down to 100 to 10 each ; Fitz-Yat-teadon, at lOOto 8 Fugleman, 100 to 6;

Speculation, Cleolite, and the Diver, 100 to o; for others there are no quotations. “Augur” advises thatGoldsboroughshould not be touched, in the face rumors th->t it is possible he may change hands, and the same writer speaks of Lapidist as having greatly improved of late. Lurline and The dee are reported to be in grand form ; and while the Diver has a great many friends, ot hers say his bad leg will never s and training. Humor has it that Break o’ Day has gone into Mr James Wilson’s stable, and that the Cup is as great a certainty for him as last year’s was for Don Juan. After Javelin’s splendid running at Hand wick he is thought to have a good show for the Cup, if he can recover from the effects of his struggle in the Spring Stakes.

The ‘ Australasian ’ in an article speaks of the Cup race as being likely to lose its prestigs, through all interest in it being Inst so long before the race, from the fact of one horse being looked on as the certain winner if in health on the day. It thinks also that the finances of the Victorian Racing Club will suffer for the same reason, as the speculation on the race, and consequently the attendance at the meeting, will be materially xeduced thereby. The rem-dy recommended is that the weights should not be declared till after the Rand wick meeting, the * A usiralasian ’ affirming if such had been done this year “Goldsborough would have received a stone more weight, and such horses as Dagworth, Horatio, The Ace, Lurline, The Arrow, and King of the Ring would have got some show, whereas they are considered clean ‘ wiped out’ by Goldsborough. ” There is doubtless much to be said on both sides, but as far as New Zealand is concerned the alteration would certainly debar any candidates being sent from here, as seven or eight weeks would not be sufficient time in which to forward a horse, with any certainty of bis being fit to run for the Cup. A longer spell is needed, and of course owners are not iikelv to risk valuable animals by starting them on a sea voyage before knowing what they may receive at the handicapper’s hands.