RACING IN AUSTRALIA.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 994, 14 September 1903, Page 3

RACING IN AUSTRALIA.

BEL AH WINS A.J.C. DERBY. t VICTORY FOR THE NEW ZEALAND CHAMPION. - ■ By Telegraph— Press Association— Copyright 5 Received 5.51 p,m., Sept. 12. | Sydney, Sept. 12. There was glorious weather and a large attendance at the races to-day. The results were: — Hurdles. -Steol Rail 1, Liberty 2, Taiwan 3. Five started. Awahuri was scratched. Won easily. Time 4.261Trial Stakes. —St. Modan 1, P.K. 2, j T.M.S. 3. Thirteen started. Won by half a length. Timo, 2.91. A.J.C. Derby. Mr J. East’s blk c Belah, by Havoc— Wilga 1 Sir Rupert Clarke’s br f Sweet Nell, by Haut Brion —Novelette 11. ... 2 Mr E. Fraser’s br c Duke of Grafton, by Grafton —Disgrace 3 —Also started Postulate and Dumont. The betting was 9 to 4 on Duko of Grafton, Bto 1 Bolab. The latter led all tho way, and won comfortably by a length. Time, 2.391. .

Epsom Handicap. Famous 1 Faithful ... ... ... 2 Saida 3 —All started but St. Modan. Betting : 4 to 1 Famous, 5 to 1 Faithful. From an oven start Ibex and Air Motor were in the van until woll in the straight. Famous and Faithful then came through, and a good fight ended in a win for the favorite by a short half length. Time, 1.40. Spring Stakes, Mr G. G. Stead’s ch m Cruciform, syrs, by St. Leger—Forme, 9.1,... I Mr G. L. Macdonald's br m Wakeful, aged, by Trenton—lnsomnia, 9.1 2 Mr T. Borthwick’s b h Postilliou, 4.yrs, by Positano (imp)—Citronelle, 9.1 3 -Also started : Tho Victory. Betting : 7 to 4 on Wakeful, 2 to 1 against Cruciform. The latter led all tho way, but opposite the St. Leger stand Wakeful drew up level, and a splendid finish resulted in favor of the New Zealander by a head. Time, 2.362 Kensington Handicap. —Kelp 1, Long Tom 2, Sasin 3. Won by a neck. Time, 1.29.

LATE BETTING. GREAT OVATION FOR ’ NEW ZEA LAND HORSE AND OWNER.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Received 12.40 a.m., Sept. 14. Sydney, Sept. 13. There was a large attendance and spirited wagering at the Metropolitan card reading on Saturday night. Cyanide was backed to win £4OOO at 100 to-6; Nothos, £3BOO, at the same price. For Faithful there was medium to lively speculation, £3300 beiog booked at from 7 to 6 to 1. St. Monda had £3900 written against him, and T.M.S., after being backed for £2500, hardened to Bto 1. Ossian was at medium ; tbe heaviest wagering was £7400, taken on his behalf, all but £I3OO being for the owner, causing tho price to rise from 100 to 2£ to 100 to 5. The closing prices were: 6 to 1 Faithful, 7 to 1 Famous, 8 to 1 T.M.S., 100 to 7 St. Modan, 100 to 6 Highflyer, Cyanide and Nothos. After the reading T.M.S. was backed to win several hundreds at-7 to 1, while Famous weakentd to Bto 1. The tipsters favor Faithful, T.M.S., and St. Modan. Mr Stead has purchased the mare Curfew Bell for 300 gs. Cruciform’s brilliant victory, in the Spring Stakes won for horse and; owner one of the biggest,ovations ever witnessed at Randwick. As the horses passed the post the suppressed excitement found vent in loud cheering, which continued for several minutes.

AUSTRALASIA’S TWO GREATEST i MARES. “ Asmodeous,’’ writing on the morning of the race, stated The meeting of those two great mares, Wakeful and Cruciform, in the weight-for-age events at the Australian Jockey Club’s spring gathering will be the means of infusing a deal of interest into those races. By all accounts, both mares are in capital nick, and, that being so, everything points to the impending battle between them being waged on equal grounds; that is, so far as condition is concerned. Opinion is pretty well agreed that Wakeful has earned for herself a front place amongst the greatest mares that have figured ou the colonial turf, and when it is stated that she has won over pretty well all distances up to three miles in first-olass oompany, it can well be said that she has established a great record for all-round brilliancy. Wakeful, it may be remarked, holds the Australian record for two miles (3min 28sec), which she put up iu the winning of the Sydney Cup of 1902 under 9.7. That tne daughter of Trenton retained her great dash of brillianoy she furnished abundant proof last Spring when she ran Ibex to a short head for the FJying Stakes, when the seven-fur/ong record was out down to 1.26 J, Cruciform has shown herself to be a truly great mare—and those qualified to speak on this point concede her the palm as the best one of the weaker sex that has appeared on the New Zealand turf. The daughter of St. Leger has shown her ability both to go fast and to stay ; and it may well be said that she is a fitting one to try conclusions with Wakeful. The two mares are expected to have their first meeting to-day, when they will measure strides in the Spring Stakes, which event is run over a mile and a-half, and in whioh each will carry 9.1. On the third day they are eaoh down for an engagement in the Craven Plate, the distance of which is a mile and a-quarter. In the event of the conditions being favorable, it will be no surprise should wb bear of another fresh record going on the slate as the result of the moetiug betwen Australasia’s two greatest mares. The performance of Wakeful and Cruciform make up a very attractive chapter in colonial racing history, and at the very outset we have this fact before us that each of the great stake-earners was secured at what may be termed a very moderate outlay. At the dispersal of the St. Albans team, consequent on the death of Mr W. R. Wilson,, Wakeful (then four years old) was secured for the moderate outlay of 310 guineas, and golden returns which the bonnie daughter of Trenton and Insomnia has made to 'Mr McDonald and those associated with him run out to £14,462. Cruciform only cost Mr Stead 325 guineae as a yearling, and as her winnings amount to £6420, it will be seen that St. Leger’s daughter has proved a good speculation to tho Canterbury sportsman.