SPORTING.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1895, 20 March 1880, Page 3

SPORTING.

AUCKLAND AUTUMN MEETING. [By Tbebgbaph.] AUCKLAND March 19. The following entries were received to-night for the Autumn Meeting : St. George’s Handicap of 100 sovs.; one and a half miles. Harry Mount Vampire Yatapa Lara Xantippe Saunterer Ariel Resolution Malvern Laertes King Quail Numa Mata Soukar Longlands My Dream Libeller Loch Lomond Hippocampus Otawa Grand Duchess Handicap Steeplechase of 100 sovs.; throe and a half miles. Young Sledmere Jonathan Wild Surrender Hard Times Sportsman Grey Morans Eversleigh Loch Lomond Billy Otawa Baron Harold Autumn Handicap of 100 sovs. ; two miles. Yatapa Vampire Xantippe Lara Ariel Saunterer Malvern _ Resolution King Quail Laertes, Sorcerer Nnma Mata Soukar Longlands My Dream Libeller Otawa Piacatorioua SPORTING NOTES. By Sinead. The Wanganui Meeting came off on March 11th and 12th, and passed off with so much success that the club have had no reason to regret their liberality in giving the big stake. The attendance appears to have been thoroughly satisfactory, and amongst the visitors were sporting men from every part of New Zealand. Judging from the telegrams the racing must have been of a very high-class, good fields and close finishes being the order of the day throughout. A full report of the meeting appears in this issue, from which it will be seen that To Whetu, that most unreliable of jumpers, credited Mr Butler with the Hurdle Race on the first day, and that Loch Lomond won a similar event on the second. Judging from the number of starters in both cross-country events, our Wanganui friends are better off for chasers than we are in the Southern Island. The Derby, I am glad to notice, brought out a very respectable field, and gave the ring a good turn by the victory of Rocket. This colt is by the French bred horse Gladiator, out of a mare called Fancy, not, however, the dam of the redoubtable Foul Play. Rocket started at 20 to 1, and just beat Bay’s Sator colt Saunterer (another oolt of French extraction, by the way) by a head on the post. It is perhaps worthy of note that the Count de La Orange, the breeder of Gladiator, and M. Lefevre, the breeder of Sator, are still running against each other in England and France, while the progeny of these two horses are fighting for blue ribands •on this side the line. Astronomer, a Daydawn colt, bred by Major Morse, was a strong local favourite, but does not appear to have heen ever prominent in the contest. The two-

year-old race was won with much apparent ease by Sincerity, who from his name should be a colt, but of the breeding of the winner the annals of the “ New Zealand Stud Book '* give no information. The honest little Vampire won both the Wanganui Stakes and Flying Handicap, and though his time in the former, as given in the telegrams, is not over brilliant, I cannot but think that unless too much is taken out of him at Hawke’s Bay this week, he must have a good rough show for our Autumn Handicap, Hornby had but little trouble in lowering the colours of his opponents in the Town Plate. Bandwick, who finished third to him on this occasion, was more fortunate on the following day in the Bailway Plate, where, carrying weight for age, he proved too good for Talent and Billingsgate, two pretty speedy animals at that. The field of thirteen that faced the starter foil thebigraoe was not over remarkable forquality. Betrayer and Hornby are unmistakeably high bred colts and performers of the first force, but none of the others could be reckoned

having pretensions to much class. Hornby was made a very hot favorite by the general public, and his backers had certainly no cause to be disappointed with the colt’s performance, for, like the constant horse ho is, he ran a very big race, finishing home with the utmost gameness to the very last. Derrett rode the winner. Betrayer, apparently with his usual judgment. His knowledge of pace, acquired by his many years’ experience, no doubt, stood him in good stead on this occasion, and there can be but little question that he took all there was out of the game little son of Idalia. The victory here, for the sake of his owners, will no doubt be a very popular one. Little Soukar appears to have run very forward all through the race, and was more than handy at the finish, while the others seem to have found the pace for the last half-mile too strong. Ray’s colt, Saunterer, had an easy victory in the Maiden Plate, while the District Handicap fell, through a protest, to the aged Otawa. The meeting was brought to a close by the victory of Laertes in the Consolation.

Palmerston races on the 12th do not appear to have been a great success, the weather being unpropitious, and the attendance, in consequence, sparse. Little John, the doubleevent cross-country winner at the Christchurch Metropolitan Meeting, secured the Hurdle Race and Maiden Plate, The two open handicaps were appropriated by Blue Peter, and York walked over for the Consolation. It is pleasant to learn that the result of the late Wellington races has been of such a satisfactory kind, that the Club have paid off all their liabilities with the exception of half their overdraft at the Bank.

I remind owners that the final payment of 5 sovs each for the Great Autumn, and 3 sovs each for the Champagne Stakes, are due at 9 p.m. this evening (Saturday), and that general entries for the other events of the autumn meeting must be made at the same time.

After the Napier races Mr Monteith will offer at auction The Agent, Laertes, Te Whetumarama, Luna, Lalla Bookh, Lady Gertrude, Lara, Vampire, Templeton, Saunterer, and other horses. Writing of the late Dunedin meeting, “ Beacon” has the following :—“ The Dunedin onnual meeting of 1880 may be termed the meeting of certainties, race after race—almost without exception—going to the favorite. It is not often, however, that a big handicap like the Dunedin Cup can be spotted as ours was on this occasion, and that the race can, to all intents and purposes, be run three months before the allotted date. Such was the case, however, this season, Mata and Titania being selected as the best in immediately the weights appeared, and the pair actually running in the very positions assigned to them by public estimation of their capabilities. So universal was the opinion that these two were thrown in that I can take no special credit to myself for having stuck to them throughout. To bookmakers the handicap was a disastrous one, for backers would touch scarcely anything else but the two favorites, and the metallicians were mostly full about them before the weights appeared. About the third horse in the Cup I also spoke favorably, pointing out that Foul Play must not be overlooked on account of his owner never sending him for longer races than a mile and a half ; still I feel convinced that even without his penalty he could not have beaten Mata, so easily did the latter win.” I see by Northern telegrams that D. O’Brien’s old mare Xantippe has carried off the two principal handicaps at the Dargaville meeting. Band wick has been purchased by Messrs Mason and Vallance, and I believe it is their intention to put him to the cross-country lino of business. In looking over my confrere, “Beacon’s,” remarks on the Autumn Handicap, I observe that he goes for Le Loup against all comers, on the grounds that in] Australia the son of Mermaid proved himself second only to Chester, and he therefore sees no reason why Mr “ Fraser” should not win the third Autumn Handicap in succession, “Beacon” is in error. Mr “Fraser” has not won the Autumn Handicap twice in succession, as Longltmds was the property of Mr Redwood when he won the race in question in 1878, and, as “ Beacon ” knows, ran in that gentleman’s name and colors. As regards Le Loup, it is perfectly absurd to say that he proved himself second only to Chester in Australia. It is a matter of history that he ran second to a moderate horse, Monarque, for the Grand Stand Stakes; ran a dead heat for second place with two others to Diomede, for the Newmarket. In Sydney he ran second to Petrea, who was carrying 101 b. penalty, for the Maiden Plate, and at the same meeting he failed to extend Chester in the two races in which they met. Coming to the recent Spring Meeting, at Flemington, he ran an indifferent third to First King and Richmond ; in the Melbourne Stakes only beating Wandering Jew by a head for third place; and the same day Swiveller gave him ten pounds and beat him with consummate ease for the Easendon Stakes. In the Melbourne Cup, when backed to win £15,000 by his owner, and as fit as hands could make him, ho was absolutely nowhere, every horse of any note in the race finishing in front of him. He was ridden right out for a place, being baoked for a situation. His only win on the Australian turf was in the V.R.O. Handicap, where, with Bst. 71b., he finished in front of such moderate animals as Tidal Wave, Colima, &0., in the very slow time for Melbourne of 3min. 12JseC8.

I cannot refrain from "adding in the above connection that I think my confrire , “Beacon,” has been inconsiderate in his remarks on Mr “Fraser,” not only in the present instance but on previous occasions. Owners at the present day in New Zealand are, goodness knows, scarce enough, and it is hardly encouraging for fresh men to come in when the motives of such a supporter of racing as Mr “ Fraser ” are misconstrued. Speaking personally, I know that Mr “Fraser ” has, to put it very mildly, done a great deal for the New Zealand turf, and, I can truly say that such as he deserve encouragement at the hands of ell who take an interest in sport. Mr Stead is importing by the Palala two of the most fashionably bred mares that ever loft Great Britain. The first is a bay mare, Crinoline, by Lord Lyon, out of Orinon, by Newminster—dam Margery Daw (dam of Ecossias, See Saw, Ac.) Lord Lyon won the Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, and Leger, and was mother to Achievement, Oheresaince (dam of Jannette), Cognisance, dam of Hopbloom and Chevron. Crinon was sold, even in the bad times last season, at the Cobham sale for 1400 guineas, one of the highest prices realised at the sale. Crinoline is in foal to that sterling racehorse and fashionably bred sire Winslow. The other is Pulcha, a bay mare by Rosicrucian—dam Formosa. Rosierucian is now serving for 100 guineas, and is brother to The Palmer, Chaplet, Morns, and Sister of Mercy. The resumes of the English sporting correspondents prove that Roscrucian has been during the last few seasons one of the most successful sires in England. Formosa, "the dam of Pulcha, was by Buccaneer, and amongst other events won the Chesterfield Stakes as a two-year-old, and scored the unprecedented feat of winning the One Thousand, dead heat for the Two Thousand, and won the Oaks and the Leger. Besides these triumphs she was bracketed with several other wins both as a three and four-year old. Her dam was half sister to Ellerdale, dam of Ellermeri, Ellington, Wardermarski, Gildermin, and Summerside. Pulcha was purchased as a yearling for 1500 guineas, and is in foal to that rising sire, Queen’s Messenger, who, it will bo recollected, is out of Wheel of Fortune’s dam. The two may bo now expected “shortly, and I think all New Zealand sportsmen will agree with me when I say that the colony will receive a rare acquisition in two of the best mares England con produce,