SPORTING NOTES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 990, 25 October 1881, Page 2

SPORTING NOTES.

(Fbom Exchanges.) Remembrance has been scratched for the Melbourne Cup. A thoroughbred, full brother to the famous Bend Or, has arrived at Adelaide. Fred. Archer was had up before the. stewards at Goodward for foul riding, and was severely reprimanded. Mr. Mayo’s horses Hesperian, The Gem and Secundus have been purchased by a Mr. Bobarth, at 800, 700 and 300 guineas respectively. There was only one investor on Wheatear in the Dunedin totalisator open on the A.J.C. Derby. The dividend was close on £4O. Tom Cannon, the English jockey, refused, an offer of £1250 per annum from Mr. J. R. Keene, to act as the latter’s private trainer. It is stated in a Dunedin paper that Mata has been suffering from a slight cold, but that he will soon be in work again. It is unlikely he will take part in the Metropolitan meeting. Mr. C. G. Baldock was offered £lOOO for Wellington, and £lOO a year during the remainder of the horse’s life but he refused it. Two years ago the horse was in the market at 600 guineas. After the conclusion of the racing at Newmarket, a match was decided between Sir J. D. Astley and the Duke of Portland on their hacks, the Duke of Portland winning by three lengths. A new rule of racing has been adopted in England as follow's: —lf a horse carry more than 21bs. overweight, which has not been duly declared, he is disqualified, unless the stewards be satisfied that such excess of weight has been caused by wet w’eather. Mr. Joseph Clarke, of Melbourne, through his agent (Mr. Sprent) intends to present a 50 guinea cup to be run for at the autumn meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club. Mr. Clarke wishes the prize to be devoted to a weight-for-age race. A private match for £lOO, distance 2 miles, was run at Timaru on Oct. Bth, between Mr. P. Butler’s Agent, 12st. 41b, and Mr. De Renzy’s mare Hunnington, list. Great interest was manifested in the race. Hunnington led till near the finish, when Agent rushed up and won. At a reeent meeting of the Victoria Raeing Club the following motion was carried :— “ That the low'est weight for one mile and under on the flat be 6st. 81b., for three year olds and upwards 6st., for all distances over a mile ; for steeple and hurdle races that the lowest weight be 9st.” Sixty-one horses are left in the Melbourne Cup Race, so that there appears every prospect of a large field starting for this most important event. The most notable absentees are—Progress (who is in the same stable as Duchess), Martindale, Bosworth, and Liberator. The Cup will be run this year on the Ist November. “ Augur ” states that a report is current that the totalisator was “ tigged ” at the late Adelaide meeting, the number on New' Zealander having been increased by 10 when he won. In the interests alike of fair dealing and of the totalisator, the club had better have a strict investigation into the statement.

During the past few days (says a Christchurch paper) there has been some heavy wagering on the C.J.C. meeting. Grip has been backed by the stable both for the C J.C. Handicap and Cup, ssraight out to win £3200. On Saturday Messrs. Mason and Vallancetook £2OOO both straight out and in doubles about Amulet for the Derby and Cup. I am told (says “ Augur ”) that the high price paid for Waxy was the result of a dream. A lady in Melbourne, who is a marvel at dreaming of winners, dreamt that Waxy won the Melbourne Cup, and her husband was so impressed with her vision that he sent an unlimited commission to Sydney to purchase the horse, and was not at all pleased when he found that he had not secured him, though his commissioner went to 2100 guineas. How’ever, if the “ straight tip ” has been received he can back him to win a few thousands, and thus be in clover when the good thing comes off. MORNING GALLOPS AT FLEMINGTON. During the past w'eek the New Zealand horses have done very little work, and Harry Prince seems very shy with "his horses; The early bird catches the worm, so I betook myself to the Flemington racecourse at an early hour on Saturday morning, and shortly before daylight, w'hile taking a quiet smoke on the rails alongside the train-ing-ground, was surprised to hear a noise some considerable distance from me, which turned out to be cunning Harry’s horses. Of course I made straight for their scraping- sheds, but it was almost over : but I could plainly see that one of ’em was “crooked, but which one I couldn’t say. At any rate, I soon found out from “ one of the . three , black crows,” or “ Mr. Know-alls, ’ who seem to sleep on the course and eat their breakfast very heartily at Mitchell’s hotel in the mornings. Bookmahing touts should be in limbo if they had their deserts. After Harry Goodman had prepared them to go home, I had a few words of conversation with him, end he told me all was right. A few of our weeklv sporting contributors don’t fancy Sotiinus why, I don’t know. I have noticed the horse from the time he landed until yesterday, and the only fault I can find in him can be remedied

month. He is a little fleshy, but not over big. Everyone who can judge a horse from a cow admits that the son of Traducer and Hammock is the finest-looking animal that trodden the Saltwater Racecourse for some years. On Monday morning Sir Modred, in company with Hilarious, had a race for a mile up the straight, which satisfied me about his pretensions for the Cup. He seems to have picked up his stride a little better lately in the end of a two mile gallop. Idalium don’t seem well, and I think he is a little off ,his feed. If he only remains in this Colony until New Year’s Day, he will show the Flemington touts what galloping means. At present he goes very “ so-so.” Yesterday morning Sir Modred ran three times round the tan at a moderate pace, and was picked up by Somnus, the pair finishing up a mile in good time, the Derby colt having slightly the worse of it. Both these horses galloped with sweaters. Idalium and Hilarious covered a mile on the outer tan, the latter forging ahead, and running home the last two furlongs in grand style. After Somnus was scraped on Wednesday morning, and was walking about, I could see him shaking as if he had the palsy, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Harry Goodman didn’t take off some of the superfluous flesh with his run home with the Cup horse.