SPORTING NOTES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2505, 31 March 1881, Page 2

SPORTING NOTES.

Mata goes to India after the Adelaide meeting. Grand Flaneur’s price for the Sydney Gold Cup is 8 to 1. The Indian Viceroy’s Cup (a race open to English, Cape, ana Australian bred horses), one mile and threequarters, was won by the Australian horse Blue Light. It is not improbable (says the “ Australian Sportsman ”) that within the next few months we may lind a batch of English horses trying their powers on the Australian turf.

Darebin has been backed in the next V.R.G’ Derby and Melbourne Gup for a good stake at 1000 to 10. Grand Duchess broke her maiden at Napier. The mare won the Maiden Plate, which was worth GOsors. Robert the Devil and Bend Or are both engaged in most of the big events run on the English turf during the coming season.

The amount won in racing stakes in England, including added money, in 1877. was nearly £195,000, and during the three following years this amount never ceased to grow, until in 1880, it reached nearly £247,000. Despite this there were but 2026 horses stripped in 1880, which is less by 500 than the number raced in 1868, 1869, and 1870. The “Melbourne Weekly Times’’ says the pace for the last half-mile between Grand Flaneur and Progress in the St. Leger, “ was something terrible.” The time, 3mins, 16isecs., was the fastest on record in the Australian colonies, and it is said that Flaneur could have beaten the best English time if he had been pushed.