SPORTING NEWS. By Hippona in the "Auckland Star."]

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 364, 1 May 1889, Page 3

SPORTING NEWS. By Hippona in the " Auckland Star."]

Taken altogether, the Auckland Racing Club Autumn Meeting compared favourably with late years. Certainly, 1 did expect to see a much bigger crowd present on Saturday, but on Easter Monday the attendance was very satisfactory. On the tirsc day £2,760 was passed through the machines, and on the second day £4,617, which makes a total of £7,377. This is slightly in excess of last year, but when accounts are balanced tbeie is not likely to be much profit to the Club over the gathering. Leorina's win in the Ea&ter Handicap was a severe blow to the public, and those that pecuniarily benefited outside her immediate connections were few. Her owner was very confident of winning, and in addition to the stake, he landed a tidy amount. The official time was recorded as 3.5, but in this case it cannot be taken as correct, for a dosen private watches made it 3.7£. The hard ground spoiled what chance Hilda had. George Wright was compelled to run her in loz. shoes, and throughout the meeting she was very sore. The Autumn Handicap was one of the most exciting and hard fought contests that I have witnessed. For iully three furlongs Leopold, Hilda and Lady Norah raced almost stride for stride, and it was only on the post that the verdict was gained by the first-named, who proved himself a thorough bull-dog. Lindsay rode him a nice patient race, and the victory was in no small measure due to his fine horsemanship. Orangeman won the Steeplechase only on sufferance, for had Guy Fawkes been an occupant of another stable, he would have placed the event to his credit for a second time, and in easy fashion too. He had the field hopelessly beaten after the stone Avail coming into the turn for home was negotiated. This is Orangeman's maiden win over the country, and he has made many attempts,. Of all the doughty deeds accomplished by three-year-olds in Australia, they were fairly eclipsed by Carbine in the Sydney Gold "Cup on Wednesday last. His performance ia the race stands out far and away as the best on record, and for a colt of his age to carry 9s t in such a severe race it can truly be called marvellous. The time was the fastest recorded in connection with the race, and among thecelebrities enscrolled on the list of Sydney Cup winners, only twice pi eviously has a bigger impost been successfully carried to the front. When The Barb won as a five-year-old ho had lO^t 81b, and Darebin carried 9st Sib when he got home as a four-year-old. Carbine's record is a great one. He has started seventeen times, and outof the number hehaa been first thirteen times, second on three occasions, and third once, so that he has not failed up to the present to run into a place. His "seconds" were in the Victorian Derby, Australian Cup, and A.J.C. Autumn Stakes on Saturday la»t, in which he suffered a head defeat at the hands of Abercorn. It is almost needless to say that Carbine first saw the light of day at Sylvia Park, and to breed such a phenomenal colt is one more feather in the cap of the New Zealand Stud Company. Well can we repeat the expression " Musket should have died hereafter." After the easy manner Corunna won the Champagne Stakes at the A.E>.C. Autumn Meeting on Saturday last, I am more than ever convinced that Auckland will have a first-clas3 three-year-old to battle on her behalf in the "classic" races of next season. The colt has grown up since he was seen out at our Summer Meeting, and he is fast loeing that " ponyfied " look that he had. From what I hear, it is intended to take him to Australia next spring. Looking through Corunna's record, I find that he has started in five races, of which he has won four. His only defeat was in the Christchurch Welcome Stakes in the spring, when he failed to gain a place. The colt's winnings are as under :—: — & Soys. C.J.C. Spring Nursery Handicap .. ..150 Great Northern Foal Stakes 300 A. R. C. Midsummer Handicap .. ..150 Great Northern Champagne Stakes . . 250

Ravenswing, the heroine of the Great Autumn Handicap, is owned by the Christchurch Middle Park Stud Company, by whom she was bred, and is a stable companion of Dudu'e. She was trained by Cutbs, and her chance for the race was very highly thought of by the Southern turf scribes. Ravenswing has recorded several fair performances while she ha 3 been on the turf, and among the number she ran second to Carbine for the Christchurch Middle Park "Plate, beating Man ton and six others. Nelson has received several big ovations on the Ellerslie course during his racing career, but the crowning triumph in this, respect was after he won the Flying Stakes on Monday last. The public showed their real love of the horse in a genuine fashion, and he seemed to be aware of it, for he carried himself as he walked back to the paddock in his very best style. After Nelson's poor displays in the Easter Handicap and Autumn Handicap, I did think that he was bo leave the turf in a manner which all true sportsmen would regiet, but the gallops he received in those events evidently did him good, and he showed by the way he cut Tupaki down that he still has a dash ot his ever-memor-able brilliancy lefb. It seems a thousand pioies Ibab such a magnificent specimen of the thoroughbred and good old slave as Nelson has been, should not have been pensioned off ere this. The Autumn Meeting of the Auckland Racing Club was remarkable ior the success of tho horses trained ab the hands of Jimmy Kean ; in fact, the gathering was a " benes fit" for the Kohimarama stable. The horsewere turned out in the veteran's best styles and everyone was glad to see his patron, have a turn of luck. The bulk of the money which passed through tho machines at the A.R.C. Autumn Meeting was invested on the Easter Handicap, Autumn Handicap and Steeplechase. The number of combined investors on each horse in three races were : — Easter Handicap : Leorina, 75 ; Leopold, 160 ; Hilda, 421 ; Nelson, 126 ; Lady Norah, 76; Mantilla, 15. Total, 873. Autumn Handicap : Leopold, 248 ; Hilda, 180 ; Lady Norah, 154 ; Nelson, 81 ; Cuirassier, 263 ; Leorina, 138 ; St. Michael, 16. Total, 1,080. Steeplechase : Orangeman, 190 ; Guy Fawkes, 66 ; Huntsman, 50 ; Artist, 145 ; Recruit, 330 ; Messenger, 55 ; Le Clair, 83. Total, 919. Cynisca had her flag lowered in the Champagne Stakes ab Christchurch on Monday, the winner turning: up in the Hon. W. Robinson's colt Merrie England, whom everyone must have been glad to see score a win. On the second day of the meeting, Mr Stead's colt Scots Grey bore out the good opinion formed of him by winning the Challenge Stakes, but Merrie England and Dunkeld, who occupied the other places, had the worst of the weights. The form of the Christchurch two-year-olds this season has been of an in-and-out character, if we except Cyni3ca, and even this acknowledged flyer has had her winning record stained. Old Musket's sons and daughters kept his memory green by placing him at the head of the Avinning sires at the A.R.C. Autumn Meeting. John iVean proved the

some successful jockey, for he had four winning mounts. From statistics compiled, I gather thab from January, 1878, to January, 1889, the Hon. J. White's winnings in prize money tot up to the great sum of £100,000. Chester's progeny alone have won for him a gross total of £34,734*45, the principal contributants being Abercorn, with £8,497 18s ; Uralla, £4,921 4s ; Acme, £4,437 ; Carlyon, £4,157 ; Cranbrook, £2,640 j and Monte Christo, £2,241. The Hobartvillebrecl colt Bargo helped to swell Mr White's winnings by £3,233 ; Democrat added £1,856 ; 'and other good ones were Ensign,' £1,707; lolan the, £1,544 ; Martini-Henry, £4,751 ; Matchlock, £3,324 10s ; Morpeth, 1.2,190; Nordenfeldt, £3,225 10s j Palmyra, £2,100; Rudolph^ £2,209; Segenhoe, £1,815; Tempe, £3,036; Trident,, £8,840 5s ; and Volley, £4,072 Is. T. Hales has carried Mr White's colours no less than 228 times, of which 105 were winning mounts. The Victoria Racing Club have increased the amount of their prize-money very considerably for next season. In addition to raising the added money of the Melbourne Cup to s,ooosovs, the Champion Stakes has been increased from l,ooosovs to l,soosovs. The handicap weight of the V.R.C. Derby winner in the Cup is to be 7st 61b, instead of 7st 51b. Selling races have been abolished, and all the minor events have been increased in stakes. The Foal Stakes for the Spring Meeting of 1891 have been increased from 300 to 500sovs, with lQQsovs to the second and 50sovs to the third horse. For the St. Leger at the Autumn Meeting of 1891 the added money has been increased from 500 to l,ooosovs. Recently the Victorian Club have had under consideration of a committee a disputed wager between M r Keirl and Mr S. Rairisbury, a bookmaker. Some time ago the bookmaker laid Keirl £1,300 to £4 that he could not produce a pony which could run three furlongs in a stipulated time. A pony named Vicenta ran the distance named in the time on the Elsternwick course, Mr Wakley acting as judge, Mr Gaunt as timekeeper, and Mr Rielly, a surveyor, certified to the distance. Rainsbury repudiated the wager on the ground that he was not present when the pony ran. The Club has decided that the bookmaker must pay the £1,300. Keith started at 20 to 1 for the Hawkesbury Autumn Handicap. He was in but little favour for the race save by his most immediate connections. Mr E. H. Knight, his owner, is reported to have thrown in for £3,000, which was obtained at prices ranging between 100 to 1 and 5, Yabba started favourite, and Plutarch had a strong following at 4to 1. Miss Alice cut out the work at a good strong pace for a mile, at one time leading by a dozen lengths, but at the home turn Plutarch, Pet Girl, and Wycomba were in command. In the straight Plutarch drew clear, and his victory was announced, but Keith came with a great run from the half distance, and literally, galloping over the leader in a few strides, won easily by three lengths. Yabba never flattered hi 3 followers at any part of the race. With all the much - vaunted progress made by the Australian turf during late years, an American correspondent has made it tolerably plain that we are a long way behind the Yankees in the matter of big stakes, especially in regard to 2-year-old and 3-year-old races. Last season the champion 2-year-old, Proctor Knot, amassed over £14,000 in stakes, while three other horses ot the same age, Salvator, Galen and Diablo, annexed over £4,000 each. Than during the approaching season the 3-year-olds are provided with three races of £2,000 added money to each, one of £1,500, two of £1,200, and seyen races of £1,000 each, with numerous others of £700 downwards. Thus it will be gathered that a good 2-year-old or 3-yeei" old means a fortune in one act for an American owner, and with such a large number of rich stakes in existence the writer hints that it would be to the advantage of Australian breeders to cater specially for the American market. The venture would certainly embrace a large element of risk, but the profits would assuredly be great in the case of a well bred and good-looking batch of yearlings being safely landed on American territory. Our trans-Pacific cousins hold the American racehorse in high esteem ; their hearts have been fairly won by Darebin and Sir Modred, and they have sent over a commission to buy either Cranbook, Sheet Anchor, Cardigan or Carbine.