SPORTING NEWS

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 454, 15 March 1890, Page 4

SPORTING NEWS

V.R.C. AUTUMN MEETING.

The Autumn Meeting of the Victoria Racing Club has provided plenty of pabulum for local turfites to discuss this week. Speculators on the leading events have had a bad time, and the pencillers reign once more masters of the situation. Churchill's victory in the Newmarket Handicap was one of the severest facers local punters have ever received, and with this against them, there were few who supported Dreadnought for the Australian Cup, while Melos was totally neglected for the Champion Slakes. Looking through Churchill’s past record, there was nothing to recommend him to win the Newmarket, but, nevertheless, latest papers record that on severa’occasions ho has performed excellent gallops on the Caulfield course, where he received his preparation at the hands of J. Read fern. The performance of Boz, with lOst lib in the saddle, stamps him as one of the greatest sprinters seen in Australia, and his connections deserved better luck than for the horse to meet with an injury on the morning following, which meant withdrawal from all engagements. Dreadnought’s Australian Cup win was one of the most meritorious achieved by a three-year-old in the event, and with an advantage of weight followers of “ book form ” have a puzzle set them to account for Mr White’s colt being defeated by Melo3 in the Champion Stakes. -Perhaps it was the heavy state of the ground. It would appear that Carbine was blocked at the last critical moment, or he might have got homo ; but, be that as it may, everyone will be glad .at Mr Gannon’s success with Melos. The number of “seconds” and “thirds” that he has run with the horse in important races have been considerable. Although Scots Grey disappointed his New Zealand admirers in the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup, he showed their judgment was nob wrong in supporting him, for he simply galloped over his field in the Autumn Handicap on Thursday. Medallion proved himself to be the brilliant two-year-old he was reputed. Ilis splendid performance in the Maiden Plate, run over a mile and a quarter, shows he is a thorough stayer, and it was hard luck indeed that he should have met in the Ascot Vale Stakes such an exceptionally smart gelding as Titan, whom asserts to be a phenomenal youngster, Mr Stead has had bad luck with the two-year-olds ho has sent over, Maxim was defeated in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at the hands of Abercorn, last year Rose Argent went down before Spice, and this year Medallion has suffered a similar fate, in all three races the Hon. J. White’s colours being triumphant. It is worthy of mention too that when Mr J. Marshall took Pearl Shell over she was also defeatea in the Ascot Vale Stakes by Volley, who sported the blue and white colours. The meeting will be concluded this afternoon, the leading races being the Loch Plate, All-aged Stakes and Steeplechase.

THE WANGANUI MEETING.

Dudu appears to have had an easy victory in the Wanganui Cup, and to carry 9st2ib over a mile and three-quarters in 3.9 is a splendid performance. 1 think Dudu can claim being the best marerunning in the colony. Patchwork was sent here a very strong “ tip ” during Thursday morning] and his running was quite as disappointing as that of Hilda. George Wright though had ample revenge yesterday with Hilda, and tho success is deserved, for time after time of late the mare has failed to justify the confidence pub in her by her connections.

NORDENFELDTS PROGENY,

Medallion’s running in Melbourne demonstrates one thing, and that is the Nordenfeluts can race. There can now be no question about that, and it is flittering to the voung stallion lie has done so well in his first season. The number of his progeny raced so far can bo counted on one’s fingers. Our Southern friends gush over Pygmalion —and they have good reason on their side for so doing but methinks lie is not capable of running a race like Medallion did in the V.R.C. Maiden Stakes on Tuesday.

PONY RACING IN SYDNEY.

The Australian Jockey Club are desirous of crushing out pony racing in Sydney. At a recent meeting of the committee, a new regulation was passed prohibiting trainers and jockeys registered by the A.J.C. from training or riding horses or taking any part in pony or ga'loway race meetings. The announcement caused quite a sensation,and it will be interesting to note whether the premier Uub will go back on wlmt they have done. If not, pony racing has received its death-blow. Those who have the welfare of the turf at heart are highly delighted at the action of the A.J.C., as tho whole business is overdone, they consider, by the proprietary race clubs. The new rules take effect from and after 31st March next.

THAT DUNEDIN SQUABBLE.

Writes “Sir Launcelob”:— Catamount is nominated for the D.J.C. May Meeting in the name of Mr “ ii. Hammond,” his owner. Mr “ Hammond ” was one of tho owners who signed the wholesale scratching papers sent to the Dunedin Jockey Club last December. But Mr “ Hammond ’’ has explained to me—-and 1 think there is a good deal of reason in his argument—that the “ round robin ” originally presented to the D.J.C.’s committee on behalf of the dissatisfied owners only represented tho determination of those owners to stay away from the Dunedin Cup meeting. Mr “Ilamn ond” ha 3 broken the ice nicely, and for my part I see no reason why other owners should not regard the question in the same light as ho, and sink all differences in the furtherance of sport.

A DISQUALIFIED PONY,

The pony Locket, who was disqualified at Auckland TattersalFs Aleeting on Saturday last, hails from Wellington, and was only brought up hero the other week. She is by Flintlock (a son of Alusket). Mr J. Callaghan, the owner of Locket, sent a letter to the Committee of the Auckland Racing Club on the subject of the disqualification, in which he stated that the pony will not race on a left-handed course, and that the jockey (Reid) had great difficulty in keeping her on the course. The matter came before the A.R.O. Committee on Wednesday last, but they declined to take any action in the matter, on the ground that pony i-acing is not recognised by the metropolitan clubs,

ENGLISH SPORTING NOTES.

Our London correspondent sends the following bits of turf talk : Ready-money book-making does not always pay. Andy Anderson, whose turnover per season touches £IOO,OOO, complains that he lost £4,000 last year. On' theothfer hand Air Fry netted £40.000. This shrewd old gentleman is trying jhst at present to lay all he can against the four favourites for the Derbys. His theory is that the contest will bo a very Ofen one, and that even jonger prices-than are now on offer against

Surefoot, Baume le Nord, and Riviera will be forthcoming on the day of the race. The two-year-old whole sisters to Semolina and Riviera are said to be even smarter than their older relatives. They will not, however, make their debut's till Ascot. Mr “ Man ton ” has, in addition to Valauris (the sister to Riviera), a highlypromising colt by Maeneath out of Corrie Roy, called Crevasse and another Hermence (by Isonomy out of Thebais). If there is anything in breeding, these two should be flyers. The ring are jubilant anenb the engagement of Lord Carrington’s popular bub prodigal younger brother Rupert to the great heiress of Goldsboroughs, Miss Horsfall. Not only will there now be a settlement of any old scores outstanding, bub the Hon. Rupert is pretty Sure to return to the turf, and with freshly-lined pockets resume the good old game of tilting at the ring. The trial of the Australian thoroughbreds last week does not appear to have impressed the Newmarket touts particularly, and the price on offer against the winner Narellan for the Derby remains the satno.

BITS OF TURF.

A Sydney scribe says Cushia when in Auckland was not able to win in selliug p’ate company ! ! The Poverty Bay Turf Club have communicated with tho Auckland Racing Club requesting that they be allowed to register with tho Hawke’s Bay Club. The local institution have declined to accede to the request. The Melbourne correspondent of the “Otago Witness” selected Churchill with two others to win the Newmarket Handicap, and remarked : I have just heard that Churchill is suffering from ulcerated mouth, and can’t eat. Lot me see, Blink Bonny and Arsenal were “off their oats” just prior to their Cup victories—were they nob? Well, then, history may repeat itself. Mr A. Benson has been appointed judge to the Australian Jockey Club in the place of the late Mr Andrew Town.

Old Steel Grey, the best trotter England ever produced, died early in January at the residence of her owner, Mr Richard Gold, Beech Lanes, near Birmingham, her record of 27min 56isec for ten miles still standing good. The majority of the Christchurch books had anything bub a good time over the Dunedin meeting, and tilings were not improved (says the “Canterbury Times ”) by one or two backers managing to get starting prices about races of which they had receive! the results. Unfortunately, the layers had paid over before the fraud was discovered.

THE NEWMARKET HANDICAP. From papers to hand by the s.s. Mararoa this morning, we clip the following additional particulars anenb the race for the Newmarket Handicap : The disappointing character of the St. Leger was, however, soon forgotten in tho all absorbing interest attached to the Kewmarkeb Handicap, the starters for which numbered 36, or one less than the record of Hyacinth’s year. At least half of tho starters had been heavily backed—indeed, a better betting race has rarely, if ever, been known in Australia. Tho appropriation of the first two events by Mr White’s stable naturally aroused vivid recollections of Gran brook's year,” causing the general body of backers to accept readily the short odds offered against Rudolph, who, mean - looking though ho be under any circumstances, appeared at his best. Before the flag fell, however, the son of Martini-Henry found a rival for the honors of favouriteship in the New Zealander Audacity, who, after being backed on the previous day to win a fortune, was supported by his friends with even inc»eased confidence in the paddock. As might have been expected, such a numerous field gave some trouble at the start, bub Mr Watson succeeded in getting them fairly well away at last, and the 36 jackets, spread clean across the track, almost from rail to rail, presented a kaleidoscopic picture, and rendered it by no means easy to determine which were the actual leaders. Both well, Audacity, Aristocrat, Wabba, and Boz were, however, conspicuously prominent from the first. Merriment blundered abthe tan track (which crosses the course and has caused trouble to many a horse), and after running a few strides fell, bruising Quinn’s shoulder badly. As the field streamed up the straight in the course proper. Audacity’s numerous friends were gratified by th sight of the New Zealander going strongly in the centre with a decided lead, and apparently so full of running as to suggest his ability to last it out. Botliwell cat it and dropped back, and before reaching the distance Boz, Aristocrat and Wabba had collared Audacity, who, though he ran on gamely, could never regain the lead, and Sir William’s brown jacket showed amongst the leaders. A couple of hundred yards from home Boz looked all over a winner, but Churchill, who came through with p. great run, challenged hini opposite the end of the lawn, and the weight tolling, on the gallant son of Bos* worth, the issue was never in doubt during the last hundred yards, Churchill winning easily. The time, linin 17:}sec, is the slowest recorded since Coronet won in 1885, but it must not be forgotten that a strong wind was blowing, not exactly down the straight running, but in such a direction as to account for the time being slower than had been anticipated. Churchill’s owner backed bis horse for a moderate stake, but the professional touts and Caulfield trainers would not have him at any price, on account of his alleged high front action and bis supposed indifferent performances on t henitraing track with Linburn. THE AUSTRALIAN CUP. In regard to the Australian Cup a Melbourne paper says :—“ It is not often that Hales is caught napping, but he came near paying dear for a bit of over-confidence in the Australian Cup. Dreadnought apparently had everything beaten 10Q yards from home, and Hales took a pull at the chestnut. No sooner had ho done so than Melos came with caqie a tremendous run and overhauled Dread* nought at every stride. The judge’s verdict was half a head in favour of the latter, but many peopie thought it was a dead heat. Had it been two strides further, Melos would have won. Harris rode a very bad race on Melos, keeping his horse too far back, and had Melos been near the front when he made his run he must have won.”