SPORTING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 463, 16 April 1890, Page 4

SPORTING NEWS.

BY HIPPONA. I AUCKLAND RACING CLUB AUTUMN MEETING. Auckland, April 12. I expected fco see a larger crowd at Ellerslie on Easter Monday, but, nevertheless, the attendance was not small, and I should estimate about three thousand spectators witnessed the racing. What prevents many from putting in an appearance is the 3s 6d charged for the rail fare and admission to the course, which in these days i 3 unreasonable. Add on to this another Is for a race book, and the amount is a tidy sum. With regard to the arrangements, I must say those outside the paddock are not treated fairly by being without an official scratching board. The construction of one would cost a mere trifle, and it should be erected at the back of the Grand Stand, near the totalisator. As matters stand now, the public outside have to walk round to the course proper, and the board there is so diminutive that with a crowd round, the figures can only be seen with difficulty. Another thing that requires attention is the posting of the time under the numbers of the placed horses after each race is run. Every leading course in the colony but Auckland has had this simple public convenience for years past. On Monday there was no official time for two of the races, which should not be the case at a Metropolitan Meeting. The opening race of the day, the Tradesmen’s Plate, saw Loch Ness its better form than ever he has been. Cissy ran disappointingly, and the sister to Trenton is as flighty as ever at the post, while Quadrant appeared big in condition, and did not run up to his track form. Nothing, though, had a chance with Loch Ness, who literally romped home. The mistake that happened over the start was an unfortunate a (lair, but Mr Cutts was not to blame, for he never unrolled the flag. This is verified by those who stood at the post. As predicted, the Champagne Stakes turned out to be an easy win for Captain Russell’s filly Aronoel, who cut her field down easily at the finish. Miss Cole, with the best of the start, flattered her admirers till round the home turn, but she could not live it out. The Dreamer ran a fair colt, but Cambria proved too small to carry his Bst 10!b burden with success. The Easter Handicap was reduced to seven starters. Patchwork was the “ tip ” of the knowing division, and with the scratching of Cissy thrown in, he started almost as good a favourite as Hilda. It was a treat to witness the running of the heroine of the recent Napier meetings under her heavy weight of 9st 111 b. She was one of the first to leave the mark, and could have won at any part of the journey. The performance must be put down as a splendid one, for she cut out the mile and a-half in 2min 39sec. Hilda has established a record in pulling ofi the treble of Hawke’s Bay Cup, Napier Park Cup, and Easter Handicap, the weight being raised in each event. The recent travelling has done Hilda a world of good, for she has run herself into condition, and I never saw a fitter animal stripped, which is a feather in George Wright’s cap. It is worthy of remark that Hilda has only run twice unplaced. Previous to tho stait for the Hurdle Race Donald was whispered about as a “ good thing,” and so it proved, for he won in a common canter from the Gjs-borne-owned Darnley, who appeared to tire at the finish. There is no doubt Mr Evett was lenient in handicapping Donald with 9st 71b, for ho lately won several races on the fiat and over hurdles on the West Coast. The Selling Race was annexed by Nigger, whom turfites remember in days gone by as having done good service for “Mr R. Burke,’’both on the racecourse and in other capacities. He is now owned by “Mr E. James,” the pretty colours of whom overybody is always glad to see in front. Tho same sportsman also annexed the Two-year-old Stakes by the aid of Tho Dreamer, who gives promise of developing into a useful handicap horse next Eeason. Souvenir was suffering from cold. THE SECOND DAY’S RACING. Rain prevented the second day’s racing coming off as fixed, and the incessant outpouring of the waterpot necessitated the Club putting off the gathering till Monday next. At the time of writing, a fine day looks as far off as ever, and in any case the racing tracks will be in a heavy and sloppy state on Monday, which will make the seven events on the programme very open. It is announced the first race will start at half past; twelve o’clock. Trains leave the Auckland station at 10.45 a.m., 11.45 a.m., and 12 noon. The following is tho programme set down for decision :

Autumn Steeplechase of 13050v3. Three miles and a-lialf.

Volcano.. .. 11 0 Seaweed.. .. 9 7 Recruit .. .. 10 12 Diavolo .. .. 9 7 Jenny .. .. 912 Parnell .. .. 9 7 Darnley .. .. 910 Larrikin .. .. 9 7 Dick Turpin ~ 9 8 Tawhiao .. .. 9 7 Autumn Handicap of ICO ;ovs. One mile and

For the Steeplechase, I fancy Recruit. The Autumn Handicap may be fought out between Hilda and Lochness, and the Steward’s Handicap will probably fall to Antelope or Rataplan. Miss Cole must be hard to beat in the Ellerslie Handicap, and for the Welter Handicap I like best Cynical or St. Michael. The two other events depend on previous running, but Teksum should be close handy in the Flying Stakes, and Octopus is well treated in the Shorts’ Handicap. CARBINE’S TRIUMPHS. “ Carbine comes away uriextended, Hard held like a second Eclipse, While behind the boot thunder is blended The whistling, and crackling of whips. . After a race-meeting it is too often the custom to eulogise the horse'of the hour, and doubtfully dub him an “ equine won-

der,” but this cannot be applied .to Carbine, whose deeds on Australian racecourses during the last two seasons have been nothing short of phenomenal. His performance in the Sydney Gold Cup on Monday, when he easily carried the crushing weight of 9st 91b to victory, will ever make his name famous, and will take rank with the feats of The Barb and Darebin in the same race. Carbine’s four victories at the A. J.C. Meeting this week bring his winnings in stakes up to about £13,400, reckoned approximately. This beats the record in Australia, which was previously held bv Abercorn, who during four years has won £12,729 in stakes. These are gross amounts—that is, inclusive of sweepstakes. Abercorn, in four years, won 21 races (including one dead heat), and Carbine, in three years (that is up to the present) has won 22 races, five of the victories being rained as a two-year-old, nine as a three-year-old, and S as a iour-year-old, while it may be noted he accomplished thewonderful achievement of carrying the impost of lOsb into second place in the last Melbourne Cup. Carbine has only run once unplaced. His full performances are as under ;

A P TWO YEARS. Christchurch Tattcrsall's: Won Hopeful Stakes, 5 furlongs, Bstlolb, lmin s:jsec; Ravenswing. Bst 51b, second; Rainbow, 8t olb, third. Canterbury Summer: Won Middle Park Stakes, 6 furlong’s, 7st 7Jlb, lmin 15isoc: Ravenswing, 6it 131 b. second ; Manton, 6st 21b, third. Dunedin Autumn: Won Dunedin Champagne Stakes, 6 furlongs, 9st 31b, lmin 19scc; Manton, Bst 101 b, second ; Adulation, Bst7lb, third. Canterbury Autumn; Won Champagne Stakes, 6 furlongs, Bst 101 b, lmin isisec; Somneil, Bst 101 b, second; Redwood, Bst 10>b, third. Won Challenge Stakes. 6 furlongs. 7st 9’.b, lmin losec; Somneil, 7st7lb, second; Russlcy, fs 1 ;6!b, third. AT THREE YEARS. Flemington .Spring: Second in Derby, 11 mile, 7st 101 b, won by Ensign, Bst 51b. Won Flying Stakes. 7 furlongs. Bst, in lmin 23'fSec ; Pi po. 6st, second; Carrington, 6st 41b, third. Won Foal Siako3,l.) mile. 9st 61b, 2min 12fsec; Wycombe, 9st 61b, second; Melos, 9st 6lb, third. V.R.C. ' Autumn : Third in Newmarket Handicap, 6furlongs, Bst 12!b, won by Sedition, 7st 31b. Second in Australian Cup, 2\ miles, Bst 61b, won by Lochicl, Bst 71b. Won Champion Stakes. 3 miles. 7st 12ib; Abercorn. 9st, second; Melos, 7st 121 b. third. Won All Aged Stakes, 1 mile, lmin 42scc, Bst 41b ; Sinecure, 6st 51b, second; Chintz, (st, 51b, third. Won Loch Plate, 2 miles, 9st, 3ndn 35sec: l.ocliiel.9st 4ib, second; Carlyon, 9st. third. A.J.C. Autumn: Second in Autumn Stakes. 11 mile. Sat 41b, won by Abercorn, 9st. Won Sydney Cup, 2 miles, Sst, 3min olsec: Melos, 7st 71b, second; Abercorn, 9st4lb, third. Won All Aged Stakes, 1 mile, 8st81b; Rudolph, fst 121 b, second; Russlcy, 9st lib, third. Won Cumberland Stakes, 2 miles, Bst 21b; Lochiel, 9st 4ib, second: Abercorn. 9st, third. Won A.J.C. Plate, 3 miles, Bst; Abercorn, 9st, second; Melos, Bst, third; time, smin 43isec. AT FOUR YEARS. Caulfield Spring : Second in Caulfield Stakes, 1 mile and a furlong, 9st, won by Dreadnought, 7st 111 b. Flemington Spring: Third in Melbourne Stakes, 11 miles, 9st, won by Abercorn, 93t; second in Melbourne Cup. 2 miles, lOst, won by Bravo, Bst 71b; won Flying Stakes, 7 furlongs, 9st, lmin 27.tScc ; unplaced in Canterbury Plato, 21 miles, 9st, won by Abercorn, 9st 51b. Flemington Autumn : Won Essendon Stakes, 1 mile, 24 furlongs. 9st, 2min 251 sec; Won All-aged Stakes; Won Loch Plate; third in Champion Stakes, 3 miles, 9st, won by Melos, 9st. Rindwick Autumn : Won Autumn Stakes, li miles, 9st, 2min 42sec; won Sydney Cup, 2 miles, 9st 91b, Dreadnought (Bst 41b) and Melos (9st) running a dead heat for second place; won All-Aged Stakes, 1 mile, 9st; Prelude, 6st 131 b, second ; Correze, 7st 131 b, third ; time, Imin4l2sec; won Cumberland Stakes, 2 miles, 9st; Dreadnought, Bst 121 b, second; Melos, 9st, third; time, 3min 45see. Carbine was bred at the New Zealand Stud Company’s establishment at Sylvia Park, and when a yearling was purchased by Mr D. O’Brien, of Christchurch, for 620 guineas. After the V.R.C. Spring Meeting of 1888, he passed into the hands of Mr Donald Wallace, one of the most straightgoing owners in Victoria, who gave tho large sum of 3,050 guineas for the colt. In colour Carbine is a bay, with a thin blaze terminating in a snip, with a white near hind foot. As regards shape, make or bone, he presents anything but a taking appearance, and it is with difficulty that a girth short enough to saddle him up with can be found. In the stable, a critic would hardly give him credit for what he is capable of doing. But it is whop he is fully extended that tho colt is seen at his best. He is of a very sluggish temperament, and in his work has to be forced to gallop.

Carbine is a well-bred horse. Ho was sired by grand old Musket, while his dam, Mersey, is out of the Duke of Westminster’s celebrated brood mare Clemence, the dam of Muncaster and Sandiway. Mersey was bred in England in 1874 by the Duke of Westminster, and was bought by Sir Hercules Robinson for the New Zealand Stud Company. She is by Knowsley (son of Stockwell) from Clemence by Newminster from Eulogy by Euclid from Martha Lynn (dam of Voltigeur) by Mulatto. Carbine is wonderfully inbred to the Touchstone family, having no less than six strains of Camel, the sire of Touchstone, coursing through his veins, which is only another strong argument in favour of judicious inbreeding. PYGMALION AND MEDALLION. As I anticipated, the Nordenfeldb colt Medallion defeated Pygmalion in the Christchurch Champagne Stakes on Monday last, but if wo are to take the statement of the gentleman who forwarded the Press Association report as correct, the win was due to Medallion having an advantage in the start. That there is some reliance to be placed on the statement was proved in the Challenge Stakes on the day following, when Pygmalion gave Mr Stead’s colt 21b and a beating over the same distance. On this occasion, Pygmalion got off the mark with the best of Medallion. Which is actually the better two-year-old of the pair cannot be further tested, neither colt having further “ classic ” engagements, but it will be interesting to have the opinions of those who witnessed the contests. Pygmalion has started in ten races, of which he has won five, and Medallion has been victorious in two out of the five races he has started for. TURF REFORM. The muddle that has happened over the disqualification of the pony Locket has led the Auckland Racing Club to action so as to prevent anything of the kind occuring again. In allowing pony races to be inserted in race - programmes run under metropolitan rules, 1 always regarded the Club made a mistake, and can anything be more absurd than a disqualified pony being among the list of entries for the Welter Race, to be run at Ellerslie next Monday ? So far as the present season is concerned, there will be no change in the existing state of affairs, for the rules do not come up for confirmation till next month. Those who wish to have pony-racing can now form an Association and hold meetings, bub it remains to be seen if they would obtain a permit to work the totalisator. AUSTRALIAN THOROUGHBREDS FOR AMERICA. The Americans are so favourably im-. pressed with tbeir importations of Australian thoroughbred stock that the desire to augment the supply is on the increase, and Mr Thomas B. Merry, of California, has purchased in Sydney, for Mr L. J. Rose, of Los Angelos, the following thoroughbred mares, two of whom, Ricochet and Lady Alice, were bred at Sylvia Park Phoebe Marks, b m. syrs, by Kingsborough— Lady Audley, by Little John. Princess Royal, b m, by Goldsborough— Queen’s Head, by Yattendon. Ricochet, br m, by Musket—Erycina, by Sledmere. Lady Alice, b m, sister to Ricochet and Mit-. railleuse, , „ Elsie, ch m, by Grand Flaneur—Daughter of the Regiment. Hester, ch m, by Derby—Millicent, 6yrs.

Mr Merry, who was one of the commissioners representing America at the last Melbourne Exhibition, is now in Melbourne, and intends to purchase four more mares on behalf of Mr Rose, who was formerly a well-known breeder of trotters, but intends in future to devote his attention to the rearing of thoroughbreds. TWO-YEAR-OLD RACING IN SYDNEY. The two-year-old racing at the A.J.C. Meeting has been full of interest. On the first day of the meeting the brilliant Titan got home in the Sires’ Produce Stakes, but on Monday the gelding went down before Wilga, a filly by Epigram (sire of Le Grand) out of Nellie. She staited at 20 to 1. Mr D. O’Brien kept Gatling till Thursday for a coup in the First Foal Stakes, but, unfortunately, the -young Nordenfeldt got left six lengths behind at the post, and although he ran a great race, could not reach Titan, who got home by two lengths. This is one of the worst bits of luck O’Brien has had in Australia, for besides being defeated, the form of the colt has been exposed. BITS OF TURF. Merrie England recorded an excellent performance in the Great Autumn Stakes on Easter Monday, and it goes to further prove what great thing three-ypar-olds are capable of performing in handicaps at the back end of the season. The colt, though, did not confirm his previous form in the Challenge Stakes, when he had the Hying Pygmalion and Medallion opposed to him, which must discount him being ranked as first-class. It is a pity that Merrie England was not sound enough in the spring to have measured strides with Tirailleur. Carbine is engaged in the A.J.C. Plate run at Randwick this afternoon, which should add another 500sovs to his winnings in stakes. Among the Napier visitors at the Auckland Autumn Meeting was Captain J. Ellis, an old Aucklander and owner of racehorses, Mr H. O. Caulton, and W. Clifford, the well-known jockey, who is gradually recoving in health. Nominations for the Northern Champagne Stakes of 200sovs, to be run at the Auckland Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting in 1891, close next Friday. Tibokowaru’s running in the Hurdle Race at Randwick last Saturday was not up to the form generally expected, A privab cable received stated the horse was fairly beaten on his merits.

In connection with the death of Corunna, in Sydney, it will be remembered the colt was at death’s door suffering from inflammation of the bowels when ho was rising two-year-old. Mr Thos. Halstead, the local vet,, pulled him through, and the colt was afterwards none the worse. Corunna’s death is a serious loss to the sjmdicate who owned him.

The ex-Auckland pony Secret, running in Mr W. Lyons’ colours, won the Scarborough Handicap at the last Moorfield Park (Sydney) Meeting. A Press Association cablegram under date London, April 10th, says Plutarch’s finishing last in the Rothschild Plate is adversely commented on by the sporting press. _ It is considered he did not try. 52 to 1 is now offered against either Narellan or Kirkham for the Derby.

a quarter. st. lb. st. lb. Hilda .. 10 0 Loch Ness 7 10 Leorina .. 7 11 M introse 6 10 Patchwork .. 7 10 S r . Michael 6 8 ’"iie Stewards’ Handicap of 80sovs. One mile st. lb. st. lb # Antelope .. .. 8 10 Tamora .. . 7 10 Quadrant .. ., 8 8 Dolosa . 7 0 Cissy .. 8 6 Rataplan .. . 6 12 Ellerslie Handicap of lODsovs. Six furlongs. st. lb. st. lb. Leolantis .. .. 8 7 Souvenir .. • 6 1 2 Miss Cole .. .. 8 2 Cambria .. • !? 7 The Dreamer .. 7 10 Lady Emmeline 6 0 Flying Stakes of 60sovs. Three-quarters of a mile. st. lb. St. lb. Cissy .. 9 3 Leolantis.. 7 4 Quadrant .. .. 9 2 Cambria . 7 4 Teksum .. 9 0 Glaucus .. 7 4 Aronoel .. .. 7 12 Miss Cole.. 7 2 Welter Handicap of 50aovs. Three-quarters of a mile. st. lb. st lb Leorina .. 10 5 Ingonna .. 8 4 Cynical .. 9 12 Eruption .. 8 0 Dolosa .. 9 8 Fragrance 7 10 St. Michael .. 9 7 Memorandum . 7 7 Fabulous .. .. 8 12 Stamford.. 7 7 Nigger .. 8 10 Te Kooti .. 7 7 Locket .. 8 8 Fairy Queen . 7 7 Shouts Handicap of 80sovs. Six furlongs. st, lb. st. lb. Antelope .. ..8 9 Fusee 7 3 Cissy 8 8 Rataplan .. 7 0 Loch Ness .. 8 8 Prudence.. 6 10 Fiesole .. 7 6 Octopus .. 6 8 Dolosa ..74 Dollar T r\ ri ntr 15 6 3