SPORTING NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 397, 7 October 1874, Page 5

SPORTING NOTES.

Captain Hutchison's mare Miss King ha: dropped » colt foal to Tradncer, the bice o Bo many racehorses that have run toreaxost at the various New Zealand meetings. The Australian Jockey Club Spring Sleet' ing concluded on the 12th instant, and files to hand furnish us with full particulars oi each day's racing. The rainy weather thai prevailed during the meeting appears to have had a depressing influeace, the attendance on no one day being large. However, stunt excellent sport seems to have been provided for auch a3 were present. I noticed the first , day's racing in a previous issue, so shall now proceed to that on the 10th, on wl.icb. the great event, the Metropolitan, was run. The bare result of tHs race we have previously learned by telegraph, but have how tlu . full description before us. It appears thai Goldsborough started a rather warm favorite, . being freely backed at 3to 1 ; Reprieve, The Airow, aßd Fitz- Yattendon were next in f avoi at frero^l to 7to 1 ; Sterling at 8 to 1, Horatio atSp Dag worth in the outer division, at 20 to 1 against each. Ninteeen started, Sterling taking a good place, Goldsborough being one of the last to get away, but the latter coming up on the outside after the stand was passed. At the five-furlong post, however, just as the favorite was being called upen, Llama, whe had cut out the running at a grjat pace, compounded, and swerving against him, knocked him out of his stride. Some people ' say this lost Goldsborough the race, but be that as it may, Sterling came out on receiving' a reminder, and won rather easily by two lengths or nearly so. Goldsborough was second, beating Dr Bathe's plucky little 1 Maid of Avenel by only a head j Horatio came very fast at the finish, and was close on to the Maid, while Dagworth cantered in among the last half-dozen. Mr Ivory's win was a source of great delight to the bookmakers; for his colt had not been backed by the public, while Goldsborough had for months past been strongly supported, besideß being largely taken in doubles. There 4^k| great diversity of opinion as to the time in Which the race was rnu, the official one being something under 3min 37sec, while other time-keepers give 3min 38sec. and even as much as 3min 39aec. On the third day, in the Craven Plate, Maid of Avenel, carrying 191 b more than in the Metropolitan, beat Geldsborough by a clear length, though the latter carried on by the same as in the big race, but this defeat ia ascribed to the pasting he tben got. There ms a fine race for the President's Handicap, Pitz- Yattendon, who met the Metropolitan winner on 91bs better terms, turning the tables on Sterling, but beatiDg him by a head only. The popular Governor secared ano her win ateo with Kings borough in the Mares' Produce Stakes, in which" he cantered in «th 9st 9lbs on his back at his leisure. It is this • co'.t's fortune to nave met nothing this season that can touch him Llanaa managed to pull off the Members' Handicap, carrying 7st 9!bs, and -r. beating Melbourne, Nea, 'Ihe JS'ovice. Ac, and the Maid of Avenel again carried Dr Bathe's colors to the fore in the Waverly , ■ Handicap, receiving a stotui from Mtz«Yat« ] tendon, and beating Mm by a length and a-half. In the Eaudwick Plate, Dagworth (9st lllbs) and Horatio (93t 51bs) met, the i former winning ea&ily ; but as in the Cup the latter will meetHhe wld horse on 91hs better terms, their positions will piobably be reversed. A ccording to the ' Leader, ' Horatio's running in this race was sufficient to cause him to be backed to win L 5,000 ia the Cup at 100 to 8. ■, Owing to the majoiity of .the bookmakers not having yet returned<to Melbourne, there is not much doing there in the betting market, but floldsborough still holds the post of honor at, nominally, s' to 1 against him Idoratio and Lapidist have been backed down to 100 to 10 each j Mtz-Yat-tendon, at 100 to 8 ; Fugleman, 100 to 6 ; , Speculation, Cleolite, and the Diver, 100 to. 5 ; for others there are no quotations. "Augur'" advises that Goidaborough should not be touched, in the face of the rumors that it is possible he may change hands, and the same writer speaks, of Lapidist as having greatly improved of late. Luriine and The Ace are reported to be in grand form ; and while the Diver has a great many friends, others say his bad leg will never staad training. Humor has it that Break o',Day has gone into Mr James Wilson's stable, and that the Cup is as great a certainty for him as last year's was for Don Juan. After Javelin's splendid running at "Hand wick he is thought to have a good show for the Cup, if be can recover from the effects of his . J^feruegle in the Spriag Stakes. 'The 'Australasian' in an article speaks of the Cup race as being likely to lose its prestige, through all interest in it being lost bo long before the race, from the fact of one horee being looked on as the certain winner' if in health on the day. It thinks also that the finances £ of the* Victorian Racing Club will suffer for the same reason, as, thsj|fpeoulation on the race, and consequently the attendance at the meeting, will be materially reduced thereby- The remedy recommended is that the weights should not be declared till after the Rand wick meeting, the * A usiralasian' affirming if such had been done this year "Goldsborough would have received a etoncmore weight, and .such horses as Dagworth, Horatio, The Ace, Lurline, The Arrow, and King of the Ring would have got some show, whereas they are considered clean • wiped out' by Goldsborough." There is doubtless much to be said on both sides, but as far a* New Zealand is concerned the alteration would certainly debar any candidates being sent from here, ag seven or eight weeks would not be sufficient time in which to forward a horse, with* any certainty of his being fit to run for the Cup. A longer spell is needed, and of course owners are not likely to risk valuable animals by starting them on a sea voyage before knowing what they may 'teceive at the handicapper's hands.