MELBOURNE RACES.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 740, 22 November 1870, Page 2

MELBOURNE RACES.

The Melbourne Spring Meeting opened on Saturday, the sth instant, under very unpropitious circumstances. The morning was lowering, but the rain kept off ujjtil the afternoon, when there was a perfect downpour, and this, added to the previously wet state of the ground, made the running exceedingly heavy. The Melbourne Stakes was won by Tim Whiffier, beating Topper, and Misty Mom, and a field of six. The Hotham Handicap was won by Nimblefoot, beating. Mischief, Valentine, and a field of seventeen. .The Derby was won by Florence, beating Pyrrhus, and a field of five. Both the horseg placed belonged to Mr Tait, and he had declared to win with the colt, and winning with the filly was a desperate blow to the bookmakers, who had backed Mr Tait's declaration, knowing the race was quite in his hands. The Essendon Stakes, a weight for age race of two miles, was won by Trump Card, 5 yrs. old, 9st 91bs, beating Croydon, 4 yrs., 9st., and a field of four. The defeat of the favourite for the Cup by a horse that he was to give 61bs and his year, over the same distance, the following Thursday, reversed the position of the two in betting. The Footscray Plate was won by The Dane, beating Kooweerup, Orlando, and eight others,: "We were in hopes of getting intelligence last night of the result of the .race for the Cup, by the Omeo, now. overdue at Hoi kitika, but were disappointed. The

heavy state of the course is likely to upset all calculations, so that the race is quite an open one. Trump Card is handicapped at 7et. 81bs. —a light weight for a four-year-old—Manuka, the same age, has to carry 9st. 91bs. The latter horse appears to have quite gone out of the betting, '. which would lead us to believe that ho has not been able to be got ready.— Examiner.