TRAINING NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2234, 2 November 1886, Page 2

TRAINING NOTES.

[special message.] [Received No> ember 1, 12 f>o p m ] Melbourne, November 1. The weather was nice and cool thin morning for training purposes. Trenton yesterday did the best mile of the season, and this morning was sent two miles ?.t a moderate pace. Ben Bult, Kingfiih, Crossfire, Bravo, Lord William, Commotion, Arsenal, Sheet Anchor, BritWiei and Recalled weie out and did semeeable gallops. Trident, Montj ChrUto and Hexaiu were treated to moderate exeici-e. Metal was sent a strong gallop and Hushed well. Malua ib in bplendid condition, and compassed a mile and a-half in style. Kitawa did a good gallop over the Cup distance. Cyclops spurted for a mile, finishing well. At C.uilHeld, ye^eiday, Little John did a splendid performance over two miles. Silvermine and Highland Chief were hent a mile and a-half, moving freely. In the Derby on Saturday, when rounding the home turn, Che^ham did not roll on to the rails, but the latter horse tripped Trident, who was behind, and he had to pull out and go right round the hor.ie-j. History of the Cup.

The Melbourne Cup was first started in 1801, when it was won by Dj Metre's •Vrcher, ridden by Cutts, who again piloted him to victory in the same race in 1802. By this time the Sydney and Melbourne horses hid met regularly, as it was found they could be .safely trans ported by steamer. Tarragon and TaitV Volunteer, the two Sydney cracky had achieved their Melbourne triumphs including the ever famous dead heat for the Champion. This cuised a.s much o\citcmint in its day as the grett match between Flying Datehmin and Voltiareur at York, England. In 18(i3 a Victorian borne, Banker, took the Cup, vvh.eh has always been a two mile handicap of the spring. In 18(H the winner was Hurtle Fisher's Lantern, by Mu>c >vado. Tim splendid three-year-old also won the Dm by, and Ballarat Cups, was never beaten, but died the same year from an accident, hi-, career being cut short in the same premature way as another of Hurtle Fisher's beauties, Charon, winner of the Sydney and Melbourne Derbies, ridden in both by Joe Morrison. The Cup of 1805 was won by grey Toryboy, one of the most indifferent progeny of the Premier, and not t-> be mentioned in the same breath with Tomboy, Musidora, or Mormon. He had been let in lightly, but yet had a hard struggle with Panic, who came wallowing in fat from the stud, and ran away with Joe Monison. He had wasted down too much. Panic has since been the sire of Melbourne, Adelaide, Wellington, Commotion, Poll Moil, and ever so many other distinguished ones on the flat, besides jumpei 8 like Prodigious. In ISo'G the "Black Dtin m," The Birb caught the judge's eye fir»t. This magnificent little horse, was by Sir Hercules, dam Young Gulnare, a nick which only came off once, for all Tlu Barb's relatives, such as Barbelle and Barbarian, weie much inferior, although Barbaiian's son Zulu managed to Mieak olf the Melbourne Cup, under a feather weight, lame as could be. The Cup was. won by Sydney horses in 1860, '07, 08, and '<>!), with The Barb, Tim Whitfler, Glencae, and Warrior. Tim Whiffler was, like Dapworth, one of the soundest and longest la>t ing type. Tim's sire was New Wanior, who also sired Volunteer, Wai nor, Komula, The Pearl, and ever so many other good ones. He has only been beaten on the Sydney side by Yattendon, the sire of Dagworth, Chester, and Grand Flaneur. Tim Whiffler has not come off as a sire, his best youngster being Timothy, and in this he resembles The Barb, another stu-J failure. The English imported Tim Whiffler seems to have fallen away too, having been disposed of at auction a few years back for 450 guineas, although he had sired Briseis, Sibyl, and Volo, but then his progeny dropped down to the stamp of Rapidity. The careers of Briseis and Sibyl were wonderfully like thobe of Grand Flaneur and Progress, running first and second in the Derby and Cup. Returning to ISGB, we notice that Mr Tait saddled with his own hands the chestnut Glencoe, as his piok for the Melbourne Cup, and Glencoe justified expectations by winning, the odd-- against him being Bto 1. Tait had The liavb entered, and the little Black Demon was thought t<> hold the race safe ; but old John deoided to win longjr odds on Glencoe. The latter was a captious, cowardly horse, lie always had to be forced in front, ashis heart died away to a pimple if he was collared by another. In this Glencoe was an entire contrast to The Barb, whose pluck was invincible, and he would run till he dropped. Taits celebrities have been Zoe, Volunteer, Fireworks, Tho Barb, Glencoe, Pearl, and Zoo was perhaps the handsomest mare that ever ran on the Australian turf — a bright, chestnut. Volunteer's famous dead heat with Tarragon for the Champion at Flemington will never be forgotten;* and Melbourne had to reflect then that she could not even find a second for Sydney. In 1809, Warrior, with Bst 101 bs., carried off the rich prize from twenty-six others. The places being filled by Monk and Phcebe. In }.iS7O there was the most exciting race for the Cup that had, ever occurred up to that period. Wilson, of St. 4lbans, had been disappointed time after tiine over the event. He was especially mortified at the time when game little Musidora, Premier's daughter, was so narrowly beaten. His revenge for this did not come until Musidora's daughter, Briseis, by English Tim Whiffler, won the Cup and Dei by. Well, in 1870, Wilson thought he held the big race safe w ith Lapdog", » llttlo horse by Muscovado, sire of Lantern. Lapdog was about equal in size and quality |;o $h& grey horse Qayanaka. although a horae oi another colqur \,q the. subsequent pot of Wilson and Power, being a bay. Young Wils<nn, the cleverest juvenile rider in Australia, was trusted with the mount on Lapdog. On surveying tho field, in 1870, Wilson and his partisans saw nothing to equal Lapdog, who was kept pretty dark too, like Flying Scud and Darkie, in later years. Lapdog, nevertheless,was just beaten on the post by Nimblefoot, who started i\t about 15 to 1, having won the Ifotham Handicap. A fortnight

before the Cup he was nominally at 33 to 1, but probably 100 to 1 could »o had, an was laid against Pearl, the winner in the next year. Nimblefoot, by Panic, was a Victorian hoi he, and exhibited a. trifle of dash as a throe year-old, but was considered as having fallen away to nothing. He had been in Tasmania for a long time, when brought over to raco for tl.o Melbourne Cup, as a five-year-old. He was entered in the name of Walter Craig, a Ballarat hotelkeeper, who died before the race. Craig liad a dream that he saw Nimblefoot winning, with a piece of crape round the jockey's arm. A sporting bet wa.s made between Craig and Slack, tho bookmaker, who laid £1000 to half-a-crown against Nimblefoot. After tho horse won Slack paid tho £1000 to Mrs Craig. Quoting the name of another racehorse, we may indeed say, ''There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. 1 ' Nnnblefoot's jockey, young John Day, also known as a famous pedestrian, cirned the crape on his arir. to \ictoiy. This is, without doubt, the most extraordinary occurrence in the whole history of racing all over tho globe. In 1871 the redoubtable and plucky Wilson bi ought up another supposed certainty — the frilly Itomula, by New Warrior. She was beaten by Tait\s Pearl (nho a son of New Warriori, who started at odds of 100 to 1 again.st him. Romul.v came in second, just as Lapdog did the year before. Old John Tait " snabbled " another .Melbourne Cup in tho next year, 1872, with The Quack, who was afterwards sent to India. A great certainty came olf in 1873; for Don Juan fairly romped home with 6st 121^, and after him sue ceeded Dagworth, Horatio, and a field of twenty-one, and the two miles were compassed in 3mins. 36sec3. Huicot made a- one-hor~e show in the following year, and Protos and Tho Diver filled the places, in 3inins. 37isecs. In 1875 Wollomai (7st 8lbH), won from Richmond, Goldsborough, and fifteen others, in Stnins. 38*00$. In 1876 Bri.seis ((sst 41' os) won, Sybil and Timothy filline the places, in 3min-«. 3G^secs. to the discomfort of 30 others ; and in 1877 Chester, Gst 121b^, just got home before Savanaka, who vas followed by The Vagabond and 30 others, in 3unns. SlHsec*. — the fastest record up to date, [n 1878 Calamia carried Bst 21bs, and won cleverly from Tom Kiik, Waxy, and 27 others, in 3min-<. 37 t 'sees. ; and the year after DarriWttll astonished e\eryone, including his owner and moit intimate friends, by e.uiying 7">t 41bs to the front in Smiii*. 30/iecs., beating Sweetmeat, Suwarrow, and a numerous held. In 18S0 Grand Flaneur, Gst 101b, Progress, and L-nd Burghley came home as named in 3mins. 31^-ecs. In INS I the pot was quite upset, Zulu, one of the 100 to 1 division, getting homo first, The Ciiar and Sweetmeat being his immediate attendants. In 1882 the gi eat uncertainty of racing was again forcibly brought out, for The Assyrian, against whose ability to win 70 to 1 was offered at the post, came home in advance of his field, Stock well beim; second, and Gudarz thiid. The year of ISB3 will long be remembeied by all Kew Z;alandersas a red-letter day for the land of the Maori, for it bdw the Auck-land-bred colt M irtini-Heury go to the post fii>t f.ivourito and spread-eagle a brilliant field of twenty-nine in the great time of 3miu. 30j*><*cs ; while in 1881 M Una took us back to tho good old days of The B irb and Glencoe by carrying the great weight of 9st. (Mb*, home in front of twenty-three opponents, the groat-hearted Commotion being in second place with 9->t. 121bs. in the saddle. Last year Mr Longh'i'i's Sheet Anchor, with 7st 111k up, disposed of a large field in the quickest tune mi record — 3mm. 29^03.— beating Martini-Henry's record by a second.