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SPORTING.
The committee of the S.A. Jockey Club,
with their chairman (the Hon. R. C. Baker),
their secretary, and the architect(Mr. Soward)
visited the Morphettville Course on Friday
afternoon and made final arrangements for the
enlargement of the totalizator stand, and other
works, for which tenders are called in our ad
vertising columns.
We have received from Sir. Whitington the
"S.A. Racing Calendar" for February, and
from Mr. Byron Moore the "Victorian
Calendar" for the same month.
The New Zealand mare Merganser is not to
appear in Australia this autumn. She is re:
ported to be in excellent condition, as are the
rest of Robertson's team.
Mr. Norman Wilson's hurdleracer Eolton
is a useful animal with a fair turn of food, as
be beat Britannia in the Ararat Cup last week,
the mare having 9 st 4 lb. and Bolton 8 st. 8 lb.
to carry.
The Noarlunga raws tafce place to-day,
when there should be a good attendance and
attractive racing. Coachta will leave the city
between 8 30 and U E-tn., and return after the
last race. A half-soy. tote will be in operation,
and there is every reason why the meeting
should prove a success to the club as well as a
very pleaswt outing to the visitors.
Acceptances for the Orroroo races are due
with the secretary not later than a.30 p.m. on
Monday next.
Second forfeits for the Newmarket Handi
cap and Australian Cup are due next Thurs
day, after which there will, no doubt, be some
active speculation over these events.
Owners of jumpinpnags will have the chance
of winning some really good prizes at the S. A.
Agricultural Show in the first week of March,
as the committee are offering more money
this year tban ever before for the jumping,
which will take place on Friday as well as
Saturday. They are also giving a special
prize for tradesmen's turnouts.
There was a good muster of members of the
Bordertown Jockey Club on Saturday la3t,
when it was agreed that the annual races
should be held on the old course on Thurs
day, March 9. A programme was adopted
and stewards appointed, and the thanks of the
meeting tendered to Mr. M. Whelan, the hon.
secretary.
The Penola Racine Clnb have issued a pro
gramme for a meeting on March 29 and 30.
The Dimboola Handicap was won by Mr.
Frayne's Beeswing, who beat Norma by a
head. Bean Swift was third. In the Flying
Handicap Dean Swift ran second to Swindler.
Courtier, Ariel, and Joey were the leading
trio in the Hurdle race.
The American trotting stallion Bedwind,
purchased by Mr. Miller for over £L,200, was
sold last week to Mr. H. P. Blake, of
Coonambie, for 500 guineas.
There has been a great falling off this season
in the entries for theV.R.C. Autumn meeting,
only s'Jl being reaeived, as against 716 last
year. The numerous proprietary meetings
around Melbourne are no doubt accountable
for this, and, an we pointed out not long ago, the
V.A.T.C. atCaulHeld are becoming powerful
rivals of the premier club at Fiemington.
Some day the committee of the latter will
wake up (when too late), and find that even
the great Cup carnival is on the down grade,
and that the nourishing days of Flemingtcn
are all over.
At the meeting of the Deniliquin Amateur
Turf Club on Anniversary Day all bookmakers
transacting business on the course were com
pelled to deposit £25 with the club as a
guarantee that their engagements would be
met. The pencillers willingly acceded to the
arrangement, which worked satisfactorily, and
something of this kind is wanted at our pony
meetings.
There is not much news from the training
tracks this week, .says the Australasian, but it
is satisfactory to hear that Sc. Hippo, who is
now at Fiemington, is going weLL Beyond a
little hcratcbiness at starting, and this he soon
dbrows off, the New Zealander's action is as
free as possible. Of the horses out Caulfield
way, Malvolio seems to be pleasing the
watchers, and the Newmarket nags Wild
Rose and Beverley are doing welL During
the last few weeks several horses have been
backed for the Newmarket Handicap in a
genuine way. Mr. Oxenhatn alone has laid
Wild Rose, Buecleuch, Prime Minister, and
War Paint to the tune of over £5,000 apiece,
and the probabilities are that all fonr candi
dates are fancied in the right quarter. In
addition to a wager of £5,000 to £250, Wild
Hose has been backed for a good deal of money
in small amounts. The Sydney people seem
quite satisfied as to AVar Paint being a good
colt
During a fearful Etonn in Bull! Pass, New
South Wales, on Monday last, Messrs. Wirth
Brothers' circus sustained a heavy loss. The
company had been showing in Parramatta,
and Mr. J. J. Wirth left on Sunday to go
ovetland to Bulli with some of the horses. In
the pass the party was overtaken by the
storm, and two of the best ring horses. Dolly
and Flirt, were struck by lightning and killed.
Mr. Wirth and the grooms had very narrow
escapes, and Maude, one of the trained
bronchos, was so badly hurt that her life was
despaired of. The company got through with
out further loss, and is now showing at
Wollongong.
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