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TURF GOSSIP FROM AUSTRALIA By BOB THOMSON Special Australian Correspondent for Daily Racing Form ---,--,.-4 The final day of the Victoria Racing Clubs autumn meeting took place at Flemington on February 5. As a result of the excessive heat of the past month the track was lightning fast and records went by the board. Regular Bachelor, fleet six-year-old son of defunct Bachelors Persse in the stable of R. P. Trihey, staged a magnificent run to easily win the Leonard Stakes in course-record time. Two years ago Regular Bachelor, which had swept the boards in Queensland, came to Melbourne unheralded and lived up to his home reputation by winning the richly endowed Caulfield Stakes and the Newmarket Handicap. Regular Bachelor packed the steadier of 125 pounds and negotiated the "straight six" in 1:09 1-2 which shattered Winookas record by three-quarters of a second. After being last at the half-mile post Regular Bachelor unwound a phenomenal run to defeat the three-year-old filly Amiable, with third going to the Sydney-owned .sprinter Kings Head. Back of the trio was Auries Star, which led the others. Jockey K. Voitre, who headed the winning jockeys list with four winners, handled Regular Bachelor in expert fashion. OUTCLASSES RIVALS. Ajax outclassed his three rivals, Evening Mist, Damalis and the Oakleigh Plate winner Pamelus in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes. The son of Heroic dashed into the lead in the early furlongs. Harold Badger had a nice hold on Australias ace sprinter as he swung into the home stretch and increased his advantage to win by six lengths. His time, 1:45 3-4, was only a quarter of a second outside his own record for a jnile. Ajax has now won 4,250 in stakes. With a brilliant sustained run, after appearing to be in a hopeless position six furlongs from home, Marauder, a novice hurdler, shattered Phar Laps Australasian record of 3:49 1-2 for two and a quarter miles by two and a half seconds, and won the Aus-j tralian Cup by outstaying Old Rowley and the crack jumper Pooley Bridge, which had , followed Mutable home in this race last year. The first and second horses were by The Buzzard, which raced in England as The Bastard. TAKES LEAD. Darby Munro sent Young Crusader at a rapid clip and was able to open up a lead of eight lengths followed by The Riff, Royal Messenger, Tuckerbox, Pooley Bridge and Bianconi, with Le Grand last. Young Crusader was still showing the way turning into the straight, but before he was able to take a second breath Pooley Bridge had moved up stoutly and was in command at the furlong I pole. Racing flanked with the jumper came j Marauder with Old Rowley heading the I others. In a gruelling finish Marauder was j three-quarters of a length before Old Rowley, which came with a belated run, with third falling to the lot of Pooley Bridge, while Young Crusader was two lengths away to head the others of which Le Grand, a stable-mate of Elanage, was last. Marauder carried 102 pounds and was admirably ridden by the Sydney light weight J. OSullivan, who won the A. J. C. Metropolitan Handicap on Sir Regent at Rahdwick last October. Bred in Queensland, Marauder cost ,500 as a yearling, and his owner, W. Mitchell, a famous Melbourne bookmaker, had The Buzzard gelding coupled with the Newmarket winner Ajax for 00,000. The Ajax-Marauder double cost the ring over 50,000. Marmont, Realm and Lempriere were other jumpers to win the Australian Cup in the past. BIG BETTING PLUNGE. Northwind brought off the biggest betting plunge of the fall season when he defeated Lolorua in the Farewell Handicap. The son of Windbag came through in the straight and accounted for the Sdyney sprint in a thrilling drive. Irving held on to reap third laurels. The winner carried 110 pounds and ran the mile in 1:36 1-2. Northwind won the" Caulfield Cup two years ago. Max Steinberg, an American with large business interests in New Zealand, intends sending his three-year-old Elanage to Rand-wick for the A. J. C. autumn carnival. If the Posterity colt wins the Sydney Cup he will probably race him in America. Bred in New Zealand, Elanage is one of Australias best stayers. His owner is a New Yorker. The autumn carnival at Flemington closed as it opened in fine, warm weather and the attendance on Cup day compared more than favorably with the corresponding day for the 1937 carnival. The totalizator handled 00,445 for the four days. Prize money amounting to 33,925 was distributed among owners of placed horses. The principle winning owners were E. L. Baillieu, A. W. Thompson and "Constable," whose successes with Ajax were worth 4,750. W. Mitchell, owner of Marauder, netted 4,750 through the agency of the Australian Cup winner. M. Steinberg, owner of Elanage, received ,500 as a result of the colts Kings Plate success. PUBLIC SUPPORT. The prosperity of racing in Victoria has been evidenced in the remarkable public patronage accorded the sport during the last two seasons, but perhaps an even more pronounced indication of its popularity can be obtained from the extraordinary success of the March yearling sales in Melbourne. On two days 193 yearlings were sold for the huge total of 32,310, an average of approximately ,205, compared with an average of 55 in 1935, 85 in 1936 and 20 last year. Top price was paid for the Lo Zingaro Virginal colt, which was bred by Sol Green and looks every inch a high-class thoroughbred. Another Lo Zingaro colt from the Gothic mare Freezia fetched a similar figure. W. Duncan, the former crack Victorian jockey, who recently took out a license to train, is rapidly getting together a strong team at his new Caulfield stables. In addition to Devonian, which won recently at Williamstown, Duncan will start the new season with half a dozen yearlings.
