RACING IN NEW SOUTH WALES 163 



held on October 1 st and 3rd on the Parramatta Racecourse, as the Turf Club 

 refused them the use of the course near Sydney. The first day's programme 

 opened with the Governor's Cup heats, twice round the course, gentlemen 

 riders, and the eventual winner was Mr. Lawson's 3-year-old, Spring Gun. 

 Other starters were Bennelong, Junius, Lawyer and Currency Lad. One of 

 the most hotly contested races ever witnessed in the colony was for a sweep- 

 stake of iO guineas each, with 25 guineas added. Australian won. A 2 -year- 

 old filly named Cornelia, owned by Mr. Icely, made a victorious effort. A 

 hack race, won by Mr. Riley's Major, and a match in which a pony owned 

 by Mr. Terry defeated Mr. Stephen's Don Giovanni, concluded the day's 

 sport. 



On the second day, Australian won the Town Plate, and Lawyer (who 

 afterwards had his name changed to Counsellor) won the Maiden Plate. 

 The meeting concluded with the winning of the Handicap Sweepstakes by 

 Australian, who defeated Abdallah. 



Leading Events of 1829. 



On April 8th and 1 0th, the Turf Club held a popular meeting on its 

 own course. The report states that there were 5,000 people present on the 

 first day, when Mr. Lawson's Spring Gun won the fourth Brisbane Cup, 

 beating Crowcatcher, Scratch and Australian. Mr. Lawson's stable was in 

 great form, as his horses won the three events of the day. His filly, Princess, 

 took the Two-year-old Stakes, whilst Spring Gun won the Wentworth Purse. 

 On the second day. Spring Gun won the Town Plate, but Princess was beaten 

 by Australian in the Sweepstakes. In the Second Handicap Sweepstakes, the 

 favourite, Scratch, was beaten by Crowcatcher. This was a great disappoint- 

 ment to the favourite's followers from Windsor, who offered to make a match 

 to run the winner in a month's time, but the owner of Crowcatcher would not 

 agree. 



The Australian Racing and Jockey Club ran off a tw^o-days' programme 

 on April 22nd and 24th. The Challenge Cup took four heats to decide the 

 winner, owing to a dispute. Sir John Jamieson's Bennelong eventually got the 

 verdict. A Maiden Plate of £30 for two-year-olds resulted in a w^in for Mr. 

 Icely's Counsellor. A sweepstake of £l 0, with £20 added, was won by Sir John 

 Jamieson's Abdallah, which also won the Subscription Stakes on the second 

 day. The Ladies' Purse went to Counsellor, who, saddled up a third time, 

 appropriated the Handicap Sweepstakes. His only opponent, Abdallah, won 

 the first heat, and the talent laid 5 to I on him for the second, but the horse 

 threw his rider. A hack race, won by Alraschid, brought the meeting to a 

 close. 



Hawkesbury Races. 



The Hawkesbury Races took place on July 22nd and 24th, when funds 

 were poor. To the joy of the local contingent. Scratch won the opening 

 event. Steward's Cup of £50, after a good race with Abdallah. Counsellor 

 took the Ladies' Purse. A chestnut filly by Steeltrap won the Two-year-old 

 Stakes, beating Sir John Jamieson's Chance, by Camerton or Abdallah. On 

 the second day the filly Chance was entered as by Abdallah, and unnamed, 

 for a Subscription Stakes of 25 guineas. She won, but a protest was entered 

 on the ground that she had previously run as Chance. She was withdrawn, 

 and the race run over again, when Scratch won. The Town Plate was won 



