consequence was the largest influx of strangers ever known to Melbourne, and the (then) immense number of 5000 persons witnessed the sports of the morrow. It was very sultry, the atmosphere muggy, with occasional puffs of hot wind, but towards noon there was a crashing thunderstorm, with slight showers of rain throughout the afternoon. T H E ; T O W N P L A T E was w o n by Mercer's R o b Roy, whilst Snodgrass's Billy-go-by-'em pocketed the T R I A L S T A K E S , and Kilgour's Bolivar the P U B L I C A N S ' P U R S E . The weather was much pleasanter on the second day, the attendance good, and the running ditto. T h e result of the three days' meeting showed that though there was room for much improvement in the training and get-up of horses, evidences of no little progress in this respect were manifest, which would gradually render the Port Phillip Turf Club Meetings all that they should be. 1845. A special charge of ,£5 per booth as a police rate was levied upon the racecourse publicans, to remunerate special constables for the maintenance of good order, and as there were a score of booths, a sum of ,£100 was available for the purpose. T h e c o m m a n d of the course was placed under Mr. Charles Brodie. There was fine weather on the opening day (25th March) and a numerous turn-out of the public. This was the year when the famous stock-horse Petrel made his debut, and carried all before him. THE T O W N P L A T E was for 40 sovs., added to 6 sovs. entrance. Heats; 2 miles and a distance; weights as for previous similar competitions, and the result w a s : — Campbell's Petrel Collins' Smolensko Dowing's Romeo
1
I
2 dis. 3 2
Purves' Banker Lang's Hendric
4
4
Petrel was the favourite, and w o n the two heats without difficulty. T H E M A I D E N P L A T E was won by Brown's Adela, beating 4 others; and the P U B L I C A N S ' fell to Smolensko out of six applicants.
PURSE
The Second Day was drenched with a drizzling rain, which soon cleared off, and there was a larger attendance than on the day before, and more enjoyment. T h e Saltwater River was studded with aflotillaof private boats unseen there previously, and unequalled since. Smolensko won the THE
LADIES' P U R S E ,
P O R T PHILLIP S T A K E S
beating Romeo, Banker, and three others.
fell to Crook's Gay Lad, and the
PONY STAKES
to Henderson's Pussy.
O n the Third Day the S T E E P L E C H A S E was w o n by Bond's Flying Shingler. A C O N S O L A T I O N and concluded the meeting. T h e last day of the week witnessed a private match for ,£100 aside between Petrel and Smolensko (Tasmanian) 3 miles and a distance. T h e former won easily, and not less than ,£1000 was lost and gained on the event. T h e evening of the 28th was signalized by a grand Race Ball, but a heavy rain kept away a number of ladies w h o had intended to be present. There was a good band, better dancing, and an excellent supper. T h e attendance numbered 120, and the proportionate paucity of the fair sex was compensated for by the complacency of the ladies there, w h o are reported in a Melbourne newspaper "to have worked double tides to keep the gentlemen in partners;" and very ungallant and ungentlemanly was it to exact such a species of hard labour. HACK RACE
1846. Early in March there was a very spirited race meeting at Geelong, when Petrel beat Smolensko and several others ,n thefirstheat for the T O W N P L A T E , and had a walk-over in the second.- Here, also, it was where Austin's Bunyip essayed hisfirstrace, and won the T H R E E Y E A R - O L D S T A K E S .
