NEVIS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 177, 1 April 1873, Page 6

NEVIS.

(From our own Correspondent.) Has there ever been a complete history of horse-racing written ? If there lias, I should like much to have it by mo at this moment, to be able to lay my hand on it, so that I might cull a few tit-bits from it and thereby induce appetite enough in tho reader to enable him to worry through this report of the racemeeting which was held on the Nevis on St. Patrick’s day. There is a sameness, an everlasting sameness, about all reports of racemeetings of the present day that is utterly tiresome and disgusting to the ordinary •reader ; and I am sure if' Sporting writers persist in their evil pinch longer th6y will find themselves with no readers but those who are wholly given over to sporting. To the young and-'ardent, it may be all very well to read abeftit the "Weather, the road, the lawn, the grand stand, the luncheon, the ladies, the betting, et cetera, et cetera; ■ but to men who have read the r s;kiue sort of thing a/ thousand times over it 'is stale, flat, and unprofitable. Is there riVrdrlieay for this 1 must sporting reports runTfi : the same groove ?or if we are to have thfe same everlasting ‘dose presented to us, can the pillimOt be gilded or the potion ip.aije more inviting 1 For instance, would it not be an agreeable change if smile Hebraist would give us a slight biographical sketch of that mighty sporting “ cove” Nimrod, and toll all abofit' the dimensions aiid qualities of his stud, and if he was much of a betting man 1 and might not some sporting writer “ up to Greek” inform us as to what was considered good time for the mile on that bit of turf at the foot of Mount Olympus ; or if the Thracian steeds, about which old Homer brags so much, were good over sticks ? Here are hints for which some one learned in those ancient languages ought to thank me ; as by taking advantage of them he will, perhaps, make a name and a fortune for himself, and it grieves me exceedingly that 1 am not “ A preacher or a classic teacher for, if I were, “ In every feature I’d make ’em shine.” I wonder if the ancient sporting heroes were of the same kidney as the modern i If they were—viewing them from a moral standpoint—it must be confessed that they were a rather shady lot. If we look at the characters of most of the celebrated sporting Englishmen from the moral stand-point, they will scarcely bear inspection ; but as sportsmen they were thorough-going, whole-souled men. In connection with the early English turf we have Godolphin, who as a statesman and man generally was utterly disreputable, but as a horse-racer, nothing could beat him. He it was who introduced the Arab steed from which most of the high-mettled racers of the present day trace their pedigrees ; and in doing this he had no idea of the value of the service that lie was conferring on the sporting community : he was pretty cute after the “ bobs” too. Judging from what I have read about him, I am inclined to think if he had been privileged to live in tho present day when “blueing” races and horseyswindling generally lias attained to such perfection, he would be a very Prince among blacklegs. About the same interesting period of history we have Lord Wharton—poet, statesman, gambler; a man who was up to all sorts of sinful games ; who “ Would kiss your wife or take your life” with the same imperturbable good-nature. But he was a good sportsman, and surely that is enough to cover a multitude of evils : he also owned a gelding for which he refused one thousand pistoles from Louis 1c Grand. Those two characters belong to the* comparatively dark age of the English turf. Later on we come to the Duke of Hamilton, who rode to ruin on Flying Childers. This man was one of a sporting family, and his wife divorced him ; he died insolvent, and his estates fell to his uncle. The uncle was a man of a retiring disposition and weak digestion ; —lived on bran porridge chiefly. This economical diet enabled him (I'suppose) to redeem the estates, but his grandson—true to the family traditions—has again galloped them into insolvency. Then again we have but I must stop this little game. When I began to write I meant to, write about the Nevis races: however, I hope there is im harm done, and 1 would also hope that what I have written may induce the reader to read what follows.

The celebration of the anniversary of the patron saint of the Green Isle seems to have become-an, institution with the mining community. All natives, sects, and creeds recognise it without hesitation as a holiday, and unite heartily in keeping alivethe memory of him who'preached peace and good-will to all mankind generally, and to Irishmen in particular. It is pleasant to behold such unity, and well would it be for us if the same spirit influenced iis as regards many of the differences that now exist. Whether it be the. proper thing-.to celebrate the festival of a saint by holding a day’s racing, I leave for moralists to decide but of this much I am certain, that on the 17th day of March in the present year of grace, there was the best day's racing that we have sefen on the Nevis. It may be that the condition of the horses, as a'rule, dicV not meet the approval of the. judges ; and■ th is possible that the time in which the races werCcruh would not astonish a Newmarket tout for its quickness ; but for all - that we enjoyed ourselves immensely. One of the pleasantest features of the meeting was the unusual number of visitors from the surrounding districts, whose presence assisted to make matters, already cheerful, more so ; and who, if they did not meet with so refined a welcome as they experience elsewhere, at least a good hearty one; one which

we hope will induce them to visit ns again on like occasions. Host Scally of the Shamrock Hotel acted as caterer on the course, and also entertained a largo company at supper after the day’s sports were over. It need scarcely be said that the eatables and drinkables were all that could be desired ; well calculated to fortify the stomach or take the keen edge from off an appetite engendered by the bracing breeze that blew throughout the day. The assemblage on the course was the most numerous we have seen, and conducted itself with that good-nature and love of order which lias long characterised the Nevis folks. Our, Mongolian neighbours evinced a laudable curiosity in the sport, and assisted by their presence to a large extent. The first race was a Maiden Plate, though how it should be called so, when four venerable or ayed horses ran in it, is more than I can understand ; and one cynical ruffian seemed to bo of the same way of thinking as I heard him remark they were the “ d st old lot of maids ever he see.” [Our correspondent has appended a detailed account of the racing, but' as our readers have already been placed in possession of the results, we deem it unnecessary to 'publish the particulars afresh. — Ed.]