QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY RACES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 185, 27 May 1873, Page 5

QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY RACES.

Not less thatl three hundred of an attendance gathered at the Cromwell Course on Saturday last to witness the sport provided for that day by the Jockey Club. During the forenoon none of the business places in the town were closed, and no single sign was manifested indicative of Cromwell's loyalty. As to there being any intentional disloyalty to the Queen, why, as a down-country paper said the other day, "Her Majesty knows better" ; it was only an evidence of a kind of loyal love and wistful hankering Cromwell storekeepers have for and after the "Queen's head," as pourtrayed upon coins of the realm. However, about twelve o'clock, shut doors became the rule, and very soon after, the major part of the townspeople went out of town for the afternoon's holiday. A great number of those present were from the Bannockburn and Carrick Ranore ; while the Gorge, Lowburn, and Quartz Reef Point each helped to swell the total. The fair sex was not represented in the usual proportion, a bitterly cold breeze from snow-clad Mount Pisa doubtless being the cause of their absence. Perhaps this same breeze also caused such a wholesale rejection of seats.on the Grand Stand ; at any rate, the unfortunate individual who speculated therein had little reason to bless his bargain. The liquor booth did a very fair trade. The Stewards are to be congratulated upon the success which attended what mav almost be termed the Club's first attempt at an Autumn Meeting. A happy feature in connection with it is that the success did not cost much. Entries quite as plentiful as could be expected ; and the result of the Selling Race was a warmly welcomed help to the funds of the Club. The first event of the day was the Matdkn Plate of 5 sovs. For all horses that have never won an advertised prize of £5. Three-quarters of a mile. Weight for .age. Mr J. Smith's b g Faugh-a-ballagh. a<*ed, lOst lib... ..- (Miller) lj Mr J. Williamson's c m Flora, aged, KM; lib ' (Waddell) 2 Mr TT. Willmott's c in Etty Morris. 4 yrs, 9st7lb ... ... (Tagg'art) 3 Mr Werner's Sly, Mr M 'Kersie's Black Prince, Mr Taylor's Kate, and Mr Howe's Cid also ran, coming, in in the order named. The whole seven entries faced the starter. One or two false attempts occurred ; and when the signal was given, Sly and Faugh-a-Ballagh got. away with a slight advantage. Flora was stiff, and seemed to have a little difficulty ; in .getting into her stride ; while Cjd,. who, had- been indulging in a little playful rearing in'the background, went past Jthe starting-post fully four lengths behiftd : Flora. ' Faugh-a-ballagh very shortly showed with j a strong lead ■ of several lengths,- ■■ which'''-lie jiixauraged t£) ; %eas& ..Flora, .who had:shot. through, the field at.Jhe turn, into the' straight with ' remarkable.. celerifly, caused" him some uneasiness. , ..She could riot succeed in' overhauling hfth, ! ji6wever, and he passed the post two good lengths in advance.. ;-: Then-followed the '.'...big event": ,thoBirthday Handicap of .20 sovs. A mile and a half. Mr J. Hazletfs b m Brunette, aped, Bst 4!b Mr C. Colclough's bg Fenian, aged.;Bst ... ! Mr C. Holt's c g Lyndon, aged, 9st 71b "... I • (Owner) 3j Mr a. R. Bond's c g Port Philip Buck. 3 yrs, | Gst 91b (carried 51b overweight) (Cameron) 0 j Mr T. Rivers' b g Wild Manx Boy, 4 vrs, 7st 1211 > ■'• (Moore) Oj Unfortunately for the Buck's chance, which i at any rate was not exceeding great, he took! his own fancy in the preliminary, and it led j him a pleasant little spurt of half a mile ere ! the boy could get him to listen to reason. Mr Dawkins sent them off very decently. Fenian and Brunette went away at a rattling pace, and ran together for half a mile, when the mare gradually drew away, and obtained a lead of about two lengths. Fenian several times got within a length o* her, but a spurt on her part always threw him off. When a mile had been got over, Lyndon made his endeavour, but finding that' he could do no more than obtain second place, he refrained from further pushing. The Buck ran very gamely, but his runaway gallop and the 51bs overweight militated against him strongly. Wild Manx Boy never made a show hr the race. Selling Race of 10 sovs. Three-quarter mile heats. No weight under 9 st. Mr J. Hazlett's c m Flora ... (Waddell) 1 1 Mr Preston's Stormbird and Mr Hayes' Garnet also ran, but neither gave the mare much trouble. In the first heat, Garnet ran j inside the distance post, and was thus disqua- j lined for the second. Handicap Trotting Rack of 5 sovs. Distance, two miles. No weight under K'st. Mr Fleming's Polly, scratch I Mr Partridge's Nora, 200 yards ... 2 Mr Wilson's Nellie, 70 vards 3 Vulcan, with 100 ; Willie, with 100 ; and Mag, with 200 yards, also ran. Polly won this event with great ease, trotting fairly and well throughout. The last race on the programme was the Consolation, the prize for- which had been left blank. It was now fixed by the Stewards at L.5. Two entr es were handed in, Fenian j and Wild Manx Boy ; and the handicapper (Mr Wrightson) declared the weights as follows :—Fenian, 9st; Wild Manx Boy, Bst 61b. The owners, however, agreed to run it off with lOst iip, and the result was : Consolation Handicap of 5 sovs. Distance, one mile. Wild Manx Roy. aged,'lOst ...... (Laing) 1 Fenian, l&st" ... ... ' ... '■-.../•■(Miller)- %''

7.'Ejjj'hilKpiwqid- to be the best-contested race of the day, and created a great amount of excitement. Backers were found in galore for both : horses. Owing to the darkness, but little could be seen of the race until the straight run was reached. Then it was perceived that both horses were on the outer edge of the course, Wild Manx Boy haying the inside and Fenian the outside running, with the former laying up against the latter in a -most suspicious manner. Coming in between the ropes, Wild Manx Boy was leading by half a length, and this advantage he kept. Loud cries were made by Fenian backers that a protest should be entered on the ground of jostling by Laing, and indeed the general opinion seemed to be that unfair play had taken place ; but as Miller persisted in declaring to all enquirers that a fairer race had never been run, neither the owner nor the Stewards could do anything in the matter, and the stakes therefore went to Wild Manx Boy.