A SPORTING CAUSE CELEBRE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3173, 30 August 1881, Page 4

A SPORTING CAUSE CELEBRE.

A sporting cause cdebre of exceptional interest has occupied tho Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice this week. The f_vor:t3 for the last year's Derby wis Bend Or. Koberfc the I 'evil was second favorite, and before tha day of the race the betting fluctuated in a very remarkable manner. Tin-, was considered suspicious, and some days after Bend Or's victory a writer in the ;\fowning Post, who uses the norn deplume " Pavo," said that Bon <>r had been " nobbled," and that the veterinary surgeon of Mr Peck's atables at Russley—where Bend Or was training—Mr Barrow, had givc-n him drugs with a view of incapacitatinghim for therace. The trainer admitted that tonic balls were given to Bend Or during the period of his training with Mr Pock's approval. The evidence also showed that mixed up with these tonic balls were certain humor balls, which might have done the horse some harm. The question was whether this confusion was due to negligence on the part of Mr Barrow, or whether it testified to a criminal purpose. The jury decided that it was to be explained by the former, and gave Mr Barrow£l7so worth of damages. The utmost, therefore, which can now be said is that the training of Bend Or was not quite bo carefully conducted as the public, which is almost as much interested in the horse aa the owner, has a right to expect.