QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY RACES AT CROMWELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 580, 30 May 1873, Page 2

QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY RACES AT CROMWELL.

—o— THE “CROMWELL ARGUS.’’) Not less than three hundred of an attendance gathered on the Cromwell Course on Saturday last to witness the sport provided for that day by the Jockey Club. Darin? the forenoon none of the business places in the town were closed, am no single sign was manifested indicative of Cromwell’s loy.dty. As to there being any intentional disloyalty to the Queen, why, as a down-country piper 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 “Quesn’s head,” as portrayed upon coins of the realm. However, about twelve o'clock, shut doors beca ne the rule, and very soon after, the mijor part of the townspeople went out of town to enjoy the afternoon’s holiday. A great numb' r of those present were from the Bannockburn end Carriok Ranges ; while the Gorge, howburn, and Quartz-reef Point ea hj helpo Ito swell the total. The fair sex was not represented in the usual proportion, a bitterly cold breeze from the snow-clal Mount Pisa doubtless being the cause of their absence. Pehaps this same breeze also cause I such a wholesale rejection of seats on the Grand Stand ; at any rate, the individual who speculated therein had little reason to bless his bargain. The liquor booth did a very fair trade. The Stewards are to he congratulated upon the success which attended what may almost be termed the Club’s Hrst attempt at an Autumn Meeting. A happy feature in connection with it is that the success did not cost much. Entries were quite as plentiful as could he expected, and the result of tlics Selling Race was a warmly welcomed help to thejfnnds of the Club. The first event of the day was the Maiden Plate of 5 sovs. For all horse 3 that have never won an advertised prize of 01. Weight for age. Three-quarters of a mile. Mr J. Smith’s hgFaugh-a-ballagh, aged, 10ot lib (Miller) 1 Mr J. Williamson’s c m Flora, aged, l(»st lib (Waddell) 2 Mr H. Willmott’s c m Etty Morris, 4yrs, 1 9st 71b ... ... (Taagart) 3 Mr Werner’s Sly, Mr Kersie’s Black Prince, Mr Taylor’s Kate, and Mr Howe’s Cid also ran, coming fn in the order named. The whole seven entries faced the starter. One or two false attempts occurred, and when the sivnal was given, Sly and Faugh-a-hallagh got away with a slight advantage. Flora was stiff, and seemed to have a little difficulty in getting into her stride ; while Cid, who had been indulging in a little playful rearing in the background, went 1 pa t the starting-post fully four length's j Oehin i Flora. Faugh-a-bullagh very shortly | showed with a lead of several lengths, | which he managed to maintain till nearly I home, when Flora, who had shot through the Held at the turn into the straight wilh : remarkable celerity, caused him some uneasiness. She could not succeed in overhauling him, however, and he passed the post two good lengths in advance. Then next followed the “big event:” Birthday Handicap of 20 sovs. A mile and a half. Mr J. Hazlett’a b m Brunette, aged, Sst 41h ... ... (Robertson) 1 Mr C. C V.clough's b g Fenian, aged, Sst (M’iNulty) 2 MrC. Holt’s c g Lyndon, aged. £K 71b (Owner) 3 MrG. B. Bond’s eg Port Phillip Buck, 3yrs, CstO lb (carried 51b overweight) Mr Rivers's b g Wild Manx Boy, 4yrs, 7st 12lh Unfortunately for the Buck’s chance, which at any rate was not exceeding g-eat, he took his own way in the preliminar, and it lead 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, w hen the mare gradually drew away, an 1 obtained a lead of i two lengths. Fenian several tiuvs got within a length of her, but a spurt on her part always throw him off. When a mile had been got over, Lyndon ma le his endeavour, hut fin ling that he could do no -) more than obtain second place, lie refraine I 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 in the race. Selling Race of 10 sovs. Three-quarter mile heats. No weight under Sst. Air. J. ITazlott’scm Flora (Waddell) 1 I Mr. Preston’s Stormbird and Mr. Hayes' Garnet also ran, but neither gave the mare much trouble. In the first heat, Garnet ran inside the distance post, and was thus disqualified for the second. Handicap Trotting Race of 5 sovs. Distance, two miles. No weight nudes lOst. Mr. Flemings Polly, scratch ... ... 1 Partridge’s Nora, 200 yards ... 2 Wilson’s Nellie, 70 yards 0 Vulcan, with 100 ; Willie, 100 ; and Mag, 200 yards, also ran. Polly won this event with great case, trotting fairly and well throughout. The last race on the programme was ths Consolation, the prize for which had been left blank. Tt was now fixed by the Stewards at 5 1. Two entries were handed in, Fenian and Wild Manx Boy ; and tie bandicapper (Mr. iWiightsnn) declared the weights as follows; Fenian, 9st. ; Mild Manx Boy, Sst 61b. The owners, however, agreed to run it off with lOst up, and the icsnlt was : Consolation Handicap of 5 sovs. Distance, one mile. Wild Manx Boy, aged ... (Lain?) I Fenian, aged ... ... (Miller) 2 This proved to bo the best contested race I of the day, and created a great amount of j excitement. Backers were found in ga’or 9

for both horses. Owing to the darkness, but little could be seen of the race until tlu straight run was reached. Then it was perceived that both horses were on the miter edge of the course, Wild Manx Boy having the inside and Fenian the outside tunning, 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 he that unfair play had taken place ; but as Miner 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 stakss therefore went to Wild Manx Boy.