SPORTING NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 4033, 29 January 1876, Page 5 (Supplement)

SPORTING NOTES.

Mr H. Redwood writes the following vigo rous arid satisfactory letter to the ‘ Post ’ of the 22nd inst. in reference to the K orari-Fishhook affair at the Wairarapa races :—“ Sir, —I should feel obliged if you would publish this letter to contradict some misstatements which have appeared in the Wairarapa and some of the Wellington papers relative to the race for the Jockey Club Plate at the Wairarapa races. The ‘Wairarapa Standard,’ in a most unfair and calumnious manner, charges all connected with the horse Koran with being dishonest, and that his bolting off the course was a premeditated swindle. I will take the charges as they appear in the ' Standard.’ It says, ‘Eversine j the arrival.of these cracks, cloubts existed whether they would run on their merits.' Such doubts could have only existed in the minds of people who could pen such an article as the ‘ Standard ’ has published, and ivho, perhaps, had backed Korari at odds that were unwarrantable for a few pounds, and then, when an accident occurs, to get out of paying, condemn all parties. It next accuses Derritt as being the cause of the horse bolting, when Derritt was not within fifty yards of the course, and all that Derritt did was to wave his hat to his boy on Fishhook to make more running. This act of Derritt's I watched closely, and saw all that he did, and I do quite exonerate him from all blame as being the cause of my horse bolting, and I state positively that he was not within fifty yards of the course when my horse did bolt, for I, was watching the race closely, for reasons which I will state pres-ntly. He next accuses the hoy,of rolling off Korari pu posely, which is another direct falsehood; for when the horse bolted, he ran against the fence until he came to the gate which led into the yard—which gate was open and thrown back against the fence—and the horse, to avoid being closed in against the gate and the fence, rushed by the head of the gate, which caught the boy's leg and lifted huh off the horse. He fell to the ground with great force, so much so that he was quite stupified for some time; and when Martin caught the horse and put the boy on her again, he was so stupid that he could not put his feet hi the stirrup-irons. The reason Martin did not loose the horse sooner was because the boy was not fit to take charge of it. The ‘Standard’ again accuses the hoy of being the cause of the horse again bolting, which is again false, as no boy could do more than he did to prevent her going off, as I saw myself. It again accuses the rider of Fishhook, because he did not race his horse as fast as he could to put as much ground as possible between him and Korari. The boy in my opinion showed good judgment in not doing so, as he was watching the movements of Korari. and haring got well on his journey and knowing the merits of the two horses, there was no fear of being caught, and what was the use of running any risk in the matter? Again, it accuses my boy by stating that ‘his word is not worth the breath he speaks with.’ _ I may add here that I would sooner take his word than the writer of such an article as that the ‘Standard’ has published. The ‘ Standard ’ again says that Korari ran as true as steel iu the three-mile race the day before which is another great falsehood, for it was with great difficulty that the boy got him round the top turn ; so much so was it. that the bridle was pulled through his mouth, aud when he Eulled up the bit of the double bridle was up is che k, and only the leather of the rein in his mouth. The boy told ine how awkwardly he hail gone, as he stated th n that he did not like going that way round, and at exercise he was always the same. When I put the boy ou him to start for the disputed race he asked me what he bad better do with his mouth, as when he pulled hard on the bit it pulled through his mouth. My reply was, tie a knot in the rein, and let it drop on his neck, and ride him cntbely with the curn rein. The boy said he thought I ha i better shorten the curb-chain. I did so two and gave him the following in«tt actions; ‘Don’t pull Lim about any more than you can help, for if you throw him back so much ou his haunches you will break him down. You had better let him go, and never mind how far you beat Fishhook, as it will not affect his chance for the Dunedin Cup, and ak soon as you get clear, .of the bush., let ,him go, and only steady him.’ .1 am next blamed for not protesting against someone, because two or

three interested parties who have lost their money, I suppose, come and ma'te statements to tbe stewards. I ask dmy boy when he came in, before the stewards, whether anybody did frightt-n the horse, either wilfully or otherwise, and he positively stated that no one did. He said the horse was going at a great pace round the turn, and he could not get him round, and that Demit was nowhere near him when ho bolted, but on the course some distance from the running ground, and as he passed him, he saw him waving his hat to his boy to go on. Knowing what I know about the home’s peculiar mouth and the trouble he has given us in his tuition, and also the integrity of my servants (who have been tried in eve-y way to do wrong, but I have never known of their doing so, and I may state that I have been racing for thiity years in New Zealand), I feel certain that my stable never betrayed me. Does it stand to reason that they would do it, where they had not a shilling on either horse, and run the risk of a valuable horse running against a fence, teaching him a brd trick, and knowing the horse’s engagements? Why, the whole thing is too pr- poste.ous to entertain. Deritt has been in my employ for some time, and I al ways found him honest and trustworthy, and I consider the charge made against him is most unwarrantable, and deserves to be treated in a different manner than anything I can pen in condemning such accusations that have been made against bim. The stewards took the only course they could take; that was to believe the boy s statement that the horse was not frightened off the course by any one, and that there was no one to blame in the matter. I may add that I had not a single bet on the course, either on my own horse or anybody t-lse’s, not ev.n for a farthing at the whole meeting, and no one could feel more mortified than I did when I saw the horse go off. I believe the statements made by the police and others to be untrue, and not worthy of consideration, and that they were made for mercenary purposes only.” Mr Delanuiu has entered Temp eim for the Newmarket Handicap at the Yiclo ia Racing C.ub Autumn Meeting, apparently desiring to emulate the deeds ot Calumny and Lur ine with hj s staunch little horse.

Our bookmakers lay doable and treble events, but an Australian individual (Mr G. o<>ok) has opened a quadruple event boos. on the Geelong races, laying 1,000 to 2 about naming the winners of two hurdle races and two handicaps Mr S. Gardiner does not intend to keep Calumny in idiene is, the mare being entered for most of the big handicaps at the approaching na -etings. We notice her name in the nominations for the Australian Cup, Newmarket Handicap, Hobart Town Cup, Tas manian 11. C. Handicap, Adelaide Cup, and Sydney Cup “ Augur 5 * is informed that Mr P. Dowling, who used to race under the a sumed mane of Mr P. Lewis, has been expelled from the V.R.0., and, in accordance with the rule of the club, will be warned off the hill, training ground, and grand stand enclosure.

The following are the entries for the Sy.ln y Cup, of 350 sovs, adde 1 to a sweepsi ake of 25 sovs eachßurgundy, Valentia. Robin Hood, Redwood, Timothy, A.T., Kiugsborongh, Neredah, Victor, Proto-Martyr, Lord Lvtt n, The Deer. Melbourne, GohLbrongh, Speculation, Ringwood, Clifton, Ella, Terlinga, The Star, Glads',one, Norice, Ginger, Connaught, Bui wood, Maid of All Works, Calumny, Bullion, Saladin, The Squire, Viva, New Holland, Playboy, Liberty, Javelin, Vahtta colt, Waxy, Richmond, Bischoff, Gleolite, Janitor,

The entries for the Adelaide Cun, of 250 sovs, and a cup valued at 100 sovs, added to a sweep of 20 sovs each, are Red Gauntlet, Lorenzo. Blaoklock, Ayacanor.i, Dod'l’s Richmond, Smuggler, Mermaid, Ignition, Sp«rtan, Lady Fergus son, Loquacity, Emulation, Vibration, Impudence, Edith, Echo, The Hook, Jellett’s Richmond, Calaba, Blazes, Poodle, Venus, Lcelia, Intrepid, Terl'ir/a, Stella, Folic Faring Vain Hope, Cleolite. The Deer, ProtoMartyr, War Eagle, Canterbury, BLchoff, Ella, Calumny, Bullion, Lord Lytt >u.

Arrangements have been made at St. Louis, U.S., for the erection of a house to hold 15,000 pigeons for shor ting marches. The fastest bycicle time for ten miles was until recently 34min. 41sec.. but J. Kerr (champion) at a recent competition at Li’disbridge covered the distance in 33min. 35sec. The Lurgan Open Coursing Meeting in October saw the Brownlow Cup won by Mr W. Ford Hutchinson’s celebrated bitch Honeymoon, winner of the same cup the year befo.e, aud of the Waterloo Cup last year. Captain Bogardus, the champion wing shot of the world, has been arrested a-. St Louis, at the instance of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for shooting in a pige n match, ihe result has not yet c -me fo hand. There is a miniature jockey rid ng in-England named Gallon who. though twenty-two years of age, scales only 5-t 7b. He rode Mr Crawford s Flyi. g Scotchman in the Shrewsbury Cup last November, running second to Prodigal. The American string of homes (Mr H. H. Leuford s), some of which are entered in the Two Thousand Guineas, 1 eiby, Oaks, St eg r, and Grand P ix de Paris, have arrived in Eng and, Preakness ii at the head of the strinr.

AtNewcastle-on-Tyne last quarterly sessions, a barman and betting man, charged with bribing the telegraphic messengers to give him the re-ults of races as soon as tney arrived, was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment. The Bench intimated that telegraphists could be sent to prison for twelve months for divulging the contents of messages. In October last seventeen men were charged at Bolton with being in the Angel Hotel, Churchgate, on a Sum lay evening, for the purpose of betting on horseracing. One Ciulen deposed thi.t he paid a man named Blake L 3 in respect of the Cesarewitch; a..d on * Simpson that on the evening in question BUke bet him Ll6 to L2 against Mr Maimington's Sutt n (the winner) for the Cambridgeshire. The Bench fined Blake LIOO and costs ; in default three months’ hard labor.

home-and-home quoit match was recently played between George Giaham. of London, and David Haddon, of Westmuir, Glasgow. The terms were two games of 81 up each, at 2L yards, quoits not exceeding 84in. i i diameter, for L2OO, the greatest aggregate in both games to win. Ihe first game was played in Scotland and was won by Haddow, by eight points; the second was played on Graham’s own g onnd, Barking Road, and was also won by Haddow by eight poin*s. The last fifteen heads were played by the light of a lantern, it being so dark. In consequence of so many of the big handicaps having been of late parried off by lightweighted horses (the Cmsarewitcli was last year won by the three-year-old Duke of Parma, with sst 111b, and the Cambridgeshire by the four-ye r-old Hutton, with sst 1311) up) some turf writ rs urge tnat a minimum weight for age should be adopted in handicap races no matt r w at ahorse s previous performances have been. This, it is thought, would work well, and prevent the s and d of well-planned coups, and the victory of carefully kept g"od old ones let in at a fe tthe , and receiving weight from youngsters who have been run honestly through their engagements. The two billiard players Cook and Taylor, played a cm <c of exnibiti u matches at the Guildhall Tavern on November 17, Tayl r receiving 180 points start in a pnine of 750 up, and one lull in each camo at pyramids The billiards Taylor won by 4 Q O pom's, one break amounting to 223 (45 and 22 spot strokes) Cook, near the close of ihe game made 111. T->ylor also won four games at pyr mi s out of sx In the evening, Tayl r pLyed quMe as well again ; and althou hj Ooks score at one time stood at 557 to 424, Taylor, on taking up the cue. ran right out wi hj an unfinished brckof 326 (93 spots). Beiutr reque ted io continue, be added 2(3 more “ch ssepdis '’ before frtiliog to ac re, the whole break amounting to 404. Ho also won four games of pyr raids out of seven. The fa-tept mil j ridden on a bicycle is received by the Loudon papers. It appears t .at two matches have been entered into to run a mile on bicycles between Keen and Cooper ; whoever wins them both to be cons dered the champion bicyclist of the world; and if they * ach win one, a decider will have to take place. The first was brought off at the Queen’s-, crouuds, Sheffield. . Keen ht his opponent lead he did, bv’-th'e-bve, at ,a most terrific pace— until within a hundred yards from home, when Keen put on such a spurt as

fairly knocked his antagonist out of time, and going on, won by sixteen yards; time, th.ee xninut s—the quickest ths distance was ever accomplished in.

The following are'some of the prices paid for A merican horses, as given in the ‘New York Herald ’: Kentucky LB.OOO ; Norfolk, L 3,000; L xiugton, L 3,000; Glenelg, L 2.000; Kingfish r, 1.3 000; Smuggler, 1.3,000 ; Blackwood, L 6,000 ; Jay Gould, L 6.000; Dexter, L 16.000; La-iy I home, L 6.000; Jim Irving, 1.4,000; Goldsmith Maid, L 4,000; Stertle, L4,000f Prosper©, L 4,000; Bosaiiud, L 4.00 0; Lu'u, 1.4,000; Happy Medium, L 5,"00; Clara G., L 6,000; Pocahontas, L 7,000; Edward EvereU, L 4,000; Aubu-n Horse, _ L 2,600 ; Judge Fuller;on, L4,0l)0 ; M -.mbrino bertie, L 2,000; Socrates, L 4 000 ; George Palmer, L 3.000; Marnbrino Pilot, L2 400; George P. Daniels L.1,600; J. &• Browne, L 2,000 ; Flora Temple sold, when a el, for L 1,600, for a brood mare; L 4,000 was offered and refuse I for Tom Bowling last summer; L 6,000 was offered aud refused lor Harry JBssint in his three-year-old form; L 5,000 wilt not buy or Aster.od; LB,OOO was offered and refused for Woodford Marnbrino, and L 4,000 for > horndale.