SPORTING

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 54, 8 May 1884, Page 3

SPORTING

Notes VT " Peocton." nThe action of the Stewards o£ the Jockey Club in disqualifying the promoters of the " Gundagai " swindle is to bo highly 1 commended. A more deliberate attempt to accomplish a daylight robbery j can hardly be conceived, and that it j tailed, in a very great measure, is a matter for the public to congratulate themselves upon. Oh t&e face of it, it seems rather hard that the horse Charlie, which won, should be treated to the same punishment, but it was practically the only way to get the men. who doubtless care not one jot whether they are considered honesfc men or " welshers." By disqualifying horses, the only vulnerable part of such people is got at, viz.. their pockets. For their characters they cannot care much or they would not contrive such jobs. It ie not the first time one of the parties, at least, has been placed under the barm of disqualification. This class of swindle is looked upo n by some who attend race meetings as a venial offence, and many people who would scorn to do a dishonest action, wink at a swindle of this class and take advantage o? any knowledge they may possess that the general public do not, to pot their money upon a horse known by themselves to be a good one, but entered in a wrong name, or "kept dark" in some other way whereby in reality they are only abetting what they know to be a swindle. Hack races as they are got up at present are most liable to be made the means of dishonest attempts to get a big dividend out of the "machine," and some remedy should be found. I think the most effectual and best for all purposes would be the substitution of "Selling" or "Novel" races, open to any horses that may be entered in the ordinary way— not at the post. Fix the price of the winner in a selling race at the fair market price of a good hack if it is wished to make a hack race of it, and give a fair prize to be competed for. Fair fields will be forthcoming and the opportunity which the present system affords to dishonest people of "working a swindle" will be in a great measure done away with. The weights for the Palmerston Birthday Meeting appeared yesterday, and will I think give satisfaction to most of the owners, though no doubt it will not be difficult to find a growler or two. Scrutineer heads the list for the hurdles, but I do not expect him to accept, as list 121 bis rather more than he is master of, and he wilf have a much more convenient weight to carry in Wanganui, where, if he goes, he should have a great show for the Maiden Steeplechase. Exchange (9st 101 b), Skylark (9st 71b), and Whioi (9stjSlb) look the best on paper. Somnua — if* anything like the Soranus of two j years ago — could win the Guineas and Flying, without any trouble, but he is not, lam afraid. The top weights in both handicaps have all the best of it, as the maximum is so low, and X do not think any lower down than No. 4 on either list will run. Blue Gown lias received promotion from Mr Higgie, having to put sp the same weight as Dusk in each event. If I mistake not, it is some time since the " Derby winner" had such such a crusher as seven stone to carry. Sixteen nominations for the Wanganui Grand National, with Mr Evett's careful handicapping, should bring out a good field, but it will be a difficult task to brine; the lot together at the business end of three miles. Certainly nearly all the horses' performances are well known, and most of them ran under the handicapper's eye during this season, but still should he start with 12st 71bs or even 13 st on Clarence, the old horse would lose a lot of the others, even with the minimum upon them. Taking the entries for the Grand National as a line, there will in all probability be good ones for the other events on the card, and one of the best jumping meetings held on the coast may fairly be looked forward to. A paragraph in the Bangitikei Advocate of the 6th announces the intention of Mr D. Scott to retire from the turf, and gives, as that gentleman's reason for taking the step, that he has been badly treated by the jockey clubs and sporting writers on this coast. Many besides myself, members of different clubs on whose course Mr Scott runs his horses, would be glad to know how he has been badly treated by the clubs, and I should certainly like to know which of the sporting writers ever wrote anything at which Mr Scott could take umbrage, unless, indeed, "Flaneur's" plain straightforward criticism of young Scott's riding at Waverley, and the sound advice he gave { the youngster, can be construed into bad treatment. Probably Mr Scott thinks that, being his son, the lad should be exempt from, at any rate, unfavorable criticism, but it would be well to remember that, in his professional capacity on a coarse, he is to fair critics only a jockey. The Advocate goes on to say that it was a pity, the Feilding stewards did not grant Mr Scott a rehearing of the Ahua- Armourer case, as it could have done no harm. This is not the case. From what I have heard since that case was decided, had a rehearing been granted young. Scott would stand a very fair chance of. being warned off the course for foul riding* j?Qr., the enlightenment of the Advocate : "l give the reason, as told, me bj a steward, why the case was not reheard. Itrwaj^.because^jie only reason pven by Mr'Sqpj* for making the application was that hehad not had sufficient j time before the 'first^ hearing to collect evidence, whereas the first bearing was held on Mr Scott's ; own suggestion two hours earlier than jt was originally fired for. It is a matter for regret that thig; gentleman should retire from the turf, as he is a jsir and straightforward racing man, but the withdrawal «f his name from the members' list' of five clubs is, I think, due to the fact that as a rule now no qualification fee is charged — not to the bad treatment meted out to him by the clubs.