SPORTING.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 884, 25 April 1877, Page 3

SPORTING.

TRADESMAN’S PLATE. Mr Redwood’s GKiy Fawkes Mr Money’s Marital 1a Mr R. Ray’s Danebury Mr Dekmum’s Pungawerewero

THE TIMA RU RACES. [By Tklkgraph.] ASHBURTON RACES. The following handicaps have been posted : 01*UJf HURDLU RACK. of IKo

{From a correspondent of the Press ) Ti.m aku, April 2 k The action of the South Canterbury Jockey Club in refusing to endorse the disqualification of Fishhook and Derritt caused great dissatisfaction here, and the subject was the leading topic of conversation all over Iho place to-day. The trustees of the course are so dissatisfied with the decision that they have advised that a special meeting of the Club shall bo held this evening to reconsider it, and state that, if the decision be not reversed, the Club ought not to be allowed to hold their race on the course. It. is understood that they have power to refuse to allow races to be held on the course, and that it is possible they may exercisc the power if their wishes arc not complied with. The Club have, in accordance with the request, decided to hold a meeting to-night to reconsider the subject. The following acceptances for the Timaru races were declared on Monday evening : MAIDEN PLATE. Mr J. Burgess’ Lady Mary. SOUTH CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB HANDICAP.

At a mooting of the Dunedin Jockey Club, held on Saturday evening, a letter was received from the Secretary of the North Otago Jockey Club. According to the report in the Times, the following discussion ensued : Mr Cutten —They seem to have made a muddle of it from beginning to end. The Chairman —There is the letter ; that is all we have. Mr Dowse —No evidence was taken, as they had an ocular demonstration of what took place. Mr Cutten —They should have ordered the clerk of the scales to take the boy into the stewards’ room, and there have examined him about the matter.

The Chairman —He would have been sure to have told all. (This remark seemed to be uttered in an ironical tone.) Mr Cutten —Ho might, had ho been taken in when O'Brien was not there. The Chairman —We can sec a great many things when it is all over. Mr Cutten —We would not have come to the stupid conclusion that it would be useless to examine the jockey and owner because they would shift the blame from one to the other. Mr Dodgson—We cannot get out of it. We must endorse what the Oaniaru Club has done.

Mi-Dowse—l cannot sec that we can do anything else. Mr Smith What has the Canterbury Club done in regard to disqualifying O'Brien ? Mr Dowse—We cannot go further than the other club.

Mr Eeaney, in answer to a remark made by Mr Smith, said that Sir Cracroft Wilson had withdrawn the resolution of which he had given notice in the Canterbury Club. Mr Cutten—l move—" That the disqualification be confirmed, and that the action of the Oaiuuru Club be endorsed."

Mr Smith —I second that. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. A desultory discussion then took place, in the course of which several members expressed regret that so fine a horse as Fishhook should be disqualified, and an opinion was freely expressed that O'Brien was tbe victim of a conspiracy to get Fishhook out of the road. A writer in the Nelson Mail on this subject says :—" I don't think we treat our racehorses ' well in New Zealand. It may be remembered that some years ago that magnificent mare Peeress, with which so many of us in Nelson arc acquainted, was disqualified because the poor thing who was so eager to take her part in the contest was debarred by her owner from starting ; and now Fishhook, the winner of the Dunedin Cup, who tried his best to win, despite the efforts of his jockey, at an Ota go meeting the other day, has been subjected to a similar indignity. Why pass such a slur on the noble animals, whose disappointment at being debarred from what to them arc the pleasure and excitement of a well contested race, is, I really believe, as great as that of their backers ? They arc honest enough, and therein they set an example that might be followed with advantage by that professedly nobler animal—man. Put the saddle on the right horse, Messieurs the Stewards. Let the disgrace lie on the proper shoulders, and whenever you find an owner or a jockey playing such pranks, disqualify him, order him off your course, and never allow him another chance of selling the public, upon whom, after all, depends the success or failure of your race meetings. Racing in New Zealand used, in the years long gone by, to be conducted upon honest and honorable principles, but now! Yes, what can we say of it now ?" PEDESTRIANISM. In these days of long walks, it is not uninteresting to look up back records and see if our forefathers of a hundred years ago were equal to the feats of stamina now exhibited. The "Sporting Magazine" for the year 1765 tells us that in 1787 Mr Foster Powell walked from Canterbury (not New Zealand) to London and hack, a distance of IT2 miles, in 24 hours. In 1788 the same gentleman walked from Hyde-park Corner to the 50th milestone on the Bath road and back to Hyde-park in under 22 hours, and in the year 1700 he walked from London to York and back, 394 miles, in live days fifteen hours. In 1705 Robert Batlcy, when an old man, often walked to London from Norwich, a distance of 81 miles, in one day, and returned hack the next. In the year 1790 Savager, a labourer in Herefordshire, walked 404 miles in six days over very rough ground, and in 1791 a gentleman aged 77 walked from London to Liverpool, 205 miles, in four days. When we remember that all these feats wore performed out of doors on the turnpike road, up hill and down dale, and with the roads themselves in some parts in a very rough state, we can but admit that they compare favorably Avith anything done lately under cover and on a level and beautifully prepared track.

Mousetrap ... 11 0 Eclipse TO 7 Grey Mounts 10 0 Lone Hand ... 9 7 DISTRICT HURDLES. Billy Buttons 10 7 Caroline 9 7 Flying ,Tili 0 7 ASHBURTON CUP. Maritana 8 7 Eclipse 7 7 The Chief 7 .5 Laddie 7 0 publicans’ purse. Maritana 8 0 Grey Momus 7 10 Eclipse 7 7 The Chief 7 o Laddie 7 0

st. bs. Mi 1 Delamain’s Templeton 0 7 Mr Dclamain’s Pungawerewore ... Mr D. O’Brien’s Fishhook 7 10 9 5 Mr R. Ray’s Danebury 7 6 Mr Logan’s Cloth of Gold G 5 NOVEL EACE. Mr Swanson’s Steamer Mr F. Hobbs’s Merry Monarch FLYING HANDICAP. Mr D. O’Brien’s Fishhook 9 7 Mr R. Ray’s Danebury 8 0 Mr Delauiain’s El (in Xing 7 0 Mr Dclamain’s Titania ... G 13 Mr Logan’s Dead Heal ... G 8 Mr Markcy’s The Chief ... 6 7 TI.MAETj cup. Mr Delamain’s Templeton 0 7 Mr R. Ray’s Danebury 7 5 Mr Delamain’s Titania 6 7 Mr Logan’s Cloth of Gold G 5 Mr D. O’Brien’s Eclipse 6 0 HANDICAP HUDDLE EACE. Mr R. Ray’s Tommy Dodd 11 13 Mr Markey’s Mousetrap 11 0 Mr Potter’s Theodore 10 13 Mr D. O’Brien’s Eclipse 10 10 Mr Smith’s Lonehand 10 0 Mr McBratney’s Jack 10 0