ACCIDENT TO SINKING FUND.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1904, 1 April 1880, Page 2

ACCIDENT TO SINKING FUND.

The"N.Z. Times," of Tuesday, gives the following account of the accident to this wellknown race horse. The " Times " says :—Tremendous excitement was caused amongst the passengers of the Druids' special train yesterday forenoon, just after passing Ngahauranga. A chestnut racehorse, which was being led along towards Wellington, and covered at the time with the usual cloth, took fright and broke away from his groom, and made all speed along the road towards the Hutt After going about a mile the animal got the lead, which it kept until the last bend on the beach was reached, when it stopped until the train was nearly past. At this time some idiots set up a tremendous yell, which had the effect of starting the animal off a second time' In a niiuute or two it was again ahead of the train, and as the ;road crossing was neared, there was most intense excitement as the probabilities were that the poor beast would get on the line. And so it proved. The horse went right past Petone, and was only brought to a standstill by a swamp which crosses the line. Here it crouched down close to the fence while the train passed. It turned out to be Mr Donne's horse ;inkir.£ Fund, which was to have boen shipped yesterday by the Te Anau for Lyttelton, in order to take part in the Canterbury Autumn Meeting. Mr Donne procured a horse as quickly as possible, and rode to the Hutt. He found the runaway on the line, but in a v*ry pitiable plight. It had cast all its shoes during the gallop on the road, and broken largo pieces out of its hoofs. Its legs and flanks were fearfully lacerated, and it is almost certain that Sinking Fund will never again start for a race. Mr. Donne, who was anxious to get to Christchurch, made erery arrangement prior to starting to hare the horse properly attended to.