THE LATE AHAURA RACES.

Grey River Argus, Issue 625, 20 January 1870, Page 2

THE LATE AHAURA RACES.

(To the Editor of the Ghrey River Argus.} Sir, — As one of the stewards connected with the late Ahaura race meeting, I beg' to crave space in your valuable columns in order to reply to some very serious and strong language uttered on the race, course, and elsewhere, by Sergeant Mayberry, of the Nelson police, respecting the ladies' races, in which he raced his mare 1 " Lizzie,' when she was, after three unsuccessful attempts, beaten by Chit- Chat. The stewards met, and after deliberation^ declared that the first heat went for nothing. The horses came to the scratch for the second heat, when Chit-Chat ran. foul of the post, and the Sergeant's mare boiled — as she likewise did in the deciding heat, whereupon the stewards, in the absence of any protest, declared ChitChat the winner. • Sergeant Mayberry thereupon called the starter and stewards v a lot of swindlers and imposters," owing, I presume, to the circumstance of his mare having been defeated. He further asserted that Mrs. H. had received L2O to sell the race, and that the starter knew it (which by that gentleman is indignantiy denied). If such were the case it was entirely unknown to me or any of the stewards, and no person ought to have been more intimately acquainted with the character of the party who rode the mare Lizzie than a Sergeant, who had been toTny knowledge stationM

in the district for upwards of three years. After the stakes were paid over on the Ist of January, the stewards brought the matter under the consideration of the different owners of horses that had raced, and they all expressed satisfaction at the manner in which the races had been carried out, and of disgust at the charges maie. It is worthy of remark thatthe Sergeant, assisted by detective Lamlert, publicly, and without the authority ol the stewards, caused the jockey Goodman, in another race, to dismount, and then put on another jockey for the next heat. So strong was public opinion on the subject that when detective Lambert entered the dining-room bf the Star Hotel every person rose from the table and walked out. I, in concert with others, fully approved of Goodman's conduct as a jockey, and regret that "police authority" should be tolerated in any undue manner with the privileges of the turf. All throughout, the conduct of Sergeant Mayberry was, to say the least, reprehensible, and had he acted consistently, it is more than probable that the fracas on the race-course, for which a man is now incarcerated, would not have happened, as Sergean t Mayberry indirectly encouraged rowdyism by allowing another of the stewards to be struck in his presence on the race-course without provocation, only deeming it worth his while to remark to the aggressor " you must not do that," and had the offending steward been at all hasty or impudent, it is certain a general melee would have ensued. It is painful to write thus, yet in justice to the public and myself, 1 feel called to answer thus publicly suoh charges as were made by an officer of the crown. J am, «Src, A Steward, Ahaura Races. Ahaura, Jan. 14.