SPORTING NEWS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 69, 19 November 1887, Page 3

SPORTING NEWS.

The following are some of the biggest wagers laid by Mr Thompson in connection with the Melbourne Cup i—lo,ooo to 1000 against Oakleigh, 10,000 to 500 Mlver Prince, 3000 to 250 Trident, 5000 to 250 Algerian, 5000 to 200 Australian Peer, 5000 to 200 Cairo, 5000 to 250 Silver, mine, 4000 to 100 Cranbrook, 4000 to 160 Punlop, 4000 to 120 Kravo. For the V.K.C. Derby Mr Thompson bet £lOOO level against Abercorn. The C.J.C. appear to have got into a nice fix over the N.Z. Cup, Of course the difficulty has arisen out of a mistake, but it is undoubtedly one of those errors which should not be permitted to occur, and which could have been avoided with ordinary care, and that ordinary care should not have been takeh in connection with the most important race run on the New Zealand Turf is not creditable to those concerned. No matter what was the result of the protest, the club would still be in a most awkward quandary. Had the stewards decided to have the race run over again, Mr Stead might, perhaps, have objected to start Lochiel, as he had complied with all the conditions of the race—handed his horse over to the starter and beer declared winner by the judge of the C.J.C. A refusal under these circumstances to award him the stakes would no doubt have meant an actiob in the Supreme Court. The result yvill be the same I suppose now that Mr O'Brien's protest has been thrown out, for he certainly has a good case. If the C J.C. come out of their fix without dropping more sugar than they contemplated 1 shall indeed be surprised. —N.Z. Press. When Sardius’ name appeared in the final acceptances for the Melbourne Cup, many came to the conclusion that the horse had been left in error. It now transpires that his owner made a wager of £5OO that the horse would start. He certainly did go to the post, but he did not finish, for he broke down badly; and had to be carried off the course. Both Thunderbolt and Meteor pulled up lame in the Melbourne Cup. Maxim, who won the C.J.C. Derby and Canterbury Cup for Mr Stead, was Undoubtedly a great bargain, when that gentleman secured the colt as a yearling for the moderate sum of 220 guineas. The son of Musket has a big record—having scored eight wins out of ten starts —while his defeats were second to Abercorn —in the Ascot Vale Stakes, and a, like position to Sextant in the Challenge Stakes.

The New Zealand Stud Company had a big time of it at both the Auckland and Canterbury meetings. At Auckland, Pearl Shell, Balista, Fusee, and Hilda kept up old Musket’s reputation, while Paddy scored a win tor Anteros. At Christchurch, Lochiel —whose dam (Nelly Moore) the Company are fortunate in possessing—won the New Zealand Cup, while Bussley, a son of the Company’s mare Steppe, won the Stewards Stakes and the Epsom High Weight Handicap, while Maxim (by Musket—ldealisation) covered himself with glory by annexing the Derby and CanterburyCup. These victories must have represented a sum pretty well on to £3,300. A big record truly for Sylvia Park.

In the course of a trenchant letter to the Melbourne Leader on the manner in which handicapping is performed, Mr W. E. Dakin, the wellknown trainer, says : —“ We, the men who race our horses always to win demand protection from the stewards and handicappers. We demand that when a horse one day—unbacked by bis stable runs moderately; and at the same meeting, backed against the field wins—that there should be an inquiry, and that the whole gang—be they rich or poor—connected with the swindle—not the jockey only—be summarily dealt with.