SPORTING NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 238, 21 September 1875, Page 2

SPORTING NEWS.

Chancing to talie t|p an o'd number of The Field, our eye catuhf) the name of » thorough Bportßajaa, wtll known in New Zealand a few years ago, and particularly in Nelson where N he resided. Mr George Duppa may be said to be the father of racing in Nelson, as he won the fin t r.ico ever ran here, when the course was in the middle of the town, and the Grand Se*nd the Chifrcb Hfll, standing in its centre. Mr Duppa was a lover of sport of whatever kind. He was a good shot, and sufficient of a yachtsman to build a small schooner to sail against the •' Auckland," then the crack craftj on our coatfc. On returning to Hnglarid after making an ample fortaue in ths province, the first thing we heard of him was that ha h»d purchased the celebrateJ y a hta •• Alarm " and " Lulworth," buiit by Mr Wold, uncle <.f the present Governor, ot Tasmauis.who had then recently die I. , Jt was in connection with these yacht* that Mr Duppa's name appeared in the Field. Two gentlemaa had made an. excursion to Lyinington, a towa on the coast of Hampshire, opposite the Isle of Wight, and while looking about the town, which did not appear to possess many attractions they met with the mate of the Yarmouth steam packet, who eoon let them know that Lymington was celebrated as the place where the *- AJarm " was built. «• Andwliat is the Alarm pray," atked one of the gentlemen. This question rather astonished the m%tc, who, a»ter looking his qu'risc up and down, and evidently pitying auch ignorance, replied with deliberation, «'Why; the. Alarm, sir, was the fastest yacht ever built, and if Squire Weld was nlive she wou'dn't be ly ing there rotting.'.' Wouldn't she ! "W hy not?" asked the aame gentleman. •* Why, rir, because he would fie her out and beat all them racing machines, like as rhe Ot tonia and Gwendolin. Why, didn't she beat the Alina an hour or more in a gale of wind in the Ja>t match fhesailtdinMr Weld's time." "Well," said the questioner, "if she is the fastest vessel afloat, why doesn't lier new owner fit her out, and win some priz<B with her." " Now, sir," says the mate? •• I will tell you why. Because old Nicholls (the sailing master) was paid not to win, and now her owner re paiu so much a y e*r not ,-to bring her ouC" "'And who supplies the money?'.' was atked. " Who! why tha builders o! course, because if they coulda'e beat tLe Alarm, you know they wouldn't get any order?. And as sure as we three be atauding here they cuulda'c beat her." The mate was then asked if he thought any person believed this absuid story besid-s himself; 'Jo this he replied, ■* Why all Lymington knows it, an i be lieve it Tho Ksfriier in the Field toys: The Alarm, no doubt, ia an ot jvet of a great deal of honest veneration in Lymington, and until the Aline was built, she waa literally without a rival But since then the modelling and ballasting has been much improved, and the Alarm would require two or threq. thousand pounds worth of modernising before the could hope to icrew out to Cetoaia'a or Gwendoline weather in a breeze. '1 her re as the mate ot the Mayflower said, she lies rotting iu Lymingion Creek, and the Lulwor h,. s ,an,osner noted craft which had a very brilliant career in Mr Wela'a hands, lies out ia the (wine stream, in the tame forlorn condition. Why is this! did Mr Duppa not find himself so much at home on board these splendid vessels as when in tho pigskin? He was never a good loser, and he must have taken sorely to heart Old Nichotls want of ssamansbip, or the superiority^* the vessels hesiilel against to throw up the sponge so readily and leave his two splendid jachts to rot. We should be glad to see the Alarm in col nial waters owned by the nephew of the builder. We have only yefc Intelligence of the races at Kaudwicb of the first two days of the meeting, bat the next Melbourne steamer will probably bring full reporta of tha whole The Metropolitan was won by Mr Tait'a Goldaborough, Lurline, though she did not win, ran into a forward place. There ii always great uncertainty with mares iu the. epting ot* the year, and it it seldom they win big races at this se«.- on. Entries for the Canterbury Cup and the Jockey Club Handicap liad to be made last evening before 8 o'clock. The weights for the latter race will be published about the first proximo; the former is weight for age. We expect a strong entry for both, and the Cop this ytae will be a very open race. , ; The next telegrams from England may give the winner of the Lager, as the race was run on Wednesday last. Tke French horte Salvaior is the favorite, through having beaten in the Jr'aris Grand Prix.Camoello, the wiuner of the Two Thousand Guineas aad Claremont, iha two suppose.l best English horses he wilt meet — Galopin.the winner ot the Derby not beiug entered, it is ssid, however, tbas the Eugiish horses wtre quite unfit aS faris, and tbi.t they were never in ihe race, 'ihe voyage atn Ss the l.hannel, and thu changes incident thereto, certainly jeopardise the chaaces of Bucetß9 of the lioisjs which make it, though why it should do so, when we see how horses are transported from place to place in. the colonies and yet run ana win, is difficult to understind. a voyage, too, from England to the coast of France ia a weil appointed/ steamer is but of a few hours duration; whilrf between Me bourne and Sydaey it umlly occupies two good days ; and 1 etwetn Neleon, Canterbury, and Otago, the time occupied is often much longer, end the accommodation anything but whajt it should be. Doncaster, the grandson of Stockwell aad Marigold, afier winning the Ascot Cup, was $old by Mr Merry to his trainer, R. Peck, for £\ O,OOO, who subsequently sold him/to the Duke of Westminster for £ 15,000, that nobleman beiog determined on having a atu 1 of thoroughbred horses, and on going upon the turf, lie could not invest in a better horse for his purpose. .It was -the Duke's grandfather who owned Touchstone, and on being pre sed by an American gentleman to mmo a price for that celebrated sire replied that the lowest he could think of would be the United States of America. Fashionably-bred thoroughbreds coutina'* to bring long prices in England. Eiftyy Middle Park yearlings brought 1 1,500 guineas/ and thirty-eight yearlings bred by the Stud Company, fetched 14.885 guineas. The stud horse Maccaroni, winner of the D rby in 1863 was sold for 7,100 guineas. Fifteen yearlings from the stud of the late Baron liotbschild brought 8510 guineas, being an average of 574 guineas each. Two of the M< ntmore colts reached the high, prices of ! 2,450 guineas, and 1,800 guineas respectively. Tlie stud of the late Rev Mr King, who owned Apology, the winner of last year's Ouks and Leger, also brought good prices. Hypocrisy, two j ears old, brother to Holy Friar, who was disqualified for the late Derby, for which he was a leading favorite, by f e death of his owner, sold for 2400 guineas, and Monk, a younger brother, fetched I8O» guineas. Holy Friar was sold to go to Melbourne for 1300 guineas. The Leader of the 1 lth instant contains the following:—" Mr W. C. Yuille reports hayingsold the thoroughbred colt, The Nigger, by B irbnritsn out of Vixen, to Mr TeltorJ, of New Zealand, at a satis'actory price. This colt should prove an acquisition to our Maori; neighbors, as ap*rt from his breeding, he is/ splendidly shaped, and has good understand ings under him. Mr Thompson, his late owner, gave a very h.gh price for him as a yearling, and should Mr Telford have luck with him he will pull off a big raoe yej."

We question whether he will be found good enough, for the company he will meet in New Zealand. Espeienee haa, sho^n over aoid ;p?er again, that it is a waste of time and to purchase anything but n7Bt-cla«a flQrae9 in Australia with a view of racing them x iti thte colonv, and wo.uld-tjesu' cessfat sportsare frightened at 'the expense this would Involve.