NELSON RACES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 112, 3 May 1876, Page 2

NELSON RACES.

A beautiful morning gave promise of a fine day for the races, and the trains that started from town at 10 30 and IP3O conveyed a goodly number of passengers to the course. Nevertheless, despite the fine weather and the promise held out of sport more excellent than has beeu seen on the Nelson course for many years, the attendance ' was by no means so large as was anticipated. The Stand, however, was crowded, and in addition to this tbere were several carriages doing duty as impromptu stands. The first race on the programme was the Maiden Plate, for which five horses came to the post, the Wanganui horse Gainsborough having a slight call in the betting, although Morning Star and Sir "Walter, the Marlborough representatives, found numerous admirers. Bandsman, who looked as though he had been sleeping out in the last two or three cold nights, was not very freely supported. The race may be described as follows :— Maidejc Plate of 25 soys., for horses which have not won a stake of that amount. Weight for age. Entrance, 2 soya. Mile and a quarter. Mr F. Rives' p g Morning Star, 3 yn (Stewart) 1 Meesrs Stevenson aod Fraser's b h Sir Walter, 4 yrs (Bright) 2 Mr J. W. Jackson's r g Gainsborough, 4 yrs (Belcher) 3 All the horses appeared to be fretful, and some time expired before they could be drawn up in a line that was satisfactory to Mr Stafford's eye. At last, however, he got them together , and sent them away with a pretty start. The four, which did not include Bandsman, who was already three or four lengths behind, passed the stand in a cluster, and then Morning Star, who looked as though he had taken the command out of his rider's hands, went to the front closely followed by Grainsborough and Moose, Bright on Sir Walter quietly biding his time some few lengths behind. At the bottom of the course Moose dropped back, and Gainsborough tackled Morning Star, the two keeping well to the front until the turn to the straight run was reached, when Sir Walter crept up, passed Gainsborough, and raced Morning Star home, the latter winning an exciting and well contested race by a length. Time, 2mins 27secs. At the post Sir Walter made a bolt off the course for his stables, and Bright fell, but fortunately without hurting himself. Handicap Steeplbohash of 60 soys., aided to a sweepstake ot 4 sovg each, h. ft., over about three miles of lair hunting country. Messrs M'Rae and Nicholton's Butcher Boy, aged, list 12lb» (Mr Nicholcon) 1 Messrs Stevenson and Fraser's g r Dick Turpin, 4 yrs, 9st 12lbs (M'lvor) 2 Mr Limmer's blk h Tupuanuka, 4 yrs, • lost7lbs (Owner) 3 Nero, May Morn, Whalebone, and Harkaway were scratched. The field of seven got away together, and Sultan went to the lead immediately, to deprive him of wbich all efforts were unavailing until arriving at the double fence behind Mrs Nicholson's, where he fell, and Butcher Boy passed hira, but was caught by Simpson again at the road, the two taking the fence together. Here Sultan drew ahead, but swerved at the water-jump, where Butcher Boy run into him, knocking horse and rider into the stream, into which Butcher Boy followed him, thus allowing M'lvor on Dick Turpiu to pass him. At the l last fence, however, Dick baulked and was passed by the young Butcher, who had got out of his troubles in the stream and now took the lead, and came in a winner two lengths ahead of Dick j Turpin, Tupunauka and Sultan, who \ were both thoroughly baked, competing for third place, which was secured by the former. Railway Plate of 60 govs. Weight for age. Entrance, 3bo vs. Two miles. Mr Redwood's blk h Guy Fawkes, 4 yrs 1 Mr J. Smith's eh c Treason, 3 yrs . . 2 Mr J. W. Jackson's g g Folly, 6 yrs ... 3 Gfuy Eawkes tried hard to make a race of it by holding hard, but failed lamentably, the race being a hollow one from beginning to end. Time, 4mins Bsecs. Hack Race for a Gentleman's Saddle, for horses that have never won 20 soys, Entrance, 10s. Once round. Mr Blves' Chanticleer 1 Mr Reilly'a Doctor 2 Six started. Chanticleer ran away from his company, and won by a length. Much dissatisfaction was expressed at hia being allowed to start, a being too good for a hack race. $ Welter Rack of 25 aovs. Welter weights forage. Entrance, 2 soys. Three quarters of a mile. Mr J. W. Jackson's r g Gainsborough, 4j rs 1 Mr J Smith's eh c Treison, 3 yrs ... 2 Messrs Stevenson and Fraser's eh g Magenta, aged 3 Gainsborough took tbe lead from the first, and was never deprived of it Treason a good second. The course' was very slippery from the afternoon's rain.

The following case of self-conviction occurred in the Christchurch Police Court recently: — A woman was brought up for obtaining goods under false pretences ; at the end of her defence she stated that she had never been in a police court before. On being reminded that sho had previously served six months imprisonment for larceny, she was profuse in her apologies for her bad memory, but deprecatingly observed " It was only three months, your Honor." Advertisers are not usually backward in " blowing their own trumpet," but few have the originality of a Blenheim trader who addresses the people in a Marlborough paper. The last sentence ought to have a telling effect. "To the growling, dissatisfied, unsophisticated epicures of Blenheim. Hear this statement. Ire just received some proper tobacco — Yes, good tobacco, you may bet your old boots it's good, when I say so. The public will be allowed to purchase it for a limited time. N.B. An unlimited amount of credit given," The following advertisement appeared in an Australian journal: —Wanted, for Mr M'Lean's establishment at Euabalong, a housemaid, whose duties will be to assist in the laundry and wait at parlor table occasionally. Character no object. Current rates. The proprietor deems it his duty to inform intending helps that the last lady who filled the situation was married by the llev Mr Soares to a. gentleman with £400 in the bank. The previous lady was married by the Eev Mr Eullerton, at Sydney, to a gentleman worth £30,000 cash. The two previous ladies were also married, and are very nicely settled indeed."