SIR HERCULES ROBINSON ON RACING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 249, 11 October 1876, Page 4

SIR HERCULES ROBINSON ON RACING.

The Sydney Morning Herald of a late date, in a leading article commenting on the recent Spring Meeting of the Australian Jockey Club, concluded with the following reference to His Excellency the Governor of New South Wales : — "The patron and chief supporter of the New South Wales, and perhaps the Australian turf is his Excellency Sir Hercules Eobioson. SiDce his arrival in thia Colony he has entered iDto the pursuits of the raceoourse with great avidity. In mental power, in force of character, in personal honor, and gentlemanly feeling, Sir Hercules is one of the ablest Governors ever sent out to this side of the world. Several times he has given proof that he thinks for himself on all the leading public questions, and that his thoughts are worth attention. As a speaker, he is one of the best in Australia on all subjects •which Le has studied. There is a prevalent opinion, however, that he might , do far more to promote good government and the public welfare in Australia, if not by attending more to these subjects, at least by less devotion to the turf. To fill the highest position in society involves great responsibility. The leaders of fashion aud social manners and customs can do much to mould public opinion. All the more careful ought they to be of their influence. The people of New South Wales need no encouragement in the light and trivial. The seductions of a fiae climate and of beautiful natural scenery are in themselves a sufficient temptation. The best type of the English gentleman is not promoted either in England or any other part of lhe world by the practices of the turf as at present existing. If his Excellency can save a noble English sport from degradation, he may prove himself a benefactor to the colony. For his private habits and tastes he is not responsible to the public; but he cannot divest himself of his influence as the leader of society. The one vice of the turf is betting; and it is in the power of his Excellency to discourage this more tban anything else in Australia." To this Sir Hercules Robinson felt it incumbent upon him to reply, which he did at some length in a letter to the proprietor of the paper, from which fche following is an extract: — "I need not discusß here the threadbare arguments for and against the turf, nor whether the balance rests with those who argue from the abuse of the thing against its use, or with those who advocate use without abuse. These are points about which there will always be differences of opinion, and on which every man must be allowed to decide according to his lights and conscience. I acknowledge that there are abuses in connection with racing, the chief of which is gambling, but I wish to point out what your editor ignores, that in patronising the turf I have persistently done all that lies in my power to correct such abuses by precept and example. "I have set my face against all under- ' hand and questionable practices, aud I have endeavored to show that racing may be followed as it was formerly by English gentleaien in general, and as it still is by such men as Lord Falmouth, as a sport and as an amusement, and uot us a mere instrument for gambling and speculation. " I do not myself think it wrong for a horse-owner to back his horses when he thinks he can win. But I have, nevertheless, abstained from backing my iiorses, since I have been here, simply to prevent my name being quoted by the looheh youths who dabble in what tbey do not understand, and who, when they lose, as they are sure to do, would seek to excuse their folly by the pretence that they have been led away by the bad example of the Governor. The result is, that although I have been fortunate beyond precedent in winning, during tbe last three years, every important weight-for-age race in the colony (which, if I had been betting, would have yielded me a fortune) the stakes which I have won barely covered my expenses, and I am not £25 the richer or the poorer by every bet which I have ever made in New South Wales. "I used at first to back my horses for a few pounds when I thought they had & good chauce, but when I found that a "£5 cote wbb magnified into £5,000 I gave it up. Not that it made much difference, however, for when 1 won lhe Derby and Lsger I was reported to have won £40,000, whilst I had not directly or indirectly a shilling on either race. I could go through the list in the same way. I won the Champagne Stakes twice, the Hawkesbury Gunieß twice, the Breeder's Plate once, and the Produce Stakes several times, but whilst the ignorant and malevolent were insisting tbat I was ■winning untold sums', I did not stake on all these races together ac much as many an old women in Sydney risks •upon-h-i' nightly rubber of whist. "You may ask why I did not contradict these fracasseries? Because I know by experience that it is best in the loug ruu to let .such stories contradict themselves; that i race for .port, not for the Bake of making mopey, aud that I do not bet is now thoroughly understood by everyone hero who has i»ny acquaintance witli tha turf, and it-ports of my supposed winnings and loaiuga aro now ridiculed by the racing

public as mere malicious inventions. Whether racing is right or wrong is an open question. Whether I have on the whole done good or harm by going on the turf is a matter as to which those alone who have had some practical acquaintance with the subjeot generally are competent to judge. My own opinion is that I have done goo*!. I see the gentlemen of the country such as Messrs Dangar, White, E. King, Cox, Rouse, Eates, Want, Lee, and others of that class beginning to follow my example of racing without gambling. lam told tbat there is not a tithe of the betting at Randwick that there was a few years ago. The Betting Act, the passing of which I strenuously urged upon the leaders on both sides of the House, has, I believe, done mach good, and if tho press would only back these efforts by withholding the publication of the daily fluctuations of the betting market, and the touting reports of morning gallops, which stimulafe gambling and interfere with legitimate sport, there would then be in thie respect, I believe, little left to be desired, taken altogether. Although there is no doubt still room for improvement, I think racing at Randwick, bb at present conducted, is accompanied by /ewer objectionable surroundings than it is in any other purt of the world with which I am acquainted.*"