More Scratching.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 913, 29 January 1881, Page 6

More Scratching.

“ Robin Hood,” in “ Sporting Notes from Home,” writing to the Australasian in November last, says : — When the last mail left, a somewhat unimportant week’s racing was drawing to a close at Lewes in the south and Lincoln in the north. The next week saw some very good racing at Liverpool, extending over four days, and embracing both numerous fields and good animals. On the first day there was nothing of much note, but on the second a good field of ten runners turned out for the Sefton Steeplechase, old Regal being one of the number. The Irish horse, Jupiter Tonans, was favorite, and after a desperate finish he just succeeded in beating Regal by a head. This was a great performance on the part of the latter, who was giving the ■winner no less than Ist. 91b. Mr. H. Beasley had the winning mount. Medina won the Liverpool Nursery, Sir Marmaduke, the favorite, having to put up with third honors only. Thursday was the Cup, a race which will long be rendered memorable —I should say infamous —by the eleventhhour scratching of Fernandez by Mr. Gretton. It will be remembered that Fernandez ran second for the Cambridgeshire, and, in fact, as nearly as possible got the race, Lucetta, the winner, having been objected to by Fordham, who rode Fernandez, on the ground of a cross. Well, after the Cambridgeshire the horse became a tremendously strong tip for the Liverpool, and was backed for pounds, shillings, and pence ; then came rumors that he would not run, and the layers were found offering 7 to 1 “ all in,” whilst with a run 3 to 1 was the best offer. Still on the day of the race it seemed as if all had been made right; the horse was sent to Liverpool, and did a splendid gallop, and Cannon was sent for to ride. When this became known it was deemed a certainty that the brilliant brother of Isonomy would see the flag fall, aud the public would not be stalled off, and took any price. Nearly all this money found its way to the right people, for the secret was well kept; the public money coming to their regular commissioners heavily, the latter had, of course, to take it into the market, and the bookmakers not “in the know ” being already full, not a shilling was missed, the inspired ones having a representative or two at every Club, and catching every shilling. As late as half-past 6 the night before the race I saw one public commissioner take £2,500 to £750 in a bet, and 40 minutes later came the news that Mr. Gretton had scratched Fernandez at five minutes past 7 p.m., and would be represented in the race solely by Prestonpans. As the money was being picked out of the public pocket over Fernandez it was being piled on Prestonpans, although I should think nothing like a half the amount was invested which was made by the all along contemplated scratching. A very comfortable state of things this truly, for a man with two horses, either good enough to win. Many thousands of pounds are given him by the public over one ; the bulk he puts into his pocket, and the rest he puts on to the second string. This must be as nearly as good a game as the Burton brewing. Of course there have been no end of articles and letters in the sporting press condemning Mr. Gretton’s action in the matter, whilst others have defended him on the grounds that, as Prestonpans was good enough to win (for Prestonpans, as will be seen presently, did win) he had a perfect right to win with which he liked. So, of course, he had a right —we all know he had a right to scratch both his horses or run both—but what can be said in justification of quietly putting on certain large bookmakers to do nothing else for a week but lay against a horse, which, at a given honr, is to be scratched, and to take the animal (so as to get further money) to the race town and order the jockey to be in attendance. It can only be a matter of surprise that a man of Mr. Gretton’s means and position does not look at the whole thing in a different light.

I have said much on this subject, for it has been one of the most barefaced bits of eleventh-hour ’ scratching we have had for years.