Sporting Notes.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1044, 4 March 1882, Page 4

Sporting Notes.

(FROM EXCHANGES.) The racing event of 1881 has been, of course, the success of the American horses, Iroquois and Foxliall. The great performances, of tile latter have swallowed up and obscured many a doughty deed of our tiome-hred ones. When Foxhail’s number was hoisted on the Cambridgeshire afternoon at “ the top of the town,” few but men who race every day remembered in the excitement of the moment that Bend Or had won the City and Suburban, giving the American horse upwards of two stone. Ido not mean to imply that Foxhall was the same horse then that he was six months later; but 1 ■want Bend Or’s great performance to •be duly remembered and honored. That our Derby and Leger fields were this year very moderate every one will admit; but in 1880 we had at least two horses who could show the mettle •of l heir pastures. And how we fought and wrangled over them, both last year and this! What partisans we were — Bend Or men and “ Robert ” men —- and how excited we grew in long afterdinner arguments of what the handsome chesnut could do with the bay, and dee versa ! 1 think that excitement culminated when they met this year in the Epsom Gold Cup. The trainers and adherents of both were as sanguine as they could well be ; the betting was fast and furious, so was the wordy warfare, as the two went to the post. “ You’ll see what Robert will do with your Bend Or,” said *' the Devil’s ” partisans. “ Our horse will make him lie down,” retorted the friends of the chesnut. 1 do not remember in my experience anything more exciting than the race as the two came on to the distance; and when it was seen that Archer was sitting perfectly still on Bend Or, and that Cannon was “ moving” on Robert the Devil, such a shout, or rather a yell of triumph, arose as even on Epsom Downs has been rarely heard. I must say I think Bend Or was the popular horse, and deservedly so. He had won the Derby of the previous year under great disadvantages. His win had been stigmatised as a “ fluky ” one, which his subsequent running seemed to confirm ; but now, fit and well, he had shown that over his own course —1 do not say over a longer—he was un--doubtedly the best horse of his year.— “Bras de Fer,” in the World. A serious accident, by which a valu- ■ able racehorse was killed, and its rider terribly injured, took place on the racecourse, Wanganui. It appears from the Herald that the Koran colt, the property of Mr. S. Wilson, and ridden by James Kearse, and Mr. Saunders's Balgownie filly, were doing ■work on the middle course. The former animal, on returning from a mile spin, shied when opposite the gate, and rushed against a rail, which broke in the centre, one piece entering the colt’s chest for a depth of fully 18 inches. The wounded animal rolled over on its side, and, evidently sufier--ing from rupture of internal vessels, bled to death in a few minutes. K earse, the rider, was thrown violently to the •ground, the horse rolling on him. He was picked up in an insensible condition and taken to his residence in INixon-street, Dr. Tripe being sent for. On that gentleman’s arrival he found that Kearse’s right shoulder was dislocated, aud that he was suffering from concussion of the brain, besides being very much bruised about the head and face, and considerably shaken. Dr. Tripe at once set the shoulder, and everything that medical science could devise was done for the injured lad, who, however, remained .practically unconscious until about noon. The Korari colt was a promising and valuable two-year-old. Owing to the rapidity with which •one race meeting follows another, •added to the difficulty of obtaining means of transit, the life of a racehorse in New Zealand is not altogether a happy one. At the conclusion of the Pieton races, Mr Walters’ Slander . filly, which had succeeded in pulling off two races, one on each day, aud Mr Freeth’s Field were shipped on board the s.s. Hawea fer Wellington. ' Soon after their arrival, the filly and her stable companion, Duchess, were again placed on board the s.s. Arawata their destination being Napier, where they will go into training for the local races. Archer has once more achieved his two hundredth winning mount. How the old school would have stared had anyone told them that the time was near when 200 victories per season would be the average of the leading jockey ? ft is, we think, a matter for doubt whether this total w ill again be accomplished, and in all probability, as time rolls on, Archer will bespoken of as having been alone in achieving this marvellous success, even as we speak of him now. In some respects, ■it is easy to peer into the future of the Turf, and it is almost certain that in future a curtailment will be effected in the .number of race meetings. Certainly, there will not be an increase, .and with fewer races there will be fewer opportunities for accumulating a great score. Archer, too, must sboelly experience a decline. Tear by year he will find the difficulty of reducing himself to racing weight increase, and w hat will be equally against him as a jockey will be his marriagr, which is shortly to take place. When a jockey has a wife and family he is apt to see them as he comes down the break-neck hill at Tattenham Corner, or m making a dash between the

leader and the rails at Alexandra Park. No longer for him are the risks he braved when he had no one but himself to think about, and after the present season Archer will, in all probability, get into the saddle only on special occasions, or on the horses more particularly identified with Heath House. — Sporting T. mes. Many persons imagine (says the Wanganui Chronicle) that men who understand horses and are continually employed amongst them cati, without a moment’s hesitation, tell whether there is blood in any horse brought under their notice. That this is not the case the following incident, which has just taken place, sufficiently proves. •Some weeks ago Mr Heslop s bay three-year-old Logic (by Papapa, out of Mishap), which was in training for the next Derby, strayed out of the paddock at Waitotara. Mr Heslop caused inquiries to be made, but no trace of the animal could be found. Yesterday Mr Heslop came to town and was crossing the street to hand in an advertisement to this office, offering a reward for any information regarding the horse, when he happened to glance over at the cab-stand. His surprise may be imagined when he saw his thoroughbred gelding standing quietly harnessed to a cab in the ranks. Mr Heslop could hardly believe his eyes, but a closer examination showed him that the horse was his beyond a doubt. On making enquiries he ascertained that the gelding had been found wandering in the streets and impounded. He was advertised in the I papers, but one distinguishing brand on the neck was not named ; he was sold in the usual course, and purchased by the cab-driver for £7. The latter, it would appear, recognised the value of his bargain, and the horse, being quiet and tractable, was at once put to cab work. As the sale was a legal one and the purchaser decdines to part with the animal, Mr Heslop is a heavy loser. We may mention that Logic’s chances for the Derby were very good, aud he had rapidly risen in the betting market.