SPORTING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1075, 18 May 1882, Page 2

SPORTING.

(From Exchanges.) The Wairoa County Jockey Club have a balance of £lOO in the bank to their credit. Mr G. Stead of Christchurch intends to nominate his horse Betrayer for the Melbourne Cup. The Hon. W. Robinson also contemplates sending some of his horses to Melbourne to race.

Owing to the dissatisfaction which Mr S. T. Horsfall feels at the recent decision in connection with the last Auckland races, he has decided never to enter King Quail again for any Auckland races.

Why Not, the winner of the district hurdle race at the last Ashburton meeting, is thought to be a good one, as he won in a canter with 12st 71b up. He is by Traducer, out of Lady Bird, and was bred by Seargeant Cahill of Hauera.

A writer in the Melbourne Sportsman says :—ln all ages and countries there have been what are considered

amongst, superstitious people as fortunate numbers, but 1 never heard of a two being amongst them. In fact, time-worn custom maintains that

“there’s luck in ‘odd’numbers,”7 and 9 being fancied in both ancient, and modern times. At the recent V.R.C. ; races, however, the even number 2 . proved so prominently successful that

it seemed “ the very ‘ deuce ’ (ahem 1) was in it.” For my own part, I plead guilty to being so exquisitely selfish as to prefer good-fortune to attend “ Number One," but still am quite ready to appreciate and to record any coincidence which may have favored the chances of others. It will probably be recollected by the Sportsmans readers, that I narrated, many weeks ago, a singular numerical anecdote re the Melbourne Cup in Chester’s year, and whether they do or not a good yarn is always worth telling twice, if it comes in appropriately. Well on that memorable occasion the number 3 figured (this is not meant as a goak) in a most extraordinary manner, for 33 horses started, the favorite was 33 on the card, tho first two horses were 3-year-olds, and the race was won in 3mins. 33sees. Last week’s turf record now shows us a very striking parallel, for 22 horses started in the Australian Cup, and I No. 22 won the event, which singular I event was succeeded again by No. 22 winning the opening event of the programme, the “ Second ” Nursery Handicap ; then by another 22 being victorious tn the “ second ” race of the day, the all-important Newmarket Handicap. Well might Will Shakespeare exclaim, “ Can such things be, &c. I ” But a sequel story has come to my knowledge, which fairly “ caps ” the preceding dissertation. It seems that a ceriain young barrister—very popular in athletic circles—who recently aspired to legislative honors and was defeated by 22 votes, before going to the races, observed to a friend that he would try to change his bad luck nt the election by putting a fiver on the “accursed 22” — whatever horse it might be opposite to in the Australian Cup list —but was chaffed out of it. Later on however, he determined not to be baulked in his notion, and took £lOO to £5 in the paddock about No. 22 on the card, viz., Hyacinth. Strange, wasn’t it ? but true, nevertheless. Deary me, if some mysterious sign would only point to a likely number for the coming Sydney Gold Cup, I’d back it “ in two two’s.” Just so. As modern aesthetics would say—“ This is quite too utterly too too !”