SPORTING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1148, 15 September 1882, Page 2

SPORTING.

The Ace has been scratched for the Melbourne Cup. Betrayer is still first favorite for the C.J.C Handicap, at 100 to 16. Santa Claus, Sting and Cunnamulla are greatly fancied in Sydney for the Melbourne Cup. The whole of the late Mr Walter’s stock, are for private sale. Libeller and Billingsgate included. The Wanganui Jockey Club have decided to increase the Wanganui Derby of 1886 from 100 sovs to 200 sovs., added to a sweep stakes of lOsovs each for starters.

Iroquois, the American crack, is at work again, taking moderate exercise, and is looking well, but his trainer does not consider it wise policy to subject him at present to a course of severe training. A Sydney paper states that two days before the HawEesbury Handicap was run, Sting (the winner) started in a County Purse, and with heavy shoes on ran a beautiful last. This is what is known as “ the great uncertainty of the turf. ” The following are the latest Auckland prices on the Melbourne Cup : —lOO to 8 against Cunnamullaa, 100 to 6 against Sting, 100 to 5 against Navigator, 100 to 5 against Hereford Bay, 100 to 4 against Sweet William and Gudarz, 100 to 3 each against The Drummer, Bosworth, Sunset, Prometheus, Gem, Belmont and Santa Claus. The gray horse Cyrus Fuller, owned in Saugerties, N. Y., was found the other day struggling on the floor of his stall, with his foot in his mouth. In trying to straighten him out, the heel caulks of his shoe were found to be caught back of the upper teeth and in the roof of his mouth, and blood was flowing freely. After much floundering about, with the risk of breaking his neck the hold was broken by tearing away flesh and loosening teeth. The owner of the horse has not yet solved the conundrum how he “ put his foot in it.” Mr Maydridge, the well-known American “ instantaneous photographer ” of horses, will contribute to the new number of “ Nature ” another curious suggestions in regard to “ dead heats ” in races. He maintains that there is no such thing as a “ dead heat,” and proposes that an invisible thread should be stretched across the course of a race at the winning post. Whichever horse should cut the thread across would of course be the winner. He suggests, at the same time, that steps should be taken for instantaneously photographing the scene at the winning post. The plate produced would be the real arbiter of the race in case of dispute. The wonderful time of 2min. 162 sec. for a mile by a pair of trotters was made on July 13th by Mr F. Work’s herses Dick Swiveller and Edward. The latter has a single record of 2min. 19secs. and the former one of 2min. 18secs. Mr Work bought Edward in the fall of 1878, shortly after he had made his record, for 12,000d01. as a mate for Bill Thunder. The following fall, Bill Thunder not filling the bill, he purchased Dick Swiveller, giving 15,000d01. and another horse, for which he paid several thousand dollars. This performance was the result of & friendly wager of lOOOdol. between Mr Work and Mr Shepherd Knapp, made a day or two before the trial, the latter gentleman betting that Edward and Dick Swiveller could not beat 2.20.