SPORTING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 110, 19 April 1884, Page 2

SPORTING.

[reuter’s telegrams.] AUSTRALIAN JOCKEY CLUB’S AUTUMN MEETING. Sydney, April 18. The third day’s races took place to-day at Randwick. The following are the results of the various events:— Two-year-old Plate ; |-mile. Regent 1 Boliro .. ~ .. .. 2 Liberte .. .. .. .. 3 All Aged Stakes ; 1 mile. Brown and Rose .. .. .. 1 Kathleen 2 lolanthe .. .. .. .. 3 Welter Handicap ; 1J miles. Rapid .. .. .. .. 1 Annie .. .. .. .. 2 Raven .. .. .. .. 3 First Foal Stakes of 1884; 6 furlongs. Garfield .. .. .. .. 1 Honeydew.. .. .. .. 2 Salvo .. .. .. .. 3 Cumberland Stakes ; 2 miles. Legrand .. .. .. .. 1 Martini-Henri .. .. .. 2 Sardonyx .. .. .. .. 3 City Handicap ; 14 miles. Little Sister .. .. .. 1 Jessie .. .. .. .. 2 Stockdale .. .. .. .. 3 AUCKLAND AUTUMN MEETING. The following description of the disgraceful conduct which took place at the Autumn Meeting at Ellerslie is taken from the Star:— The Consolation proved a wretched fiasco. Through a waste of time that had taken place earlier in the day, the Consolation did not start till after dusk. So dark was it that

those on the grand stand could not recognise the horses at the starting point, only half a mile away. There were four starters—Mitrailleuse, Woodpecker, Sham, and Fishwoman. There were four false starts, and at last the flag dropped. Numbers of those who were at the starting point assert that the starter called the horses back. After the flag fell, Mitrailleuse, Sham, rnd Fishwoman went off, Woodpecker being left at the post. The cro- d called out “ false start,” and in consequence of this Sham and Fishwoman pulled up at the back of the course, and Mitrailleuse was left to finish alone. As the filly passed the judge’s box the crowd gathered round Mr. Graham, and demanded to know the result of the race. At this moment Mr. McLaughlin, the starter, arrived at the saddling paddock, and declared positively that the start had been a fair one. The crowd, thickening every moment, hooted and yelled at the decision that Mitrailleuse had won, and a scene that beggars description ensued. Brown, the clerk of the course, was molested, and but for the protection of his friends, he might possibly have come in for some very rough treatment. The crowd finding that nothing whatever could be done in the paddock, made a move towards the totalisator. The Club promised to pay the dividend to the backers of Mitrailleuse in the morning. The clamour increased tenfold. Sergeant White and other members of the police force endeavoured to disperse the crowd, but without avail. The backers of the horses that had pulled up demanded their money bacfi, and threatened to wreck the machine if this was not done. Mr. Owen McGee addressed the crowd, “ slating” the starter and other officials of the Club. The crowd stated they would give the officials 20 minutes to refund the money. In the meantime, those on the outskirts of the throng that girt the totalisator house were keeping up a lively fusilade of gravel on to the roof of the building, and a few’ large stones were also thrown. The persons inside the totalisator pagoda then began to close down the “ flap” windows. They succeeded in securing all but one. This was seized by some of the malcontents, and wrenched from its hinges. At this juncture Mr. Percival promised to refund the money, and while this was being done the excitement gradually subsided.