SHARP TURF PRACTICES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2445, 19 January 1881, Page 2

SHARP TURF PRACTICES.

The action of Mr Gretton in the scratching of Fernandez for the Liverpool Autumn Cup is*a very fair sample of what can bo done under the present racing rules in England and the colonies and should receive the serious attention of the several Jockey Clubs. *• Robin Hood ’’.writes to the “ Australasian ’’ as follows : —Thursday (Nov. 18) was the Cup, a race which will long be rendered memorable —I should say infamous—by the eleventh hour 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, Lucctta, 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 before 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 to Isonomy would see the Hag fall, and the public would not be stalled off, and took any price. Nearly ali this mone}' 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 (J 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 live minutes past 7 p.m., and would bo 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 states 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 bo 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, 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 airight-f-------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 large bookmakers to do nothing else for a week but lay against a horse whiqh, at a given hour 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 Gi’etton’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.