THE MELBOURNE CUP.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2710, 25 November 1881, Page 2

THE MELBOURNE CUP.

The following incidents connected with the Melbourne Cup appear iu ft Sydney paper.:— The jockey Dodd, who hadiiis leg ao frightfully smashed in the Melbourne Cup,when Suwarrow was driven against the post through Wheatear’s fall, died on Monday at the hospital and was interred yesterday. Mr Robert Howie, the respected trainer of Suwarrow, &e., came expressly from Ballarat to bury the poor fellow, and is much cut up at the untoward accident. At the inquest it was distinctly disproved that any dog had caused the sad mishap, hut the coroner felt it his duty to remark that had the posts been inside, instead of outside the rails which run round the course, Dodd’s leg would not have been broken. It appears some time ago a resident in South Australia was so enamoured of of Zulu’s chance that he actually took £IOOO to £IOO about him from the Leviathan bookmaker. Meeting the backer of the horse just before the race was run, Mr Thompson good-humoredly told him he would shortly have to open his purse. The South Australian confessed he had but a poor show of winning, but supposed he would, as usual,be ready to meet his responsibility. Thereupon Mr Thompson sympathised with him, expressed regret that so decent a fellow should have invested his money on such a poor scrubber, and wound up by saying : “ Look here, now, if you shout four bottles of champagne, I’ll scratch the bet.” This very liberal offer was jumped at, the fiz was called for and drunk, and apparently much enjoyed. In less than a quarter of an hour afterwards the despised “ scrubber ’’ had won the great event and,-by his chance meeting with the Leviathan, the South Australian was at least £IOOO poorer than he would other? wise have been. It is also stated that Zulu was not taken out of the stable for four days previous to the great" race.

The Board of Education invite tender for new buildings at Temuka, for painting at Otaio, and for cement work at St Andrews, Captain Sutter addresses the electors of Gladstone at Wai-iti to-morrow evening, and Mr D, Anderson at Pleasant Point. Mr Hay hurst speaks at Pleasant Valley on Monday evening, and Dr Fisher at Wai-iti on the came evening, The Government has decided to go on with the Weka Pass section of the HnrunmWaitaki line. They have also determined to continue the formation of the West Oxford line . A copy of a requisition inviting Mr J. S. Gibson to come forward as a candidate for the Timaru seat, and his reply accepting the invitation, are published in our advertising columns this evening. Mr Gibson will address the electors in the Theatre on Monday evening. One of the 0 shunting engines was bn the wharf this afternoon and brought off a train of twelve trucks. The trucks were empty, but the steep grade and the sharp curve of the line from the wharf gave the engine enough to do to get them np.