SPOUTING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 318, 21 November 1888, Page 3

SPOUTING NEWS.

HOW CARBINE LOST THE DERBY. Thoro soenis td be'otily one 'opinion among the host; of Australian!, writers over the result of the Victorian Derby, and that is, Carbioo would havo \vjon only for Dorritt's bad riding. Tho ''Age" scribe puts it thus: — "Never iv the. history of racing at)' Flomingbon has the result of an important raco been so completely due to horsemanship as was this Derby of 1888. Hales (not Ensign) won it by cool, artistic judgment ; Derritfc- (not Carbine) lost it by erratic and unskilful horsemanship. What induced him, after going halt-a mile, to dash from the rear to the front as though finishing the race, ib is. impos&ible to imagine. The erratic movement was in itself enough to lose the race, but so supetioi was Carbine to the others, that whet> Wyoombe, who had made all the running, retired in the straight, the favourite looked a ceroain winner until Hales called upon the carefully-nm-sed Ensign for one run at the half 'distance, -and thb running in the earlier part -of tho ' raco told its , tale. ! Amidst a scene ot the wildest enthusi- ! asm tho artist scored a ,well - deserved victory, and landesj/En-sigb; oblong head in front of a oolk that certainly ought bo have won. It was hard lines for Carbino's owner after sacrificing a number of impor.ant engagelnents in New '^epland, to see ' a real good thing ' bhrqwn aVay, and the result simply shows that the best of jockoys, like other folkvS, arc liable to error, for in New Zealand, Derritfc is a recognised champion in the saddle."' ,* <l ' Commentingon Carbine's defeat, "Augui" says :—": — " The victoty of Ensign was chiefly due to the splendid' tiding of the man who rorJo him. Tom Haleb is now in his 42nd year, but ne\er duringvhis career as a jockey nns he ridden with moio consummate judgment. He no ver lost an inch of giounci, and timed hiss run to a&econd. Derribfc, I thought, made a mistake in taking his hoi>o from the rear to second place so quickly. Had he giadually got into that position J believe he would havo won. Tho New Zealand jockey, however, knows the capabilities of the colt better than anybody else. It struck me th.it he was ah aid Wycombe was going to steal a march, and it was that ieeling which influenced him when ho made the run along tho back e^refceh. Naturally enough, OBrien was greatly chagrined at the defeat of hi& coltvand I believe he expressed his willingness to match Carbine to j run Ensign upon the same terms for C5OO or i!l,000 a-side, and no doubt he would have won had the match been made.'' A Sydney writer who witnessed the race delivers himself thus: — "1 have heard a deal of talk aboliD Derritt's riding in Now Zealand, but 1 must; state th.it so t<u a<* his . horsemanship is concerned I wan tonibly disappointed with him. One of the in bto get away, as he was, luPshould have dropped into a good position^ tilt the field had not gone more than two hundred- yards before he was second last, where he remained for halt i a mile, when lie pulled to the outside, and making a big run, ran into second place. I All this time Wycombc was making the j pace, and, though Derritfc was justified in not going up to him, he would not allow anything else to do so without having a cut at ifc. At the abatto'is Melos lan up to him, when he put on •«tvj<im to get ,miv from him Then E <ign, prior t<> uuclnng the distance, thought to ffil him,, when Dei ill had j another tut-^le, biu when I'earl Sho'l' i.in in j front Rt tne di&tvjjice and looked all. o*ei a ' winner, he completely lost iii.s head un-i-l dtew his v\hip % Peail^>hell, however, wa& suffering from a complaint over which her sex lias, no control, and soon died away, when Carbine looked to have the lace won. Bub ib was noi to be. Hales had his eye on tho New Zealandei , and taking a fit m seat a*" the half-distance, ran up bo within a' head or the favourite, on whom Derrifcb began io move and llasn the whip once more. Tho .Mi&tialian champion rider knew he had Inn m trouble, and without moving until «overal lengths horn \ho pott held hi& own, when with whip and he lifted Ensign in ji neclc to the fjood. tb vas a tremendous finish, and llalee doserved all the cheering and praise he received." "Martindale" gives his opinion on the race as follows : — How the hoi se w;b inn is. now a matter of history. I think the best horse won. Certainly, it was only the shortcut possible win ; and Hales's splendid hoisemauhhip no dyubt^had something to do with it. But then, if the horse was not a good one he would never have got there, and what i- moio, Ensign was cannoned against, in the s>li. light and knocked back. Had this not occurred, I think the \erdict would have been " won comfortably by half a length."

THE RIDER OF THE MELBOURNE GUP INTERVIEWED. " Mirk " OBrien, bhe jockey who pilobed Mentor, the Melbourne Cup winner, was subjected to the usual interview at the hands ot tht> press scribes. The " Melbourne Telegraph '" reporter says it did nob bake OBrien many seconds to dismount, weigh, and pass on to the jockeys' room, whither he was followed and crowded by friends and others, e^igcr to congratulate him upon his suocess. He bore all the real praise and effusive fulsomeness ot the minute with most commend- , able modesty, and simply begged to be given time to change, asbe had 'to ride in the voi'y next r.iee. .'&.<< fcUi&ra'nce^ of the room q£ all bufc bhe noisy chatterin'g^tfekeys was then effected, with the exception of two pressmen, who were determined to snatch a f ew. words frefm ->him \vbjjs t fresh \ from his victory. He courteously but j positively refused, however, to say any- j thing then, as he wanted a " blow,'' whilst preparing for the following event. Without even a "rubdown"ora reireshingwash after his great struggle, he changed, and within ten minutes was to be seen on the scales in the yellow jacket, with red sleeves and cap, which marked him as the rider of Poet in the Nursery Handicap. It was after the completion of that race that he had time for a word, but he said, "Only a word or two, gentlemen, because lam engaged to ride in this next (wee ( wee as well." '•What !" said the pressmen, "ride three consecutive rapes without a spell?" "Oh yes," he replied, smiling, "so you can understand my anxiety to get away." On being asked wha f / he had to say of his Cup evperience, he said. — "Well, I had every confidence in the horse all along. The horse felt well and strong under me directly the race was set going. . I have ridden him in all his work and know him well. I could not tell you much about the horses around me during the race, bub I know that early in it I had Malua and Dick : °iwiveller on the outside of, me, with The { Yeoiran in front, I being then on the rails. Cyclops, who was also near me, was going very well. I saw a number of horses close i in ahead of me as the race proceeded, but , that did not make me feel anxious at all, I> can assure" you. 1 really felt that I had the winning horse under me, and before I started I told Mr Wallace and a friend of mine to back him. I was looking out for an opening in front to shoot through, but the big brown horse

frighbened mo. Yes ; I mean Tradition. He .was < going' strongly,* and ' running a -'greats • race, • -bub the' jockoy .was flogging and boring in towards the fence, ,so that I felt her would ja'rn ovr -throw me. He did that on a previous occasion, and I Hicrefore determined to keep Mentor away from him. He 'came on at such a rate, however, that i really began to feel anxious for the race, and ib was otfly when I was within a few lengths of the post that I knew he could not touch me, and Mentor came in without pressure." On being asked what made him feel ho confident of* the horse prior to the race be said, "I knew what he could do, gentlemen, and his thorough condition ; in fact, in a conversation with Mr Wallace in the saddling paddock prior to the race I said I thought the race Would be like putting the horse amongst a field of selling placers." In answer to other questions OBrien snid.he had been riding as a jockey for many yeais. and had won many races. H6 rode' the MolboUrne Cup winner, Sheet 'Anohor, three years a<?o, beating Grace Darling by.ra,h©ad.<- He had also proved successful on t/wo. occasions in winning the Caulheld' Cup, a Derby, and many other races of importance. Ha had backed l>is mount that-day, and "won a little." At this.htage someone came to tell him that anotherjookey had been engaged' for the hordo he was to have ridden in the following race. On the press Representatives having apologised for detaining him go as to lose his mount, he said he was just as glad that he did, not ride again, as he had had ' enough of it for one day.

LOJID HASTINGS ON AUSTRALIAN ■ SPORTING. Perhaps among; the many thousands of> | peisons who witnessed the Melbourne Cup ot 1888 thete was no more interested spectator than Baron Hastings, "of Engl;ind, who so recently occupied the distinguished and honoured position of senior .steward ni fche Jockey Club ot England. In the course of au interview he said that a month's acquaintance with the colonies does not enable tile acutest mind to era&p the entire merits or dements ot AiitUali.'iii bpoit. Lord Hastings recognises 3 this fact, and thorefore speaks with some sense ot constraint. In one respect, however, he is loud in his admiration — that u>,.. upon the completeness ot the arrangements at Flemincjton. At no uiuecoui.-e in Great Britain are the wants ot the many ndidied as thf»y aie at Flemington. Those who receive consideration in England are chiefly the persons actively allied with tho .sport. For this 'reason the character of the Melbourne (Jup meeting piesents many featmes which to ihe English spoitsman are novel, but none the less interest* ing. The idea which would ' resolve such a gathering into a vast holiday assemblage, to which every class shall be attracted, is according to Lord Hastings, absent among the majority or the lacing clubs of the mother country. There are unquestionably race meetings, sudh as" those ar, Ascot or Goodwood, where ladies and wMfcore enjoy the racing or promenade foi the display of elegantT and attiactive co&tumes ; but, &.*> a rule, the people who attend such gatherings have in (Some way an interest in the sport. Thus the me l ings arc not in the same sense as the Melbourne Cup a huge picnic or holiday outing. The non-obtrusion of self among the spectator, their coiu'te&y, and a hove all their general order," were characteristics which he avers are not always so discernible at English raceeou'se.>. Lord Hastings was exceeding gratified at the v fine exhibitions of racing pi ovided, on t he Derby and 'Cup days. 'To Ifa'tes-he-giveb a large measure of prtfise f fo'r the clover manner" in which he snatched victory from the rider of Carbine. ■ The characteristics, exhibited by him -at the finish ■ were those which rai&ed Fordham to '■uch a commanding position among English jockeys. As the Derby meeting wjxa the liibt race gathering which Lord Hastings has witnessed in Australia, he hesitates' to institute an}' 'comparison between the methods ot riding adoptod by English and Australian jockeys.. He admit*, however, that the pane at which our men ride is very great, and that Hales's win demonstrated to him that he is a rider u ho is posseted of great judgment, and has a, thorough | knowledge of speed. An opportunity was j afforded. Lord Hastings to inspect the horses which took part in the Cup race, which he regarded as a whole of very good class. The fine c mditiun of the horses somewhnt surpiis-ed him, and he is astonished that their legs do not fail from lacing on such hard ground as is to be found on the Australian courses. The leanto rail which separtes the course proper from the flat is a novelty which he commends most warmly, on the ground that it ■is a protection against accident to eithet horses, ir jockeys. This safeguard is Unknown in Great Britain. Mr Watson's system of staiting has not- escaped notice. Lord Hastings finds it somewhat difficult to comprehend how a large field can be sent away by a starter sitting on horseback, and he has obtained a piomise from Mr Watson that he will allow him to witness him in the active perfoimapce of his duties. In Great Britain the horses are walked up to a point from \\ Inch they are «tai ted by the club official, who is always on foot, In addition au advance fiaynan, stationed in full view of the grand stand, drops a large whit,e flag directly the noises are off, as a signal that the race has begun. Nothing delighted Lord Hastings more than the capital exhibibion'of hurdle-racing on Cup day, and he awaits with' some interest the big jumping. t, An innovation which Lord ■ Hastings evidently considers.tp be worthy the considera-* tion of Australian sporting men is a' p:oposal to unite all the Australasian racing clubs into one body akin to the Jockey Club of Great Britain. With separate inslitu tions in each colony, there i- 5 , to his mind, always the risk of dissensions arising which may compel a horse-owner to race under one club. The future of racing here depends, in his opinion, upon the presence of efficient management by some body having supreme control over all racing afi'aiis. A federation of Australian racing clubs would provide that organisation.