SPORTING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 350, 13 March 1889, Page 4

SPORTING NEWS.

The Hendersons Mill Tnvf Club annual meeting comes off next Saturday. This is one of the legitimate fixtures of the year, and always retains its popularity with turfites, so with a fine day there is sure to bo a good attendance. Acceptances and general on tries will be found in another column, and the railway authorities announce trains to leavo the Auckland station at 12.10 and 12.25 p.m. From the way Lady Norah won the Wanganui Cup, it is plainly evident that she is back in her old form again. It is is always pleasing to chronicle a win of Mr Bobbett's, and this makes the secondoccassion that his colours have been carried to the front in the race, Tetford having got home in 1886. With 7st 121b the daughter of Cadogan has always been a slippery maro over l'[ milo, and she must have a chance of al&o annexing the Hawke's Bay Cup, run on tho 18th inst. , and for which she has entailed a 101b penalty. This brings her weight up to Bst 81b. Leopold was made a great <% pot " for the race, but 1 he got no nearer than third, despite his litfht impost. Katterns rode Lady Norah, thus adding to his many successes. There has been a lot of surpri&e at Hilda dropping out of tho Hawko's Bay Cup. The exact reason of her defection I have not been ablo to learn, but it has been a blow to several eai'ly punters who are fond of backing doubles.- Thero are now left in the race : Silence, fust 6lb ; Escutcheon, Bst 21b ; Ludy Norah, 7st 121b ; Lady Florin, 7s t 101b ; Recluse, 7st 81b ; Salisj bury, 7st 51b j Meta, 7st ; Partner, 6st | 131b ; Leopold, 6sb 121b ; Foxton, 6st 61b. The Takapuna Jockey Club have brought under the notice of the Auckland Racing Club tho action of Messrs Brimblecombe and McLeod in laying totalisator odds at j their last meeting, and up to the present not havingpaid the fine of £25 each inflicted. , At tho monthly meeting of tho A.R.C. Committee the matter was fully gone into. Somo of the mombors opined that the fine was far too heavy for a first ofTenco, but at the same time expressed t^e opinion that tho practico of pencillers interfering- with the legitimate business of the Racing Clubs must be put down with an iron hand. It was further thought that the Metropolitan Clubs should join issue, and it was even- ! tually agreed to let the matter stand over. Totford demonstrated at the East Tamaki i meeting last Saturday that he has not forgotten how to gallop, 110 won both the Cup and Flying Stakes in a very easy manner, and it is quite plain that he has lost tho bad temper ho was in the habit of showing. Harry Honison is deserving of praise tor the way ho has treated the horse since being under his care, and everyone was glad to see him have a win with the son of Musket. Dudu's in-and-out running at Dunedin was quite the topic of the hour in Southern sporting circles. The Christchurch contingent are very wroth at the D.J.C. holding an inquiry and passing the resolution thoy did, it beiner contended that if there was no conclusive evidence forthcoming to prove the charge it would have only been justice to Cutts to have left no suspicion of guilt about the matter, as implied in tho resolution passed. It was proposed that the stewards of the Canterbury Jockey Club present at tho meeting should publish a statement of their dissent from the finding of the stewards ot tho Dunedin Jockey Club, but the Canterbury officials, while unanimously disagreeing with the tenor of the resolution, declined to place themselves in opposition to their Dunedin contemporaries. Mr C. H. WilHamsj owner ot Sultan, and several of Cutts's patrons, however, have come to his rescue, and Mr (>. H. Clifford published the following letter in the Christchurch papers: "Sir, — The formal expression of opinion by the stewards of the Dunedin Jockey Club that the running of Dudu at their recent meeting was unsatisfactory and suspicious obliges me to state publicly that with a full knowledge of the facts of tho case, I am certain that the mare was run honestly on her merits. Were it otherwise, I should foel constrained to remove my hoi ses from her owner's care. I was present at the inquiry, being examined as a witness. 1 was struck by the inexplicable spirit of par tisnnship exhibited by some of the stewards, and I was more than astonished that any body of men acting in a judicial capacity should, without one tittle of evidence produced to support their censure, have cast a cruel and unmerited slur upon a trainer whose whole career has given a conspicuous example of integrity in his profession. — I am, etc., Gko. H. Clifford. Christchurch Club, February 25th, 1889." Out of the 27 Austialian Cups which have been decided the three-year olds have annexed no less than nine of them. The four-year-olds have only managed to place four to their credit, whilst the fivo-year-olds have won but three. Amongst the senior division the six-year olds have appropriated three. The aged horses have succeeded in gaining a winning bracket in the Australian Cup on eight occasions, the last of that division to be successful being Lochiel. : Speaking of the two-year-olds that ran at 'the Dunedin Meeting, the "Canterbury Time? " says they wero a particularly good lot. The writer remarks ; Cynisca, who won the Champagne Stakes and Railway Plate, is now unquestionably tho best of her year, and we doubt very much if a faster thoroughbred has ever stood on a racecourse in the colony. She slips away from her field in the first furlong, and after that seems never fairly extended. Dunkeld ran disappointingly. He stopped in an extraordinary fashion in the Champagne, not through any want of gameness, but by changing his legs coming round tho top turn, and when he was set going again tho pursuit of Cynisca washopeless. He won the City Stakes cleverly enough, but was all abroad in the Marshall Memorial, and we must either conclude that he is a very unfortunate colt or not so good as we at one time supposed. Scots Grey if a colt for which we entertain the highest respect. He is very backward, and has altogether a babyish appearance, but should those sus-picious-looking hocks stand work ho will have something to say in the decision of next year's Derby. Ho is not bred exactly like a stayer, but he tried every yard of tho way in his three races at Forbury, and if we were required to place tho two-year-old^ we saw last week in their order of merit we should certainly give this young gentleman a place,

The Commitfcoe of the Auckland Racing Club again had Mr G. Gr. Stead's lotter under consideration, suggesting that the A.R.C. should alter the date of their Spring Meeting to October, thus enabling our crack two-year-olds to journey to Christchurch for the Metropolitan gathering in November, while in return, the Canterbury Jockey Club would reciprocate by holding their Summer Meeting towards theend of January, thus enabling many of their horses to take part in our Summer Meeting. The whole matter was fully gone into and discussed by the members, find the conclusion was arrived at that they could not see their way clear to alter the present date of the A.R.C. Spring Meeting. Et was pointed out that the 9th of November was

a public holiday, while added to this Ihe stakes given were too small to attract from the 0. J.C. Meeting, and that the gathering was purely and simply a local one. Since the mooting was held, a' second letter has been received from Mr Stead ; but the contents have not been made public. For a long time past the leading cash bookmakers in England have been a good deal puzzled what to do to protect themselves in cases of dispute and objections which often arise after having " paid out" on a race, and after much oonsidei'ation they have decided to pay cash bets on the " all right" being officially signified in the usual accopted manner. They further notify that it is only on this expressed understanding and condition that any ready money business will be transacted by money or otherwise. Latest advices from England state that the Duke of Portland's colt Donovan, by Galopin from Mowerina, who during his two-year-old career made such a brilliant record, having started 13 times and scored 11 winning brackets, still holds the position of first favourito for the Derby, his price when the mail left being 100 to 30, taken and offered.