HAP AND JACKET

Observer, Volume IV, Issue 84, 22 April 1882, Page 94

HAP AND JACKET

MY NOTE BOOK,.

By "Anna."

" Tot homines, quot sentential

The D.J.O. lias endorsed the disqualification of Eandwick, Ooyle, and Joe Williams. Next Tuesday and Wednesday the South Canterbury J.C. holds its annual meeting. Young Sledmere will probably appear at the IT.Z. Grand National Steeplechase on May 24th. Auckland folks will watch for his success. Jimmy Dalgleish's horse, Newmarket, made a good show at the Takapuna races, coming in a good third for the Steeplechase. On Wednesday and Thursday, 18th and 19th insts., was held the Ashburton Annual Eace Meeting, too late to comment upon in this issue. Dutch Oven, lately a prime favourite for the Epsom Derby is under a cloud and has gone back in the market a lot. Inflammation of the lungs is her trouble. Joe Gallagher won largely over the double victory of Oatch'em at Takapuna. He is a thoroughly plucky sport, and deserves a bit of luck. Lyons and Blakie punched Larry and Kenilworth properly on Saturday, and were consequently winners to a considerable amount, when old Lone Hand so cleverly won the handicap. Larry was all abroad in the soft sand at the North Shore and went all to pieces after a mile had been run. Kenilworth also was done with the last round. The win of Blue Peter (the boys " crock") in the Selling Race was immensely popular. Alick's tender regards when the horse was led away by his new owner, were pitiful to behold. The pluck and skill displayed by Pat McCoy in the way he rode Catch'em in the Steeple at the North Shore, is deserving of the highest praise. The first fall at the small water jump would have been enough to scare some riders I know. George Williams, the Victorian jockey, who rode so well at Ellerslie and Takapuna, wishes it to be distinctly understood that he has no engagement whatever with any stable ; but is at liberty to go where, and ride what he likes. The Southern writers are unanimous in denouncing the appointment of Messrs Lance, Stead, and Studholme (well-known Christchurch horse owners) as members of the Handicapping Committee of five for the C. J.C. Chanticleer, late Matcatcher was a thorough scrubber to look at on Saturday, and yet the way he stuck to Catch'em all round was a sight to remember. He is by Oliver Cromwell out of a sister to Harkaway's dam. George Williams rode old Lonehand grandly in the Devonport Handicap. Getting the best of the start and keeping the old rogue warm, lie regularly wore down each of his field as they tackled him in turn. A break has been chartered by a number of our local sports to convey them, and their supplies, to Papakura on Saturday. It will leave the Union Bank at about 10 o'clock a.m. "Ariel" will be there. " Mazeppa " did not go far out in his tip for our Easter Handicap. He placed Maid of Honor 1, Louie 2, and said that Slander filly and King Quail would be close up. Louie won, and the filly was fourth. He spotted the winner in the Selling Eace, right out. Thirty-five nominations have been received for the Wanganui Derby, 1885, including six Musket foals owned by the Auckland Stud Company. Musket is represented altogether by 13 foals, Patriarch by five, Puriri by four, and Don Juan by three. Edwards, one of the most able and gentlemanly cross-country riders in New Zealand, had good reason to request a contradiction of the error in the Herald's report of the North Shore Steeplechase. And the Herald made the amende gracetully and promptly. The Papakura Eaces come off on Saturday. There is very little public notice taken of the affair, but for all that a large number of sports are sure to go up as this is positively the last occasion on which they will be able to indulge in their favourite amusement till next summer. " Sir Launcelot " says Billingsgate will not appear again this season. His peculiar knee is still as bad as before, and the swelling seems to be extending up his arm. Aucklanders will remember the sharp lump on his near knee, which was so ; apparent at Christmas. j Angler, the hurdle racer, has been bought by a firm well-known in the sporting world of Auckland, and has gone into Bob Thorpe's stables. His shape and style were much admired on Saturday at the North Shore ; and, though very big, he shows quality all through, and is said to very much resemble ]»is half-brother, Progress. The only two horses that really jumped the water were Newmarket (late the Ghost) on the second time round, and Te Whetu. It is a pity the former has not a bit more foot for he is a splendid fencer. Sportsman, the certain jumper, was the first to stop, and at the first fence too. He stuck again at the hurdle too, after floundering through the water, and refused to try the* jump, stopping old Harkaway and Te Whetu also. The Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, at their settling over their late meeting, paid over £1393 to the owners of winning horses. Of this sum, Mr Allan McLean, owner of Louie, received £465 ; and immediately drew a cheque for £100 in aid of the local Hospital. No wonder he won our big race.. He is the sort to redeem horse racing from its bad name, and place it on its proper footing, .as the noblest sport on earth. The Government subsidy of pound for pound will make the Napier Hospital £200 richer for the races. Joe Gallagher, who is always generous with his jockeys, laid Pat McCoy half the stake to nothing in the Steeplechase on Saturday. So, besides the usual fee, McCoy did a good day's work, and netted something considerable as a reward for his courage and cleverness. Wally Clifford's tip for winning the Hurdles, at Christmas, for the same gej^yjman, on Eawenata, was a cool £50. Always plenty of good .-riders looking after "jolly Joe's " mounts. This contrasts favourably with the

action of an owner, for whom a boy rode and won one of the cups not long ago, and who received as reward the enormous sum of £5 over and above his fee of £5 for a winning mount. The decision of the Judge in the Shorts Handicap at Easter has been so much discussed that it becomes necessary that it should receive some notice here. A lot of wiseacres who saw the finish from an angle, standing on the jockeys' and grand stands, would put their opinion before that of an experienced and quite unimpeachable judge. Now it is simply impossible, looking from the places referred to, to tell which horse finishes first, as the one that comes up on the outside is bound to get the verdict of the crowd, being nearest to them. At anyrate Mr Morrin is above suspicion, and common decency ought to make the. unbelievers at least silent, whatever their convictions. The Wanganui Herald has at last come to the conclusion that (as I pointed out long ago) their Cup should be run on the first, and the Wanganui Stakes on the second, day of the meeting. It says : — " The experience of the past teaches us that the Stakes race on the first day has never been run for as it ought, that of ttimes some of the horses engaged in it have not gone for the money, or in other words have started, but been pulled and saved for the Cup. That this race has once, if not of tener, been won by arrangement, we have had conclusive proof, and so it may be again, unless owners, like the owner of Dauphin, prefer to race for the money, and by winning spoil their chance of appropriating the more valuable prize on account of having to put a penalty up." Mr H. J. Ellis, the really energetic secretary of the Takapuna Jockey Club, was almost übiquitous on Saturday, and discharged the many duties appertaining to his office punctually and well. The whole arrangements of this nice little meeting were carried out in a manner calculated to make any future attempts in this line a still greater success than those of the past. The starting by Mr Joe Tye was a great treat after the wretched attempts in that line we have had at the two last A.E.C. Eaces. In nearly every event Mr Tye dropped the flag at a moment when all the field were in a perfect line, and did not take long to get them so cither. The only thing we would have to regret, were the A.E.C. to make this gentleman their starter, would be, that we should lose our popular clerk of the course thereby. The Weekly Press (Christchurch) has an article an the appointment of Messrs Stead and Lance as two out of five on a handicapping committee for the C.J.C. The Press, though not for a moment imputing anything crooked, or doubting the honour of the two gentlemen, considers it very "unduke " that two parties, owning the largest stud of racers in the colony, should allow themselves to be elected to fill such a position. The Press " wants to know, you know," what would be said in case of a Grip, or Lady Emma, scoop on the parfc of one of their own horses ; and the writer winds up a very sensible and temperate article with the following words : — "It seems to us that Messrs Lance and Stead must either deal in every case severely, and, therefore, unfairly, with their own horses, or lay themselves open to charges they would indignantly repudiate. It may, of course, be argued that they are only two against three ; but, as three form a quorum, they would in such cases be in a majority. But, apart from this, two men of so much larger experience will surely carry the most weight, and will have pretty well their own way. Has it not hitherto been so in the C.J.C. ? The subject is of vital importance to the welfare and status of the Club, and we trust the matter will, without delay, be re-opened and further considered."