SPORTING NOTES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 9662, 27 October 1882, Page 2

SPORTING NOTES.

[By Comet j ' '.'■'. r}, Numerous complaints having been;, made respecting the running of the mare : Wakatu in the Maiden Plate at the late trotting meeting, I personally iriterviewedher owner and rider, and' front inquiries I then made I find, there were "grounds for complaint to a certain extent/lint of ■■" a very trivial nature, and, I am sure the matter could' lie easily 1 cleared ujb were', c ' : the club to hold an investigation!, • j?owell ' says that, being, ignorant of , the" rule'-. ■ applying to distancesin'trottirig races, he .' was under the impression that, the same].'i t post-was used as in flat races, viz., theY 220' yards post for ' the distance,, and finding- that his mare: was trotting very unkindly, and had clearly .putSall chances . of winning the 'heat out:of '.th'e question - before she i had gone-' half '-a' 1 mile; he ■ thought it useless ito'-p'erseverey'so'he •' eased her' up to save 'ber-for' thy two' 1 ' following heats. This^explanatioiißoiunds feasible enoughi'an'df fronV the fact : of" Powell -being a n,oyice' atJtHe l( teotting ' ' business, his 'explanation' .re post is all the.more likely. 'to bereceiyed with credence f at J the J handjs',ol the. public.;/ For! my Jpart I " "sin'aerely ■ hope ■ that' itheiclub will, make it 'convenient, to-jflold^ an investigation, 'for such perfprnxsneesh: as these, whether by accident or/desigiij:.. : should be thoroughly : gone : into,, and,, should the- parties "; concerned:'. bei' ad*if < judged'ginlty, they should bejpuhishedlwith the 'utmost rigour fot 'the. benefit of future, trotting meetings, as r well as- 7 *' guarding the publicifromsthe barefaced '■ frauds which are' frequently perpetrated^:', upon our racecourses. Ido not mean/to say that Powell is guilty- in the' case at? point; it is. my own private opinion - that he is .not; and that is another reason' ' why an investigation,, should .be, held*"; It would then give him. 'ah opportunity. of clearing himself in the eyes; of f> the. public of the charge he is now accused. Powell also, affirms that there is no.tcllth . < in the statements made by the gentleman who signs himself -'' A- member of the W.T.0.," to.the effect that his' stable backed Jack in the Maiden Plate. > Neither • ■ he (Fowell) nor any of his friends had • backed that horse for the race in question, but had taken tickets in -the :: totalisator on Wakatu. ; • ■'• •* .'' ' • I observe that Mr J. Chadwick, jrin., has sent in his resignation as handicapper for the Wanganui Trotting Clubi, Mr Ohadwick's action was almost unnecessary, as the handicappers'were only ■ appointed" for the, season, ending in November next, and as a matter of course a fresh election of all officers of the club is required by rule 6. ;. • ; Since writing the, above I also, learn that Mr J. H. .Pollock, another of the handicappers for the Trotting Club, has followed Mr Chadwick's example and tendered his resignation. Although the productions "of these two gentlemen have been very-far irom perfect, they have evidently been only issued after a careful consideration. Handicapping trotting horses is one of the most difficult tasks imaginable, as so many untried horses a-e entered, of which the handicappers cannot possibly, get • any line to go by. Had the -.'abovenamed gentlemen to deal with known performers only, I am sure they would have been even more successful. " However, as they no doubt went to considerable trouble, and had the interests of the club at heart, I must not tte^hard upon them. Handicapping at least is but an unthankful office, and, so far as Wanganui h concerned, a most unremunerative one. ■ ' . . George. Lairig, the' well-known light weight, professional .jockey, has .been engaged by. Mr J7 H. Pollock for the , season. "X oungLaing can scale 6st 81b at call, and from.the, manner he handled,:.. Pish woman in 'the Stakes the other, day : he is undoubtedly,^ finished Norseman, : and should prove no small .boon to the St. Albans 1 stables.. George has been taught his profession by his father,' Mr '• "Jack" Lsing, now located at Auckland, and admitted to be the best horse- " man and most painstaking faairier in : New Zealand. Young Laing informs me that hia father has 'a large, string of ' horses inwoyk at the'pfesenttime, conr ' sisting of Kennilwprtb,' Dew Drop.Lyra, , filly, Chahtioje'er, Bitpdi^stoiie, and others, and that he Still has at home Jimmy and a younger brother, who can ride, 7st and,, under. : '■;.-.' 1, -;.."• ' !../; At the annual meeting of the Egmont • Eacing Club last' week, 'Messrs Halely," Higgie,- and: Chad vrick, jun.', were'proposed for the office:, of handicappef, and ' ,' Mr Higgie ; was ' elected • by .' a ' large • ? 'majority; The races : „w_ere ased.'.'to' be, "^ held 'on March "22nd, being,', between ' Waverley and New Plymquthieetings. ' .-•--'■■'. - • ;