NOTES BY BEACON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 19

NOTES BY BEACON.

The Dunedin Cup of 1000 soys closes on Saturday next (26th inst.), when nominations must be sent in also for the Jockey Club Handicap of 400 soys and the Forbury Handicap of 3CO soys. A letter of peculiar interest to the backers of July for the New Zealand Cup or Melbourne Cup appears in this issue. It is written by the presumed owner of the horse in question. Our Christchurch correspondent's letter this week contains training, betting, and other notes which will well repay perusal.

The Otago Hunt' Club Steeplechases come off on Saturday, and there is every prospect of a very successful meeting. As the northern horses have, however, not at the time of writing put in an appearance, it would be useless to give a tip in these columns. My impressions as to probable winners will appear in Saturday's Daily Times.

Hector has been scratched • for all events at the Hunt Club meeting.

The latest news with reference to the Hon. W. Robinson's horses, some particulars concerning which will bo found in this issue, is that they are now working under the hon. gentleman's own guidance.

Winton Spring races are set down for Novem^ ber 9, with prize-money amounting to close on £200. Prominent among the stakes are the Winton Cup, of 40 soys ; Derby Stakes, of 25 soys ; Prince of Wales Handicap, of 25 soys * and Hurdle Handicap, of 25 soys. Nominations for all the handicaps are due on October 16. The victory of Nordenfeldt in the Hawkesbury Produce Stakes will be well received in this Colony, the colt having been bred by the Auckland Stud Company. The Hon. Mr White may have in him a second Martini-Henry. Trenton has at last left here to fulfil his engagement in the Melbourne Cup, and from the disquieting rumours that have come to hand about our other New Zealand candidates for Australian honours it seems a good job that we have now another .string to our bow. A Sydney telegram in the Argus of the 7th inst. gives the following unwelcome news : — " Owing to a slight misunderstanding Mason has resigned his charge of the Hon. W. Robinson's New Zealand string of racehorses. Thunderbolt has a badly cracked heel, and Winchester and Liverpool are the only two that are anything like sound horses." The Hon. Mr Robinson seems to have an unfortunate knack of having " misunderstandings" with his trainers and jockeys. Nominations for the Maniototo Racing Club's Spring Handicap, of 30 soys, close on the 26th inst. Other stakes at the meeting are the Puketoi Handicap, of 25 soys ; Trial Stakes, of 20 soys ; Maiden Plate, of 20 soys; and Trotting Handicap, of 15 soys. The North Otago Times' Duutroon correspondent writes :— " A meeting of the Duntroon Jockey Club was held in Mr Harris' Hotel on the evening of Thursday last. The treasurer's statemeut showed a balance in hand of £10. It was unanimously agreed to hold a race meeting on Friday, 9th October, and an influential committee was appointed to draw up a programme. This provides seven events with added money amounting to £80, including the Duntroon Handicap, of 20 soys, and the Novel Handicap, of 15 soys. Heatheote Spring races will be held on October 12, and a little over £200 will be given to be run for. The principal stakes are : The Spring Handicap, of 50 soys ; Hurdle Handicap, of 40 soys : Trotting Handicaps, of 35 soys and 30 soys respectively ; and Flying Handicap, of 25 soys. In Robin Hood company's consultation on the Hawkesbury meeting the following are the principal prizetakers : — Hawkesbury Handicap : First, £000, a grocer in Princes street, Dunedin ;i second, £450, chief officer of a coasting steamer "in Auckland ; third, £225, butcher in Wanganui. County Purse: First, £270, a blacksmith at Opawa ;' second, £135, a tobacconist in Dunedin; third, £90, a settler at Wallstead, Hawke's Bay. A serious accident occurred at Plumpton Park races on the 15th. Mr T. H. Lance, son of Mr J. D. Lance, M.H.R., was standing hi the saddling paddock, when a mare, which was being walked round, suddenly got the best of the, boy attending and galloped through the i crowd. She knocked down Mr Lance and a jockey named Smith. The former was struck down with such force as to sustain slight concussion of the brain. Smith was but slightly injured. Mr Lance has since recovered consciousness. Greymouth races are set down for December 31 and January 1, and the prize money amounts to over £350. The programme for Reefton races provides about £300 in "stakes, prominent among which are the Inangahua Cup, of 60 soys ; Midsummer Handicap, of 50 soys ; and Miners' Plate, of 25 soys. I have received from Mr Lyon the programmes for the Wellington Racing Club's spring and summer meetings. The former is to be held on November 27 and 28, clashing as usual with the Dunedin fixture. The sum of £850 will be provided in stakes, the more valuable of which are the Spring Handicap, of 200 soys; St. Andrew's Handicap, of 150 sovsj Grand Stand Handicap, of 80 soys ; and Hurdle Handicaps, of 80 soys and 75 soys respectively. The summer meeting will come off on February 5 and 6, when the added money will amount to £1865. The leading prizes are the Wellington Cup, of 650 soys (100 soys going to the second horse and 50 soys to the third) ; R. C. Handicap, of 300 soys; Stewards' Handicap, of 150 sovs; Hutt Park Handicap, of 150 soys ; Hurdle Handicaps, of 125 soys and 100 soys respectively; Telegraph Handicap, of 100 soys ; Welter Handicap, of 100 soys; and Local Handicap, 100 soys. The principal stakes at the Marton-Rangi-tikei annual races on January X and 2 will be the Handicap Hurdle Race, of 50 soys ; Flying Stakes, of 40 soys ; Martoii-Rangitikei Handicap, of 200 soys; Maiden Plate, of 40 soys; Handicap Hurdle Race, of 40 soys ; Derby, of 100 soys ; District Handicap, of 50 soys ; Railway Handicap, of 100 soys. A discussion eu> sued, •-ays the local paper, as to whether it was advisable to lower the nominations, the amounts last year being considered too high. The members expressed themselves favourable to the lowering of the nominations, and to make up tho deficiency by deducting 5 per cent, from all w innings. Resolutions to this effect were passed. The directors of tho Island Bay Park Racing and Coursing Company held a meeting on Wednesday, when they decided to have race meetings on the f ollowing,days :— October 22 and 24, November 30, and Boxing Day. " Martini " understands Mr Tancred has hold to a well-known sport in Wellington his two racing mares Gabble and First Water. From the same writer I learn that the Island Bay Company realised £300 by their recent race meeting. ♦ Mr Murtagh, the owner of The Bard, adopted a singular method of displaying his distrust in the efficiency of the starter, at the Island Bay meeting, says the Referee's correspondent. On his horso coming to the post for the second act of the Exhibition Handicap, Murtagh publicly announced to the sjjectators that his horse was only going to the post, but would not take part in the race. He said he would have withdrawu The Bard altogether but for the fact that the secretary could not accept the withdrawal as th( horse had been weighed out. The Bard's jockey under instructions from the owner, walked his horse back to the saddling paddock immediately the flag fell. Murtagh then advised those who lost their money on The Bard for the Exhibition Handicap to back his horse for the Sessions Handicap, as he would certainly win that event How he did win, and how the stewards ignoreo the fact of his taking The Bard to the post aud declining to allow him to run in the previous race are matters of the past. Billy-go-by-ems jockey is to the present day under the ban of disqualification for a similar performance at Wanganui last season. " Trenton " writes as follows in the New Zealand Mail :— -To such a pass have turf moral* come that it appears to be considered no longer dishonest to " stiffen " a horse, or indulge hi any of the other well-known. tricks of racing having for their object not the victory of the best horse, but the success ,of the chosen one : and it has become notorious that several owners

who a few years ago would b.ave scorned to participate in or condone any transaction of a doubtful nature, now in self-defence " stand in" and assist at what are in plain English barefaced swindles. On Saturday last there occurred' at least three incidents which, according to racing canons, may be considered of a questionable character. I allude to the nursing of a horse in the Handicap Hurdle Race, the sending of another to the post in the Exhibition Handicap with the avowed intention of not starting him, and the " stiffening " of a likely winner in the Consolation Race. It is such transactions as these that disgust the public, and bring all connected with the sport into contempt. I earnestly trust that our racing clubs will bestir themselves at once, and endeavour to put a stop to these practices.

On Saturday night last (says a Wanganui exchange) an attempt was made to ship the racehorse Porotawha per Jane Douglas to Wellington, but the gallant steed could not be induced to enter the box. For the space of an hour every effort was made to get the horse to go into the box, but the utmost he would do was to place his forefeet in it. During the prooess several of the bystanders put their shoulders to the animal's flank, with a view of shoving hini in, but all to no purpose, although the beast did not " let fly with his heels." Ultimately the animal was led away, and sent on to Wellington overland, with several others.

Featherston Races will be held on January 1, as usual.

At a recent meeting of the committee of the Waipukurau Jockey Club, to receive the resignation of Mr A. R. Lyons, the hon. secretary, who is leaving the district, Messrs Mackersey and G. Hunter, in moving a vote of thanks to the Secretary, paid high tributes of praise for the able and energetic manner in which he had performed the duties, and credited him with the remarkable success achieved by the Club.

Amazon, Forerunner, and Ascot are scratched for all engagements at the Hawke's Bay Spring meeting.

The New Zealand-bred stallion Merlin gained second prize among a large number of highlybred horses at the recent Sydney Agricultural Show. Merlin is a ten-year old son of Blueboy and Malice. Adamant was on view at the same show.

Some curious complications have arisen out of the appointment of a secretary for the Tuapeka Jockey Club. From " Phaeton's " notes I gather that at a recent meeting of the committee the late secretary, Mr Peel, was elected by a majority of votes from among three applicants. The chairman then moved that a fresh ballot should be taken, leaving only the names of Messrs Peel and Hedley on the list of qualified candidates ; but this was objected to by Mr Peel's supporters, they understanding that the first ballot was to decide the matter, and, the chairman persisting, they thereupon withdrew from the room. The second ballot was then taken, when Mr Hedley secured the largest number of votes. On what grounds the chairman wanted a second trial of strength on that occasion it is difficult to understand, for even had the vote which was given to the third candidate been polled for Mr Hedley, Mr Peel would still have had the largest number. In withdrawing from the room there can be no doubt that Mr Peel's supporters committed an error, for they thereby threw the election away. A subsequent meeting had to be held, Mr Hedley haying sent in his resignation, and after a long discussion it was agreed that the. decisions come to last week should be revoked, and that a fresh election should take place. Four names were then submitted to the committee — viz., Messrs R. Wynyard, W. W. Robinson, F. Burtt, and J. Hardy— and, a ballot being taken, Messrs Wynyard and Robinson were found to be equal. The chairman then gave his casting vote in favour of Mr Wynyard, and that gentleman was declared elected. That Mr Peel, the late hon. secretary, has been very badly treated in connection with this matter must, I think, be admitted by all who are conversant with the facts. The committee voted Mr Hedley £25 for the trouble and annoyance he had been put to in connection withthis matter.

After a recent visit to the Bllerslie trainingground "Hippona" wrote: — Chaafe had Turquoise, Necklace, Derringer, and Radames out, besides two of his two-year-olds, Cannon Ball, by Musket — Maid of Athol (full brother to Krupp), and Brigadier, by Musket — Pungawere•were (full brother to Tetford). The whole lot are' looking " in splendid health, and Chaafe seems to have made an entirely new horse of Turquoise. I don't think that I ever saw Necklace looking so well, while Derringer has furnished into a splendid coli, and in a spin •with his companions he travelled in beautiful style. The same writer understands that the portion of Mr J. Marshall's team who are to take part in the Canterbury Jockey Club Spring meeting will be shipped in about 3. fortnight's time. From what has taken place during; the week, it would seem that Major George will also be represented at the gathering. A commission has been executed in Auckland in favour of Nelson for the New Zealand Cup, and all the available money at 100's to' 6 taken. His stable companion Wapiti has also been befriended to win a few hundreds at the same piice. Auckland provincial race meetings have been arranged as follows ', — Pakuranga Hunt Club Steeplechases, October 31, with £220 adder! eioney ; Cambridge Spring, November .4, with #«&rly £200 in stakes : and Otahuhu Spring on November 7. The following Auckland items of news are from various exchanges : — St. Dunstan. winner •of two events at the Auckland Steeplechase ■meeting, has been bought for £120 by Mr Benaiett, and is bound for Sydney. — The Thames -Jockey Club have a balance of £140 to credit. — Revolver failed to ehauge hands when put up at auction last week, only £50 being offered for him. — Messrs Percival, Kirkwood, and Marks, who have performed the handicapping duties for the Auckland Racing Club gratuitously for £our years past, have each been presented with A gold chronometer, watch, vritfa. a suitable inscription engraved, as an acknowledgment of ftheir services. — Major George's horses, Nelson and Wapiti, are likely to leave for Chrisfcchurch shortly. — The Waerenga-a-hika Jockey Club have a balance of £103 in hand.

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