TUFTS OF TURF

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8964, 30 November 1894, Page 2

TUFTS OF TURF

" Weekly Press and Beferee."

[By the Editorial Scissors.l A bitter com plaint comes from an Indian friend to a Loudon psper about the condition of tho Indian turf. He at atea that the corruptions of raciug in India are very bad indeed. This state of things, he ihinks, is to bn attributed to several causes; first and foremost to the lack of a strong and resolutH body like the Jockey Club at the head of affairs; next to the distance between thi headquarters at Calcutta and the various race meetings, to the ignorance aud apathy of the stewards of race meetings—who are chosen for their names and social position, and are often as unable as they are unwilling to take notice of malpractices—and to the fact that there is no public opiuion about racing in India. Racing men, be says, are a small body of men, and real sport-men are in the minority, so that a little clique run for each other's money, and are somewhat in the position of the inhabitants of the Scllly Islands, who, we are told, earn a precarious livelihood by taking in each other's washing. The ruin and demoralisation of young officers and others in India on the Turf is unfortunately as real as the harm dove in England is exaggerated. The example of older men is too often followed by the youueer, and it i. considered 'father a smart thing thau otherwise to plan a Turf "coup," which some people, and those not ultra-particular, would call by au ugly name.

Writing on September 20th of Throstle's St. Leger win, a contributor to an English sporting paper says:—l Bavo"been wondering whether I should hear of any invincible idiot who set down the Leger as a marvellously astute coup on' the part of John Porter, and a frieud, a particularly well-known owner of horses, who was dining at the Sivoy the other evening, tells mc chat he came across the idiot iv question. The man was holding forth to an admiring table of ladies, explaining how he guessed what was going on, and, but for a variety of strange occurrences, should have backed the wiuuer and made hi< fortune. Porter did not exactly tell bim, nor did Sir Frederiok Johnstone; in fact, he was not persoually acquainted with either of them; but nothing could hoodwink him, and he found out exactly what was going to happen. Poor creature! This sort of idiot sometimes takes to betting instead of talking about it, and then things grow seriou-*. As a matter of fact, John Porter had £50 ou Matchbox, and at the last moment grew a bit nervous, and thought he would save his money. Bat he did not endeavour to save it by the investment of one sovereign on Throstle. It was Ladas only tha. he feared, and when the favourite touched even money, he asked a gentleman who trains in his stables to be good enough to put him £53 on Lord Rosebery's colt. Toe g-titleman did so, and those were Porter's bets on the race.

Mr "Fame" is the assumed name of Mr Cox, the owner of the two-year-old Solaro, tbat upset the supposed good thing in Saintly for the Champague Stakes at Doncaster on September 11th. He has beeu racing since 1-37, and has always trained with James Ryan. Mr Fairie is a millionaire, and (says London Licensed Victuallers' Gazette) made his pile in a very remaik-ble manner. Out in Australia thi*. good sportsman was for a time rather down .on his luck, and one day during that period tumbled across a man, to whom, in rosier times ha had lent £100. The man could not weigh out, but told Mr "Fairie" hat he had an original share in the Broken Hill Mine, which be would let him have for £150. This was refused, and it was finally decided to play five gauges of eckrte to decide whether it should be £200 or £100. The owner of Solaro won, and out of that £100 came his vast wealth, which is estimated at a million and a half. Rumour hath it that had be have stuck to the whole of the share Mr " Fairie " would at the present time have been the richest man iv the world. Doubtless, though, he finds one and a half millions just about enough to go on with.

In writirigof "Big Winners," the following table of the amounts won by the beat horses is supplied by a contributor to an English exchange :— Donovan. Ayrshire. Orrae. Ormonde jo _$" £ £ £ 2yrs ... ie.487 4,577* 6..1. 8.174 3,003 3_is ... 38.-66 18.SR0 8,685 13,n_!l 21.553 _y.s ... * 31.49- 2U.8.0 11.329 3,905 Totals ... £56,15. £54,9.5 £35,860 £.2,526 £tß,i6i * Sent to the stnd. I have often wondered how much Gladlateur would have won if there had been stakes of the value of £10,000 in his day Singularly enough, -neither of our big winners come of the great.rival Unas of Stockwell or TouchHtoheMhat is to say, in a direct line. It is curious to read that Isinglass has won £54.000 and then in the next line to hear that his dam cost nineteen guineas.

In the above connection the following from London Sporting Times is appropriate:—The Prince Edward Handicap, ft race of the value of 2000 eovs and not of 11,000 aa was the Lancashire Plate won bj Seabreeze els years ago, tabes the place of another def unci ten thousand pounder. It is noticeable how these pretentious races have one after another died out. Half the events which helped to make Donovan's big Bcore of fifty odd thousand pounds are not now in existence, nor are the two handicaps which Rueticus won in successive years, worth together nearly £10,000. Sandown and Newmarket; are now, therefore, the only ineetiugs which encourage this description of contest, and we have yet to see how long the supplies hold out at head quarters. Even the Eclipse Stakes has been twice drawn blank in nine seasons.