"SPECTATOR'S" NOTE-BOOK.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10043, 23 May 1898, Page 2

"SPECTATOR'S" NOTE-BOOK.

Food for delectation has been provided during the past week in galore for sporting folk. "Recent disqualifications— a prominent racing man, trainer and rider—magisterial judgments on shop betting men, the acceptances for the Canterbury Trotting Club's Meeting, and the weights for the North New Zealand Grand National Meeting, have been amongst the leading lines of the bill-of-fare. There has been very much discussion on all these subjects. In connection with the. first mentioned cases, further developments are awaited, and consequently it is as well that little should be said. What the exact grounds the Ashburton Racing Club had for taking the course they have followed will, in due course, be known when the matter has come before the Metropolitan club of the district. The other cases will come before the Appeal Court. In the meantime the public of New Zealand, andfparticularly of Canterbury, will continue to discuss these matters, tho parties mostly concerned being residents in or near the capital city of Christchurch. " The father of the New Zealand Turf," as Mr Henry Redwood has long been aptly termed, has for some few years been living

in the quietness of his Brightwater retreat near Nelson, and when he wrote mc, about two years ago, that he had finally decided to sell out his horses and retire, I thought that we should not again see his colourunfurled. It transpires, however, that lie .has made a start with another team, which he is working on the sands near the homestead. So much I learn from a friend, who lately paid a visit to tho old place, where he found Mr Redwood looking very well— younger than he has done foryears, Theapple of Mr Redwood's eve is a beautiful yearling colt, own brother to Plotter, and he has two other Catesbys, one a filly from Peri and the other a colt from Fay. Says my friend : " I am sure we all hope he may find a Carbine amongst them." On the Blenheim side my correspondent learned that Mr D. Wilkinson has a two-year-old filly, by Catesbjßont of Rosalind, the dam of Koval Rose, Md a hack hurdler in training, while a nudßer of other young Catesbys were in work indifferent parts. W. Gillett, who formerly did the riding for Mr Ormond and latterly had charge of Horton, by King Cole—Amy, a colt that was showing considerable promise, was remaining in the diatricjrftn the hope of getting a team. It was with evident satisfaction that the improved prospects of racing in Marlborough were noted by my correspondent, who had heard that the Marlborough Racing Club had made a small profit on its year's work, and he says that, after moving to the course at Rivet-lands twelve years ago, the club had gone steadily down hill until recent years* xvhen an altered state of affairs was brought about, chiefly owing to the energy and capability shown by Mr Griffiths, the club's secretary. A great deal of sympathy is being expressed for the well-known cross-country rider, J. Rae, recently disqualified for twelve months by the Auckland Racing Club for alleged foul riding. This is but natural, for Rae has been a very long time connected with the sport, as a rider, trainer, and _ owner, and has never been punished during the whole time. Prior to the meeting Rae xwote to an old schoolfellow and fast friend in Blenheim, telling him that he feared Magpie would prove too good for Levanter ; and similar information was sent to his brother Walter in Canterbury. It was stated by one who rode in the race and who was one of the witnesses in the charge against Rae for alleged foul-riding that he thought Levanter could have won easily. Rae very strongly denied the evidence ot his brother horseman on the first count, and, though no protest was entered on the charge made against him for stopping Levanter, allegations on that point were made, and in some quarters much credence has been attached to that evidence, at which Rae is very sore. Letters written by Rae before the meeting, and after each of the enquiries into the matter, to friends have been forwarded to mc to make any use of I may think fit. The first, written in anticipation, showed that Rae's estimate of Magpie's chance was a correct one, and beyond doubt could not have been penned with any other' object than to give his beat opinion as to how the race might result. It is the letter of a sincere friend to another, similar in effect to the one sent to a brother. Rae reiterates his statement made before tbe stewards, that he did not ride an unfair race, and feels that he has been unjustly accused and undeservedly punished. These are his words, " I am as innocentfas you of any foul riding or anything unfair in any way at all, and did not profit a cent by the result. . . . They are trying to make out that I own, or partly-so, Magpie. I have no share or interest whatever in him. He belongs solely to G. Comer, my nephew. He stayed here with the horse, ami I advised him how to work and how to ride him, but other than that was not interested. I told Mr (here appears the name of the gentleman who races in the name of Mr Archibald) Magpie would be hard to beat, but he thought him not class enough for Levanter. I could not back either, being frightened of old Mag beating mc with 12st 12lb, and sure enough he did; and when 1 wa3 satisfied Levanter was beat, I left off clouting him, but that did not suit the publio. ... I am like a horse with 14st on heavy srround, or a man put twenty yards behind scratch. . . . You hardly remember young Comer; lie would be about ten when he came out in the Doric with his father and mother. He is now about twenty-three, and a smart young chap, and rides very well for the little practice he has had. He is an amateur, and old Magpie's win has put him on his feet." Rae goes on to say what the disqualification means to him. We have since learned of the sale of Levanter and the dispersal of his team and the disposal of his property at Greenlane — and there is no doubt he feels it very keenly. " I have many friends, I know," writes Rae, " and a clear conscience, and that will not make it harder to bear, except the injustice." It would appear that the evidence brought against Rae for alleged interference during the race was strong and believed worthy of credence, otherwise such severe punishment would not have been inflicted, but nevertheless Rae maintains that it was not. Levanter was a strong favourite, and it can easily be understood that his many backers were disappointed and that some would like to have seen him ridden right out, but Rae should be commended for not punishing a horse that was beaten. It is evident that the stewards were not willing to believe that Rae's infringement of rules went so far as the allegation of one of the witnesses on this head. I hear that there is some talk of a petition being got up to the Auckland Racing Club for the early reinstatement of the popular crosscountry horseman. There is one thing certain, and that is, that should such a step be taken it would be numerously signed, not only in Auckland, bat throughout the length and breadth of the colony. Apropos of Rae's judgment, it will be remembered that, for some time before the Grand National was run, and also on the day, the public would have Kingswood (then Rae's own horse) in preference to Levanter. I was talking to that horseman just before the meeting, and he told mc that he had noticed that P favoured Levanter's chance and he remarked that he was sure the public would not endorse the opinion, but would stick to Kingswood, '" but you're right," he said, "" Levanter will outstay Kingswood over the Riccarton country," and he did, too, and, as will be remembered, won and paid the handsome dividend of £13 17s, while Kingswood started much more heavily backed, got the coarse and finished, a good way back, fifth.

I observe that the " Special Commissioner of the Melbourne " Sportsman" followed a somewhat similar course to that adopted by myself when the result of Disraeli's victory in the Two Thousand Guineas was an-noonc-d. In setting out the headlines of that colt's pedigree he gave the figures "under Bruce Lowe's system, and made reference to him as a likely "horse for sire purposes. The nominations for the Hawke's Bay •T.C.'s Steeplechase Meeting are creditable, but they do not constitute a record. Conspicuous on account of its absence from the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase is the name Mutiny, the crack 'chaser of Hawke's Bay. The names of Plain Bill, Missfire, Toriki, Saltador, The Sinner, Opou, Great Britain, Barbarossa, Troubadour and Tangaroa, beginners at the cross-country game, may be taken as an indication that some at least of our hurdle horses are to be given a trial over the bigger obstacles. Most of the other entrants have done nothing much to bring them into notice in their essays. Morag, Tally-ho, Rhino, Claymore, Conscript and are the best known of the performed division. The only S.uth Island candidate nominated is Highlander, who, it will be remembered, went wrong on the eve of the last New Zealand Grand National Meeting. Mr Henry will have Wanganui form to guide him to some extent in making his handicap for the Steeplechase. He has more th_n an average field to deal with in the Hawke's Bay Hurdle Race, and the best of .North Island horses are therein engaged. Social Pest and Slaiden are the only South Island owned horses entered. Missfire is certainly a South Island-bred one, and not a bad one either, but it would seem that for first-class hurdle and cross-country horses tho North Island will continue to keep in the lead. ' -