SPORTING.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4733, 7 October 1886, Page 3

SPORTING.

After we went to press yesterday the Consolation Handicap was run. Mr Evctt issued the following handicap :—Pasha 9st 31b, Administrator Sst 121b, Marion Sst 31b, Lady Artist Sst, Miss Dargon 7st 21b, Tornado 6st 41b, Pyscho list, and Expelled tint. All accepted with tho exception of Administrator. After a long delay at the post the horses were despatched to a good start. Miss Dargon on tho inside almost immediately going to the front, Expelled, Pyscho, Marion, and Pasha lying next. Tornado took leading plaoe before the horses were quite opposite the stand. At the turn nearing tho straight Tornado still led, and Marion and Miss Dargon who had been lying some lengths away began to draw near the leader. Entering the straight Tornado was still slightly in command, Pasha, Miss Dargon, and Marion being abreast. A capital set to resulted down tho straight, but Derrett was not to be denied and he landed Marion a two lengths' winner, Miss Dargon a length in front of Pasha, Tornado fourth. The distance was one mile. Dividends £2 16s inside aud £3 9s outside.

The Herald yesterday, in dealing with the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's meeting in its grandmotherly fashion, replied to our statements made in our report of the previous evening thai, the starting was bad, tbe attendance poor, and the railway arrangements dtfective. Our contemporary said thero was a very large attendance, "fully three thousand people on the ground," " the railway authorities deserve a word of £ raise for the train arrangements," Mr iyon "excelled himself yesterday in this his particular branch." Now, the Jockey Club will not consider themselves indebted to the old lady for making statements which will only cause the public to smile contemptuously. The attendance on tho day in question, so say the club officials, was not 1500. Tho same competent authorities and tho stewards blame tlie exorbitant railway charge for tho comparative failure of tho meeting, and we venture to say the stewards will have influence enough to provent a repetition of the ridiculous first-class faro charge. The starting all through the meeting was execrablo, horses being kept at the post in nearly every race for lengthened periods, and when let go the starts were very indifferent indeed. There was much grumbliug among the stewards at the want of judgment displayed, and in that they had the support of the public, while handicapping is a superfluous work if starting is bad. Of course in writing fljis we are well aware Mr Lyon did his best, that he is conscientious and upright, all admit, but his best was anything but good enough. It is not his good character that is in question, but his ability to start horses, and that reminds us of the Scotch Presbyterian minister advertising for a cook who recoived a splendid character about one applicant, but his reply was he did not care about her character, but could she cook collops was the point.

The totulisators put through at Hastings in the two days £8211.

Seated on the ground at the back of tho grand stand on the Hastings course yesterday, was a gentleman who had been "out in the sun," and he was engaged in tho apparently hopeless task of counting his gains which were in the form of a heap of bank notes. He was surrounded by numerous sympathisers anxious to assist him. Fortunately his best friend turned up in the shape of a policeman, who placed the lucky individual and his winnings in a place of safety.

" Olympus" writing to the Otago Witness from Molbourne says :—" With 7st 71b in the Molbourne Cup Trident should be specially dangerous; but competent judges aver that Kingfish is susceptible of much imprpyenient qn his present form, in which case his running in the Hawkes}ii.f y Gujneae and A.. J.C. Derby stamps him as ah awkward customer to stall off with 6st on his back."

The Sydney Evoning News reproduces the telegrams which passed between our local Rugby Union aud the Sydney football team.

At a meeting of the Auckland Racing Club last evening the following rule was confirmed :—" That with the viow of promoting legitimate racing and protecting the use of the totalisator, this club resolves that no club in the provincial district of Auckland shall receive a license to hold race meetings under the rules of the club that does not give at least £30 in added money to each race advertised it) its programme."

Owing to her defeat yesterday in the Spring Handicap, Waitiri has receded from 100 to 10 to 100 to 7 for the N.Z. Cup.