SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 7497, 16 April 1888, Page 4

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

NOMINATIONS D.J.C. MAY MEETING. The following nominations were received at Mr Sydney James’s office on Saturday night for the forthcoming races Hun dm Handicap, of 75 bovs. About two miles,— Tres Sec, Master Aornes, Wardrobe, Mokarakara, Monteagle, Panic, Playboy, Trapper, Mabel, The Drover, Ravenawood, Victory, Secretary, Dunluce. Birthdav Handicap, of 170 sova. One mile and a-half.—Sprineston, Liverpool, Victory, Bsreaford, Silver Mark, La Rose, Sir Julius, Haka, Sultan, Snapshot, Apropos, Titbit, Captain Cook, The Brewer, /Enid, Wakatipu, Forget-me-not, Hermitage, Captain Webster, St. Clair. May Handicap Trot, of 65 sovs. Three miles Prospector, Jimmy Brown, Baojum, Folly, Bob (Smith’s), Silver Bell, Frolicsome, Bob (Webster’s), Hawkdun, Pirate, Reefer, Sultan, Fenian, Evening Star, Lady Grey, Jack, Idle Girl, Maniac, Why Not, Orion, Mabel, Lucy, Bobbie, Land Leaguer. Foremost, Crowhurst’s Spot, Charlie, Ida Maid, Hot Coffee, Rimu, Bella, Alfred, Johnny, Jane, Silver Prince, Pat, Rose, Present Times. Tradksmkn’s Handicap, of 76 sovs. One mile.— Count d’Orsav, Streamlet, Doubtful, Forget-me-not, Silver Mark. Snapshot, Hermitage, Betrayed, Riccarton, Shifnal, Rewl. Moss Rose, Haka, Evening Star, Captain Webster, Nightshade, College Boy, La Rose, The Brewer. Ironsides, Tarantalus, Sultan, /Enid, Apropos, Le Temp’, Wildrake, Titbit, Captain Cook, Dutchman, Mon Loup. Provincial Handicap, of 130 sovs. One mile and a quarter.-Tarantalus, Sultan, Liverpool, Apropos. Le Temps, Beresford. La Rose, The Brewer, Springston, Doubtful, Wakatipu, Silver Mark, Snapshot, Hermitage, Captain Cook, Dutchman, /Enid, Haka. Porget-mc-not, Captain Webster, Wildrake, Titbit, St. Clair, Shifnal. Winter Handicap Trot, of 00 sovs. Two miles.— Evening Star, Idle Girl, Ida Maid, Rimu, Why Not, Orion, Mabel, Lucy, Pat, Foremost, Lady Grey, Bob, Jack, Maniac. Alfred, Johnny, Jane, Pirate, Reefer, Fenian, Grasshopper, Boojum, Bella, Folly, SilverbeP, Frolicsome, Bob, Hawkdun, Sultan, Rose, Dunsevinok. St. Clair Welter Handicap, of 85 sovs. Seven furlongs.—Count d’Orsay, Crossbow, /Enid, Kate. Wakatipu, Apropos, Snapshot, Betrayed, Captain Cook, The Brewer, Mon Loup, Rewi, Streamlet, Sultan, Haka, Forget-me-not, Silver Mark, Wildrake, Raven. Sit Julius. Dutchman, Cheap Jack, Tarantalus, Moss Rose, Doubtful, Liverpool, Evening Star, Captain Webster, Titbit, La Rose, Rlooarton, Shifnal, College Boy. The above entries compare very favorably with those for last year, the respective numbers being as follows 1887. 1883. Handicap Hurdle Race .. ..12 14 Birthday Handicap.. .. 2t 20 May Handicap Trot (three miles) ..38 38 Tradesmen’s Handicap .. 24 30 Provincial Handicap .. .. 18 24 Winter Handicap Trot .. .. 39 31 St. Glair Welter Handicap .. .. 24 33 Totals 170 190 At the Takapuna meeting on Saturday the Autumn Handicap was won by The Cat, with Maratau second, and Friendship third. The Steeplechase fell to Orangeman, and the Davenport Handicap to Formo. After Joe Scott’s second victory in England the excuse was made for Hancock and flibberd that they were not accustomed to boarded tracks, and that these gave Scott an advantage. On this the ‘ Sporting Life ’ has the followingA great deal having been written and said concerning the boarded track, some little explanation is due to Scott, in order to prove that this is no pet scheme of his, and that he is perfectly willing to conform to the conditions customary in England. In order to place this beyond all doubt, we on Saturday last consulted Mr Austin, his trainer and fidus achates, and put the following question to him: ‘ Is there any truth in the statement that you positively decline to walk on any track other than a boarded one?’ Mr Austin: ‘ No truth whatever; and, further, I am very much surprised to find that we hayo been so unfairly represented. In order to prove my assertion, we are prepared to fall back upon the old style of walking over main roads, Scott can be backed to walk any man in England on a country road in athletic or every-day costume, and if the money already at the ‘ Sporting Life ’ office is covered a match can be relied on. Again, we are ready'to walk on a properly-prepared track in an enclosed building—insisting, of posiVse, that pro are made acquainted with the materials of which said track is composed. It has been argued that a boarded track is unfair; but I contehd that it is a more natural one, insomuch as It is not! specially prepared, as is the case with those i manufactured in England and elsewhere. Again, statements have gone forth thkt we are accomplishing our performances in an

enclosed building ; but, whilst pointing to the fact that nearly every latter day record has been accomplished under precisely the same conditions, we are, as I said before, both anxious and very willing to waive all such objections, and “take the road for it on the good old-fashioned style.” Please let the public know our meaning on this question, so that no person will be able to say when we have left for home that we shirked any of the conditions set forth by our rivals in England.’ ” The latest betting on the Two Thousand Guineas shows that Sir F. Johnstone’s colt Friar’s Balsam is a hot favorite f,t level money. For the Derby the following are the leading quotations:— 2to 1 agst Friar’s Balsam (tkn and wntd) 8 1 Ayrshire (Duke of Portland’s) 850 —IOO Orbit (Duke of Westminster’s) 100 8 Oasory (Duke of Westminster’s) 100 The Prince of Wales’s horse Hohenlinden won the Kempton Park Naval and Military Steeplechase of 100 sovs on February 8. The Canterbury Jockey Club lost L 240 on their recent Autumn race meeting. That J. L. Sullivan is as great a blowhard as Mitchell and Kilrain always said he was is clearly proved under his own hand in the following letter addressed by him to a friend in Boston shortly before his fight with Mitchell. The Yankee slogger’s opinions after that fight have not yet come to hand, but they doubtless underwent a change from those expressed in the letter referred to, which reads thus:—“ Dear I suppose I am about due to tell you how I am getting along in this country. So far I have been doing pretty well, but this country is not America. You know well, old boy, I have made a match with Mitchell, and all I have to do now is to spoil his face, and I assure you I will endeavor to make it as handsome as I know how. I am after Smith. He is the only one in this country worth fighting, and there would be a barrel of money in it, and he is a mark for me. You can imagine what kind of a fight Kilrain and he fought two hours and a half, then kiss and make it up, and say we will fight John L. Kilrain will second Mitchell against me, and after I am through with Mitchell I will make him fight in the same ring or break his nose. I hope it will not be long before I arrive in Queenstown, You never saw so many poor people in all your life as there are in this country, all on the begging order. I was over to the dear old Emerald Isle, and I tell you it is a pretty country, and well worth seeing. The places we took in were Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Limerick, and Belfast. In Cork we went tp see Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone. Barnett and Phillips kissed it, but his nibs only touched it. It is quite a sight. Well, I have told you all but one thing, and that is about His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Well, we met, and his royal nibs John L. had quite a chat with the coming king of Ireland, and smoked his best cigars, and 1 tell you he is a fine fellow ; so you see I am in the front ranks, but still I am the same old plain ‘ champ.’ Well, I will close by sending regards to . Good luck and good-bye is the wish of your friend—John L. SCTLLIVAN.”