TURF TALK.

Evening Star, Issue 7628, 2 June 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

TURF TALK.

MOSTLY ABOUT THE POISONING OF MERRY HAMPTON. [FnoM Our London Correspondent.] The Durham-Chetwynd Libel case—The cause of the case wins the City and Suburban Sir George's wagers —Something wrong with Merry Hampton Hostility of the Ring The owner puzzled—Restive at the post— Off at last—"100 to 1 against the favorite " —Last all the way—Hocussed —How it was done —The race—Fullerton wins in a canter—The Guineas and Derby favorite—A tragic blunder—Mr Manton (Duchess of Montrose) at Monte Carlo—A good story—" Duchess of Pimlico more likely !"—A libel and its consequences—Different steeplechase courses—Liverpool and Sandown. London, April 18. The fact that Lord Durham's counsel has had to ask twice for time to get up his case has no doubt led to the report current that a compromise with Sir George Chetwynd was on the tapis. Really Lord Durham couldn't draw back now if he would, and wouldn't if he could. It is a duel a I'cnUrance, and one of the two must go under. The horse whose eccentric performances in the main led to this cause cilebre was pulled out for the City and Suburban on Wednesday last, and won in a cauter. No secret had been made of the fact that Fullerton had beaten Plantagenet (a recent winner) in a high trial, and that the stable feared only Merry Hampton. Sir George Chetwynd publicly accepted 1,000 to 80 three times on Tuesday afternoon, and Wood, the jockey, (who can bet though he can't ride), supported his old favorite to win L 6.000. Merry Hampton remained first favorite up to the last, though the attitude of the " Ring" was ominous. The more money went on the Derby winner the more money there appeared to be to lay against him. Robert Peck, Mr Abington (the owner), and other stable followers accepted bet after bet, knowing (or rather thinking they knew) the horse to be all right, and the Jubilee Juggins stood a gigantic stake on the good thing. Nevertheless certain pencils seemed never idle. Mr Abington at last grew seriously alarmed. In the paddock Merry Hampton seemed to be all right, and was much admired, though not such a handsome horse as either Fullerton, Exmoor, or The Baron. The last-named disappointing animal attracted shoals of admirers, and many again pinned their faith to him and accepted 25 to 1 to a trifle. But he never showed prominently. Final demonstrations were mainly favorable to Galore and Eiridspord, though the latter had, according to the touts, scarcely galloped since the frost broke. The tipsters, however, declared old Alec Taylor had " diddled " the touts, and certainly the colt looked fairly trained, if not precisely cherry-ripe. At the starting post Merry Hampton jumped about like a cat on hot bricks. I fancy myself the poor animal was in pain. Once started, at any rate, he seemed unable to go. Watts said afterwards the horse appeared dazed and stupid. The heavy weights' natural place for the first threequarters of a-mile at Epsom is with the rearmost; but before the field had gone five furlonga the Ring seemed instinctively to know Merry Hampton occupied this posi tion from necessity and not choice. Hardly, indeed, were they away than " 20 to 1 Merry Hampton" resounded on all sides, followed a few seconds later with " 100 to 1 the favorite ; the favorite's beat." To cut a long story short, the Derby winner ran last all the way, and was finally pulled up and allowed to trot home. Mr Abington's face indexed his feelings only too clearly, and he jumped at the suggestion of a jockey club inquiry. How the thing was done is the question, or rather when ? for several horses have been po : soned since Zoedone's strange display in the Grand National, and it seems pretty certain all by the same method—a subcutaneous injection of morphia. A skilled rascal could no doubt do this unperceived in an instant while running his hand casually down the animal's leg, and it would leave no trace. In each case the horse's symptoms have indicated opium in some form. The only puzzles are the moment of exhibition and how owners' and trainers' precautions have been defied. To return to the raae for the City and Suburban, the light-weight Frank and the Northampton Stakes winner Oliver Twist made the running, the crimson jacket of Woodland and the scarlet of Eiridspord, with the white of Martley, being also well in the van. As the field swept round Tottenham earner Eiridspord compounded, and Woodland on the right showed a bold front, with Oliver Twist in hot pursuit and Fullerton on the inside coming rapidly through his horses. Directly our eyes lighted on Sir George Chetwynd's horse we knew the race to be over. Without an effort the handsome black forged easily to the front, and passing the hard-ridden Oliver Twist opposite the ring, won in a canter by two lengths. Mr Merry's Abu Klea, a great "sharps'" tip, came with a wet sail in time to rob Woodland of the third place, and secure the 1, 2, 3 money for which he was supported, Martley ran fifth. The disappointments of the race, apart from Merry Hampton, were Galore and Candlemas. The Kingsclero horse, backed for pots of money, ran so badly that he will be useless for trial purposes, and Friar's Balsam will in consequence run untried for the Two Thousand Guineas. What ' Truth's' sporting man calls the "anserous herd" of plungers are laying 65 to 40 on the crack for this event, and taking the same odds about his winning the Derby. Unless Ayrshire has come on wonderfully, or the dark Justinian (by Doncaster—Marie Stuart) proves as good as both his sire and dam, it is certainly difficult to see where Friar's Balsam's conqueror can come from. After the City and Suburban there occurred to our little party one of those tragedies which turns the fine sporting flavor of racing into dust and ashes. We tossed up heads or tails whether to back Galore or Fullerton for the big race —"heads" Galore, "tails" Fullerton. Three times did that confounded coin come down so of course we "went for" Galore, saving on Oliver Twist and Abu Klea for places. This was bad enough—to just miss backing the winner, after selecting second and third; but worse remains behind. I had a tip—a good, old-fashioned tip—for the two-year-old race (the Hyde Park Plate)—a nice filly of Baron Rothschild's, called Chariclee. There was also an unnamed filly of Lord Londonderry's, by Springfield out of G"selda, in the race, and by some mischance this animal was not colored on the card. Lord Londonderry's and Baron Rothschild's colors are exactly alike, consequently when an animal bearing a jockey in broad blue and yellow hoops came careering home four lengths in front of everything else, we bawled " Chariclde wins! 1 and (metaphorically) threw up our hats. Alas ! it was theGriselda Slly. I am not often profane, nor do I, when angry,

usually indulge iu what ' Vanity Fair ' calls "objugatory ejaculations," but, really, after such insupportable luck it was necessary to let off steam somehow. The Griselda filly, by the way, comes out of the lucky stable that swept the board at Leicester with Donovan and Johnny Morgan. Mr Manton (the Duchess of Montrose) has been at Monte Carlo playing roulette, and apropos of her gallivanting there is a good story. Seeing a handsome boy looking eagerly on one evening, the Duchess asked him to stake for her. He did so, and (like most beginners) won largely. At the end of the evening the Duchess expressed a wish to meet her mascotte on the morrow, but he hummed and hawed, finally observing that he should have his mother and sister with him, so that she had better not recognise him. " Gracious! boy, do you know who I am ?" exclaimed the outraged peeress. "I am (with dignity) the Duchess of Montrose!" "Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the young fellow incredulously ; " that is a good one. Duchess of Montrose, eh ? Duchess of Pimlico, more likely !" To those who know Her Grace's manners and style of dressing this is lovely. James Davis (late of the * Bat') curses the day he libelled Lord Durham. His wife's father has just died, leaving her L 200.000 and a fine estate in Warwickshire, which Davis cannot enjoy, as the moment he sets foot in England he would be arrested, and the penalty of the Durham libel most probably would be two years' imprisonment. Carrying weight over the Liverpool or Punchestown country, and carrying weight over the racecourse at Sandown or Kempton, interjected with artificial fences, are two very different things, as we saw at'Esher on Friday and Saturday last. The chasers Coronet and Ballot Box, which failed utterly under medium penalties ovur the severe Grrand National course, scored under very heavy weights at Sandown. Coronet won the Mammoth Hunters' Steeplechase.of 2,000 sovs, on Friday, carrying no less than 13st Sib, and beating a good field, which included The Sinner; and on Saturday Ballot Box (12st 7lb) gave away lumps of weight in the International Steeplechase to Gamecock, Playfair, Ringlet, Chancellor, and other noted performers at Aintree.

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