COURSING.

Evening Star, Issue 12163, 6 April 1904, Page 3

COURSING.

Our London correspondent -mites ;—The “ Blue Riband of the Leash.,” as some sporting miters love to call the Waterloo Cup, provided a series of surprises this year. Thanks chiefly to the sodden state of the turf and the fact that some particularly stout hares -were turned out, private reputations and public form were completely upset in the majority of the courses, the favorites going down one after the other, till in the final quartet were three who were rank outsiders on the night of the draw, and the other was a 33 to 1 chance. The ultimate winner, Mr Margett’s Hornfray (Fabulous Fortune-Kildmode) started friendless at 1,000 to 5. and was indeed only entered by his owner at the urgent solicitation of that genial scribe and authority on coursing, “Vindex” of the ‘Sportsman,’ Mr Margetts has been coursing a long time, hut, strange to say. had never before won even a cup of small value. His first trophy is the beautiful 100-guinea enp given by the Earl of Sefton, and the most coveted coursing trophy in the Kingdom. He also takes £SOO in hard cash. The favorite for the Waterloo Cup was Paracelsus, which, starting at the ridiculously short odds of 83 to' 20, was knocked out in the fourth round by Fecht Fair. The latter had then to meet Homfray in the first course of the semi-finals, and so much had Fccht Fair impressed the cognoscenti with his display against Paracelsus that odds of 3to 1 were laid on him. Homfray, however, just seemed the first point, and then, after hanging on the turn, flashed on the scut, and with a strong wrench and resolute kill, floored the odds in gallant style. Meanwhile Minchmuir had settled the pretensions of Haughton Ferry after a terribly stiff course after a rarely strong and tricky hare. The effects of Minchmuir’s “ dusting ” were apparent when the bitch came to the slips for the final, but the odds against her were not at all generous, and Homfray's backers could always lay 7 to 4 on bis chance. The non-favorite started very stiffly in pursuit of a rare hare, and Homfray made the turn three or four lengths to the good. Then puss broke sharp round, and Minchmuir, warming up to her work, made a brilliant little effort. Spinning the hare in fine style she made the second and third turns, and then dashed in for the death. Unluckily, as she did so .she slipped up, and came a regular cropper. This left her helpless for a spell, and Horafray ran up a formidable sequence of points before the bitch could get going again. She contested the finish stubbornly, but could not get on terms with Mr Margett’s dog, which won a severe course at the end of a minute and a quarter. The Waterloo Purse of £215, for the thirty-two dogs beaten in the first Cup round, was divided between Mallory (Fabulous Fortune-Elaine) and Priestlaw (Mellor Moor-Thoughtless Beauty), and the Plate, of £146, for the sixteen dogs beaten in the second round of the Cup, was shared between Lonely Star (Fiery Furnace-Lapal) and Prince Plausible (Boswell-Thoughtless Beauty).