SPORTING SCRAPS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 287, 14 August 1882, Page 4

SPORTING SCRAPS.

The sporting writer to the Christchurch •' Press" lately paid a visit to Messrs Robinson and Lance's new training quarters, presided over by Bob Ray, and reports that the team, as far as could be seen— it being past stable time— were looking well and healthy, showing beautiful coats for the time of the year, ond had evidently ' winteredwell. Grip, Salvage, Cheviot, and Iris were particularly well forward in condition. He thinks the Robinson stable will assuredly be the strongest during the coming season, for they have Borne good young ones that the public know little about. Two Cassivelaunus youngsters, bought from Mr. Redwood, have just been taken in hand, and their education will be commenced at once. 1 The Victorian Racing Club have settled the much-vexed question lof " declaring to win" by introducing a clause in their amended rules, which runs as follows :— " When any owner runs more than one horse in a race, each horse shall be run upon his meritn, nnd no plea of declaration shall entitle an owner to prevent one of his horses winning in order that he may win with another." W. S. Crawford, the English sport, appeared at the gallops one morning with his mouth covered with an enormous respirator. This was in order that he might keep his mouth shut, and thereby avoid letting out any stable secrets. In reference to this year's Derby, it has been pointed out by an English newspaper that the result of the race has not quite vindicated the predictions of the seers of the Press. It is pointed out that, of seven sporting newspapers, four selected Bruce as the winner, one Bruce or Shotover, one Dutch Oven or Shotover, and only one plumped for Shotover. Of four daily papers which vaticinated on the morning of the Derby Day, two declared for Bruce, two trembled between Quicklime and Shotovor, and ono pinned its faith on Quicklime. " Thus it follows," remarks the Echo, " that of twelve prophets only one absolutely predicted the winner ; four left it to their patrons to decide for themselves which of two horses bad the best chance ; while seven, a clear majority, were absolutely in the wrong."

The experience of a newspaper proprietor wno resides in the up-country districts, if not exaggerated, must be unique. To the Melbourne correspondent of tho Southland Times he tells the story in this way. He was in Melbourne for a few days to 1 see the Fire Brigate proceedings. I. He returned to his own at eleven [ o'clock on the night of publication, and went at once to the office, where he found only the small boy, ' Where's the editor ?' he queriod. 'Drunk sir,' was the reply. ' And the sub-editor ?' 1 Dead drunk in the back yard.' c And the overseer ?' ' Tight as a bean Bir, 1 over the way. 1 'And the compositors?' 1 Glorious, over at the Emu' ; and, added the precocious boy, if I had had the money I would have been drunk too."