POOR OLD ASCOT!

Inangahua Times, Volume 23, 25 November 1878, Page 2

POOR OLD ASCOT!

Tlio follow ing opinion of ' l{oy«l Asool ' nppcared in Iho London Bportsmau ol .Juno 23:— / ' BACINO W ENGLAND. [To tlio Editor of the Sportsman.] £in,-~ As nn Australian viaitinpj your [ country, I have boen much nmiHod at not only tho egotistical tone of Iho pre«s but also of your sporting mon when referring lo tho Ascot Knees. To rood iho Accounts of Iho vtrious moos in tho daily press} to hear old sportsmen, returning from I lie racos, doclaro ' It was tho finest raco possible, • Tho very best in Iho world, sir, 1 ' Grand raco, sir— oould not bo bolter,' 'Tho beal horso in the world, sir,' is, I sny, very laughable to ono who has soon a liltlo more. Now, what nro tho facts P JTour racing is Tory indifferent. Your course ut Ascot is ono of Iho rcry worst for sii^lii sooimr I liavo cvor been on, Your horses hnro neither tho physique nor iho spcod of Australian racehorses. Your nrrny of beauty and fiinliion is nothing to bo com pi rod to tho flight which moots tho oyc on tho Mcl» boorno raeeconr.«o on a .(Ju|) day* Your accommodation for visitors is of tho most primilivo order. To provo which I rofer yoi» to the report of tho Inst rnco on Melbourne racecourse lost March, when Chester and First King ran almost n (loud liont, two miles nnd n distance, in 3 nin 32se,c. Tlic«o librae.* nro splendid models of a racehorse, and aro nearly 10 hands high. Compnro timt time with any recorded at A*cof, miv Ascot Slakes, nhoul two mile*, lime three minuict Jlfiy* mj: srcoitth Take eren iho brand Priz* of Pans, ono milo seven furlongs, tirnd 3iiiin 22*eo. Tint sliouki, according to Iho rale, of Amlr.liitn spool, bo dono in 3 uin lftj'cc or less, o »nsidering tho extra dislnnco, So much for your time, your hones, and so much for iho 'best horro in Iho world, *ir.' Now ro the course. 1 nsk can any one sco tho raeo wlio in nit on tl>o slnniiPCun they even scent nil ? f know f eoi'i'd no*. ; 7n Melbourne 600,000 |Konle cou'd sc horsi'H saddled mounted, preliminary canters, nnd r«co from start to finN'i, nil for two shilling. Tlioro is n magnificent lawn in front of tho crnnd aland boniitifnlly kept ; nnd as Indies </<> dross in Molbourno, Jo turn out ther*, and their beauly is tho admiration of all who visit \u from other lands, tho lawn in tho interval* IHween tho races an« Mimoa tlio i^pocf."' of a fl >wer garden. Tho sooner the English sportsman awakes from his di earn that ' Knijlnnd ' is tho 'world' »h<» better. I couH put my fincer on many f"»ft spots in connortion with tho Asi-OtirMoctinß but as )t do»» not concern xno much I will ccnlont mystlf with snrim: that for nil tha rseing you cat) show nt Ascot T w .uld not walk aoroxs tho road to soe it. May I sny , i jfow vrnrd" re othor nporlin^ m>itt«rf<P First— Crickol s Tho Australians woro very foolish to play at iYmee's in such weather ai..llioy did, nnd wi<h tho ground littl« bettor than mud. Until worm wcathor uAa in and turf is fit to piny nn, our gi«at bowler, Mr Allan, will nover eomo off. Whon ho is in form ami tho ground suiti. tho Gontlemcn of Ivujlan 1 »nusl look to their laurJs. Second ->v Aquaries : I hear there wns somo prospect (when Iho report of Tiinhott, Iho champion s ull«r, lo«in« two fin/ors came to h^nd) of some galttint ICnglishman disputing his titlo to the ohnmpi'iiiship. H"us tho oournßO of your oarsman v'nitisliod now I hut thoy hatra found on> ho has lost ono fingor only ?— Yours truly, Ft. John. Salisbury Ilotol, June 23.