THE DUNEDIN HANDICAPPING EMBROGLIO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8320, 29 July 1890, Page 5

THE DUNEDIN HANDICAPPING EMBROGLIO.

Southern papers to hand show that further correspondence has taken place between Mr. G. G. Stead and the Committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club over the handicapping question, but apparently the reply sent by the Canterbury sportsman to the Committee's letter of the 2nd inst. lias not had the effect of calming the troubled waters. In concluding his letter, Mr. Stead says "In the interests of racing I have already made suggestions which I hoped would have removed the past friction, and with the same object in view I now add that if you can quote any passages in my letters which bear out the construction you have put upon them, 1 will withdraw them; but I am bound to add that if I am to be made the object of personal attack for having given expression to the dissatisfaction which was felt ny owners with regard to the recent handicapping, I shall not hesitate to defend myself to the end." In his reply to Mr. Stead, Mr. Sydney James, secretary of the Dunedin Jockey Club says : —"The committee see 110 reason to depart from the determination conveyed to you in my letter of July 2; and they have now instructed me to give the Club's liundieapper official notice of what is required of him." From the tenor of the communication sent to Mr. Dowse, everything i-eems to be now fairly in train for that gentleman to enter an action against Mr. Stead in the Supreme Court. Sir. James says :—" 1 1111 instructed to request, therefore, that you will send in your resignation as handicapped. As, however, the committee are fully satisfied of your honour and integrity, 1 am to a'ld that if you elect to bring an action in the Supreme Court against Mr. Stead, in older to nave the whole question fully ventilated, and to clear your character of the aspersions made against you by that gentleman, the committee will allow the acceptance of your resignation to remain in abeyance, pending the result of the action, and 011 that your future connection with the club will depend."

News comes from Wanganui to the effect that the steeplechase horse Oddfellow died there last week from lockjaw. Oddfellow, who was the property of Air, E. MeElwain, was a son of The Painter, and on several occasions proved himself a sterling animal. Last year, it will be remembered, he won the Hurdle Race at the Auckland Winter Meeting, and was made a very staunch favourite for the Great Northern Steeplechase, but he cut ii] > very badly in that race, and never got. past the sod wall. A little later on, however, in the hands of H. Pell, lie retrieved his character, by a brilliant victory in the llawke's Hay Steeplechase.

St. Andrew is now quoted favourite for the New Zealand Cup at 1 (X) to 12. The Wellington Racing Club has appointed Messrs. J. S. Thompson and H. 1). Bell to represent them at a conference to be held at \\ ellington next month.