NOTES BY BEACON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5949, 5 March 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

NOTES BY BEACON.

Two unpleasant matters in connection with the Dtmedin races were brought before the publio duriDg the mooting—-one by a letter to the Daily Times, the other in the introductory remarks to the third day's races as reported in the same paper. The firat was the scratching of Sir Modred for a race for which he had been pretty wejl backed in doubles, treblee, and

Caloutta sweeps. - This reply-to thia would • probably be that' the horse's owner sent hinr for the race_ which Buited him best.. Two letters on this subject appear in another''column. ' ; The second matter was the actiori taken with reference to'1 Messrs cLauce and Robinson's horse Natator and the-Forbury Handicap. The weights for this race was cot declared till Friday night, and acceptances were, not dne till' 10 p.m. Natator-was,accepted for, and,was all that evening . and during", the next morning backed by many people until at 11.10 a.m. he was soratcbed. Now'all this was quite bad enough, but it was not the: worst. When racehorses are going away by a morning, train horse-boxes have to be engaged .the night before of the railway authorities, and it appears from1 statements of some "of the railway employes that abox was engaged 1 for Natator early on: Friday evening, about 7 or 8 o'clock, and that he left Danedin'for Ghristchurch; by Saturday morning's J.expreas train: In., other words, he was accepted for.with'th'eJulL'knowledge that;he would not set b hoof bri" the racecourse on the Saturday, andhe was kept in; the list of acceptors; until heJwas three or four hours' travel-: ling distance'from Bunedinij I have suggested that there: might be a lamesort of leply for the' Sir Modred; business, butlwhafc canbe tlie reply to the_ Natator affair ? A tremendous amount of indignation has been expressed, at this" conduct, especially as some of the public'state-.thaV they were also, misled/by: certaiii'lpe6ple rsup.i posed to be " up to" everything'c'qnrieofed with' "the stable/, apparently backing .Natator |for : the race-iri.question, when\th'ey.of "course fol-'i lowed suitr-and dropped-.tHeir. money.'; THefe has been a general cry for the Jookey, blub: to take up this.-matter and jiffc it thoroughly, and if no one has yet wrifcten s tq: the stewards. with »that :object,:_ they will possibly-be induced to take the desired- Hctioa^when.they.lread these i remarks and others tSat Have appeared iii print.. Until, I: see .what,step, is taken I shall refrain" from expressing my fullppinipn of th 6 affair. ' It £b stated that; Mr -H;' Driver has purchased: the Hon. X., Campbell's fine lot of colts-^-Sir. Modred, Somnus, andldalium. The figure,at which they, changed hauds is not known. It is •gratifying to. know: that! if. they have passed fromMr Campbell's hands it is only into those' of another Otago owner, for1 the' triorare about" the three moat brilliant colts in the colony at present. "■■ • 5 •■;-;.;; ..,..- ; : - ~ r _ ~. j _..., About L 15.000; passed through ' the three, totalisatorsat.the Danedin races. Of the 10 per cent, deducted before paying over on each race half'went to the Jockey Club,: which means an addition to'their; funds,of the;handsome .sum'of about-L750 } while-the machines themselves become the Club's sole property. - : With reference, to. the :Tok6mairiro races on - April Ist I wouldremind owners that nominations for .'the Tokbinairiro Handicap "close on March 18th, and general -entries on the 31st.. -I hope that the entries will.be numerous, bo as;to encourage the-r promoters : of, this resuscitated, meeting to bring out a programme next season rivalliDg thosa of the old days. ; Thia'time the Btafceß amount to Ll2O, t[hich is not bad for;a re-commericemerit. ■''■ ■'"'"'>'■'-■;..:■ -- r ■::>..- ' :,:j The weights for the Palmerston'handicaps are due on the 11th inst. . .-,.". '."> '

i' -"Sinbad":reports.that>'arrangements have been come to by the./ Canterbury Jockey Club .with .Messrs Stocks'and Stenhouse ■ to commence the erection'of'the new grand-stand. ' The' work will not commence before the Autumn meeting, but the nscessary timber.is already ordered, and will be shortly on the ground, •; "; . After settling on the Dunedin meeting bookmakers tnfh'ed their attention to future events, and the Canterbury Great Autumn. Handicap being mentioned, offers of 100 to 16 on the field were made/ This price 'not being considered good enough, no transactions was recorded! The names.of Natator and Luie were most often'to be heard. : ATew doubles'on;the next Canterbury Derby and Cup were taken! at prices Varying from 500 to 25 to 500 to,lo. Somnus 'and' -Idalium were :most Jn demand for the Derby; Lura, Sir Modred, and Le Lpup; for the Cup; Some long shots were also taken about the next Dunedin Cup, but they are net wor h noting at this long distance of time.A member of the Grand National Steeplechase Club informs me that the " next meeting." which a Timaru paper said would be held at Christchurch, means a committee meeting, and not the Steeplechase meeting. The programme for the latter is to be the same af|last year's, namely—Handicap,of 200 bovs.;Maiden Plate, of 100 soys.; Hunt Club Cup,, of 150 soys ; and Consolation S'akes, of 50 soys. : : Mr Brindle has cold Skylark to Mr O. C. M'Gee ...T;." \ ' ':' ;.•■'•■ -. ■ :■:.

. The takings on the Marlborough racecourse during the recent - meeting amounted to . L 215. At the"settlingf, the stakes paid over amounted to about LSOO, as follows:—(J. Redwood, L 263 103; J. Rayner, L 72; I. Er6eth, L49 103 ; J. Barry, L 33; G. Rilay, Ll9 53; Dillon, Ll4; H. Redwood, Lll ss; J. March, L 1 0; A. P. Ward, L 4; Henderson, L 3; J. Rae, L 3; and J. Murphy, LI, . , •

At a meeting of the stewards of the.Wairarapa I Jockey Club last week.it was resolved that Mrßadwoodbe applied to by the Secretary for payment of money due by him to the Club for subscription and entrance moneys now owing since Sitirabout f won the Maiden Plate four years ago. Tho. followingjmoneys were paid over:—Mr W. O. Williams, LIOO ; W. Waltara, L7210i; P. Butler, LSO; N. Grace, L 53 ; J. Drummorid, L4O ; John Maoara, L4O: T. Hill, L 2 5; ;R. W. Jt'lvor, L2O. Mr |B. Herne'a cheque for the District Produce, LSO, awaits his demand, • .Contribution, towards reclamation, L 2 5; trustees of course for rent, L35 ; and claims for improvements and 'repairs at course,. &c.ybringing iip a total of, in round numbers, L 640.' The Btewarrtß will carry far ward a balance of nearly LIOO to commence operations with next year. It was decided that nominations for the Cuamosgne Stakes of 1882 and the District Produce Eaoe of 1884 close on the 25th March ; the' added ■ money to the Champagne Stakes is LSO; the added money to the District Produce LIOO. Messrs Tancred and Williams having offered a Bum of LlO each towards a Sires' Produce Race, the Secretary was authorised to communicate with the other owners of thoroughbred Bires in the district with a yiaw of establishing such a race, to be li mile, Derby weights. •(•".; , : ; . ■,; i • : • Two unusual matters cropped up at a meeting, held a fortuight or so ago, of stewards of the Whangarei races. The first was the passing of " a vote of censure on an article "vhich appeared in the Northern Advocate of January 12th," which reflected on one of the stewards. How this' could be done surpasses comprehension. The other affair was a statement by Mr Spencer, the secretary, that he had written to the Auckland manager of the Union Company's 'steamer, asking for a subscription to the race fund, when he received an answer of which the following is i the substance:—" When the Wbangarei people support the Union boats as much as they do the Argyle, then they may aik and expect a, contribution, but not'till then." This was pretty generally condemned as utterly-bad .policy! . .; ■'-..',- Mr W.Bobbett has sustained a severe loss by the death of the English-bred .racing mare, Rose of Sherwell. Sbe broke down in the Maiden Plate at. Waikato . races, and after lingering" in agony was destroyed yesterday by her' owner.; 'Rose of :Sherwell was, one of the lot imported by Mr E. Perkins some time ago, and was: well. bred. washy General Peel out of Princess Georgie. " v , . - ' " ■ At the above meeting the attendance was wretchedly poor, not exceeding 500 people on the first day and 300 oa the second. The Hurdle Handicap of 30 soys was run first and second for by.MrM. Gallagher's Harry Mount and Te Wnetumarama, with Sportsman third. The Maiden Plate of 60 boys fell to Mr J. Lannard'a colt Kenilwortb, beating Mr Walters' Rbaarina, with. Rose of Sherwell last, broken down.- Six horses ran for the Turf Club Handicap, for which Mr HorafaU's Kiag.Qaail tfst 12lb) was a hot favourite, but he could only get third to Mr J. Hunt's Yat&pa (7at 91b), and Kenilworth (6 jt 12lb).: Lone Hand (Bit: 41b) and Hippocampuß (7nt 91b) were never in it,, The Sydney-bred horse Maori, better, known as Auckland, .won the , President's Stakes (w.f.a.) ■of 35 soys, very easily i for Mr. White, beating Lone Hand, Ratcatcher, Sauhterer, and .the ' Slander filly. On ..the second day the Hurdle Handicap of 40 soys was secured by Te Whetumarama (Il9t 51b), l-eatine Sportsman (list lib), Lone .Hand (13it' 7lfc),. Harry Moant, and Blinkbonny. The valuable Darby 'Shakes 'of 153 boys, with a swpejp of. 10 aovi added, had twelve nbmiQations,- but only two started The winner was Mr LsDriard'a colt; RiflimaD, .by! PftQißo— Minnie Ataol;.; the defeated one Captain Walmsley'a colt Moonsh'nfl, by Fbvra—Moonbeam. In the Publicans' Handioap of 50 aovs, King Quail (7st 81b) turned th« tables oh YsUpa (8s1). whils Maori (9it SIS) finished third, KeDi.worth (7at) la<it.'- All four in this race were Australian-brad. Mr Wi kinson's Orakan won the Selling Race, and Mr Lsn-nard'B-Ratcßtcher beat Lone Hand in the Consolation Handicap. Skylark beat Glenfern in a matoh forL4o. '•■ |! •■■■■. ■■■ ; ;;> Panmur6 annual fao9s Willbabald on March 26th/ *- ■- h:;;/.. ;■.-.»■■■..■,■.:-:■■; ;-