SPORTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6738, 19 September 1883, Page 4

SPORTING

AUSTRALIAN.

Martini-Henri waa not scratched for the A.J.D. Derby till paßt one o'clook on the day of the race. The colt had, says the Sydney Herald, ruled ns first favourite since the accident to Warwick, and his withdrawal was a second severe blow to the public, though it could not be said to have caused much surprise; for, as was stated on Saturday, a determined demonstration set in against him on Friday evening, and several bookmakers never tired writing his name. It appears that the colt caught cold last Tuesday morning, and that on Saturday he was suffering so acutely that it would have been cruelty to start him. The circumstance deprived the Derby of a great deal of interest, and is much to bo regretted, and so is the fact that he was not scratched sooner in the interest of the publia Late scratchings are, however, becoming fashionable, and backers of horses should now be getting used to being left out in the cold. Writing of the Hawkesbury Handicap "Martindale,"in Town and Country, toys:— Amongst the starters was First Demon, who, to bear out the old adage of " the last shall be first," was the last to go down to join the starters. As he was passing the. stand one individual remarked "Thsre goes the neatest looking horse in the race," while I could only hear of one solitary backer.taking the tempting offor of 20 to 1 for the sake of th« odds, as he remarked. At the finish to say that everyone looked surprised is to put it very mildly, and never shall I forget the expression of Dan Lawson's face and the windmill action of his arm* when he saw the son of Gemma di Vergy and Lilian coming home a winner. Tins, if I mistako not, is Lawson's first venture as a trainer on his own account, and the condition of both First Demon and Bristol reflects credit The Tasmanian Ma.il states that the Supreme Court was orowded on Tuesday last, among those present being a number of racing men, during th? hearing of tho: Ration brought by

Mr C. S. Agnew against the ttawjudi and committee of the Taimanian Turf Club, to recover £5000 damages for libel. The action ~ arose out of the disqualification of Mr Agnew Hythe defendants, in consequence of alleged improper conduct on his part in imputing dishonest motives to the defendants in connection with their decision in favour of Rhesus, the ■ winner of the Launceston Cup in February: ' last, when Mr Agnew protested, because hie thought that horse ran off the course, against Rhesus receiving the stakes, which he claimed, as the owner of The Assyrian, the horse that came in second in the race.-? The plaintiff, and 1 several witnesses on his behalf, having been examined, three of the defendants were put by IMr Giblin (the plaintiff's counsel) in the witness . I box in order to give them an opportunity to • deny on oatbthe' imputations made against them. They, having done so,--the plaintiff, through his counsel, withdrew the imputations alleged by the defendants to have been made by him against them r and expressed his regret that the imputations had been made, if they ever were, made by him. The defendants occepted the apology, and withdre wthe disqualification. By agreement between, the parties, o . juror was then withdrawn, and the case ended. During the week several offers were made *to Eurchase Le Grand, and the lost went as igh as 1500 guineas,- bnt Mr Jost said that he came from Queensland- for the Derby and intended to take it.back with him; so the , offers were refused, and the public g;ota.fair run for their money, which they .might not, ■ have Jind had the colt changed hands.'