Sporting Intelligence.

Otago Witness, Issue 1387, 29 June 1878, Page 16

Sporting Intelligence.

Kaoing Fixtubes, 1878. July 15— Timaru Steeplechases. August I—Oamaru1 — Oamaru Steeplechases. August 31 — Australian J.O. Races. November 5, 6, 7— Canterbury Spring Meeting. ANSWEBB TO COBKESPONDENT3. Constant Ekadeb, Cromwell.— Guy Fawkes won the C. J.C. Handicap with 9st lOlbs, and the Canterbury Cup with 9st 9lbs. Via, Dunedin. — Don Juan's time for the Melbourne Cup was 3 mm. 36 sec. J.C, Dunedin. — Howard, of Bradford, jumped 29ft. 7in., taking off from a wedgeshaped block of wood let into the grouud. T. M'Kay, Jun., Hampden.— The conditions of the Timaru Novel Race of 15 eovs. were : — " The winner to be sold with his engagements, mid the whole proceeds to go to the funds." Malabar walked over for this race, and was Bold by auction for LlB. The Now Zealand Racing Bules lay down that " when a sum of money given from the race funds be walked over tor, only half the amount shall be paid." The Victoriau Racing Club's rule is tbe same. Therefore, although it is rather hard that the owner of Malabar should get only L 7 103, while the horse sells for LlB, the whole of which goes to the Club, he must grin and bear It • A match for £LOO has been arrangod between Mr W. B. Compton's eh g Faugh-a-ballagh, aged, and Mr P. Husband's br g The Raven, o years, over the Ashburton Steeplechase course. These horses met on the 29th ult. in the Ashburton County Steeplechase, when Faugh-a-bal-Jagh (list) beat The Kaven (lOst 121b) by several lengths. In this race The Raven loat a good deal of ground through baulking at a jump, and also through his rider mistaking the course, and the match has probably been brought about through Mr Husband thinking his horse would have beaten Faugh-a-ballagh but for the two mishaps. Theannual Oamaru steeplechaseswillbe held on August Ist, that date having been fixed on at a meeting of members of the Club a few days agr. Last *ear the meet was held on the Queen's Birthday, and owing to counter-attrac-tions the fields were not large. Grey Momus then won the Maiden Plate ; Tommy Dodd secured the Waitaki Country Cup and the Steeplechase Handicap ; and Will-if-I-can the Consolation Stakes. Grey Momus started this season well with two wins at Geraldine and one at Ashburton, and Will-if-I-can (now called Mickey area) won the Consolation Stakes at the Grand National Meeting ; but Tommy Dodd has been under a cloud for a year paac. Trump Card and Le Loup were to have Bailed from Ohristchurch for Melbourne in the Albion,,,on Monday last, but owing to that steamer's break down they will probably not leave till the Arawata sails. Entries for the Timaru Steeplechases close this (Friday) evening at 9 o'clock. " Sinbad" reports that Mr E. Fowler, who is engaged compiling a new edition of the N. Z. Turf Register, experiences great difficulty in getting returns of races from the various Jockey Clubs. The secretaries of these bodies would be assisting a good work if they would with all possible celerity furnish the required information, and they would at the same time be indirectly benefiting their Clubs by directing attention to their fixtures and bringing them more prominently before the public. The Taranaki Jockey Club has very sensibly declined to follow tho action of the Auckland Racing Club with reference to the M'Gee affair. As the former body remarks, no sufficient reason has been adduced for the decision come to by the Auckland Club. In the meantime Mr M'Gee is into the heart of his action against _ the disqualifying Club, which knows signs of giving way, for Mr P ussell — one of its present members— is spoken of as being anxious to have the matter Bottled out of court. The Fishhook case is again under consideration, and I hope for the last time. It will be remembered that the disqualification was taken off by the Oamaru Club, who originally put ie on, and as is customaryj that body intimated the same to the Dunedin Jockey Club. At first this body did not see any reason for removing the disqualification so quickly, and its secretary wrote, asking for evidence in favour of such aotion. The Oamaru Club replied that as the Dunedin Club had arrived at its decision with closed doors, they could not attach so much weight to it as they would otherwise havo done. O'Brien Has now again applied to tho Dunedin Club, 'whose secretary replies that if tho Oamaru Club will forward the evidonce before asked for, the matter will receive favourable consideration. Last week the Oamaru body held a meeting, and after discussion, in which it was pointed out that while the Club stood on its dignity, ,o'Brien was suffering, it was resolved to forward to O'Brien, for transmit>sion to the Dunedin Club, the resolution originally passed, which embodies the reasons which guided it in arriving at its decision of January 14 These little obstacles being ia a fair way of getting e'eared away, it is desirable that nothing else may

j turn up to prevent our Club's removal of the disqualification, and that we shall see no more of one Club obstinately refusing to allow a horse to run on ita course when tho Club originally sinned against considers the punishment has been sufficiently severe, ar.d removed its ban. Several of the horses engaged in the Melbourne Cup ran at the Avoca Turf Club races on the 6th and 7th instant. The T. 0. Handicap was won by A. T. (Bat. 101b.) ; beating Jokes (Bst. 51b.), Peerless (7sfc. 71b.), and others. Jokes (Bst. 81b.) -won the Telegraph Stakes, defeating B Sharp (7flt), Salisbury (Bst. 41b.), Studley (7st. 21b ), and eleven others. The Flying Handicap was won by B Sharp C6st. 121b.), between whom were Jokes (9at.), Salisbury (Bst.), Studley (6st. 131b.), and seven more. Mr L. L. Smith and Mr William Pearson have given up racing, and sold their respective studs. The weights for the Melbourne Cup wera to be published on Wednesday last. Beacon.