NOTES BY BEACON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1543, 4 June 1881, Page 19

NOTES BY BEACON.

Undoubtedly the most successful Winter meeting ever held by the Dunedin Jockey Club was that of last week, the weather being very favourable, the attendance large, and the racing combining about an equal number of victories of favourites and upsets of supposed certainties. A striking instance of the latter was the defeat of Milo In the Hurdle R ice, for the favourite could get no nearer than fourth. Isaac, the winner, is a son of the mighty Tradilcer, but his dam is unknown. He was brought down from Wanganui among a mob of horses a coUple of years ago, and I believe served for a time in the traces of a tramway car. Mr C. Sampson raced him over hurdles at the latter part of last season and the early part of this, but without success. He has since done some good work at the meets of the Hunt Club, and several who thereby ascertained his jumping qualities put a bit on him in the totalisator. In the Maiden Plate Mr M'Leau's filly Legerdemain had too much quality and speed for her half-dozen opponents, and of the latter Mameluke was about the best, though Boughleen Dhoun was by dint of Waddell's energetic riding forced past him into Becond, place. The Birthday Handicap was booked a moral, for Lady Emma; but she was not in very: good nick, and after a game struggle succumbed to The Poet on the post. The performance was, however, an excellent one, for she was giving the winner 181b ; and tho time was, taking the heavy state of the ground, fully equal to 2 mm. 45 sec. on the Christchurch course. There was less excitement than usual over the Trot, for after Native Cat hod broken twice badly he went away in grand style and won easily— his stable companion Vicious being a good second on sufferance. By the way, a mistake of 17 sees, was made in recording Native Cat's time, which was really 9 mm. 9 sec, instead of 8 mm. 42 sec. In the Novel Race Dolly Barwon scored another win for Native Cat's owner, the mare again giving evidence of the hardy turn of speed which she possesses. Colcistream had little difficulty in securing the Tradesmen's Handicap, for Atlantic ran like a pig, and Hilda swerved from the whip into the ditch at the back of the course. If it had not been for this mishap we should have seen very fast time done, for the mare and Coldstream were going at a terrific pace. Maude won a Hack Race like she did the Novel Race at the February races, and Hi'da in the Consolation Stakes landed another prize for Mr G. Bate, whose successes were much appreciated. I know one or two racuig men who are now biting their fingers for doclining to purchase Hilda and Tho Poet when they were under offer for sale before the meeting. Mr Bate has taken the pair home with him, and will not part with them except at a much-advanced figure. Races wore held at Wyndham on the same day, and were equally favoured by fine weather. Tho stakes seem to have been pretty well divided, Mr Anderson's Viperjwinning the Maiden Plate ; Mr Shirley's Darkie the District Handicap ; Mr W. Winter's Trickett the Selling Race ; Mr H. Robson's Brown Bess the Mataura Handicap ; Mr Lunny's Brunette the Consolation Handicap ; and Mr Mortimer's Little Fraud the Hurrj Scurry. At a meeting of members of the Tapanui Racing Club held last week certain routine business was transacted, and it was" decided not to hold a winter race-meeting. The well-known bookmaker Drake would appear to have got into a fix, if the following paragraph from the Melbourne Age is correct: — "One night a dozen years ago a Verdant Green named Collie was ' picked up' at the then Casino and Music Hall, but now the Waxworks, in Bourke street 1 , by several knowing ones, and eased of sonio money and a cheque, which was afterwards found to have been cashed by a man named Sauquilley, an American, and a survivor from the ship General Grant, which was wrecked at the Auckland Islands. He was arrested, and stated that he got the cheque from a man named Drake, known as a cabman, and then a 'ped' in this Colony. A warrant was issued for the pedestrian, but he had got off to New Zealand. Sanquilley was tried and acquitted, his American friends standing by him firmly during his trouble. Yesterday the ex-ped and cabman was arrested, in the guise of a very elaborately attired and fashionable gentleman, as he was promenading with a friend, and had to submit to the indignity of having a heavy gold chain, valuable gold watch, and a number of sovereigns being taken from his pockets at the city watch-hous-e, and of then being laken before the Bench and remanded. He w.is bailed out. It is said that an order was given to cancel the warrant out for this alleged offender, who is now repotted to be an opulent bookmaker. It may be mentioned that Drake has been in Melbourne many times during the last two or three years, and only as recently as last November."

Our old friend Mata is coming back to this country, Mr H. Prince having purchased him for 800 guineas. As lie bought him before the Adelaide races, where Mata won the Cup and two other stakes, the purchaser has got his money back already, to tay nothing of what may have been won in bets. Mr 11. Driver intends nominating S' minis and Sir Modred for the Melbourne Cup, but I fancy it is more to te&t the handicapper's estimation of the pair than with the idea of sending them across the water. With the valuable stakes to be won in this country with less risk it is no particularly wise step to send horses to the other side. Colly &»nwn, Viciowe, Cutty gark, »&d Swede

were offered at auction on Saturday, but there were no bids.

Some mixed sports were held at Duntroon on the 24th ujt. Of the horse rapes Mr T. Lefevre won the trot with Jack and the Birthday Handicap with tho same horse. Another trotting race was won by Mr Sutherland's Darkie, and the same owner's Grey Momus secured the Consolation Stakes.

Mr Anderson's Stirling (late Darkie), took suddenly , ill when out for a trial gallop at the Wyndham racecourse on Friday week. Being spotted by the knowing ones as the favourite,' it was supposed that seme envious racehorse proprietor had given him adoße, , especially as his trainer, Mr G. Robertson, was away for a week previous, being ill in Invercargill. The ' door of the loose-box was not locked during the time he was away, so that anyone tampering with the horse would have every facility. A veterinary ex- ; amination showed that the injury was simply a strain. The Palmerston Times says:— "There has been a great deal of grumbling at the stewards of the Waii kouaiti County races in the recent protest lodged by' i the owner of May Morii against Clinkerina getting the , stakes in the Consolation Race, and we have been re- ' quested to give the names of the stewards who were i present and voted on the question. Referring! to our notes on the occasion we find the stewards ■present were— Messrs J. T. Alston, B. Bray, J. i Kennedy, J. Irwin, R. Templeton, D. Sutherland, J. , Duncan, P. Duncan, and Lancaster. We further find ] that it was Mr Alston who proposed that the protest * should be upheld on the evidence of the jockeys alone, 1 and Mr Kennedy seconded. On putting the motion to the meeting, only, the mover and seconder voted for it, , the result being two for and seven against .upholding the protest. It is to be regretted that anything should have occurred to mar the success >of the recent meet' ing, or to create' any unpleasantness' of feeling and afford grounds for the opinion that any unfairness or prejudice existed." ' Mr' W; Affleck writes to say that he "had nothing to do with that body's— to put ib mildly— extraordinary decision with .regard to the protest." ' mi Mr W. A. Johns has entered his. trotter Native Cat for the principal event at the Wanganui Trotting As< sociation's meeting this month. . ■ , The Dunedin racecourse question is still mi, statug quo, no communication having been received by thtf Jockey Club from the Forbury Park Company. ' Oamaru steeplechases have the following entries ',—• , , MAIDEN STEEPLECHASE. Sailor Boy , , Kelpie , Twilight (late Alice May) Novice (late Lucy). HANDICAP STEEPLECHASE. Sailor Boy Chandler Little John Winflold Robin Hood Quamby Clarence Naumai The Agent Kelpift. > SELLING STEEPLECHASE. Kelpie Dora (lato Wild Rose) Naumai Robin Hood , Novice, News of the absconding " sweep " North has been received in Auckland, but the information must be taken for what It is worth. An Auckland telegram says :— " A young man named Carlton, who arrived by the mail steamer and went on in her to Sydney, related to Mr Fisher, of the Occidental, an account of a conversation he hod at San Francisco with North, the Wellington levanter, shortly after the former's arrival there by the last mail-boat. Carlton. eaid that the first Sunday he was 'in San Francisco he visited Woodward's Gardens in order to see some sports going on there, and was surprised to perceive North in company with a man named Street, who runs a large saloon. He went up and shook hands with North, who, after the exchange of the usual commonplaces, inquired what was thought of him in New Zealand. When Carlton replied that he had completely ruined the sweepstake business there, North appeared to be very jocular, and he several times remarked, in a tone of great glee, " Didn't I give them a start ? I intended some day to do It." He professed his willingness to pay anyone whom he should drop across. His wife and family were 100 miles up country. He had cleared out of Wellington with £4600. He was then on his way to the Cape, and intended in going through the States to lecture on the evil consequences of gambling and the disastrous results entailed on young men by their weakness for sweeps. He drew attention to the slightly pockmarked appearance of his face, and in explanation* said that on reaching Honolulu he went ashore and) interviewed the King, with whom he got gloriously drunk. He caught the smallpox, which was ragingr there at the time, and was put in a pest-house, where; he was confined for a month. He asked Carlton to tell his New Zealand friends that he intended coming back and giving them another turn some day." A game which is frequently to be seen in full swinz on racecourses, and which it is always well to avoid, is shown up in the following telegram from Ashburton :— "To-day John Golburg, a frequenter of racecourses, was brought before the local Bench charged under the Vagrant Act with being a rogue, and with ha\ ing at the Tinwald steeplechases yesterday swindled the public with a pretended game of chance. The--evidence showed that the accused was playing with a box containiug seven red, seven black, and one whiteball, laying even money against one of the red or black balls coming out of the orifice in the box on lifting the slide, and 12 to 1 against the white ball coming out* On being seized the box was found to be- so made that the position of the slide indicated to him the colour of the ball in the orifice. On being searched a pack of marked cards and dice and other gambling implements were.found on him. Mr Branson, who appeared for the prisoner, urged that the racceourse was not an open or public place within the meaning ot the Act,, it being the private property of Mr Carter. The- Bench, upheld counsel's contention, and discharged theprisoner." " Martingale " attributes the want of uniformity between the weights-for-age adopted by the Dunedio and Canterbury Clubs to the fault of the Dunedin body— a very wise conclusion to come to indeed, considering that our Club adopted the Australian JockeyClub's scale long before the Canterbury Ciub changed their scale, and even before it was known here that the Victorian Club had adopted the A. J.C. scale. In order that there shall be no mistake about this matter, I have Kone through back files of Australian and New Zealand papers, and I find that the facts are as follow: On March 22nd, 1879, Mr Scarr, of the A. J.C, wrote to the Australasian suggesting alterations in the weight-for-age scales used by that and the V.R.C. On April 12th a conference of members of each club was held at Sydney, at which a uniform scale was drawn up. This was immediately adopted by the A. J.G., and it included a 31b allowance to geldings, as shown by their race meeting held four or five months afterwards. On the return of the V.R.C. members to Melbourne, vnrioua opinions were oxpressed as to the advantages of th& new sealo ; but the local papers always urged its adoption without the slightest alteration, so thatuniformity might be obtained. On August 4th the annual meeting of the V.R.C. was held, but to the astonishment of the sporting writers nothing was said about the scale thereat. Next it was announced that a special meeting would be hold to consider the matters, and feara were expressed that there would be ,a good deal of opposition to the scale. Tho meeting, however, was held on September Ist, and resulted in a motion lor the adoption- being carried unanimously. In the meantime the Dunedin Club had been t acting in the matter from the moment that they got a I copy of the scale. In May, 1879, th ir secretary wrote I to the Canterbury Club to ascertain their views, and [ tho reply was that they were in favour of an uniform scale. The Dunedin Club determined to adop* iha scale as soon as their meeting of members came to bet held. On August 11th, the Canterbury Club's secre^ tary wrote asking what the Dunedin Chib intended! doing, and the reply was that our club had some times before determined to adopt it. The meeting- at which this was to be passed was fixed for August 25^ but ifc had to be postponed to September Bth> when the scale was unanimously adopted. This was before the news ofthe V.H.C.S. similar procedure had arrived. The Canterbury Club did nothing more in the matter until November Ist, when they resolved to adopt the scale ajiertheir Spring races, which were then approachir^j. J should now like to know how the Dunedin C\»b can be blamed for the want of uniformity, especially whons immediately on adopting the scale they jjok copies oS it printed (showing tho allowances to jwes and geld« ings) and circulated. It is evident th=yt the Canterbury clubs are to blame and it is a very weak argument to, say that their scale is the samo ao the V. It. C. ; for i$ they wished an uniform scale for New Zealand they would not have blindly, followed the V. R. C. error, but would have adopted the A. J. C. and Duaedin Club's scale. $ut of course that would have been too. degiadinsj far the Canterbury Club. I should alsolike to know when the Canterbury Cl«b struck out th& allowance for geldings. At their March meeting of last year I well lemember seeing the nye-year»oldl gelding Mata carry 31b less than the five-year-oldl hor-e Lo Lonp in the weitjht-for-age Flying Stakesarid yet " Martingale" says that surely 1 " know verywell that the C. J. C. scale does not allow for geldings"! Next we are told a piece of news— "TheCanterbury rules and scale of weights are being fasfradopted all over the Colony." I should be glad to hafurnished with ft list of the many clubs that h«,vdatfoinid them, j{ ttoro we my in tfeafc poetic* J>

will guarantee that thoy adppted them because they, colt-is to be called Armorer, and the Debenture coic new one will be commenced shortly. Thl^^°°%^' for visitors to the ChrUtohurch f a^f • t £^ Ye late ' designed and more inconvenient stand than the late tatendnroceeding for a short visit to England during Kinter ° Itis understood that hisßussiey interests will be looked after during his absence by Mr L WMW Mr 6 Brabazon is to take the place of Mr Campbell as Btarter for the Christohurch races. The latter gentleman has held the position for some years .despite a 'deal of grumbling at his occasional bad start-, ""SrEedwood's.broodmare Skybird is reported to be dead SblwaVbred in England in 18M, and imported to Nelson by the Hon. "W. Robinson. She wm by Kimcton out of Skylark, and was very successful at the stX Kr produced the speedy, mare Awatea BonS, winner of the Canterbury Derby of 1876; ind^olunteer, one of our best, horses when fit and well SkybinLhad several other foal? that raced, and b addiSTyDawn, a stallion that has, got some VWMraod horses .with not many good; phances offerinir to him in the shape of well bred mares. , , The Canterbury Jockey Club on Saturday adopted the^mtprogramme as'llst year for their next spring toeetinir, and.voted Mr Griffith a salary of ,£IOO a year w handicapper, Be, undertaking to resign ,his position, 8 m?mb« of the Club while holding office. The Dun-ito-CtabV disqualification of J; 3*^?-.?™*^ mare Miss Dometji was endorsed., , .Dr, Pnns gave notice of an alteration of rules so as to have a rule rendering any member .holding a paid office in connection wi* the club ineligible t.o, be a member during the time of holdW such appointment, , • < , Afshburton steeplechases on Friday last were not a thorough success, there being two walks-over out of , lour events.- In the Handicap Steeplechase, of 40 boys, Mr Muir's Lone Hand (lOst 61b) and Mr Sheenan s , KoscuisWaOst 51b) baulked and could not ground the course .At ,tfae water-jump Mr S v t. J»™ QuMn£X (list 131b) and Mr J. H. Lunn's Clarence (12st 71b) fell and threw their riders, but the former caught hi> horse and cantered in a winner. The District Handicap of 25 soys resulted in a walk-over for Mr S Saunders' Why Not, and the Tradesmen's Handicap of 30 boys in a similar easy thing for Clarence. Steeplechase of 20 soys resulted 'in' Why Not beating L Race^weretlfd at that out-of-the-way place Waka- 1 puaka on the Queen's Birthday. The Maiden -Plate fell to Mr Edwards' Spider, beating four others; the Suburban Handicap to Mr Bolton's Halfcaste, beating Doncaster and three more; the ' Ladies' Purse also to Halfcaste, with Doncaster again second; and the Hurdle Handicap to Mr Blower's Septimus. From "Phaeton" I learn that Piscatonus has been blistered on his weak leg, and that Maori has neon turned out.