NOTES BY BEACON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1704, 19 July 1884, Page 19

NOTES BY BEACON.

The sum of £100 has been placed in the hands of the editor of the Otago Witness by Ada Mantua, being prize offered for successful placing of the first, second, and third horses in the Melbourne Cup. Tips are to be sent in by the 27£h October. In the event of winners not being tipped, the £100 will ba equally divided between th 6 Otago Benevolent Institution and the Industrial School, Caversham. A report of Monday's mooting of the Dumedin Jockey Club will be found ia this issue, and it will be seen that it passed off satisfactorily. Mr Fagan brought up a motion with reference to issuing members' tickets at a reduced price to unmarried gentlemen whe might be desirous of becoming members of the Club, and the matter was thought worthy of recommendation to the Committee for consideration.

Town and Country hears from a vary reliable source that the owner of the two New Zealand racehorses, Welcome Jack and Oudeia, has decided to send them on to Melbourne per next steamer.

The annual meeting of the Oamaru Jockey Club was held on Monday. Present — Messrs Wm. Christie (chairman), A. S. Otterson, J. F. Reid, W. Johnston, J. Moss, G. Hislop, O. R. Wise, C. P. Roberts, P. Mason, A. Johnston, A. Paterson, G. Greenfield, A. E. Cameron, J. M'Douall, and T. Procter. The report wn-i as follows :— " It is with much pleasure thai your Committee have to submit a favourable report for the year 1883-1884. Upon reference to the balance-sheet it will be seen that the Club still maintains its satisfactory financial position. In comparing results with last year we find a sum of no less than J618C6 has been received, as against £1673 for last year. The net amount paid away in stakes amounts to £1346, an increase of nearly £200 over the amount of £1153 so expended, last season. The sum netted from the totalisator also shows a considerableimprovement, being £6l4 this season as against £454 of the previous year. The privileges have unfortunately fallen considerably below the amount realised in former years. We have received for three race meetings only £343, while two meetings last year realised £415. In this connection you Committee can only express their regret that the public patronage of the race meetings has been far below what they might reasonably have expected, and trußt with the dawn of better times this may be remedied in years to come. The membership subscriptions also do not show the lookedfor increase, being £89 as against £115 last year. The balance in hand (£2 18s) is small, but taking into consideration there ,are no outstanding liabilities during the year, that the large sum of £246 has been handed to the racecourse lessees as sinking fund for improvements effected, that £20 has been expended in laying out a permanent steeplechase course, and that the racing plant has been added to to the extent of over £20, we can fairly congratulate the Club upon the favourable auspices under which it commences the season of 1884-85. Your Committee recommend to the consideration of the incoming Committee the desirability of continuing their efforts in fostering local races. We have on our programme for the ensuing season the Elderslie Stakes, the Sires' Produce Stakes, the Oamaru Derby and Champagne, in addition to the ÜBual Counties Plate and selling races. This should induce breeders to improve their stock and increase tbe public interest in our local events. In conclusion, we would also suggest that a number of gentlemen be appointed to act with the Committee as stewards at the different race meetings, and that two meetings only be held during the year, but that now a permanent steeplechase ceurse is in existence one or two steeplechases be added to the programme for each meeting." For tho office of president Mr D. Sutherland was elected, and for that of vice-president Mr W. Christie. The Committee was chosen as 'followR : Messrs A. H. Maude, T. Shalders, A. Sutton, O. R. Wise, T. Procter, J. S. Dalzell, A. C. Paterson, J. Henderson, J. W. Humphrey, P. Williams, and A. Johnston. Mr J. Moss was unanimously re-elected treasurer for the ensuing year, and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to that gentleman for his services in the past.

I have received the following official communication, respecting the Clatenoe affair at Wanganui, from Mr W. St. Lindsay, honorary secretary to the Grand National Steeplechase Club:— "Timaru, July 15, 1884. Sir,— A Committee meeting of the New Zealand Grand National Club was held at Timaru on the 11th inst., to consider the question referred to them by the Wanganui Jockey Club, with reference to the riding of Clarence and Billy- go-by-em in the Grand Stand Steeplechase at tbe late Wanganui meeting. It was resolved— * That the jockey F. Hedge be disqualified under N.Z.G.N.S. Club rule 3 from riding, training, or running ariy horse or horses whatsoever, during the pleasure of the Club, for tampering with the rider of Billy-go-by-em, It waa resolved — ' That the jockey Copestake be disqualified under N.Z.G.N.S. Club rules from riding, training, or running any horse, or horses.

whatsoever, during the pleasure of the Club, for not starting Billy-go- by-em. " From tbe preceding it will appear tbafc neiCftar of the horses-has been disqualified, butt only i\a rider , Great success Appears to have attended the South Canterbury Steeplechases onr Friday 7 last, there being capital fiolds of horaes and BOrne very exciting racing. - The various events were, however, landed by homes that were .good favourites, according to tbtf totalisator figures, excepting in the last race of the /Jay, when Moody went out almost friendless for the Consolation Stakes. He pulled it off,. 1 however, tftfd paid his three 'supporters on the inside totstlisator 3 dividend of £35 each, while* his solitary backer on the ' outside machine raked in £72 18s aa bis return. In the firafc event of the day Mustard showed that Mr P. Butler has in him a very, useful horse; for he carried top weight and beat Jrailf a dozen otheim after being run off the coarse ia ftbe early parts of the race. The Lad was' another horse toshow the possession of sterling (jualiUes, for he< placed to Mr Sheenan's credit the two big; events of the day. In the "first he beat Barbery and The Agent pretty comfortably, giving nearly a stone to the former and^receiTing nearly the same Weight from thos latter. Roona and Woodstock ran a most exciting race for the Hunt Club Cup, MrTelham ' Jones only just succeeding in landing the formor a winner by a neck. l ;'/

At a meeting of the Committee of the Ashburton Racing Club held last week 'the programme of the Spring meeting dratted by tho sub-committee appointed for that purpose was adopted. The added money is 750 soys, divided among 12 events. *? Nominations for the Christcbnrch Hnnfe Club Steeplechase close to-d*y an follows : — Hunt Club Cup, of 50 sovs ;' Tally-ho" Plate, of 25 soys ; Open Handicap Steeplechase, of 100 soys ; Hunters' Flat Race, of 25 sov*.^ At a meeting held at Tinui, W&irarapa district, last week, it was agreed to form a club to be called the Tinui Jockey Club. The stewards' agreed to form a committed to examine and report to the nnxt meeting as to tbe advisability of adopting the Wairarapa Jockey Club Rules for the Club.

The weather was not particularly favourable for the first Steeplechase meeting of the Wellington Jockey Club, still they passed pff with a fair amount of success. The New, Zealand Times nays in referenoe to the scratching of Clarence for the principal event :— "lt may be said that thare i» something very questionable about it. It is ascribed to a out in tho leg received at Napier, but it oannot be denied febat bad it baen made kmown that a horse vrho was largely taken in trebles' 'and doubles was suffering from a hurt,, inueh. ill-feeling towards Mr Pilbrovsr would hare bsen saved. Altogether the subject is a nauseous one, and tbe loa6t said about it, perhaps, the better." The Hawke'B Bay Spring! meeting will be held on October 6 and 7, when £875 will ba given ia stakes. The principal prizes will be The Guineas, of 800 sots ; Spring Handicap, of 200 so vs ; Free Handicap, of 60 sots ; Maiden Hurdle Race, of 50 soys, w.f.a. j Selling Race, of 50 oots ; Flying Handicap, of IQO soys ; Handicap Hurdle Race, oi, 75 sots : Maiden Ptiite, of 50 govs ; and Consolation Handicap, of SO eovs.

A case of come interest to Jockey Clubs was heard at Cambridge on Saturday. Mr Brindla nought to recover from the stewards of the Piako Turf Club £9 10s, the amount of stakes alleged to have been won at the Piako Club races on November 80 last by his horse Robert the Devil. Plaintiff applied for the money to the secretary of tho Glub, x who said that it would be paid when the race subscriptions were got in. Messrs Buckland, Evans, Turnbull, and Breakell were summoned as stewards ; but all, when sworn, stated that their names wero placed on the list of stewards without their consent and in their absence. A letter was produod from the secretary of the Club, stating that he could not get subscriptions in or he would settle the claim. Cqunsel for the defendants contended that there was no contract between defendants and plaintiff. Had the defendants been proved to be stewards they were not liable, not being- stakeholders, and even the stakeholder himself was not personally liable for tbe stakes until he had himself received possession of the money. Judgment: was given for the defendants.