NOTES BY MASTER M'GRATH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1897, 12 June 1890, Page 25

NOTES BY MASTER M'GRATH.

The hares at the Forbury Plumpton were mustered last week, and JI understand that over 70 were missed. Surely this indicates lax management somewhere. I have been told that the hilly ground in the neighbourhood of St. Clair is pretty well stocked with these escapees, who must have been marching: in and out pretty well as they liked. Sea Rock, Bon of Rockwood and Hop Bitters, whose death at Oamaru was recorded last week, waa the last of his race. He came of an unfortunate stock. His dam, own sister to Horse Marine, died{while whelping. The late Mr S. Surman drove a long distance to get her three pups, and on reaching home he discovered to his disgust that there was only one left, the other two having somehow or other fallen out of the back of the trap. Ha went back and searched thoroughly, but .never found a trace of the pups. Sea Rock was the survivor. I understand that Mr Price recently refused two offers for him, and some good judges that I have spoken to think that as he was running so keen and true, and was in such great condition, he would have won easily at Oamaru but for bis mishap. Concerning this matter I have received, and f.m glad to publish, the following letter:— Dunedin, June 7, 1890.— Master M'Grath, — Sir : I would feel obliged if you would find room for a few lines re All-aged Stakes at Oamaru. Your report in Witness states that Maid of the Mill beat Sea Rock easily. Now, the fact is Saa Rock wan running over her, and never giving her a show to score, except when he turned the hare to her ; and in making a drive the last time to take it from her he mouthed it, and then faltered ; from that out he only {toiled in the rear, and in no way received what the report called a grueller, although I could Bee he had injured himself. They oeitainly followed the game a long distance, but the hare was doing all the work, and would have been living yet had not another dog killed it. There is another matter I would like to refer to. The report Bays of the final, "Most people thought Scud bad won easily." Now Scud scored well at first, but Calliope was getting very even with him when they went over a terrace ; from that out the judge was the only man who saw them, as he galloped over at the same time. He gave in his report, which concluded}— " The red raced past the white, and killed," which would give a good win. lam not biassed, as I had Scud backed for £6 and the winner for £3. — I am, &o, A. T. Pbioh. Mr J. M'Grath leaves for Melbourne tomorrow with his dog Silvermine (by Sterling — Princess Charlotte). Mr J. Scanlan goes by the same boat with Mariner (by Horse Marine — Glenshee), full brother to Sans Mariner, Tahuna (by Robert- the-Devil — Porget-me-Not), and another. Mr O. R. Wise oomplains through the papers that in Oamaru gentlemen of the legal profession, bankers, some of our biggest business men, and country gentlemen Bhoot without licenses, while members of the Coursing Club have this year paid in fees £1 10s for every hare killed. The Oamaru Coursing Club's next meeting ia to be held at Fapakaio on Thursday, June 19, when the Oamaru Plate, for an unlimited number of all-aged greyhounds at £2 2a each, will be run off. The Victoria [Coursing lOlub's programme announces the Waterloo Cup as being reduced from a 64 to a 32 dog stake. When the last mail left it was considered probable that the committee would consider the advisability of altering the conditions of the stake from 32 dogs at 25sovs each to 64 at 12Jao_vs each. Mimic, winner of the Victoria Derby, is a red and white dog, belonging to the Hon. W. M'Culloch, got by Rent Charge out of Minerva ; and Maud Exeter, winner of the Oaks, is a black and white slut belonging to Mr J. Manning, got by Charger out of Lady Bowenvale. The Argus mentions as a peculiar circumstance that on the final day of the meeting Maud Exeter, with her probable winnings in, was on offer for £100, but the offer was not accepted. Later in the day, before she had won the Oaks, she was sold to Mr T. White, the trainer, for 130sovs, to be delivered after the Oaks was decided.

One mile— Ravenswing, lmin 43 1-Bsec, December 1888, C.J.O. Consolation Chudleigh, lmin 42 l-ssec, March 18, 1889, Hawke's Bay Free Handicap. 1 One mile and a-quarter— Titbit, 2min B|seo, C.J.O. Grand Stand Handicap, January 1887. One mile and a-balf— Tasman, 2min 36|seo, Ashburton Cup, November 1883. One mile and' three-quarters— Waitiri, 3min ssec, Auckland R.C. Handicap, 1887. Two miles— Manton, 3mln Sljsec, New Zealand Cup, November 1888. Two miles and a distance— Gipsy King, 3mln Msec, Dunedin Cup, February 1888. Two miles and a-quarter — Nelson, 4min, Auckland Cup, December 1885. TO CORRESPONDENTS Ashburton.— Princess is now in Victoria. T. W. — Chancellor was a brown horse, owned at the time by Mr H. Goodman. Amatkub. — Lady Emma was ridden in the Autumn Handicap by Malcolm Allan. Subsorebkr.— ln 1884, when The Barb won, the Lumsden Handicap was of 30sovs with a sweepstake of lsov each to go to the Bccond horse. The Barb actually received &i& 10s. Greymouth.— Of course the stewards had the power to disqualify Semolina and award the Btakes to the second horse. What question can arise as to their authority ?