NOTORIOUS RINGERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 39

NOTORIOUS RINGERS.

'"Milroy"' writes: Australia is a very big country, but, big as it is, the "ringer in" has all his work cut out to escape detection anywhere; even in the far reaches of .Western Australia he is likely to drop across somebody who knows his "dark horse," and unless he is prepared to pay hush money, his game is generally given away to the local stewards, but in some parts these officials ere not averse to a. really good horse being, "rung in" so long as they are "in it." Tho most mysterious horse_ of my time was Slow Tom. All the sporting brains in, Southern Australia were addled over this horse. Every dark bay horse with a white hind foot and star and snip that had shown form a"ny where between Adelaide and Melbourne was likened to Slow Tom, and his whereabouts hunted up, but nobody ever solved the problem with regard to Slow Tom's identity. He was unquestionably a good one, and ifc was quite evident that he was no stranger to a racecourse before he dazzled the denizens of the Lower Darling, at Wilcannia, by carrying- off everything he started for in such a. smashing manner as to arouse the suspicions of the stewards, and they began making a few mild inquiries of the owner. The answers not proving satisfactory, a regular investigation was held, and though the identity of the horse was not proven, it was conclusively shown that he was not the horse his owner represen ed him to be. and the stewards disqualified him. Though disqualified at Wilcannia, he was allowed to run at Bourke. but bis connections were given to understand that they had little chance of getting a prize if they won one, so they tried to back the horse for large sums "first pa»t the post," but nobody would oblige them, and the horce did not w in. He went on to Cobar. and came in first for a couple of races, but 1 doubt if his owner received the prizes. Afterwards be toured Queensland as a "take down," 1 but hia reputation and description went before him, and the only match his people got was with a horse travelling on the same game, and S)ow Tom was badly beaten — the irony of it. There were some smart horses knocking about the country in those days, anti every stranger with a strange horse used to be regarded with suspicion, and all sorts! of wily methods had to be employed to get a match, a race, or good betting. Once a well-known Baronne man ran into money, and paid a big price for the best horse in Southern Queensland. He took him on to the Barcoo. and after winning a few Maiden Plates and matches lie laid himsslf out to slaughter a smart western sport, who owned about the besi horse on the Up pel* Barcoo. This sport had made his. mono/ out of a bush "pub" and s store. The owner of the crack in disguise didn't know anything ft all about soft goods, but he loaded up a waggonette with about £50 worth of "dry goods," and started out for the section where resided hi 3 victim in prospective.. ; When close to his destination ho put his rafehorse near side in the lead of His team, after bandaging his iSear foreleg with a white bandnge slightly stained with sheep's blood. Arrived at the "pub," he left his team outside in chargo of a boy this iockey, got up in bluchers and moles), and began drinking and blowing. After much drink and much blow a match over a mile for £200 was made. As the stranger wanted to bet more money that night, the other side grew suspicious, and started out to investigate. They began then researches by making some purchases from his cargo of dry goods, and" were not long" dropping to the fact that the stranger was not a regular hawker, as he asked about 5s less than cost price for a pair of moles, and all his stock of boots were odd — in his innocence he had purchased a commercial traveller's snmples. The local men were now" thoroughly on their guard, and laid themselves out to beat the stranger somehow. ' The match came off, and a local J.P. acted as judge. The stranger's horse won easily by about a length, but the judge, stakeholder, and all the local people swore he went inside a post at the bend, and took the stranger down to the spot to convince him by showing him the tracks of a galloping horse on the .right-hand side of the post. Everybody saw; him go inside except his owner and jockey, and everybody eaw\ themselves a. uuauimoj*, 1

,verdicfc at once, and claimed "bets and stakes. ■They .got some of the bets, as they held the •money themselves, but the- stranger, having the law on his side, received the match money back, and with it got a' thundering ■good thrashing from the local fighting man. In order to make their case good, the local sports had galloped a horse inside the post before the match was run.