SPORTING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1242, 9 January 1883, Page 2

SPORTING.

J?, to the nominations received, B'gMsfid Fling for the Poverty Bay Tnrf Club hM to Ge added, as the owner telegraphed that a letter had been posted. Until the arrival of the mail it will not be known, however, for what tabes.

By the tithe fre go to press nearly all of the sporting men will have started on the road to the Wairoa, to witness the races. Our Somnolent Reporter has also gone, but the chances are a thousand pouridsto a gooseberry, that he will get mixed up with Morpheus on the road. However, he has with him a carrier pigeon, and if he doesn’t get to Wairoa himself, he will probably tell us how some of the others fared. The English Derby will be run for in 1883’ on the 28rd May. Ascot meeting will commence on the 7th of June; and Goodwood oh the 31st July. The two Thousand Guineas will be run on April 26th. Captain Barry lias been displaying his skil in the pigskin. On the Blenheim racecourse recently, according to the local Times, he rode in a match understood to be for £lO a side between himself and Mr Maxted. The appearance of the old fellow on the saddle in jockey costume was the signal for much merriment, which was shared largely by the pleasureseekers. Mr Maxted rode the well-known Sportsman, while the Captain mounted Mr P. Cross’ racer Tarndale. The skill and horsemanship displayed by the captain were siloh ns to land Tarndale a winner, though only by a neck. This proved to be one one of the most amusing things of the day, and many were the congratulations showered on the captain by those in the saddling-paddock, amongst whom was Mr T. Redwood, who stated he had never seen a horse better ridden than Tarndale was.

The raid against the bookmaking fraternity has been even more rigorously and successfully cairied on in America, and a comflete stop has been put to betting at Jerome ark. According to the “London Sportsman,” the action of the New York city authorities in preventing public betting at the recent autumn meeting of the American Jockey Club at Jerome Park, which began on the 30th September and ended 7th Oct., has been productive of much severe comment, and the falling off in attendance so plainly noticeable each day proved conclusively how important an adjunct is speculation to racing. Lack of sympathy between) the several local authorities is generally admitted to be the reason why an unjust and absurd law was strictly enforced. A strong feeling between several of the lesser “ metallicians ” to bet anyhow was frowned down by the most influential bookmakers, added to the fact that several trivial arrests were made by the police, in earnest, as it were, of the intention of the authorities to enforce the law. The more extensive bookmakers agreed that if they accepted the situation and refused to bet, the association would be compelled either to demand a modification of the law or abandon racing at that point, while the officers of the association claim that the objectionable law is framed on a similar one in force in England, and was never intended to operate as stringently as now interpreted by the authorities.

Writing of Archer, the celebrated jockey, the London “Referee” says:—“He that has much shall always have more, so we are told, and yet it sometimes seems as though Archer’s life was one long and ever-continuous testimonial. There is talk of his, in addition to the testimonial, receiving some recognition of his valuable services from the State. Baronetcies and K.C.B. -ships have been flung around pretty plenteously of late, and folks do say that some of the recipients of these favors have done little or nothing to deserve them. Now what could be more popular, more honestly earned, or more delicate as a tribute to the importance of Newmarket, than that Archer on the occasion of his marriage should be enabled to write Bart, or K.C.B. after his name, ahd be in future known as Sir Frederick. Surely he deserves the honor at least as much as any of the titled ones who have merely made money—made it by cheesemongeriiiL', dust-contract-ing, navvying, or jerry-building, or have had it made for them in any of these ways by their immediate progenitors. Newmarket is not yet a Parliamentary borough ; if it were, 2 to 1 might freely bo betted on Freddy going up to St Stephen’s did he but care for any such doubtful honor.” (IIV CABLE. —HEl’TKn’s SPECIAL MELBOURNE, Thia dak The entries for the Australian Cup and Newmarket Handicap, to be run at the V.R.C. Autumn Meeting in March next, are somewhat below the average. The numbers are 42 horses for the Cup, and 73 for the Handl- j nap.