CAP AND JACKET

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 29, 2 April 1881, Page 308

CAP AND JACKET

MY NOTE BOOK. By "Saul."

"Is Saul also amongst the prophets ?"

It has been my lot to attend a good many country race meetings of one kind and another, but I "neA'er in all my life saw anything at all equal to the Pannmreyzasco on Saturday last. There A\ r as a good crowd of people present, and speculation on the first tAvo races proved fast and furious. True, the sums betted were not large, but outsiders won on both occasions, and the bookmakers (of whom, there Avere fully a dozen present) must have done very Avell. Early in the afternoon ugly rumors got afloat amongst the "sharps " about Golden Crown for the Handicap. For the benefit of Southerners and others aa'lio read these notes, I had better explain that three horses only accepted for this event, namely, Byers' Golden Crown, Thorpe's Magician, and McGee's Flora. On Friday night the betting Avas 3 to 1 on Golden Crown, and no takers ; but as soon as the Ring assembled on the course on Saturday, it became evident that something had gone wrong. Instead of trying to persuade the public to take "Magician and anything" in the doubles, the most liberal offers were made about " Golden Crown and anything," and as the Panmure folks thought the race a certainty for the chesnut, they plumped down their money like men. Meanwhile a feAV knowing ones Avent around trying to get wagers about Nell, the favourite for the Maiden Plate, and Magician. The response, however, Avas in nearly all cases ' ' laid, " and when Jimmy Poole inadvertently booked the writer 5 to 1, and Avas about to offer another customer the same bet, Drake came up, and, treading on his toe, observed, "Nit," which in bookmakers' slang signifies "Stop." The result of all this manoeuvring was naturally to make the stewards and the public watch the race very closely, and they were rewarded by seeing as remarkable a contest as has ever taken place in Ncav Zealand.

The story of what occurred is almost too well known to need recapitulation. Whilst on the first round Golden Crown's jockey seemed to try and get inside a post, but by a jriece of illluck only knocked it down. Turning the corner above the stand on the second round, Magician somehow or other bored Flora to the left, and the two ran oft" the course together. Golden Crown was now left alone, and had only to trot slowly on to win by half a mile. Instead of doing this, however, the boy pulled up almost to a standstill, and deliberately waited until his adversaries overhauled him. The three then set oft' again together, Golden Crown being so full of running that for the third time he easily distanced Magician. Entering the straight it looked as if the chesnut must after all win, but this was not to be, and, Magician being allowed to come up opposite the stand, passed the post about two lengths in advance. The crowd, 1 need scarcely say, hooted like mad, and were some of them for pulling Golden Crown's jockey oft'and maltreating him. This was absurd, for the boy had only ridden to orders, and if any one deserved trouncing, it was the giver of those orders. I can only say that had such a thing taken place on an English racecourse, the guilty parties would have been torn limb from limb, and they may thank their stars that they got oft' as easily as they did.

The stewards appeared utterly dumbfounded over the affair, and discussed it in the most feeble and helpless manner. No one seemed to have any idea what ought to be done, and, after a discussion lasting more than an hour, the decision was shelved till evening. Three Southern bookmakers, whose anxiety to lay "Golden Crown and anything" had been too noticeable to make things altogether comfortable after the race, now thought "discretion the better part of valor," and fled from the scene of action in a cab. It was just as well they did so, for some of the Panmure backers of the chesnut were decidedly pugnacious, and swore to have their money back or right for it. The most important evidence given to the stewards on the matter was that of Lyons, the bookmaker. It appears the night before the Panmure meeting this worthy met Byers, the owner of Golden Crown, and suggested that as the Handicap was a dead certainty for the horse, they should jointly lay 2 to 1 on him to as much money as possible, he (Lyons) working the commission. Byers agreed to this, and Lyons left him to find backers. Unfortunately everyone saw the race was a good thing for "the Crown," and all the bookmaker could do was lay wagers to the extent of £30 to £10 on the beast. When he arrived on the course next day he naturally sought out Byers, and told him that he had laid £15 to £5 on his behalf. Instead of seeming pleased to hear the news, that worthy said he would have nothing to do with the bets, and could eventually only be persuaded to take a paltry £5 to 50s. Lyons then saw the "oracle" had somehow been worked beforehand, and accused Byers of foul play, upon which that gentleman assumed virtuous indignation, and said he would never bet with his friend again. On this Lyons ofiered to lay him 100 to 20 on Golden Crown, and put his own boy up ; but Byers wouldn't hear of it, and they parted in anger.

As the Panmxire race meeting was run under the A.R.C. rules, that body cannot, at all decently, avoid an enquiry into the Golden Crown business. They have already got a name for being injudiciously lenient with ill-doers, and to pass over this affair would be to render themselves utterly contemptible. I think it right too, the public should know that the ring men suspected of influencing the running at

Panmure, openly defy the Club to warn them off Ellerslie course. This is a nice state of things and shows Avhat swindling goes on " under the rose." The stewards of the A.E..C. present at Panmure, should at once take action. Their silence looks, to say the least of it, odd. Saul.