Untitled

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 32, 23 April 1881, Page 344

MY NOTE BOOK

By "Saul."

"Is Saul also amongst tlie prophets."

— Now the Easter meeting is over there will ■fae an exodus of bookmakers to Sydney. — Hippocampus will finally bid farewell to the turf after next summer meeting. — Captain Bye denies that he has sold N or Mto Mr. Hopking for " such, a pony price "as £80. He was offered £120 at tbe Wairoa meeting for the animal. — King Quail's victory was a grand turn up for tlie bookmakers, some of whom well nigh. " skinned the lamb." — Profitt gave £30 for Foul Play and £20 for Sir George in Gallagher's sweep on the Easter Handicap. It didn't turn out a very profitable transaction, did it ? — The scratching of Harkaway for the Steeplechase on Tuesday was a great mistake. He is worth two Rawenatas. — Old Ariel didn't run at all badly in the Easter Handicap. By the way I see the Star returns this horses starting price at 5 to 1 ; 15 to 1 would be nearer the mark. I myself saw 30 to 2 taken. — The authorities make a great mistake in starting the Hurdle Race so near a hurdle. If Lone Hand or one of the others had baulked on Monday there would have been a fearful accident. — Some people argue that the Derby penalty for the Melbourne Cup renders void all wagers previously made in doubles on the two races in question ; this is wrong, as backers have to stand all such risks. — A correspondent at Papalrara says Piscatorious has grown into a magnificent horse, and that great hopes are entertained of Tatterina's foal by Musket. — It was altogether too bad of Mr. Walters to run that grand old. horse Hippocampus for the paltry Tradesman's Plate. He seemed to be half a cripple, and broke down badly in the race. — That most garrulous of Figaros, Shortt, the "barber, has gossiped himself into the rather good wager of 40 to 1 about Canary for the Sydney Cup. Jimmy Poole was the layer. — The English mare Queen of the Stud, recently imported by Mr. Carter, of the Ashburton, and at present running in the Middle Park paddocks, has dropped a filly foal to the well-known English sire Caniballo. — Drake and Riley, the bookmakers, have the "cheek " to st3"le themselves on their cards " Members of Sydney Tattersall's." Of course they have no right to the title, and it is not desirable that the public should be misled. — A match was run about a fortnight ago on Mr. Walters' private course between Angres* Swindle and K. Willes' Elita. The latter was successful notwithstanding frequent crossings. Elita is by Dainty Ariel, and only wants training to make a racehorse. — When it was discovered, after the Steeplechase on Tuesday, that several of the stewards were pecuniarily interested in Sportsman's snecess, tlie betting which had been even on Wakahihi, getting the stakes veered round to 2tol on Sportsman. Sad that people should be so suspicious isn't it ? — Mr. Adams had two totalisators on the ground on Monday and Tuesday, and about £2000 was put through without a single hitch. This style of betting, if properly conducted, will become very popular with the public, and in reality does very little harm to the legitimate bookmaker. — Poole and Belcher most emphatically contradict Potter's statemeutthnt they proffered money to anyone who would aid in the disqualification of Sportsman. In considering the value of this evidence people should bear in mind that the witness was interested to the extent sf £50 in Sportsman's success. — Messrs. Percival and Kirkwood have every reason to feel pleased with the result of the Easter Meeting. Better all-round racing has seldom been seen at Ellerslie, and it is to be hoped we shall now hear no more ridiculous talk about going South for a handicappei*. — When the weights for the Autumn Handicap appeared, Mr. Lennard was very wroth that Kenilwortk should have got so uiv.ch, and almost determined to scratch him. Notwithstanding this, the chesnutran a good second, and'was the only one that troubled Foul Play at all. It is understood that Mr. Joseph Ellis means to commence an action for libel against the proprietors of the Waikato Times in consequence of some uncomplimentary remarks made by " Mar tindale " in a recent issue of that journal about Lone Hand's running, etc. — Tinambra, who ran third for the Ellerslie Handicap, is a very promising young filly indeed. Although she has only been in training two months she made a fine race of it with Kenilworth for the second place, and showed a magnificent turn of speed. This two-year-old will be worth following next season. — The natural astuteness of Messrs. Drake and Snider deserted them when they attempted to interfere with the totalisator. A more foolish, proceeding I never heard of, and it will infallibly recoil on themselves. What the Star says is quite correct — "An instrument which the bookmakers find it necessary to pub down can't be such a bad thing." —If the starter, on Monday, had been as careful in despatching the field for the three-quarter of a mile Ellerslie Handicap as he was for the two mile Hurdle Eace there wouldn't have been the growling there was. Sir George got off about 100 yards in advance of the others and led them a nice chase. The same thing happened too in the Plying Stakes, on Tuesday. — It was hard lines on Joe Ellis to lose the Hurdle Eace by a bare nose, more especially as if it had been a few yards further Lone Hand must have won. The way in which the gallant grey pulled up ground towards the last was extraordinary, but his rider punished him terribly. The horse's flanks were streaming with blood when he entered the paddock. — The action of the police in determining to test the legality of sweeps has been somewhat tardy. People are naturally asking why it wasn't done years ago, when Abbot first began the game. Doing it now looks as if Gallagher and Fisher, who have recently commenced getting up sweeps, were chiefly aimed at. I have, however, heard that it was some swindling on the part of a small publican brought things to a climax. —According to his own account Mr. "Dick" Clarke has been rather scurvily treated by his brother bookmakers. He says that up to the Dunedin meeting he had never owed any of them a farthing, and even then (after peppering Sir Modred) all he wanted was a little time to collect his debts. Billy "Weston, however, and one or two others, set his creditors on to him till at last he threw his collecting sheet on the table in a rage and told his persecutors to get the money themselves. " Dick "is going home by the mail, and intends trying his luck in the English ring. The tedium of the voyage will doubtless he beguiled by nn occasional game of " pitch and toss " by which it may safely be prophesied Mr. Clarke will pay his wine bill.

— The HaioMs Bay Herald of the 30th says : — " It is stated that an account of the Jockey Club's races which has been published in the Wanganui Chronicle will find employment for gentlemen of the long robe. Some scurrilous strictures on the judge's decision in the Tradesmen's Handicap will form the bone of contention. As it is intended to bring the matter into a court of law, it would manifestly be improper to comment on the Chronicle's article." — The following is the latest Australian betting report : — " Perhaps the most important line in betting market has been the support of Nautilus for the double, V.R.C., Derby and Melbourne Cup, who was backed to win £31,000 at 1000 to 10. For the same events 1000 to 25 and 1000 to 30 have been taken about Darebin ; and 1000 to 20 has been accepted in favour of Monmouth. We saw a few days ago 5000 to 25 laid against Darebin winning the Derby and Koh-i-noor the Cup, and 5000 to 25 Monmouth for the Derby and Koh-i-noor for the Cup." — Although. I should have lost a "pony" if Sportsman had been disqualified I am firmly of opinion that he did go the wrong side of the flag oil Tuesday, and that it wasn't moved. At first I didn't believe the story, but after hearing the views of three thoroughly disinterested persons who were on the spot, but didn't give evidence before the stewards, it was impossible to doubt longer. Why was the policeman standing near the jump not questioned ? Rumour declareth he could tell something if he chose. — A correspondent writes : Sir, — The foul and abusive language used in the paddock on Monday by Mr. John Smith after Maid of Honor's defeat by Foul Play was something terrible. If Mr. Smith can't race without swearing like a costermonger when ho loses, and blackguarding the trainer of the successful animal, he is not fit to own thoroughbreds, and had better stick to measuring calico. I know now why he is called "the wornt loser in Auckland." — Yours, etc., Meek and Mild. —If any legislation re betting is to be attempted the advice of reliable experts should be taken. My own idea is that the best plan would be to legalise ready money betting only, and license a certain number of bookmakers and publicans to bet, get \ip sweeps, etc. The issueing of licenses should rest with the Government, subject to the advice of the various racing clubs, and take place annually. By this means a hold would be obtained over the bookmakers who would bo careful not to be mixed up in any swindle for fear of losing their licenses. In addition to this P.P. bets should be made illegal. — There was a rather unpleasant scene in tlie paddock on Monday between a bookmaker and a wellknown sporting hotelkeeper. The former wns asked to post the money for a double he had proffered, but, conceiving the request to be an insult, began to blackguard " mine host." On this it transpired that the bookmaker had not paid another ring man £2 which he owed him, and when this party came up and, joining the barney, asked for it, our angry friend bawled out that he ■icoidclu't settle. It is quite time this sortof thing should be put a stop to. There is no insult whatever in asking a man to x>ost the money for a wager which ho has offered you, and if he gets angry or refuses — suspect him. It is almost any odds he hasn't got it. —The death of "Harry Hill," the great English bookmaker, who was commissioner for Lord George Bentinck, and the confederate of Messrs. Gully and Padwick, carries people back a long way. He was j born at Manchester, and began life as boots of a Doncaster inn. He was in his zenith from 1839 to 1861. His business was laying against " dead mis," especially for the Derby, and it seems to have been sutliciently lucrative, seeing that he died worth £250,000 ; but ho won large sums on several occasions, especially over Gully's horses in 1846 and 185 i, and he twice carried oil' the Oaks, and once the One Thousand, while his colours were twice placed in the Derby. Hurry Hill's principles in his turf transactions were simply those of Jonathan Wild ; and if one of the cleverest and most successful of ringnien, he was certainly one of the most unscrupulous, which is saying a great deal. It is due to him to add that he never concealed his scorn and contempt for the mean, paltry knaveries so dear to the snivelling generation of modern bookmakers. The flagitious transactions of the old school were almost redeemed from infamy by their Napoleonic scale, the boldness of conception, and the thoroughness and ability with which they were carried out.