ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 237, 28 March 1885, Page 4

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Butcher Boy writes. — I bet that Mr Bates' mare Minerva is by Traducer, out or Sweetbriar. My friend bets that she is by Albany, out of Sweetbriar. Which is right, ? Minerva is by Traducer, out of Sweetbriar.

Epsom asks. — 1. Which Tim Whiffler was the late Mr Smith's horse of: that name got by ? 2. Is this the same Tim (hat is r.icing in the South under Mr Butler's colours? Answers — 1. By N.S.W. Tim. 2. Yes.

Level Quid asks. — To decide a bet, could you tell me the name of Mr de Mestre's "other string " that Navigator came too strong for and beat in some race when both were two-year-olds ? Answer — Very ambiguous ; but no doubt you are trying to get at Solitude.

Normanby is scratched for all engagements at the Autumn Meeting.

Sou'wester was scratched for all engagements at the Taranaki Meeting- on Tuesday last.

The following are left in the Derby at Taranaki: — Fusilier, Fay, Satanella, and Awatea.

The Poet and Minerva left Christchurch on Thursday to take part in the Auckland Autumn Meeting-.

Mr Marshall with Derringer, Rowlands with Libeller, and other sports arrived from the Napier meeting on Monday in the Eotomahana.

Leonora and Tigredia, Captain Russell's two crack mares, were scratched for all engagements at the Auckland Easter Eaces on Tuesday morning 1 .

The final forfeits for the Easter and Steeple are due to-day (Friday) ; also, general entries must be made to Mr Percival, at his office, Queen-street.

The two crack American sires Ten Broeck and Longfellow were recently weighed at Midway, Kentucky. The iirst weighed 12251bs and the other 13251b5.

The wretched running of Satanella at Henderson's Mill .says very little for the show she has at Taranaki in the Derby, where she has to meet such good 'uns as Fusilier and Fay.

So Welcome Jack has gone amiss. It is reported that while exercising he strained his shoulder, and is not likely to be seen again for some time. He has been scratched for both Sydney Cup and Hawkesbury Handicap.

The Taranaki J.C. Meeting came on yesterday and is continued to-day. Mystery, if she landed all right, would be sure to start a warm favorite for the big event, as the Auckland visitors would be on her almost to a man.

Onehunga races come off to-morrow, Saturday, and an excellent day's sport may be confidently looked foward to by lovers of the sport of kings. Special trains run at intervals, which deposit race-goers at the course itself.

Mv J. M. Barring-ton was the lucky do°who -won the first prize of £100 in A. Nemo's Sweep on the Henderson's Mill Cup. Ho laid young Byers "a tenner to nothing" about his mount, and the youngster fairly ■earned it by the good use he made of little UsTannie.

Louis Barnard, the well-known Victorian bookmaker, means to die game. He is suing the V.R.C for re-instation as a member,^ the club having expelled him for not paying a £50 fine they inflicted over the Hurricane case. So far Barnard seems to be in the right of it.

" Grand Flaneur's " sweeps on the Easter Handicap and Steeple will close next Thursday. As " Flaneur "is thoroughly reliable, aud his prizes are always substantial, all -who are inclined, to do a bit of speculation should give him a turn. Letters addressed " G. Flaneur," care D. Twohill, Park Hotel, will reach him.

We have been honoured by a visit from the well-known penciller, Alfred Drake, who came this as the longest way routid to Taranaki. One reason that he came on here, however, was to stir up an enquiry re a wager ho laid a local backer, of £1000 to .£9O against Welcome Jack for the Dunedin €up. As Jack left the country soon after, the backer seemed to think he would not be •called upon to part.' Mistaken man !

The following were left in the T. J.C. Big Handicap : — Sou'-\vester< Bst 121bs; Administrator, Bst lllbs ; Turquoise, Bst lOlbs ; Speculation, Bst 91bs ; Black Hose, Bst 7lbs ; Fusilier, Sst 31bs ; The Dauphin, Bst 2lbs ; Sir Bedevere, 7st 131bs ; Laurel, 7st Olbs ; Buzzard, 7st 51bs ; Mystery, 7st.

In this issue our readers will notice that "Jacob Faithful " has a consultation on the Hawke's Bay Races to take place on the 2Sth April next. "Jacob Faithful's" last event on the Napier Handicap was a genuine success, the lucky winner being* enabled to pay his creditors twenty shillings in the pound. As time is short intending investors should apply without delay.

It is worthy of note that Capella, who, as I stated last week, is a daughter of Cap-a--pie and Zantippe, is the first of the Australian horse's get which has . raced, and she won his and her maiden laurels like a fair racehorse. I have always expressed my wish to see the little brown mated with some of our fashionable blooded mares, and I am certain the experiment would turn out well.

During the hearing of the case, Barnard v. the V.R. Club, recently, the following amusing incident took place: — A "lady," rubicund and rotund, and. bearing traces of having just partaken of tea with " summat in it," took her seat in court and comnionced audible criticisms about " the old judge," &c. The crier did his best to quieten her, and tried to coax her outside, but the old lady was not to be outwitted. Bising in court she commenced : Your Honour, I plead guilty. Mr Topp — The lady, your Honor, says she pleads guilty. (Laughter.) His Honour — For which of the defendants does she appear ? Mr Tojjp (sotlo voce) — Mr Purves, possibly. The venerable party then bowed to the court and withdrew.

A most peculiar case of a disputed wager came before Tattersall's last week. While it was sub judice I refrained from mentioning it in any way. but now it is settled no harm cau be done. It will be remembered that Mr F. Duder was a large winner over "Vanguard's

victory in the Duuedin Cup, and amongst those whose name he wrote at 100's to (i was that of Mr J. Gallagher. Two separate wagers were booked from him of 200 to 12 each ; and as they were written amongst an array of wagers of the like kind, it seems impossible to doubt that they were bo'iut /?'<■/<-, especially as the backer had made up the total on the margin of. his book immediately after booking. But Mr Gallagher says he had only one 200 to 12 bDoked to Mr Under, and he stoutly refused to pay more.' The Committee of Tattersall's decided against the layer, however. I hear that Mr G. intends appealing, and has asked for a rehearing.

The following is the list of horses still left in the Sydney Gold Cup, which is run on Bth April. .It will be seen that our champion is absent: — Navigator, Ost 51b; Off Colour, Bst 101 b; Savdius, Bst 71b ; Merlin, Bst 71b, Willeroo, Bst 41b ; Coriolanus, Bst 41b ; Silver King, Bst 21b ; Sheet Anchor, Bst 21b ; Cunnamulla. Bst 21b ; Balmoral, Bst ; Soldier Boy. 7st 111 b ; First Demon, 7st 103 b; Anchorite, 7st 101 b; Coronet, 7st 91b ; Reginald, 7st Sib; King's Own, 7st 81b; Copra, 7st 41b; Helene, 7st 21b ; Polestar, 7st 21b ; Acolyte, 7st ; Pilot, 7st ; The Jewel, 7st ; The Agent, 7st; Impulse, 6st 121 b; Brown and Rose, Gst 121 b; Happy Thought, Gat 121 b; The Prior, 6st 121 b; Buckingham, 6st 101 b; Prince Imperial, Gst 101 b; Nortnauby, Gst 101 b; Conjecture, Gst 91b; Lord Clifden, Gst 91b ; Moonshee, Gst 81b ; Minerva, Gst 81b ; Caliban, Gst 81b ; Lord of the Lake, 6st 71b ; Wing, Gst 61b ; Velocipede, Gst 41b ; Highland Mary, 6st 21b ; Palarenda, 6st 21b ; Isonomy, Gst 21b ; Orator, Gst ; Phyllis, Gst. It is a smart man who could pick the winner of the Great Autumn Handicap. The fact that three or four owners have the most of the horses to themselves renders it a task of more than ordinary difficulty to spot the right one, as none can tell what is meant but the lucky few "in the know." I fancy, however, that Trenton, Lady Emma, Administrator, or Wapiti will provide the winner. If the former goes out "on the job," and is in the same heart he was in the Dunedin Cup, he must win. Should he not

be wanted, then if the mare lias got over her sexual troubles sufficiently,- she oixglit to do it, imless Administrator is in Gold Cup form, when ho should win from end to end. He is an uncertain fellow, howe\ er, so I expect the horses to finish — Trenton, Lady Emma, Administrator, with Wapiti for a cock boat. The following are the fourteen engaged : Sou-w ester, Bst 31bs ; Trenton, Bst 21bs ; Lady Emma, Sst ; Rubina, Bst ; ISTelsoii, Sst; Administrator, 7st lllb; July, 7st 101 b; Taiaroa, 7st 41b; Wapiti, 6st 131 b ; Captain Webster, 6 3 t91b ; Ugly Buck, Gst 51b ; Take Miss, 6st olb ; Lady Evelyn, 6st ; Nonpareil, Gst.

I extract the following interesting remark on a bad practice from " Vigilant " notes in the Sportsman : An incident occured at the Easternwick Park race meeting yesterday which — while it affords a striking instance of a jockey's integrity — is none the less reprehensible. Some weeks back we had occasion to condemn the existing practice, on the part of owners and backers of horses, of laying jockeys so much to nothing against certain horses. At Easlernwick, ycsluruo/, tao jockey, A. Furguson — whom in another column i: Vignlaut" very justly eulogises for his brilliant horsemanship of late — rode the winners of the Hurdle and Steeplechase, and it appears that some backers of Royal Maid and Our Boy laid the lad something like £200 to nothing about that double. In the Hurdles Furguson rode Royal Maid and won, and there is no reason that we know of why a backer, if he chooses, should not lay money to nothing about his mount. But it is quite a different mailer to make it moi'e advantageous to him that a horse other than the one he rides should win. In the one case the bet is an extra inducement for the jockey to do his duty. In the other, well — it is pot. In the Steeplechase Furguson rode Tandstickor, and just beat Our Boy (on whom he stood to win the two hundred pounds) home by a bare neck, this opens a very broad question with regard to the advisability of a jockey accepting odds of a lump sum to nothing against one horse in a race, while he himself rides another, and

although we have no alternative other than tQ commend the disinterested horsemanship of Ferguson, the case itself affords an illustration of tt c evils which might arise from laying- a rider odds against a horse which he did not ride himself. If the portions had been reversed, and Floyd just beat Ferguson, some very queer things might have been written concerning- the fact that might have been written with justice concerning the fact that by losins 1 the race the latter rider stood to win

£200. In future both he and other jockeys should recognise the fact that they will act wisely by refusing to accept any odds about a hovhc or horses unless they ride them themselves. In case of anything like queer riding the fact that ib would have been to a jockey's advantage to lose the race would, of course, weigh with the stewards. > The practice, therefore, of laying money to a jockey about a horse other than the one he rides is to be strongly condemned. As matters stand, Ferguson's honesty is unsullied, while his discrimination is impeached.