Cloister's Breakdown.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5272, 31 May 1895, Page 4

Cloister's Breakdown.

The breakdown of Cloister, of Course, eccaaioned tremendoHs-excitement in*(porting circles in England. On the Sunday before the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase was decided, the horse both looked aodate well. Next morning, according to hi*' trainer, Eacott, Cloister seemed a little stiff, and he reso>red to give him a gallop. Aquatint, ridden by Mr Atkinson, acted as schoolmaster for a anile, and' the opinion of that gentleman when he pulled up his mount was that Cloiater waa ; going remarkably strong and well. Eacott, on Kingsolere; took up the leading wor&r when Mr Atkinson and Aqnatint retired, and very shortly afterwards Eacott thought Cloister seemed to falter. He turned to Grey, the boy riding the Grand National favourite, and remarked* "What" is the matter with the- horse ; he does not B<>em to be going very well, • bustle him up/*' He also told the boy to pull out to the right, which he did. Here the ground, as it turned out, was- rather rough, and the horse immediately collapsed. He fell heavily, and lay where he fell with his tongue protruding. The- boy Giey fellunder the horse, and was rendered aenßO*le3s. Escott jumped off his mount and: rushed up to the spot, and promptly sat on Cloister's head while he extricated theboy. The horse lay for some time, • but waa eventually got up and led home with a* man, riding another horse, travelling alongside him. Grey- recovered, and was not much the worse for his fall. Mr G. Williams, an eminent veterinary Burgeon, was sent for from London, and late that evening he made a verbal report to the effect that the horse'B puke late in the afternoon was regular and the temperature normal.' Lameness - was detected ia the near fore leg. The animal was very jaded, but showed no sign Bat8 at all of poisoning. Mr Williams, jun., had mounted. and cantered him with a loose rein, and the horse moved aa though he were dead tired. Next day Mr Williams wrote to the London Sportsman, stating that the horse's health was perfect, and that he did not suspect that any drug had been admin* istered to him. On the day following Mr T. Bond, a great authority on toxicology, examined Cloister. As the examina- ! tion was made two days after the breakdown, Mr Bond was consequently at a disadvantage in respect of time which possibly not all his exceptional knowledge of poisons and' their action would suffice to counterbalance. His report reads 1 as follows :— "White Hart Hotel, Lewes, " March 27, 1895. " Dear Mr Duff, — I have, as you desired, carefully investigated the cause of Cloister's sndden fall while at exercise. I am sorry I throw no definite light on the subject, but you are welcome to my opinion for what it ia worth. " 1st — I have examined the horse's si in very minutely, and can find no trace of pnncture or such as would be caused by a sub-cutaneous injection. " 2nd— l can find no evidence of active disease or illness. The mucous membrane of the eye is rather congested, bat there is no sign of catarrh. " 3rd — The horae certainly looks jaded and overdone ; he is dull and listless, and looks heavy about the eyes. " I have heard the full history of the ease, and in my opinion the only cauee for such a fall must be a eudden congestion of the brain* Of course, congestion of the brain would be likely to occur if the horse were galloped shortly after the administration, of a narcotic poison, such aa morphia, and it would leave no fever nor increase of the heart's action after a few hours." "In my opinion a sadden congestion of the- brain might occur from natural causes only, and I have known a thoroughbred horse fall in exactly the Bame manner when overdone. The history of the case after the horse's return to the stable is entirely consistent with my opinion that the cause of the fall was congestion of the brain, and I can see no reason, from the examination of the horse, to attribute it to anything except natural causes. — I am, &c., Thos. Bond, F.B.C.S. "C.G. Doff, Esq." At this stage the matter remained when the last mail left, but the critics on the whole did not favour the idea of congestion of the brain, and were inclined to fancy that foul play had bnen committed.