TURF MEMORANDA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5236, 14 December 1883, Page 2

TURF MEMORANDA.

Tho Canterbury Jockey Club, says the Christchurch correspondent of the New Zealand Times, declined to interfere between Derritt, the jockey, and Messrs Robinson and Lance at their last meeting ; consequently the former, who stands accused by the latter, he having been discharged by them, is anxious to make himself right with the public, as various damaging rumors have been circulated with regard to his conduct. He has attempted to justify himself by writing a letter to the Lyttelton Times, which has, however, been declined, on the ground that it is a " personal matter." One of the directors of that journal is a prominent member of the Canterbury Jockey .Club, and it ia alleged is likely to be connected in a closer manner with Messrs Robinson and Lance. Hence the refusal to publish. We have it, however, from a person who has interviewed Derritt on the subject that his letter merely opened the eyes of the public to the manner in which he, as first horseman to that firm, had been treated, and fully exculpated him from all blame in the matter. Nonsense is really first favorite for the Dunedin Cup. < Johuny Faulkner has been backed for a fair stake, and has advanced to 10 to 1. By winning the Hutt Park Stakes at Wellington, The Poet incurs a 31b penalty for the Auckland Cup, bringing his weight in that race up to 7st lib. At the sale of a number of Lord Rosebery's horses at Newmarket, Roysterer (winner of the City and Suburban) was knocked down to Mr F. Archer for 960 guineas, The Sporting World says that there can be no doubt that Barcaldine has given way in^ the old spot, and all hopes of training tiim are at an end. He has been struck out of all engagements. "Beacon" writes: — Mr G, ' Wallace's trotter Shillelagh, who won the big trotting event at our meeting, was found dead in his stables at the Glen oa Saturday afternoon. A post-mortem revealed the fact that some disease of the lungs wa3 the cause of this sudden death. The deceased just lived long enough to pull his owner and backers through, but just a day too long for some people. I (Mazeppa) am afraid that Welcome Jack will play up "old gooseberry" with, any weight for age races that he may be entered for at the Auckland meeting. Perhaps: they will bar him in the totalisator, as was done in the Auckland Plate last season with-the same horse ; though this is not on the whole a wise plan, and might, if generally practised in similar eases, occasionally mislead the public. The trainers at Malton have been somewhat astonished by the action of the .Rev C, B. Norcliffe, the present owner of the Langton Estate. The region of the Wold has been known as a training ground, for nearly 250 years, but in October the .rev. gentleman served a notice to quit on Mr Bowes, of Streatham Castle, the present tenant of the training ground, who has held that position since the death of the "Wizard of the North," John Scott. Amongst the trainers at Malton are Perrin (Mr Bowes' private trainer), W.L'Auson, Lund, and Binnie, and it has long been considered the headquarters of sport in North East Yorkshire. It is now stated, however, that Mr Norcliffe has withdrawn the notice. In Dunedin during the week, a number of the sporting public have been trying to pick the three cups — Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin — 500 to five being offered on the field. Escopeta and Turquoise have been most fancied for the fir3t event. Martin, the rider of Don Juan, the winner of the Cesarewitch, receives the handsome douceur of £looo|promised him by Mr Lambert in the event of his proving successful. At tl>e half-yearly meeting of the Taranaki Jockey Club, last week, the hon secretary (Mr Paiil) said that although they had not made both ends meet at the spring meeting, yet the deficiency was not so large as might have been expected. He did not believe the meeting at Waverley made any difference to them. The shortness of money had more to do with the attendance being smaller than usual, but the Spring meetings were very necessary to give a fair trial to young horses. Mr E. Humphreys said as a rule Spring meetings did not pay anywhere. Mr Paul said the Club were in a good position, and when they had got their debts in they would have over £100 to the good. Bi-acon hears that a Christchnrch blacksmith has bought the trotter, Lunatic, from Mr Luncknell, for 200 guineas, „ On October 3, at Cbaudler's Ford Steeplechases, near Portsmouth, Lord Buchau, who is 73 year* of age, rode the winner of a twomile steeplechase. Mr R. Vallauce informs me ("Beacon") that he and Mr Mason are about to dissolve partnership, and that the former will, in all i probability, shortly proceed to Australia. Under the circumstances, the few hordes they have left aud the Yaldhurst training establishment will be open for sale privately. They have already disposed of Epicuro, the three-year-old son of Yattendon and Ghiva, to Mr D. H. Mervyn, of Otago. " Mazeppa," in the Advertiser, says : — My notions about the Wellington meeting, though written ten days before date, were not so vei y far wrong — at any rate those who backed them won money. I gave Administrator for the Railway Stakes ; Poet for tho liutt Park Stakes ; Liability for the_ Hurdles ; aud Dan for the Flying Stakes. As will be seen by the report appearing in' this issuo, Arlmini-trator ran a dead heat, and divided the prize with Sir George in the Railway Stake? ; Poet won outright ; Liability was as prominent as anything in the jumping race until the last hurdle was reached, wlv n he ran off ; and Dan was scratched for the Flying Stikes. Sir George can scarcely be in his three-year-old form, or' surely he would have gob a place in the mile and thrc-quarter race. Dan ran a regular duffer, and it looks very much as though old ape were beginning to tell on him. Not that he is so very ancient in point of yeard ; but these cocktails seldom, last Ions:, and even at their bc3t their running is fluky. It will be noticed that Derritt had two wiunhii? mounts at the meeting. Beacon teems to have got the wrong bull by the horns. He says Mr Chitham appears to have had a good innings at Island Hay race?, for he secured the Cup with the veteran Dan, anda couple of Races with Ruby Ring. Ruby King, of couvse,is thepvopoity of Mr Timcred. Besides winning the Middle Park Plate, Lord Kalmouth took the old-fashioned '. learwell Stakes with Harvester, and his lordship has hr.il a singular run f f luck in connection with the Clearwell, having won it upon no fewer than nine occisions in 14 years. It is reported that tho Duchess <tf Montroso will onti'iiafc hor vneim; sUul to tlio care of Captain Mitchell next year.

The ane'ent palace of Holyrcotl, at 3£dinburijh, is tho list spot in Kurope whore anything like the ancient right of anylum remain-'. The ilebtor, even a debtor to the Crowi, may, however disreputable, there 1 find commodious smctuary, tor it includes Salisbury Crags aud Arthur's Seat, where he is free from arrest or Jegal prooese of any kind,