ENGLISH SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 9, 27 September 1890, Page 4

ENGLISH SPORTING NOTES.

Rapier ” in the Sporting and Dramatic states that Major Egerton, the English handicapper, still survives, and is grateful that his lot is wist in the nineteenth century. He has been remarkably successful of late in his weighting, as was fully perceived by experts who studied the weights for the Goodwood Stakes and the Stewards Cup, though some thought that he might have been more lenient to the Prince of Wales’ mare Golden Maze, in the Charter Welter Handicap. Few men say neater things than Lord Marcus Beresford, who on reading down the handicap noted that H.R.H.’s mare had Bst. lolb. to carry, and simply observed, If Egerton had lived three hundred years ago he would have been beheaded; ” as it was, Golden Maze ran very well, and if George Barrett had been well placed and been able to get through, she would then have won.

The same writer makes the remark :—“ It is difficult to understand how races were judged before colours came into use, though of course in those days the fields were not so big as they are now. I suppose ‘the man in the box’ was some one who knew the horses running. The idea of racing jackets did not occur until 1762, but that is the date, according to a recently published book, when the Jockey Club (which according to the researches of Lord Suffolk, had then been in existence twelve years, the best tradition that his Lordship can trace fixing the date of its origin at 1750) passed a motion to the effect that:—“For the greater convenience of distinguishing the horses in running, and also for the prevention of disputes arising from not knowing the colours of each rider, the undermentioned gentlemen have come to the resolution and agreement of having colours annexed to the following names, worn by their respective riders.” At that time there were eighteen prominent owners that registered their colours, including H.R.H. the Duke of Cumberland, the Dukes of Grafton, Devonshire, Kingston, Ancaster, and Bridgewater, etc. Lord Hartington’s straw jacket is’ the only one that survives, the Duke of Westminster represents Lord Grosvenor, whose orange has become y<-llow and black cap, and Lord Marsh —who b i..-> at present no horses running—does not use the ancestral white, but would run in a yellow jacket, scarlet velvet cap, gold tassel. According to the latest Ruff there are at present 1256 registered colours.” According to “ Rapier” the Prince of Wales continues to have bad luck on the turf. It was sheer bad luck that Counterpane should have dropped dead at Stockbridge, when she had apparently won the Stockbridge Cup, and it was also bad luck that Golden Maze should have swerved at the finish of the Goodwood Cup as Philomel only just won. The Imp has lost all form since H.R.H. bought him, just after he had won a big race at Kempton. Even his platers got beaten. Mareschal, when he defeated Nandine, was not the least fancied, starting at a decent price. Last year he had horses entered for the Woodcote New Stakes, Kempton Park International Breeders’ Stake (four entries), the Great Richmond Sapling and other races. At Sandown the Middle Park Plate and other races the forfeits alone amounted to over and he won two little selling races, worth together just Truly there is no royal road to the turf. > Mr. J. D. Hay is greatly disappointed with his two-year-olds got by Darebin, but it must be remembered that all his stock require time. It is a great pity that Darebin was ever permitted to leave Australia. The New Zealand Stud Company were strongly advised to buy him, and if they had done so instead of getting the rubbish they did, in all probability, they would have had a second Musket. The cable informs us that at the Manchester Meeting on Saturday, the Lancashire Plate of 12,000 sovs., added to a sweepstake of 20 sovs. each for starters, fell to General Byrne's four-year-old chestnut horse Amphion, by Speculum or Rosebery out of Suicide, Mr. J. Snarry’s three-year-old bay colt, Martagnon, by Bend Or out of Tiger Lily being second and Lord Rosebery’s brown filly by Foxhall out of Choppette third.