Sporting Review. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1892.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 85, 10 March 1892, Page 5

Sporting Review. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1892.

From Southern files we learn that the Dunedin Jockey Club are still in a mess regarding- a starter, for when Mr. Driver resigned, Mr. McLean, who had given every satisfaction as judge, accepted the appointment, Mr. Driver taking his position in the box, where he did not shine, in the estimation of the public, any more than he did when wielding the flag. Mr. McLean soon found that he was not competent, so on the second day he resigned, Mr. Taggart taking his place on the last day’s racing, and was a no better success. It is now reported that the D.J.C. Committee are trying to obtain the services of Mr. Sam Powell, of Wanganui, who certainly has proved his ability to act in that capacity, and he seldom makes a mistake ; but one man cannot do the whole of the starting in New Zealand. Surely he is not the only one in the Colony that is capable of wielding the flag. There are two great mistakes the Committees of different Clubs make in their appointments of a starter. First, they generally give the appointment to one of their friends, so as to put a few pounds into his pocket, for in most instances this official is a paid one. Secondly, they think that anyone will make a starter. There never was a greater mistake. The art of starting is what you may call a gift, as no amount of practice will really make a man perfect. He must be good tempered, but firm, never losing his command over the jockeys, nor must he lose his self-respect by abusing any of them, or the boys t will soon learn to laugh at him and not obey his orders —then insubordination will soon arise. The starting in New Zealand is now coming to a crisis, for, with the exception of those Clubs that have obtained the services of Mr. Powell, the starts are very inferior and obnoxious to owners. One has not got far to go to find what dissatisfaction bad starting gives to all concerned in racing. Only look at the Ellerslie Summer meeting ; then again at the last one, when Mr. Cutts, the A.R.C. starter, was at his post. He was fairly successful, but he failed in the short races, where the starter should be most particular, as the gain or loss of a length makes a great deal of difference. Now, to remedy the evil we would propose two starters for each island, they to be selected as follows : Let each Metropolitan Club call for applicants for the post of starter in their respective districts, let three judges be appointed to give them a private and public trial, then select one. Afterwards let each one selected by the Metropolitan Clubs be then tried, and the best two selected from them for each division. This plan is feasible, and we think would give satisfaction to all, and two or three more Mr. Powells would be found; then things would be more satisfactory. A good paid judge to travel round would also be a good thing, as such verdicts as noses and nostrils are lather curious.

The Egmont Racing Club intend to keep pace with the times. They have inaugurated a Sires Hack Produce States, to be run at Hawera in February, 1895, the particulars of which will be found in our advertising columns. The amount of the stake is 2oosovs, and a cup valued at SSOVS to go to the nominator of sire of the winner, for three-year olds (now foals), Derby weights; distance one and a-quarter miles. The stake will be divided as follows : Nominator of the sire, 4.OSOVS and the cup ; nominator of the winner, 40S0VS ; first horse ioosovs, second 15SOVS, third ssovs. This race cannot fail to enhance the value of hacks on the West Coast. There are sure to be numerous entries, and if they are not good enough for racing purchasers of a hack or hunter for general purposes will give a higher price for one that has a guaranteed pedigree than for one without, as it is a well-known fact that horses follow their sires in certain characteristics. For instance,

all the Cure’s and Flying Dutchman’s stock were natural jumpers, while Hesper’s and Stepperstone’s stock were celebrated for their trotting action. It will also cause breeders to pay more attention to their young stock, as the stake is worth winning, and the entrance and acceptance fees are very small, extending over a period of three years. I his stake is also a good advertisement for owners of country stallions, as the sire of the placed horses will be brought prominently into notice, and the following season he would be largely patronised. We must congratulate the committee of the Egmont Racing Club lor having introduced such a useful race into their programme, and it should fill well. Other clubs would do well to insert the same class of race in their programmes. We are glad to see that the Bench very sensibly dismissed the charge against Messrs. Goldwater and Murphy, and would have made some remarks on the subject if the other side had defined exactly what the objection is. At present it is difficult to discover the real grounds for all the fuss. Is the trouble due to Sabbatarian prejudices, or is the charge of “ indecency ” seriously urged ? It would be easy to adduce arguments in reply to either of the above contentions, but, for the present, we are content to tell a little story bearing upon the indecent exposure allegation. At a watering place in England some gentlemen were accustomed to bathe from a boat in the bay. A clergyman called upon them and protested against the practice, stating that two maiden ladies occupying a cottage on the cliff were greatly scandalized. Thereupon the gentlemen rowed out a long distance every morning before taking a dip. The parson called again and stated that the ladies still objected. “ Why ” said one of the accused, “ surely the ladies can see nothing of us when we bathe at such a distance ? ” “Ah ! ” said the parson, “ you are still within range of their telescope 1 ”

In Sydney Truth, of January 21, a terrible onslaught is made upon Dr. W. G. Grace. After hurling an avalanch of abusive rocks upon the great cricketer's devoted head, the writer winds up by re-printing a twenty-one year old skit as a genuine letter from the pen of W.G.G. The apocryphal epistle is thus in troduced to Truth's readers: —“He was here among us before—nearly twenty years ago — and what he thought of us he placed on record in the following letter written to a friend of his in Melbourne just as he was leaving our shores.” Then follows the ingenious concotion printed in extenso. Dealing with that same libelous effusion we wrote a follows in the Sporting Review of 28th May, 1891 : —“How strangely difficult it is to slay the giant ‘ Popular error.’ We thought everybody knew by this time that the satrical letter alleged to have been written by W. G. Grace on leaving Australia at the conclusion of his first cricket tour was a mere skit perpetrated by some would-be wag, and acknowledged as such shortly after its publication. We are surprised to learn that not a few still believe the great W. G. to have been foolish and spiteful enough to write and actually court publication of a gratuitous insult to the colonists who had hospitably entertained him and admired his unique powers as a cricketer, etc., etc.” Truth is undoubtedly stranger than fiction in the columns of our contemporary, who should certainly chant a palinode at once. He has the wisdom to read the Sporting Review, as we notice in the same issue a paragraph clipped without acknowledgment from our “ Anything and Everything ” column. It is sad that so striking a proof of refined literary taste should be discounted by an utter disregard of journalistic etiquette.

We notice by the Te Aroha Jockey Club weights that Bulrush has been awarded only 6st in the Jockey Club Handicap. If the handicapper will refer to the rules he will find that the minimum weight must be 6st 71b. The well-known horse Ingorina, syrs, Ingomar —Hipporina, is this week advertised for sale, his owner being dissatisfied at the way he has been handicapped by Mr. Evitt. Full particulars as to price, &c., may be obtained from Frank McManemin.