Sporting Items.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 301, 30 April 1896, Page 7

Sporting Items.

[By

Gipsy King.]

Some time ago I mentioned that a resident of Wanganui had received a letter from a friend at Coolgardie, announcing the death of Mr Frank Palmer. Meeting Mr Palmer’s son, Harry, at Palmerston North a few days afterwaids, I learnt that he was not aware that his father was reported to be dead, so I discredited the announcement, and am now pleased to hear from Harry that his father, one of the old-time sporting men on the Wanganui coast, is still alive and living at Coolgardie. Some time ago, Mr W. H. Chitham, of Palmerston North, told me he thought, principally for health purposes, that he would remove to Auckland, and if he did make the journey, he would bring his racing stock with him, including First Sight (a four-year-old half-sister to Flying Shot). Bavaria (a two-year-old filly by Forerunner— Starwater), and Marvellous (a two-year-old sister to Flying Shot). I notice that First Sight, Bavaria, and Marvellous are nominated for the Takapuna Meeting, so that the “ humorous and sporting barber” may have decided to come north.

Perhaps the cheapest “ hack ” sold for many a day in the Auckland saleyards was the up-country hurdle horse Viceroy, aged, by Gilderoy. He was sold for the paltry sum of three guineas. “ He has a near fore leg,” a beauty, it is true, but plenty of good horses have given way in the front ligiments, and after careful nursing, then a good blistering, and turned out for six or eight months, they come up smiling again as if nothing had happened. But looking at Viceroy standing amongst a lot of “ crocks ” in the yards, it caused me to reflect, but to publish my reflections would cause bloodshed. It was quite apparent that Viceroy’s leg had not been touched, bar fomentations, and if his new owner gets to work on the horse properly, he will have a cheap hack. Had Viceroy not broken down in the First Handicap Hurdle Race at the A.R.C. meeting, he would certainly have been second to Donald McKinnon, and he would have made the latter go a bit faster than he had to do to win. He broke down less than half a mile from home. Last season Viceroy won the First Handicap Hurdles, the Thames Handicap Hurdles (second day), and Free Handicap al the Thames J.C. Summer Meeting. Won Ngnruawahia Cup, one mile and a half, Handicap Hurdle Race, two miles, a* Rotorua, and the Handicap Hurdles, two miles, at Te Aroha J.C. Autumn Meeting. In connection with Mr L. D. Nathan’s request to the A.R.C. committee that the club’s handi capper might be asked to give some explanation of the handicapping of his mare Stepfeldt at the Easter Meeting, someone, locally, has done a great injustice to Mr Evett. First of all, before he received any official intimation from the club that they would like Mr Evett to give the explanation desired by Mr Natban, the particulars of the complaint appeared in both the local daily papers and in a southern sporting journal. How ever, that is a matter of little consequence, but certainly is a strange proceeding for thei same papers to publish that Mr Evett declines to khswer Mr Nathan’s complaint or give the explanation asked for. Mr Evett is a servant of the Auckland Racing Club, and he is respbnsible to that body, and if he receives instructions tb supply certain information, he has to do the same as anyone else would have to do when occuping a similar position. I have Mr Evett’s authority for saying that he has not declined to answer the club’s communication in connection with the handicapping of Stepfeldt, and never had any intention of being so discourteous to the club that employs him. He further informs me that the explanation required by the club, on behalf of Mr Nathan, will duly appear before the next committee meeting. Now, I think it is rather rough on Mr Evett that this falsehood should be allowed to appear in all the sporting press, except the Sporting Review, because we declined to believe that Mr Evett would treat his club with such disrespect, and hence made it our business to look him up and get the truth of matter. The least the journals that have given publicity to the matter can do is to give as full publicity to Mr Evett’s version of the affair, otherwise several of the other racing clubs who employ Mr Evett may think that they have n very bnmptious officer, and think a change desirable. When the matter is threshed out in committee, I trust they will not allow either Mr L. D. Nathan’s letter of complaint or Mr Evett’s reply to be published. It is not exactly a public matter, as it is only an owner asking for what he has a perfect right to ask for; but that does not say that it is necessary to publish the correspon dence throughout the colony.