Coursing Notes.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 301, 30 April 1896, Page 10

Coursing Notes.

[by

SLIP.]

FIXTURES. April 29, 30, May I—National C.C. May 13,, 14—Auckland May 25 —Ashburton June 3,4, s—National C.C. June 8, 9,lo—Waterloo Cup June 10, 13 —Auckland A wire was received locally early yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, quoting the latest betting on the Dunedin Challenge Stakes, as follows : —3 to 1 Shylock, 4 to 1 The Fiend, 100 to 15 Bloomer, 100 to 1 Doris and Cushla. I shall be glad to receive dates of coursing meetings, or copy of programmes, from secretaries of clubs, particularly in the North Island. As the coursing season of 1896 is so close upon us, I will have to conclude my review of last season’s performers. The list of greyhounds that have run well is so numerous that to review each dog’s performances would take me nearly till midwinter before I could get through the list properly. Greyhounds that won money at Plumpton last year were, in addition to those reviewed, Master Bob, Rubina, Parnell, Miss Wyatt, See-Saw, Newport, Roseberry, Queenee, Welcome, and Linwood. Our first Plumpton meeting this year is so close at hand that I will wait until after the meeting before making any further remarks on the “ long tails.” Our Waikato coursing friends, 1 presume, will have a few nominations for our meeting. Gentlemen from that district have had several nominations of late years, but I am sorry to say they have not yet had the luck to win a good stake. However, as they are good sports, and a beating does not kill them, we hope during the ensuing season they will have a turn of fortune’s wheel. Mr Row, of Lichfield, recently had a litter of pups from White and Blue by Port Phillip, and Mr Marshall, of Morrinsville, has some nice pups by Merchant — Nelly, which, if breeding goes for anything, should make a name for themselves. It is to be hoped the Waikato coursing enthusiasts will endeavour to arrange their usual coursing meetings, if not at Morrinsvilie, at some other suitable place, say Lichfield. Black Cap (Blue Cap—Lady Betty), the property of Mr J. Beehan, has had to be destroyed, owing to a horse having galloped on this promising black and white bitch. A lot of nonsense has been talked (says the English Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette) as to the amount won by the Messrs Fawcett over the success of Fabulous Fortune in the Waterloo Cup. We have heard the sum stated to be from £20,000 down to £l,OOO. The real truth is the amount won was under £l,OOO. It is a fact that a well known racing tout pouched £6,000 over the event; and, by Jove! he deserved it, for he named both the winners and runner-up, taking 300 to 1 that he did so. That’s what I call pluck, and luck, getting home. “ Amesbury,” of the Sydney Referee, says that Mr S. Bladon has taken his famous bitch, Bloomer, and a black dog, which he thinks is Livingstone, from Besant, to the Dunedin meeting. It looks as if the proposal to form a Plumpton at Sydney will not be accomplished; as there is very great difficulty in getting a suitable ground within a reasonable distance of the city. There is every prospect of a fair amount of coursing in Victoria this season. Several enthusiasts are endeavouring to establish a Plumpton ground near Melbourne, and a gentleman has come forward with the offer of the lease of 200 acres of ground near the South Kensington Railway Station. If we in Auckland can maintain a plumpton, surely in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne they should be able to do the same. Delegates to the National Coursing Club of Victoria met during the early part of the month, for the purpose of revising the rules. From amongst the large number revised, I take the following as being of special interest:—ln particulars of registration—color, sex, and descriptive markings—the following was added : —“ Where a dog has a white spot it must be stated, and such dog shall not be entered as black and white, or brown and white, etc.” Rule 17.—Greyhounds to Wear Collars—“ The order to slip may be given by the judge or by a slip steward,

or the stewards of a meeting may leave the slip to the sole discretion of the slipper,” was altered to —“The slipping to be left to the sole discretion of the slipper.” In Rule 19.—The Judge— Much consideration was given to the way in which the judge was to deliver his decision. The, old rule says —“ He shall, on the termination of each, course* immediately deliver his decision by a flag corresponding with the collar worn by the winning dog.” It was sought by the majority of the delegates present at the meeting on Tuesday evening to have the words altered to —“ He shall, on the termination of each course, immediately deliver his decision aloud; ” but at another meeting on Friday, after a very heated debate, the new words were “ hung up” and the old ones replaced. In Rule 27. —A No Course or Undecided. —After the two next courses the words “in the open and four in enclosed grounds” were added, and the time, “if it is the last course of the day,” was altered to read —“Ten minutes in enclosed grounds and fifteen minutes in the open.” The rule passed by the National Coursing Club of Victoria, that “ the slipping to be left to the sole discretion of the slipper,” is to my mind a most proper rule. If the slipper is not to have full control of the greyhounds in the Leash, all sorts of complications would arise. It is only the slipper that can tell most accurately when the greyhounds in his charge have both “ sighted” the hare. In many instances one dog will sight the hare*first “ pop,” but the other dog may be “ catching flies” instead, and it would be useless for a slipper to let them go under such circumstances, whether he is over the prescribed distance or not* because if slipped then the “ flycatcher ” would turn round and run back to his trainer or owner. Greyhounds, generally speaking, are inclined to be sulky, and it requires a cool, patient man to manage the slips. By all means* where a club is satisfied they have a competent slipper, allow him as much discretion as possible, especially when sighting the game.