NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 302, 7 May 1896, Page 7

NOTES.

By

Fritz.

The winter meeting which the Hawkes Bay Trotting Club anticipated holding has been abandoned. I believe the difficulty re the totalisator permit was the cause of it falling through. Boston Girl was sold by auction in Christchurch to J. Jardin for £2l 10s, and at the same sale Eos was bought by W. Kerr for £47 10s.

At the recent Brunner Demonstration Sports at Christchurch, Mr C. H. Jones, the ten-mile champion cyclist, heat Mr H. Mace’s trotting horse, Stonewall Jackson, in a mile race, by three yards, the time being 2min 31 l-ssec.

■Most of the extremely fast American pacers are stallions. For instance, John R. G-entry, 2min B|sec ; Joe Patchen, 2min 4sec; Online, 2min 4sec; Strathberry, 2min 4£sec ; the late Fidpl, 2min 4Jsec ; Star Pointer, 2min 4|sec ; Hal Dillard, 2min 4fsec; Coleridge, 2min s|sec ; Direct, 2min s£sec; Saladin, 2min s£sec; Roy Wilkes, 2min 6|sec ; Rubinstein, 2min 6|sec ; Manager, 2min 6|sec; Directly, 2min GJsec. The “ Fastest Trotting Dog in the World” is the -heading of a paragraph above an illustration of n, Setter in harness in the Stock-keeper:— “ Although unknown in England, the ‘ trotting dog’ is by no means uncommon in America. The subject of the illustration can, we are assured, lay claim to the best record, and pulled an 801 b boy on an iron-wheeled cart a quarter of a mile at the rate of 3min 18sec to the mile. He is a big, strong English Setter, bred and reared in Michigan, weighs in condition 801 b, is three years old, and is one of the most gentle, amiable dogs alive. This dog is a natural gaited trotter, loves the sport, requires no actual driving (only steering and slight encouragement), and trots and scores like an old track-horse. The pneumatictyred, bicycle-wheeled sulky which he draws was specially built and weighs 161 b, and the harness 21b. He has trotted at fairs and exhibitions against horse, waggon, boy on bicycle, or running, and will also show great pace alone. His usual driver was Major Geo. Wilson, a free, coloured American, no freak or cripple, but only 48in high, and 35 years old, weighing 501 b. The dog is perfectly under control, and gets at once into his gait; there is no element of ‘ forcing’ in the performance, and he can always, in condition, show a quarter at a 3.20 gait—a wonderful performance.”

In connection with the-disqualification of the trotter Amelia by thc Maniototo Club, and endorsed by the Dunedin Jockey Club, “ Mazeppa ” says“ The question asked of the Maniototo Club by the D.J.0., as to why the club was satisfied to disqualify Amelia (believed to be Semolina in disguise) without taking action in regard to the owner, has produced an answer, this being to the effect that there was reason to suppose the nominator of the mare to be merely a catspaw for the real owner; that the nominator is not a real racing man, and was hot present; and that no good.purpose would have been served by disqualifying him. The reply has been considered by the D.J.C., and deemed satisfactory so far as it goes, but the metropolitan clnb asks why the “ catspaw ” was not called upon to disclose the name of the real owner. The reply to this may be guessed, I should think —namely, that a man so far outside the pale of racing as to be indifferent to its decrees might not be willing to make the disclosure, and if he did refuse, no power possessed by the clubs could make him speak. Besides, he may not be disposed to do the clubs a good turn at the expense of his principal. It seems to me that the Maniototo Club went as far as it was safe to go. To have pressed the matter further might have involved a loss of dignity.” —lt is at these pretenders that the trotting, or even racing clubs want to get at. These alleged “ catspaws ” know exactly how many beans make five. An innocent man would at once ask, “ Why do you wish to nominate your horse in my name?” and at once become suspicious that some shady business was contemplated. When Te Horo was disqualified at Palmerston North did the men disqualified for life take it to heart? No; they went bush-whacking again. It was the parties behind these men that were annoyed at their little game being burst up. Now

when the Maniototo Club had bagged the nominator, they should not have lost sight of him until he had been served with a summons for attempting to obtain money by false pretences or misrepresentation. He would soon have found the others behind the scenes. Men conneected with “ ringers,” or accomplices (alias “ catspaws”), should be shown no mercy, and they could just as well clear their character, if they were innocent, before a stipendiary magistrate as before stewards of a combined race and trotting meeting. But to practically catch a ringer and let him go is enough to almost cause me to exclaim with the mariner and the “ Hinsect ” in “ Paul Jones,” “ Ain’t it sickenin’ ! ”