The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-13 00:00:00

SFORTING NOTES.

The renewed correspondence respecting the Soiled Dove
case shows that Admiral Rous is still persistently obstinate
in advocating opinions and views which I feel sanguine, be-
cause they are not based on sound reasoning, will never be
endorsed by members of the Jockey and other Clubs equally
experienced with himself. Tao Admiral says, " The gen-
tlemen who decided against the bets being paid misunder-
stood the first rule, which is solely applicable to horses
dead in law, or to the Elinor case, where the bets were
declared off because the Jockey Club decided that, as she
was improperly named, she could not start, but if she had
started the bets must have been paid." I have insisted,
however, over and over again, that if it had not been for the
negligence of the Jockey Club officials, who allowed Soiled
Dove to run, and consequently be claimed by Mr. Chaplin in
direct opposition to Rule 15, none of this unpleasantness
would have occurred. In the Admiral's book on Horse
Racing, in quoting Rule 1, he remarks:—" If money bo
betted p.p. against horses dead, or legally struck out at the
time the bet was laid, it would be void, but not so if the
horse was dying, or if laid before the declaration was
made; or if by any possibility at the time the bet
was made the horse could start, it would held
good." But iu this case the horse could not
not have started had Rule 15 been enforced, as the
Admiral expressed his astonishment on a previou3 occa-
sion that the fraud had not been discovered earlier, a
pretty good proof that the necessary certificate could not
have been produced, without which Soiled Dove had no
right to run. The Admiral goes on to say, " Thus, a fields-
man who stands £2,000 against Soiled Dove, and £2,000

against Reigning Beauty in the match, will eventually pay
£2,000 to the latter party, and receive nothing from the
other side." When I find the decision of the committee is
so palpably unjust and illegal (the Admiral's expression),
the reverse of which appears, in my humble opinion, the
case, I shall be willing to enunciate his views and his
opinions, but they must first be more carefully put and
backed by sounder argumants than he has yet brought for-
ward. For instance, it is simply preposterous to use the
above argument, as, of course, the veriest tyro ought to
know the committee's decision,is to the effect that all bets
on the match are null and void. They decide, in effect,
that all wagers on Soiled Dove are off, because, in reality,

there was no such animal in the race ; and they probably
believe that there was not, in any one of her racer',
£5 betted by a single party who was not entirely inno-
cent and ignorant of a fraud having boon committed.
The Admiral makes another proposition, which I dispute
in toto :—" The backer of a fraudulent horse may win to
any amount, and the committee throw their shield over
lose
;
, and will not allow him to lose. The fieldsman must
o he can by no possibility win. By this theory a man
may back a four year old for the Derby to win £200,000;
if he is detected he is to pay nothing. We may thus
look forward to a great increase of Bloodstones, Leanders,
And Running Reins." Now if the gallant gentleman or
the fieldsmen, whose cause he advocates so strenuously,
can bring forward the slightest evidence to prove any
guilty knowledge on the part of the owners (Hr. Chaplin to
begin with) who had the animal in their possession during
the period she won her races, or against the backers of her,
I have nothing more to say ; but as I am pleading the cause
of justice on a broad scale, until Admiral Wilts and his par-
tisans will admit the justice of their being, ou tke suppo-
sition of any of them unfortunately having possession of a
forged cheque or bank note, criminally prosecuted, so long
will I uphold, with voice and pen, the righteous decision
which will, I ant satisfied, never b 3 revoked. The punish-
ment to any of the gentleman in the case of having a ficti-
tious cheque or note would be corup3lling him to refund
lu
the money ; and is it not punishment enough for _ r.
Chaplin and others to recoup their winnings?
Oue
word
throughout totheboo
thekmayakeersr where
bookmakers. There
gentlemen3issno race ofin iy
importance do
not get every advantage over the backers of horses,
tshoit.enee
of which aro not intended to run, others do note t r‘yhors
de
parts of them cannot win, and as others are
ree
fies'h
is
heir
combat" from "some of the ills which
itttrusted
to,"
a frequentlyshilog hwapfloiesn s
with largesums
drop with a
I think, therefore, they might let the subject
otiehlt some ou
sutsidser
of
fot
money.
good grace. bwaheixoh
I suppose the usual sensational
petted anent the Derby at the ensuing , ,
Hermit
'm ° vß°A.nt he nntise emt ianyg
commences to-morrow, althoug
are not likely to contest for the Vzlu
Fifteenthb''an dßiennialhe
; Stakes,
which looks a certainty for WROUGHTON, otherwise
bound to have some effect upon the Duke of Beaufort's
and may run, amongst the first three
horse for the Darby. VAN AMBURGH appears to be an im-
proving horse,
for the Epsom .event. LORD PALMERSTON and Glum-
Siox ought to give a good account Of themselves in the

Sixteenth Biennial Stakes, although my impression is that
Herennianus will improve on the form he displayed( when
he met Suffolk the other day at Newmarket. The By 'aufort
Cup has some of the best horses of the day engaged , but as
I do not think Lord Lyon will attempt to give his D erby and
St. Leger opponent —SAvEnNAKE—the differences of 101 b.,
which he is asked to do, I believe in the lattev winning,
who I am told is now in good form, and doing strong work.
One of the three year olds should, from this difference in •
weight with the older horses, run forward , and amongst
them Clarice, if sent, might attract the jud! re's notice, the
form he displayed at Epsom and Nowinw.icet and Liver-
pool being too bad to be true. I see uotb ing better in the
Bath Handicap than Life Guardsman, A iduroft, and 13is-
marck, either of which, if amongst the acceptances which
aro open until this evening, will prntr*, good enough
to win. For the County 31.tubers' Plate I like the
chances of UXCAS and PHI: ItoCK is the order named.
The Nursery and /Colston Stakes, which are part of
Wedne•aday's programme, have nu yet closed. Thu Wes-
ton Stakes has 57 youngsters engagA, but I must stand
my old love, LADY ELIZABETII, who, well at the post, '43
bound to beat all comers, including Blue Gown, whom I
sAect in It _n- ttbsenc,. The Sonsersotshiro Stakes
has dwindled dJwn to 12 aczeptances, end of these I be-
lieve PIN-TAIL will win, though GOMERA and Dovito aro
sure to be groit favourites.

The Badminton Stakes appears to be at the mercy of
XI, unless Lady Elizabeth runs, and notwithstanding her
penalty I should then think she was good enough to wir,.
It is so uncertain what may start for the Dyrham I):Lrk
Handicap and the Dodington Welter Stakes that I prefer
leaving them alone.

Concerning the Harpenden Meeting, the declarations
of forfeits for the principal Handicap, to which there are
62 subscribers, aro not made until to-morrow, but bad as
RETRIBUTION has proved himself to be, ho ought to beat
the lot engaged in it. For the Two Year Old Stakes I
fancy LIMNER, and if beaten of course it will be by Laßelle
Jeanne. The Handicap Plato has only one less nomina-
tion than the Harpenden Handicap, consequently I can,
only say WILn BEE and AMMUNITION read to have an
good a chance as anything.

A FRESH MAE.

RACING FIXTURES FOR 1867.
MAY.
Bath
Harpenden
Epsom

JURE.
Ascot Summer 4 I Beverley
Windsor Summer
Manchester Summer ... 12 Chelmsford Summer
.26
I Hampton l3 Newcastle ... 25
Odiham l7 I Ipswich 27
Bibury Club lB Worcester Summer 27
JULY
Oarlisle 2 Down Royal Cotporatn. 17
Newmarket July 2 Stamford
Pontefract
Reading ..... 9 I
Huntingdon '23
Liverpool July Meeting 10 Winchester 23
Hungerford
I Nottingkam l6 Goodwood
AUGUST.
Ripon
5 1 Dover
Brighton .. 2
6 West Drayton 22
~..
Brighton Cluu 8 Plymouth.... 22
Lewes
Egham ....
Wolverhampton l3 Lichfield
Stockton
Oxford ..... 15 Weymouth
Hastings
York August