The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-22 00:00:00

185 G.

SPORTING NOTES.

PAST. DOINGS AND PROSPECTIVE
CHANCES.

Party spirit and party spite cannot always be
regarded with indifference ; they are sometimes
carried to an extent which raise them from insig-
nificance, tind not only become public queStions but
public nuisances. Now the recent Lewes Meeting
furnishes a point by which these remarks may be
illustrated. Because a certain gentleman chose to
abandon Tan engagement from a misunderstanding
on a weekly sporting authority (?) the meeting in
which he was interested has been maliciously
attacked, and an attempt to write it down has been
made, which might have produced a desired effect
if directed against an object worthy ()lc-ensure, blit
which is only contemptible in the present' instance.
Admiral Rous has lent the weight of his indiscreetly
used authority to back up the unwarrantable re-
marks which had been made respecting the
management of the Lewes Meeting; but the
quarrel, which was a very pretty one as it stood,
between the sporting " authority" and the Clerk of
the Course, has now drawn other. and unoffendinb
persons into an unpleasant position. With private
matters, however, the public have now nothing
to do ; individual squabbles invariably • excite
more derision than serious attention. The
question, . however, as I have stated, has
assumed a public shape, and therefore I should
be guilty of a dereliction of duty did I not refer to
it. The Clerk of the Course will be compelled to
make an explanation of the charges which have
now been publicly asserted against him. His case
he himself .nust defend. •
Mr.. Thornhill, the really aggrieved party, will
not, however, perhaps possess the same facilities
for showing how he has been blamed for doing
that—not discreditable in itself—a thing of daily
practice on the turf—and which, for motives which
" the Admiral" has misunderstood, has been made
public, in order to injure a man who dared to act
independently in private matters, and who is work-
ing hard to conduct honestly and -legitimately a
meeting which has not of late been over prosperous,
and who is. endeavouring by fair means to render a
precarious undertaking remunerative.
"The Admiral" has " marked " Mr. Thornhill
because Tournament was started to make running
for Blue Jacket for the Lewes Handicap, and be-
cause Blu Jacket could not win. Now, how does
the ease stand ? Wild Rose had been backed for
the race at evens against the field, but she receded
and Blue Jacket became favourite. A stable lad
was put upon Tournament who—if no declaration
was made respecting his being sent to make running
only—was not backed for sixpence in tke ring, be-
cause a tacit understanding existed amongst the
people present as to the purpose for which he was
started. Now, is it a very uncommon thing for one
horse to be started to make running for another
without a 'declaration being made ? Why the thing
is done every day. Now mark the injustice to Mr.
Thornhill. He was at Wolverhampton with his
jockey, Fordham, and did not reach Lewes till the
Tuesday.. Previously to Tournament's race with
Wild Rose for the Guineas, he went to Admiral
Rous and explained. to hint the circumstance of
Tournament's being started on the Monday, 'and
informed hint that he left instructions to Drewitt,
his trainer, to make public the fact of the horse's
going to serve his stable companion. This Drewitt,
who has been confined to his bed by a long and
painful illness, neglected to do ; but the omission
was not a serious offence, and the Admiral made P.b
remark at the time. After the race, however, when
Tournament won, the Admiral waxed wroth, and
told Mr. Thornhill he would mark him.. He has
done so. He gave a decision mbm, than ques-
tionable agains:, him in tt ilisputed race:
he most unfairly hand.icapy,,ed Mr. Thorn-
hill's horses for their - engar;.e meats at Egliain,
and has threatened to " r',:rnember"' him for the
Cesarewitch and Caml7,ridgeshire. Now Mr.
Thornhill has, it must be confessed, been shame-
fully treated. 11,..1w came Admiral Roils in the
position, by his mere ipse dixit, to destroy a man's
property and to put the object of his wrath at an
unwarrantable expense ? What would be thought
of a captain who took charge of goods, and when
he got them safely shipped expressed his determi-
nation that their owner should never realize a pro-
fit on it, and that he intended to throw it over-
board ? Mr. Thornhill paid the entrance money
for his horses to the Stakes for which they are
nominated, and he is immediately afterwards in-
formed that his horses will have such a weight
placed' upon them as will deprive them of any
chance of winning their engagements. Mr. Thorn-
hill might as well have thrown his money into the
streets, or have had it taken from his pocket. Ad-
miral Rous has worked well for the Turf, but suck
acts of caprice as I have brought under notice will
operate more for the evil than for the good of the
Turf. Than Mr. Thornhill a more straight-
forward man is not on the turf, and in justice
to him I have taken up the cudgels, not only
in his behalf, but in behalf of the entire
sporting community. In giving his decision the
Admiral has laid himself open to the charge
which he makes respecting people's drawing upon '
their imagination for their facts. He draws upon
his imagination and his prejudices for his facts and
his decisions, upon cases which are unfortunately
brought before him. Surely the Stewards of the
Jockey Club will not be influenced by his vaponr-
ing determination to shut out whatever chance Mr.
Thornhill's horses would possess for the Cesarewitch
and Cambridgeshire, if they were weighted upon
fair terms with their opponents.
The length to which the above remarks have ex-
tended will prevent my referring, at present, to the
York Meeting, and the in and out running on
Knavesmire. The sport will commence this day
at Radcliffe, and will terminate on Friday at Oxfcrd.
The Radcliffe gathering I may pass over.
The pleasant little meeting at Egham will occupy
the attention of the Cockneys.
The King John Stakes will enable Thunderbolt
to improve upon his Goodwood running, and I shall
not look for a more formidable champion.
For the Surrey and, Middlesex Stakes I shall
give my preference to Clydesdale and Clara
Webster.

For the Runnymede Handicap I shall stand
Queen of the South and Lord Berkeley.
Broadstairs. A FRESH MAN.

ARRIVALS AT RADCLIFFE

Raspberry, Fatty, Secret Treasure, Charlotte, Flash in
the Pan, Alfred, Little Poll, Birdcage, Amy Sedgwick,
and Brother to Flying Cloud.