A ROMANCE OF THE TURF.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1123, 30 August 1882, Page 2

A ROMANCE OF THE TURF.

All our sporting readers will remember the race-horse, Guy Fawkes, one of the stoutest and gamest animals that ever trod the New Zealand turf. Inspector Fmerson owned him for many years, though he did not race him, but let him to others for racing purposes. During his recent visit Mr Emerson favored us with a few particulars respecting the horse and his dam, which will be of interest to some of those who take an interest in racing matters. The dam of Guy Fawkes was Fidget, by Sir Hercules from Flirt, and she was bred by Messrs. Isen and Empson in , the Marlborough district more than twenty years ago, ia the old leather-flapping days, before racing had gained any status, or well bred horses valued at their proper price in the colony. She was trained for the Blenheim races, and at three years, with ten stone up could beat all Mr Redwood's stud of, that day. Two or three days before ..the races, however, she was kicked by her stable companion, Miss Rowe, on the knee, and the blow fractured the knee-cap, apparently laming her hopelessly for life, so badly indeed that it was nearly determined to shoot her. She was given a respite, however, and turned out on the run to take her chance. Subsequently she got upright again and was put to Towton by which horse she had Kettledrum, a fair performer in those days. She was afterwards stinted to Ravensworth, but was held to be of little value, and was sold for a small sum to a man named Smith, a cattle dealer and farmer at Tuamarina, who rode her in cattle expeditions. During one of these excursions he visited the Wairau, mounted on the mare, then in foal to Ravensworth, and carrying the future Guy Fawkes. Smith was by no means a first-rate horseman, despite his trade, and the mare was a little too much for him. In the journey in the question, whilst following a mob of cattle, he oame to one of the ditches along which are tracks for stock, and tried to turn Fidget to foUc-w the tra;;k. Li^ v;! oi tk ; ii- the in.-t.rc' cli-:<r.--.(l nac'kjdf; '• ••-:id ■\\, grcntly to ;•!•.> ais<.o:.'i::V.nvi- ■ '••.•• ■ >vner, a rather

heavy man, and in doing so jumped clean from under her ridor, who was left up to his neck in mud and water, and struggled to shore in somewhat sorry plight. The mare having thus got rid of her burden waited on the -other side without attempting to run away, but Smith, nothing appeased by this, declined to mount again, and led her into Blenheim. The first person almost he met was a well-known character in that day, Constable Patrick O'Sullivan, who, policeman as he was, had an eye for a horse, and was a general faveurite. Smith detailed Ilia mishap, probably with the colonial embellishments common in those days, but. now happily banished from everywhere but the House of Representatives, and asked Sullivan if he would buy the mare, as he (Smith) would never ride her again. 'Barter was the order of the day about 1860 in the Wairau, as well as in other parts of New Zealand. Sullivan, though willing to purchase, had not ready money to do it with, but said he had a heifer in calf valued at £6, that he would trade for her. The bargain was struck, the latter became the property of Smith, and Sullivan possessed of Fidget. In due time she foaled, and her offspring was offered by Sullivan to Mr H. Redwood, admittedly one of the best judges of thoroughbred stock in this Colony, if not hemisphere, for £16, He would not purchase at any price, saying the foal would never be any good. Afterwards when it was about six months old, Sullivan asked VI r Emerson to have a look at it, and he did, but the price was raised, and the result of the interview waa that the future Guy Fawkes passed into the latterY hands for the sum of £30. So good a bargain had he made that he was offered £140 fof.the youngster a few days afterwards but refused the ! money, greatly to his advantage as it turned out. The colt was named Guy Fawkes, through being dropped on the sth of Nevember, a day in which that historical character figures conspicuously, Guy was raced in Marlborough when a two-year old, and beat all the cracks of Redwood's stable. \N hen 3 yra old Mr Emerson let him to Stevenson and Fiven, and at a Blenheim meeting he made a clean sweep of everything with the exception of one race, whero he was led off by Papapa, who bolted, and he was nearly drowned in a creek. The colt had to be pulled out with ropes by a number of men, but was dried when got ashore, and won the Forced Handicap the same day by twenty lengths. Mr Hedwood in the following year and for three succeeding years, leased the horse at £150 a year, and to detail the victories he achieved at all weights and every distance with him would nil a newspaper, but we may say that he won in stakes £2,500 in one year. ! Eventually work told on the conspirator, i and he broke down in the stifle, notwithi standing which Mr Emerson sold him for 1 £700 ,to Keith and Lyford for stud purposes, and Mr Studhoime the runholder of South Canterbury, subsequently became and is now his possessor, but keeps him for his own mares only. It is said that the veteran has thoroughly recovered, and that it is not improbable he will face the starter once more. His present owner has been offered £1000 for the despised foal of former days. Mr Emerson subsequently purchased Fidget for £22, and had tVree. foals from her, ladybird, Marie Stuart, and Catesby. The latter is by t>aniel O'Rourke, and is untried, but will. appear this season. This history shows the uncertainity of racing, a horse now worth £1000, with his dam, was swapped for a cow iii calf, and the chief cause of either ever being brought to the front was the fact of a badly seated cat-tle-dealer being thrown into a ditch.