SPORT AT HORORATA.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 260, 7 December 1914, Page 11

SPORT AT HORORATA.

A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL GATHERING. Hororata has always' been a keen sporting centre, and, ; past traditions ■were well maintained, at last Saturday's ■fixture. Aw-ay back in the early seventies, 'sports and races combined were ield on the convincing, ground that still does duty as the club 's racecourse. In those pre-railway days, a trip to the foothills' township was not the simple matter that present-day racegoers have become accustomed to and grumble at. The journey by road, often through flooded rivers, always had its incidents, but was none the less enjoyed on that account. Such names as Car dale, Holmes, Knight, Derrett, Cresswell, and King will ever be associated with early racing in the Hororata district, and right well they played their part. From an occasional sports gathering the fixture gradually grew in importance, till to-day it. is certainty, one of the best conducted and most popular held iii Canterbury. , The advent of the motor has done much to bring it into favour with city sportsmen?;.*indeed, last Saturday's fixture drew just as many patrons by road as by rail. Nor is that to be wondered 'at, for there can be no comparison in the twa means of transport on such a iMightful day asfavoured the club for its latest fixture.

TChe conduct of the meeting was entirely satisfactory, and though the racing left a good deal to'bgi desired, the big proportion of favourites that got home left backers on good terms with themselves.

-DERRETT'S IN FORM. Quite a feature of the Say's racing: was the success that attended the veteran R. Derrett's stable. The Englishbred mare, Flower •of the West, was turned out in the pink of condition for the Hororata Cup, for which event she was served up a very strong order. Commencing she .was ridden a patient race in front "by Charlie Emerson, and after stalling off challenges by Briar Patch arid The Pole, she scored comfortably. - In the face of such weak opposition, there was not a great deal of merit in the achievement, but it would have taken something pretty good to Have lowered her colours on the day. The Pole showed that; his- jumping efforts have not impaired his pace by running a genuine, race, and defeating all but the winner, but Briar Patch was evidently racing beyond her distance. After getting badly away, Troon was Bot handled with much judgment, otherwise she may have been in the money, while Optician was outclassed from the word "go." JPerrett scoxed his second success in the Haldon Stakes, with the Finland— Be Murska three-year-old, Findhorn, who carried nearly as much money as all the other competitors put together. Jumping out brilliantly,', 'the favourite was -never seriously; threatened, and 'he ■won with a lot in hand fi'om the ancient Mumura, who ran his best race for some time. The success df Derrett "s pair was? 6' fitting tribute to the veteran's, ability- as a trainer, and was jparticularly appropriate, coming; as it did on that forty years ago witnessed some 1 of hid earliest victories in the saddle. . .... " ' , AN OVERDUE WIN. Moddite broke a i long;. sequence of defeats by appropriating the Farmers' Hack Handicap, and seeing that he had the steadier of 10st 31b in the saddle, Ms achievement of cutting out the seven furlongs in Imin BO 2-ssec was a highly CTeditable one.- Purseform, the favourite, was unlucky at the start, for when a furlong had been left behind he was running second to last, a long way behind the; leaders. By a well-sustain-effort he managed to run up into third place at the finish, being separated from the winner by Chorale. ;As a two-year-old, Pursef orm gave a lot of promise which he has altogether failed to sustain. He is held on lease by Mr, Gerald Stead, who is so heartily tired of the colt's failures that he intends returning him to .his owner forthwith. Amongst the unplaced division, the one that gave most promise was Mr "Tom" Sheenan's five-year-old mare, ■Themis, a daughter of .Deerstalker and Antigone, who was . making , her racing debut. Considering, that she had none of the best of '.the running, she gave a creditable display in finishing fifth, and is sure,. .-t.O;- do her veteran owner good service in the near future. The Hororata Club has 'had no more staunch supporter for the last thirty-five years than the genial " Tom,'' and noone would have begrudged him a "victory. A DUAL WINNER. Seldom a meeting passes at Hororata without producing a 'dual winner; indeed, in this respect the course has quite a reputation. : ■ The honours on Saturday last rested. with Christinas Lily, an aged roan mare by Euclid, who is trained at Leeston by her owner, Mr "Tom" Prosser. Her siriartness out of the barrier enabled hei? to get a big break on her field in the; early stages of the Bangor Hack Handicap, and though Derby Day and Medley were gathering her up at the finish she ran home a comfortable, though by no means easy, winner. The Brackendale Plate was almost a repetition of the Bangor Handicap. Getting all the best" of a wretched start,-Christmas Lily made-light of her 71b penalty, and the /initial advantage' she obtained enabled her to keep the: faster-finishing Derby J pay in check till; the winning post w36 Ve'ached. Derby' Day was decidedly unlucky in both races, as after getting badly away he had all the worst of the, running. With, a better send-off he-might have woneither event. ' Medley! showed a lot of pace, after being wretchedly ridden. Coming into the home sti'a-ight, she was almost off the course,-find must have run over at least a dozen lengths more ground than the winner covered. In quite a number of the events the; displays of horsemanship ■ were simply shocking, many ' of tlie riders being quite unable to lceep ! - th^ir 1 mounts in at 1 the turns. A story is told ; of the late Fred Archer, that -when doming round Tattenham Corner ._he not infrequently Icept his mount elo'se in by taking one foot out of the stirhrp and placing it over the rails. Had some'of the riders at Hororata done this On Saturday they would have saved a lot"of extra, wound.