SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

Evening Star, Issue 11660, 19 August 1902, Page 3

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

[SriCIAL TO thx Star.]

CHRISTCHURCH, Augnsfc IS.. Now that it is over,' it is possible to compare the Canterbury Jockey Club's Graad National meeting of last week with its immediate predecessors. It is generally agreed that it was well up to the average. The totalisator receipts were not so large jis those derived from last year's Grand National meeting, but this "fact was not due to a falling off in attendance. The weather, on the other hand, was fine, the fields larger, and the racing more interesting than was the case twelve months ago. I have already reviewed the proceedings of the first and second day, and there is little to add to the account of the third day's racing which I wired on Saturday evening. The feature of the afternoon's sport was the large measure of success achieved by the visiting horses, and the correspondingly poor achievements of the locally owned animals ; indeed, right throuch the meeting the latter did very badly, while the former, especially those from Auckland, carried all before them. Of the twentyfour races, thirteen fell to North Island owned horses. Another feature of the racing was the number of horses, that were injured. The Guard, it turns out, hurt his Fboulder so seriously that he could not be taken home* with'the rest of Prosser's team. Ho is now in hospital at Mr Mur-rry-Aynsley's stable, and it is unlikely that he will be able to journey back to Wellington for some time, and still more improbable that he will "be seeu in public until the season is well advanced. Moifaa was not fit to run again after the Grand National Steeplechase; Huku injured himself jn the Grand National Hurdle Race; Plain Bill, 'as I informed you in my last message, knocked himself out in the big steephebase; Brab, the winner of the Frret Hunters' Steeplechase, fell and was killed on Saturday; and the hunters G. 8.0. and Venture were very lame after their exertions. If the successes of the meeting were Aucklanders, so also were the failures. Conspicuous in the latter category were Cavaliero, Caunongate, and Royal Conqueror, each of whom ran some pounds below his best form. The other prominent disappointments were Blazer, Battleaxo, Stnithnairn, and Straybird, none of whom fulfilled the promise they gave before the meeting. One Aucklander is a richer man to-day than be was a week ago. Messrs Barnett and Grant laid him a wager of 1,000 to 12£ about the double Haydn and Tresham. Others from the same part of the colony must have bad a profitable meeting also, for although Cavaliero, Cannonpate, and Royal Conqueror failed to score, the Auckland representatives between them accounted for five races, including the two principal events. Mars jumped much better m the Sydenham Hurdle Race on Saturday than he did m the Grand National Hurdle Race, with the result that he won comfortably. He was lucky, however, in losiug the serious opposition of Scottish Minstrel! •who was suffering from the kick received while at exercise on the previous day. Among the spectators at, ■ Riccarton last Week was Mr Henry Redwood. The old gentleman, who is "staying with Mr E. Cutts, apparently enjoyed himself thoroughly. Redoubt must hare cost Mr V. Harris a pretty penny. He either has been or is about to be destroyed. Hopeless infirmity necessitated this course. The exodus from Riccarton began directly the meeting was over. Ostiak, Gobo. Strathnairn, The Shannon, Reliance, Kelpy and Battleaxe left for the North on Saturday evening, and Waiwhera and Ringlet followed yesterday. The Southern contingent began to move homeward yesterday. At Tattersall's yesterday the "double wiener Sultana changed hands at 125 guineas, Inchcape at 130 guineas, Lapidarv at 55 guineas, and Skipper at 51 guineas. Emboldened by Siege Gun's defeat in the Winter Cup, a bookmaker laid 100 to 4 against the son of Frailty for the New Zealand Cup. In reality Mr Stead's horse is at a much shorter price, and his defeat, in fact, cannot be said to nave prejudiced him in the eyes of backers, the following business "was transacted locally last week:—soo to 55 against Sie«e Gun, 500 to 55 Tortnlla, 500 to 11$ Terrapin 400 to 16 Lavarette, 300 to 18 Glenaladale, 000 to 10 Fakir, 300 to 4 Magnifi- i cent, 200 to 9 Romany Queen, 200 to 14 ' Melwood. New Zealand Cup and Stewards' Handicap : 500 to 5 against Ideal and Cruciom to 74 Tortulla and Bed Gaunto t.j to 2 Kd P7 and Cruciform, 250 to j Ideal and Royal Artillery, 250 to 3 Siege Gun and Goldspur. The filly by Bill of Portland from Melc.dious, purchased by Mr Stead in M*lbourne, reached Christchurch last week. ~A s nothing more has been heard of Mr Goilans offer to buy Tresham. Mr A. G. Holmes, the well-known Canterbury racing man, was taken ill suddenly last week, and is still far front well. Slow Tom, who won a couple of races at Kiecarton last week, was schooled bv his owner, Miss Burton. It is said that' Miss Burton would have been only too pleased to nde her horse in his engagements if nie rales had permitted.

A friendly card mateh was phryed last evening between the members of the newlvSVS^ 8 Bri^e and tie ?• Brigade in the latter s station, the games were evenly contested, the result ending in a small majority for the ?° n \? nned £- The f ° ls <*™g toWs were honored:-," The King," "The Fire Bripsoes Association," and "The Ladies" ftireman Alexander). were sung by Captain Mathie> Lieutenant Austin Fir/B:en Wilkins and Garbitt