SPORTING NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 9215, 23 September 1890, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

We understand that the Directors o! the Southland Stud Company are on the lookout for. another stallion. They ate prepared’to' give a very fair price for a suitable'horse;''' ’ The Nelson Jockey Club has removed the disqualifications imposed upon the competitors at an unregistered meeting held at Rotherham last Boxing Day. Mr M. ’ F.’ Dennehy has resigned his position as Secretary of the South Canterbury Jockey Club to take up an appointment as assistant Town Clerk at Timaru. Moody, the winner of the Grand National of 1885, has been destroyed. The gelding never recovered from the severe injuries he received while schooling a year ago, and a friendly bullet put an end to his career. At a sale of thoroughbreds held in Dunedin on Monday, Le Temps was purchased by Mr J. Lawson for 25gs, Gazelle by Mr S. Mercer for 401ge, and Caliph by Mr C, D. Degg for 33gs. We regret to learn that Colonel Carr’s efforts to float-a Company to take over the New Zealand .Stud Company’s establishment at Sylvia Park are unlikely to be successful. Our Auckland correspondent chronicles the death of Realisation, the dam of Maxim, and states that Major George is expected to return to the Colony about the middle of next month. We have received a supply of the Victoria Racing Club’s programmes for the current season, which contain a lot of very interesting information. Paradox, the winner of the Two Thousand Guineas in 1885, died at the Eccninswell stud, Newbury, on August 5. St Gatien, who ran a dead heat with Harvester for the Derby of 1884, has been purchased by the Royal Prussian Stud for .£14,000. At a recent meeting of the Committee of the Victoria Racing Club the proposal to appoint a stipendiary steward to attend the suburban and country meetings was discussed, but no decision was arrived at. The Darebin colt, purchased in America for Mr Lionel Rothschild, has been nominated fm’ the English Derby of 1892.

The Committee of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club has decided not to entertain the application of the disqualified jockey, Myers, to re-open his case. Soudan, by Musket—Maid of Athol, won the Selling Race, and Moss Rose, by Cassivelaunus —Eoseneath, the Braybrook Handicap at Moonee Valley on Sept. 4. O’Connor, who has made a great improvement in Chudleigh and Dragon since they were placed in his hands, was unfortunate in losing the latter horse by sale at Geraldine. This young trainer deserves to have all his boxes filled. We have received the Wanganui Jockey Club’s book programme for the current season.

Mans,; by Musket from L’Orient, has been purchased for stud purposes in the Upper Murray (N.S.W.) district. Mr Virgoe has sold Tranter, by Musket— Pungawerewere, to Mr W. Glasscock for .FSOgs. We hear good accounts of a colt by Berlin, from a Diomedes mare, that is likely to be seen at one of the trotting meetings before the end of the season. He is certainly bred the right way to go fast. From Middlepark we learn that Tell Tale and Flatter have each dropped a filly foal to Apremont. So many racing Clubs have recently decided to hold meetings on Nov. 9, that it may not be out of place to mention that that date falls this year on a Sunday. At the annual meeting of the South Wairarapa Eacing Club the following officers were elected for the ensuing year : Vice-President, Mr A. Matthews; Secretary, Mr W. Bock; Treasurer, Mr W. Cundy; Judge, Mr A. Matthews; Clerk of the Scales, Mr W. Benton; Timekeeper, Mr W. 0. Williams; Stewards, Messrs Nix, M'Shane, A. M'Kenzie, Eeynolds, A. Donald, Bethune, and Pilmer. The nominations for the Derby and just' before the last; mail- left'. There are 265 nominations for the Derby and ‘ 194 nominations for ; the Oaks, numbers which have only twice been exceeded in the former race andfour times in the latter. The Paris correspondent of the London Sportsman, referring to the French Trotting Society, sayslt has earned the good wishes of the whole sporting community, and given an example which, if followed by the Jockey Club and Steeplechase Society, would enable certain meetings in districts where it is imperative that breeding should be encouraged to be carried on.” The brood mare Bal Gal, who was the crack two-year-old at Home of the season 1880, but has been a comparative failure at the stud, was - recently sold for 2000 guineas, - She is by Adventurer, the sire of Miss Kate, from Cantiniere, who is also dam of Dutch Oven the winner of the St Leger in 1882. It turns out that Mr C. D. Eose, who formerly raced under the registered name of “Mr Adrian” is the anonymous donor of 1060 Bovs to -each of three handicaps to be run under the direction of the English Jockey Club. ■ Niagara is'now performing stud duties at the- Warwick Farm ■ stables, and a correspondent of the Sydney Referee describes the New Zealander as “a magnificent horse, the very beau ideal of a thoroughbred/’ The Turakina Jockey Club will hold a race meeting on Jan. 29, when .£2lO will be paid away in added money. After the high-jumping competition at the Eoyal Agricultural Show in Melbourne, Spondulix, who had failed to get over the bar at 6ft lin, jumped a rigid rail 6ft 6£in above the ground. The St Leger run at Doncaster last week was won by Memoir, the Oaks winner, who had Blue Green and Gon salvo as her immediate attendants. The results of other important events decided at the meeting will be found in our cable news. Tranter, by Musket Pungawerewere, took first prize and .grand champion prize of Australiain the class for. thoroughbred stallions at the Eoyal Show in Melbourne last month.

A correspondent of the Australasian, writing from San Francisco, says Mr Haggin is very much disappointed because the Sir Modreds have not won everything they started for. A Melbourne exchange says that New Zealand trotters are swarming into Victoria.

About two years ago (says an American exchange) the Buffalo mare Belle Hamlin startled the horse world by trotting a halfmile over the Buffalo track in ro2}min—a 2’o4£min gait. On July 14 last she trotted an eighth in 14}sec, at the rate of 203860 for a quarter and a l-58min gait for a full mile. She-was driven by W. J. Andrews, who gave" her her head and allowed her to go as fast as she wanted to, and without the least urging or a touch of the whip. 'lt is certainly a wonderful performance and has never been equalled by any trotting horse, and the only pacer that has ever been credited with such a burst of speed is Brown Hal, who recently paced a quarter in 28aee.

Stratford had the mount on Yarra in the Wagga Cup, run at the Murrumbidgee Meeting, whep the New Zealand mare ran third to -Yankeeand Yanko won very easily by threejlpngtha ffom Defiance, who was’ rather more thaaihat distance in trdnt of-Tarth. -Boter Mikado IL.’by carried 9st, and beat a pretty strong field in the Mile Handicap. Stratford again had the mount, and Mr Paneti’s gelding started at 6 to 1. Yarra started in the principal handicap on the second day, but failed to get a place. The Wairarapa Daily in commenting upon the impending amalgamation of several Racing Clubs, in the Wairarapa district, attributes the decline of local sport to the presence of the totaliaator. “ This legalised turf gambling machine has,” it says, “ altered all the old conditions under which one or two" facing Clubs flourished amongst us, and has supplanted them by a dozen feeble Clubs, which are more or less objects of contempt and derision.” It is passing strange that the machine should have had a precisely-opposite-effect-in

almost every other part of the Colony* Perhapq the,, good people . of Wairarapa have done the thing to death. Our Marton correspondent, whose letter came to hand just after we went to press last week, writes: —There was a good attendance at the Eangitikei Hunt Club Meeting on Sept. 5, but the course was very heavy and the racing only moderate. The Hurdle Eace fell to To Ata, a gelding by Papapa, that showed pretty good form last year. Half a dozen saddled up for the Hunt Cup, and Piako 13st 4lb and Asper 12st 131 b were most fancied; but Asper took up the running at an early stage of the race, and won very comfortably from Lucy Glitters, who should have carried the heavy weights along at a better pace. Eos, a half-brother to Martonian, won the Flat Eace with plenty 'to spare, and Eustic secured the Maiden Steeplechase. In the latter race, the favourite, Otairi, fell at the last fence when the race appeared to bo at his mercy. In the Flying Handicap, nothing could foot it with the highly-bred Josephine, by St George— Pieurauge, who got off badly, and won just as she liked. Bandit galloped over his field in the Ladies’ Bracelet, and the Tally-Ho Steeplechase, for which Lucy Glitters was made a strong favourite, but fenced badly, was secured by Otairi. The Peilding Hunt Club Meeting was held a couple of days later, and Te Ata was again successful in the Hurdle Eace. Oaklands won the Plying Handicap, and Evelyn beat Dangerous, Euclid and six others in the Maiden Steeplechase. Asper was most fancied for the Hunt Cup, and jumping the country without a mistake confirmed his Eangitikei victory. Eos also won again in the Plat Bice, and Matchless appropriated the Ladies’ Bracelet, while Evelyn again showed a clean pair of heels to her opponents in the Welter Steeplechase. The annual general meeting of the Wairarapa Jockey Club was held on Sept. 6. The balance-sheet showed that the Club had improved its financial position by £9o 13s 6.d during' the year. A Committee was appointed to consider a proposal to amalgamate with the South Wairarapa Eacing Club, and the following officers were elected for the ensuing year : VicePresident, Mr H. S. Wardell; Judge, Mr J. Drummond; Starter, Mr N. Grace; Stewards, Messrs H. H. Beetham, A. Matthews, W. E. Bidwill, C. J. Tully, James .Macara.v E. W. Dorset, A. M‘Kenzie,\ H. Hume, T. Grace, C. E. Hi, Gaffer, and H. G. Williams'; Treasurer,MrW.C. Buchanan; Clerk of Scales, Mr E. W. Dorset; Timekeeper, Mr W. 0. Williams; Auditors, Messrs P. H. Wood, and A. L. Webster. The appointment of handieappers was left iff the hands of the Stewards. A writer in the Wcehly Chronicle says he is aware that the trophies provided for Ladies’ Bracelet races have been concerted into cash by the owners of the winners. This may account for a proposal by the Wanganui Jockey Club that all horses,taking pare in these races should be the hand, fide property of the nominators. ? i The Sporting Review, which has now reached its sixth number and shows plenty of signs of vitality, thinks a large number of small race meetings ** are simply got up for the benefit of a few, and for the purpose of fleecing country bumpkins and bushmen.” The editor of our contemporary must have been singularly unfortunate in his experience of small meetings. The South Canterbury Jockey Club will commence its Spring Meeting at Ximaru to-day, and given fine weather—of which there is every prospect at the time of writing—there is sure to be a large attendance to witness the sport. The Geraldine running points to College Boy as the probable winner of the Hurdle Eace, but we think the extra half-mile will be all in favour of Eomulus, who should be none tbo worse for bis gallops last week. If College Boy should start, he will about win the County Plate, and in his absence we should prefer Liberator. The Tlmaru Guineas should produce a capital race, and Morain e will have all his work cut out to win from Prime Warden and Bay King, while Diadem is reported to have done a gallop last week which represents her chance as a pretty good one. Ahuais looking wonderfully well, and if steeplechasing has not seriously affected his pace, he must have a great say in the President’s Handicap, but Prime Warden and Bay King are both formidable at the weights, and if either should be kept out of the Guineas, he will probably win the Handicap. Trimolite may secure the Hunters’ Hurdle Eace from a very moderate lot, and if Dragon has lost none of the condition he carried at Geraldine, he will win the Welter Handicap. Train arrangements for the meeting are advertised, and we hope the officials will see the events got oil up to time, so that visitors can return to town by the Express. At the annual general meeting of the Lower Valley Jockey Club a statement of accounts showing a credit balance of £27 was submitted, and the following officers were elected: President, Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.H.E.; Vice-President, Mr John Martin, jun.; Treasurer, Mr G. Pain Secretary, Mr W. Armstrong; Starter, Mr A. Pilmer; Handicapper, Mr E. M'Parlane; Judge, Mr Wallace Smith; Timekeeper, Mr W. 0. Williams; Clerk of Seales, Mr T. P. Evans; Clerk of Course, Mr A. Mitchell; Stewards,Messrs D. M'Dougall, 0. Harris, J. Orr, H. C, Dowman, H. T. Mahapuku, G. Harris, P. Kane; Auditors, Messrs J. Martin jun. and C. Tully. It was decided to hold the annual race meeting on Deo. 26. Mr August Belmont, a well-known patron of the American turf, is reported to contemplate selling his stables and retiring from the sport on account of an abominable conspiracy of which he has been a victim. It appears that he had a four-year-old filly named Fides, the holder of the six furlong record, entered for a' large stake at the Monmouth Park Meeting, bub on account of unfitness Mr Belmont decided not to run the flyer. Fides was in her stall with legs bandaged when the trainer received a telegram, apparently signed by Mr Belmont, directing that the filly should start. The orders were carried out, and Fides was beaten. The telegram turned out to be a forgery, but the discovery was made too late to prevent the mischief. The public, believing Fides was in good condition, backed her heavily, while the conspirators, knowing the real state of affairs, laid the odds to any amount. They do those things better in Prance. A tremendous riotoccurredatthe Colombes Meeting on July 23. The favourite fell in the first race, and then came a walk over,' followed by another walk over, much, to the indignationof the public who demanded the return of their money in consequence of the failure of the management to provide fields large enough to give scope for speculation. As the management refused ,to return the money a scene of the wildest disorder arose. The crowd, setting'the authorities of the racecourse and the police at defiance, commenced to tear' up the hurdles and to make bonfires of them. The ringleaders were arrested, but rescued by the mob. The paddock was then invaded -by the crowd, who broke down the railings, and it was at one time, feared that the stands would be set on fire. Messengers were despatched to Courbevoie for troops, and on the arrival of a detachment, of , soldiers the disturbance was quelled an d the course gradually cleared. An appeal in an action in which Captain Eussell, Colonial Secretary, was appellant, and the Napier Park Eacing Club the respondent was heard before His Honor the Chief Justice in the Banco Court on Friday. The Napier Magistrate had decided that Captain Eussell should return the amount of the stakes (some .£3O) paid to him, in consequence of his horse Van Dieman having won a hack race at a meeting last year. The Chief Justice, after hearing argument, held that Captain Eussell had the right to appeal to the Metropolitan Club if the point in dispute was taken before the Stewards. The case was therefore remitted back to the Eesident Magistrate for amendment. The Australasian, referring to the effects of the totalisator in this Colony, says True, the totalisator has driven from the land of the Maori to Victoria a number of racing men and horses. Wo cannot say that we have gained much by the invasion. This very fact is one of the strongest arguments in favour of the ’legalisation of the

instrument, arid if it will hays a .similar effect here, arid drive; from bur midst 50 per cent of a certain class of racing men, who are the most obnoxious excrescences upon the face of the turf, we shall hail with the liveliest satisfaction the advent of the apparatus that cannot lie.

The number of accidents at the Dunedin Hunt Club Meeting last week should certainlydirect the attention of the Committee to the character of the course. To run steeplechases on a circular track of only a mile in circumference is bad enough, but when the fences are badly placed the danger is largely increased. The obstacles are not particularly big—with a little schooling any decent hunter would jump them all daylong without a mistake —but they are placed on the- extreme outside of the track, so that the competitors keep running in and out, as it were, to save what ground they can on the flat, and still approach their fences in good positions. As a result, horses often come to a fence at an awkward angle, and are always tempted to run off on the inside. Strangers riding at Forbury are naturally puzzled by this arrangement, and the most accomplished pilot on a roguish horse will got into trouble sooner or later. The course is becoming rather notorious for mishaps of one sort and another in jumping races, and we would strongly urge the Committee to place the fences at the Hunt Club Meeting at least on the inside. The death of a really promising steeplechaser was the most serious result of last week’s accidents, but Mr Claridge and Walls went very near sharing the sad fate of the unfortunate Mr P. Jones, and spills are not a feature of the sport to be encouraged. There was a little betting on the New Zealand Cup during the progress of the Dunedin Meeting. Merrie England remains firm at 4 to 1, and Cracksbot at 5 to 1, while Tirailleur has been supported for small amounts at 6 to 1, and Jet d’Eau is quoted at the same price. After his victories at Porhury, Wolverine was backed to win >£400 or j£soo,.and is now at 7 to 1, while 100 to 10 has been booked about Moraine, and 300 to 21 about Recluse. The double, Melbourne and New Zealand Cups, has been laid several ways at 100 to 2, .and 100 to 10 has been taken about Carbine for the Melbourne Cup straight out. Sultan and Leopold are favourite picks for the Caulfield Cup at 100 tO 6.: • . • i . ■

Our Riccatton correspondent .writes : As the weather during the past fortnight has been fine, work at Eiccartoa has been of an uninterrupted nature. Trainers are now sending their charges along with a view to early engagements. Cutts’ lengthy string is out among the first as a rule, , and he has got nearly all the members of it pretty forward. He is not sparing Dudu, and the-old mare is decidedly less beefy than she was a few weeks ago. The Chokebore two-year-olds now come ' out directly after breakfast, and though perhaps there is not a Derby horse among them,. still Aqualate, by July —Teredo, and Union Flag, by St George— Red Rose will be more than useful, and the former may be dangerous 'in the Welcome Stakes, if the weight does not trouble her. Of Lunn’s string, Merrie England still strides along in his solid work as gaily as ever, and should foe quite ready by the time the New Zealanil Cup is at hand, Ahua is as well as ever,, but will find the opposition at Timaru a little too strong, while Ixion appears ready, to race. The two-year-old Cajollery is coming along nicely, and is one of the most forward youngsters at Riccarton. Diadem is the most forward of Webb’s lot, and., she will more than hold her own in the .Timaru Guineas. Ruby is well, but Pear swick is still in the rough. Sheenan ’Sas Ben Trovato and Erin-go-Bragh movin g along, hub he has sold Preston to Mr G. MurrayAynesley, and Master George com es out in the afternoon. - Eichlake gets through his daily tasks in good style, and is an improving horse, bub O’Connor hat i lost one of his team in Dragon, who wi is sold at Geraldine, while Chudleigh’s 1 teg looks worse than ever. A five-yesj i-old full brother to Tarantalus has joined the team, however, so this painstaking trainer has Still a couple to go on with.- Tfc ,e Middlepark two-year-olds are rapidl; f getting into' shape, and the Ham: mock colt Morpheus is growing into a v ery taking horse. Reports from Yaldhursl i state that Mr Stead will be strong in tw ro-year-olds this year, and especially so in the spring. A fairly strong contingent 1, 7 Sll journey to Timaru for the Spring Meeti: ag, and the following may win their eng;a gements Hurdles, College Boy; Weltiir. Dragon; President’s Handicap, Prim l j Warden; Guineas, Diadem. It is announced that the,.; trotting sire Victor will again be at tins service of breeders this year. Victor i s one of the best looking horses that has e ver appeared on the track in New Zealand, and his performances prove that he is! possessed of wonderful pace and great stamina. Notwithstanding the fact that hi j has divided his attention between the stud and the track, he held the Three-mile record for some time, and is still only Hsec behind Fidget’s sensational performs tnce. Several of his stock show great pronr iise, and they all inherit their sire’s goo'i temper and beautiful action. We kno /r of no halfbred stallion in the Colony that we could recommend with greater cd afidence. The Duke of Portland/ s winnings in stakes for the current ■ /season already amount to nearly J 830,000. With the result of tb e A.J.C. Derby before ns the followini f extracts from “ Augur’s” anticipations / >f the race will be read with interest: —lt i/•/ not a wise'polioy to back a youngster for many thousands months before a Derby ‘ is run. “ Luck ” is generally on the sicf a of the layers, especially when the pr Ice is a short one. It is all very well in) a Melbourne Cup where there are forty or fifty others who will also receive suppoj it, but in a Derby, with the owner and t) le great body of the public supporting oi/,ly one horse, the chances are that befoc a the race is run he will suffer from thajl i prevalent malady, metallic fever, from which they seldom or niever recover until tl|i/e particular eveiit for which - they Have W in ' backed' has' 'been decided. The gcrnu ti are constantly im-the air, at all events that portion of the atmosphere which ei the world of' turf, and Ithose vVbo inhale ?them -are dbomed, for a tr tne at least. * * * Those who are'; ?ilost Constant, in their visits to Eandwi'ck tracks declare that Gibraltar is one j of the most promising colts ever seen t here, and there is no reason why he 1 hould not be first-class. His sire. Grandmaster, now and then provides us widh a colt of high-class, and his dam,, Algeria, has • already produced winmrs, one - of them being that good house Algerian, who' unfortunately met i yith an accident after he had shown capi' tal form. Algeria, the dam of Gibraltar, ha a mare whose breeding cannot be found fault with, for she is by Blihkhoolie ficmi Adrastia, by St Albans (son of Stocks Pill). Escapade, r anning in the nomination of -Lord. William l Beresford, finished third in the Forest H andicap at Oakleigh Park on Sept. 5. ? 'retender occupied a..similar position in f lie Selling Race. ■ Laingwas caut.ioned.for suspicious riding on Waiter i ia the Steeplechase at Elsternwick Park 1 ast month- The rebuke seems, from all ao founts, to have been thoroughly well deserved. Our La 'idem correspondent wrote on August hf —A cloudless sky, warm sun and baltrVjr western breezes signalised the opening (ifternoon of this years “ glorious Goodwoc cl," and, as the sport was excellent, the large concourse enjoyed itself amazing ,jy. The Craven Stakes fell to the favour!? a, Maley, and then the historic Ham S’fakes for two-year-olds introduced us to the grandly-bred Orion (by Ben d'Or out of (Sihotover), which beat Mr Barclay’s Simon de Mountford, the Prince of Wales’ Derail eft and two others easily. The Stewa r/ds’ Cup as usual attracted a large field, 1 Vwenty-two runners going to the post, and r/peculation taking a wide range. The s jreat tips were—Lottie Smith (3yrs, 6st ?-lb), said to have been highly tried with last year's winner. Dog Rose; Miss Efchi-J . (4yrs, 7st 31b), an extraordinarily spe< ;dy animal over five furlongs; Mr L. de Bothschild’e Galloping Queen (4yrs, 6st. ;jL3lb) and Lord Hartington’s Marvel -7st 61b). All these seemed .to be

- . I. 7 , . ■ backed at about the same price. wi|i,lo, til I for a time/ but towards the nfi'Mh MIM. Ethel was decidedly favourite at 8 to 1» After a couple of breaks away'the nag'fell, and almost immediately tne brilliant cavalcade came, trooping, over the hill seemingly well nigh in line. The pace must, however, have beeri a cracker, as the descent had scarcely commenced before the line began to falter and break. , On the right Grecian Bead and Galloping; Queen could now be seen clear of the rest, whilst on the - left Marvel, Miss'Ethel, andTheophilus were .equally far,in,front. It was singular to notice hiow these two wings parted company with the central division ; la fact, at the foot of the k hill;thei five had obviously the race betweep them.. Miss Ethel was.the first to compound,and then Grecian Bend cried a go, whilst Gallojping Queen and Marvel drew, eacui moment further and further away front Theophilus. Lord HarSington's three-year-old ran in blinkers, and opposite the ‘ stand lost some way by forging across to’ the inside, the son of Marden and Applause had, however, always the best of Galloping Queen, and won by nearly a lengtn, Theophilus many lengths away a bad third. An unexpectedly large field of fourteen ran for the Goodwood Stakes yes* terday, which fell to the favourite Papyrus (4yrs, 7st 121 b), after a good race with Silver Spur (4yrs, 9st 101 b), and Brackley (4yrs, 7sfc 4lb). The winner belongs to Mr T. V. Gooch, and was trained by Joei Cannon. It started at 7 to 2. St Serf,, , with odds of 5 to 2 laid on him, beat a field' of seven for the Sussex Stakes, in such hollow fashion as to call renewed attention, to his Leger chance, and Baron Rothschild's two-year-old flyer Huute Saone had to succumb in the Halnaker Stakes to Mr E. W, Baird’s Flodden Field, by Harden—» Sister of Mercy. > The correspondent to whom we are indebted for the table •of winnings -we commented upon recently, writes object* ing to the conclusions we drew from his figures. "My contention,” he says, "in not that the Canterbury owners have been, treated eo well by the handicappers j bull; that Christchurch is the racing metropolis; of the Colony. Of the fifty handicaps.' Christchurch secured twenty-six, and ofthe ninety-throe classic races, fifty-three. Ergo,” Vifa hasten to £or,\ making an " unauthorised •-use of the; results ofi bur friend’s labour, but wo > really never suspected that-it was desired' to further establish the incontestable fact i that Christchurch is the racing metropolis' of the Colony. But if the compiler of thin' table had gone a little further there would have been no mistake. He might have: pointed out that while the Canterbury; owners won about 57 per cent of the classic races they won only 52 per cent of the handicaps, records which go to- show, in a rough sorb of way, that local owners. have received few favours from the adjusters of the weights, and that their 1 successes are entirely due to the merits a( their horses.

The Colonial Secretary has at last given ; a reply to the representatives of the New’; Zealand Trotting Association who petitioned for a modification of the totalisator regulations in their application to trotting j meetings, and the reply, as will be seen; from the correspondence published ii| : another column, is of a distinctly unfavour- j able character: Captain Russell has said, in effect, that he sees no reason for making' special exceptions in, favour of Trotting! Clubs, and thinks the present regulations; best calculated to promote the interests of; the sport. There ; the . matter must; stand for the time, but it would; have been much better, we think,if the Minister had taken more pains to! acquaint himself with the position 61; trotting in Canterhrry. We are by ho means in favour of extending the prm-; leges of the proprietary Clubs which hav*sprung up around Christchurch j bntjifj there is a single Club worked whollyalidi solely in the interests of sport it is entitled' to more consideration than Captain Busiell: appears inclined to give. It is simply ridiculous to say that any modification of the regulations would lead to a “ variety of complications” and “endless vexation. 1 * If the Colonial Secretary had carried out these regulations in their entirety, proprietary Clubs would be things of .the past, and we should now. he fairly on , the road to honest ahd'popular sport. ' / V]. But while we think it possible the Trotting Association has a grievance, we; cannot approve of the tone; adopted?, by its representative in addressing the Colonial Secretary. Captain Russell . may’ „be: profoundly ignorant of ! the admired; advantages of the,sport, hut, he is not, wa fancy,' the sort of; man to attempt'. .to withhold Tiis' answer until after ' the dissolution, or to follow blindly the dictates of 1 his •. metropolitan friends; _He has probably obtained what he considers the best available information, and committed the very common Ministerial blunder? of supposing that what is not known in Wellington is not worth knowing at all.;. But even if the Colonial Secretary were' all that the representatives of the Trotting Association hinted at in -their Mr Perceval, it would have been unwise to imply that the person from whom they were asking a favour was half a coward and little better than a fool. The threat to initiate a movement for the abolition of I the totalisator is all bunkum. Any attempt in that direction would estrange the best friends of the sport,- and it would:be tar more judicious to submit with a dignified protest, and endeavour to educate Captain Russell in the duties of his office. ■ To combat the assertion - that the totalisator has enormously increased the number of race meetings in New Zealand, “Mazeppa” has looked up the statistics bearing on the subject; and published the following figures s— - v ; j',j: No. of No/ijf Season. Meets, Season. Meet!. 1875-76 ... ... 119 1883-8* .« .... 2*B:fe 1878-77 116 1884-85 ~.. .....267^-. 1877- 117 1885-86,',... 260fe' 1878- !.. r ... 164 ! 1886-87 ... ' ...‘ 2® ; £- 1870-SO ... ... 179 1887-88 ...-• 1880- ... ... 208 1888-89:, ... 1881- : ;.. ' ... 230' 1889-90- ...' 86$-v, - , 1832-83 v .V.’ ... 230 • -;C; It will be seen that the largest increase^the number of meetings in anyone eeaaiji, took place in 1877-78, and: a stranger/if required to put his finger; on the racial year daring which the totalisator was itw/ traduced would probably select this period,; : but as a matter of fact the machine first seen in New Zealand, in 1879, and did not come into general ise’By the country Clubs until a year later. ',Thj maximum number of meetings was reached-' in 1886-87, and since then there has been>’, gradual decline. This seems to be. a coni|’: plete answer to one of the stock ohargoi ; against the totalisator, and it is gfatifyftijf to find that while the meetings have been;; rather more than doubled during the jasb fifteen years,.the stakes have increased, from J 824.426, in 1875-76, to .£86,209. m.’ very strong argument in favour of the machine. - , l( .