LATEST CANTERBURY NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 743, 28 May 1886, Page 20

LATEST CANTERBURY NEWS.

|By “ Fossickeb.”]

Christchurch, May 25. The death of Mr Henry Porcber Lance, in so sudden and unexpected a manner, and at such a comparatively early age, has indeed caused a blow to the sporting fraternity ■which is difficult to describe. It is not that he mixed up daily with those of us who are grafting at the sport in a rough and ready sense, nor is it that he was a man who courted popularity or public favor in the slightest. No. It was his quiet demeanour, his natural superiority, and his generally respectful and considerate behaviour to all and sundry with whom he came into contact, that made him so thoroughly and generally a favorite in the sporting world. His life was that of one of those who are making a constant study how to do the best for his fellow men and for the community in which he resides, as is instanced by the fact that he was to the fore in any and every thing appertaining to the success of his neighbours. In the County Councils to which he was repeatedly elected a representative ; in the local vestry, where he was the reigning factor in parish matters ; in the jockey club rooms, where he was undoubtedly the authority on any matter re quiring technical skill ; and in many other ways too numerous to mention, his place ■will not be filled in Canterbury. We shall not look upon his like again, and.it is a matter of great satisfaction to his friends to know that his earthly affairs, which, owing to a variety of partnerships in which he had a share might have been left in somewhat of a muddled state, are, thanks to prudence and forethought, left in a very satisfactory state, and that his relatives -will on that account be relieved from all trouble at sueh a time. The funeral on Saturday was a most grand one an every sense of the word, though plain in the matter of cortege, &c., but as one -who was present said to me yesterday, « It was almost worth dying if one could xely on having such a genuine lot of good fellows to follow one to the grave.’ Of course the Queen’s Birthday proved a source of enjoymentto all and sundry, especially as the weather was such as could not be beat6n at this time of year. A really English spring day caused a large attendance at the principal attraction for sporting men, viz., the Heathcote Winter Meeting, which was a most snccessfnl gathering in every way. The course, which had during recent floods been submerged with water was rather steadier for some of the heavy weights, especially round that portion of it which fronts on the river, and which lies low, but despite this, some decently fast racing followed. The arrangements were mueh the same as usual. The repeated meeting there making everyone perfectly au fait in his duties and, though the time of each race was not strictly adhered to, the day’s sport was brought to a conclusion in fair light The order of the events was not in usual form, seeing that the sport commenced with a Hack Hurdle Race, then followed two flat races, after which there came the Open Handicap Hurdle Race, sn event in which

a fair obstruction should be offered to the competitors, and which the hurdles being set up in a hurry did not offer. The consequence was that it resulted in a win for the fleetest of foot out of the nine candidates, not the best jumper by any means. To ensure a good hurdle race handicap the obstruction should in all reason be set up stoutly before the races commence, and the Hack Hurdle coming afterwards would be the only ones to keep any advantage that may be given. The sport, as I .said, began with .the Hack Hurdles, in which out of the eight competitors, there was only one that could be expected to win, if seen on his stride, which the rider, (Miniflt,) endeavored to do his best to hide from view in the canter past, but the judges were too good and too numerous to overlook the merits of such a well made animal and he had to start at 2to 1 or first favorite, and could not help winuing, hard held, by a few lengths. The Maiden Plate was a far more interesting event to witness, and provoked a great deal more speculation. Two black horses, the proDerty of two brothers, sported silk with antagonistic views, and they were placed first and second ultimately, Sankey and Master Guy, both by the same sire— Daniel O’Rourke—having the race all to themselves, owing to the bad riding of the boy on Malvino (The Babe), who lost not less than 50 yards on the river side of the course, which must have won him the race had he saved it, as he came at the finish like a steam engine, and nearly outpaced his .two leaders. The race for the Birthday Handicap was not an exciting one by any means, though the attempt of Bradley’s little mare Rose and Gold to secure the eye of the judge was pretty to see. Kingask, however, held his own easily, being the favorite from start to finish. The Open Hurdle Race proved, as I said before, a trial of speed, owing to the fall of most of the flights, and Tres Sec had no difficulty iu appropriating it to himself. There was more even competition for the Welter Handicap, in which Brian Boru, 9st 51b, Conundrum, lOst 21b, and Oeo, Bst 121 b, were first favorites. The Irishman and Oeo never showed prominently at all, and though Bob Derrett was upon Conundrum, he could not foot it with Rose and Gold, who lowered his colors when within a few paces of the post. The pony race followed, and caused little or no excitement, as a thoroughbred mare of small dimensions was able to go under the standard, and gave the others little or no show from the start. The Flying Handicap finished the day’s sport, for which Mr Bradley had reserved his favorite mare Athol Daisy, who with Rocket were the only ones fancied. ... The second day’s racing, which is being held to-day, is devoted to trotting, and as neither that class of sport nor the Heathcote racecourse have any. special attractions for me, I can have nothing to say about it this week. Of course, the trotting meeting to be held at the Lancaster Park on Saturday afternoon was postponed on account of Mr Lance’s funeral taking place that day. I may say en passant that this meeting is being held under the auspices of several of the members of the C. J.C. under pressure. They are repeatedly asked to bastardise the Riccarton racecourse by introducing a trotting meeting there, but they, the stewards, do not mean to have their course spoilt, or their fair name polluted with any such trash, and they have submitted only to the pressure to the extent of holding a trotting meeting in a very good place. Though Ido not like trot ting, I shall hope this meeting is a success, and as Mr Penfold is at the helm of affairs, I expect to see it so. Parliament is to be petitioned during this session for a reduction of railway freight on race horses, a similar concession, to that granted to hunters going out to their sport, that is, the return fare free. If granted, the petitioners say that the traffic of this class of stock will be very materially increased, as numbers of horses are now debarred from attending race meetings at a distance owing to the immense railway charges. The following is the prayer of the petition, which is being signed by owners all the country over, the promoter of the affair, Captain Cotton, having in the interest of sport, forwarded a copy to every one of the Jockey Clubs in the Colony : -‘To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of the House; of Representatives in Parliament assembled. —The Humble Petition of the Undersigned Owners and Trainers of Racehorses and Others interested in the Sport and Business of Horse Racing, Sheweth : That that the animal income derived by the New Zealand Railway Department for the carriage of Racehorses and Steeplechasers from and to the various centres of population during each year is a very large item of said revenue, and that no abatement of deduction whatever is made to the said owners .and others who are compelled to travel sometimes long distances by rail in pursuit of their avocation. That in the case of gentlemen using the Railways for the carriage -of Hunters to the scenes of their engagements, the said Department has already seen fit to make a wholesale deduction in their freight, they being now carried at half the usual rate that is to say, that the return journey is allowed to be made free of cost. That if such a concession were made in the case of Racehorses and Steeplechasers, it would be a great boon to the Sporting community ; and we are of opinion that it would conduce materially towards an immediate increase in the traffic returns for such class, as it would cause a very large number of horses to be sent to all the Race Meetings iu the country, which are now deterred from going in consequence of the enormous expense for railway carriage. That in the interest of the Railway Revenue, and the furthering of our grand National Pastime, your Petitioners humbly request you Honorable House to make a similar concession to that now made in the case of Hunters. And your Petitioners will ever pray, &c.’