LATEST CANTERBURY NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 753, 6 August 1886, Page 13

LATEST CANTERBURY NEWS.

(By “Fossicker.”]

Christchurch, Aug. 3. There is something radically wrong in th postal arrangements between here and Wellington, as my last letter was posted in ample time to catch the Hawea last Tuesday, and I now learn that it did not reach, you until after you went to press. Somebody wants hanging, and a better state of things may exist. ' . - Since the Grand National Meeting there has not been any particular item of interest in the racing line here. The Waimate meetrag takes place on Thursday, but does not require much attention, as the events are mostly local ones except the handicap, for which I am unchanged to fancy The Lad with Faugh-a-Ballagh as his closest attendant. Sultan has proved a rogue lately, or I should fancy him with only 10 stone up, but once a horse takes to shirking his duty he might as well be put on one side. Canard’a leg has been anything but satisfactory since his win in the Grand. National and he has been obliged to pass out from the race in consequence. Next week we shall have the Hunt Club Steeplechase when more sport will be provided as there are 3ure to be some erasures from the list published on Saturday. I cannot well decide upon a likely winner, though from his straight out-running in the Grand National, Mr Starky ought to be able to land Michael Scott a winner in the Hunt Club Handicap, and if fit and well Faugh-a-Ballagh must carry off the Open Steeplechase. The hurdle racer Secretary was sold on Wednesday last to his former part-owner, J. Higgins, at a most remarkable low figure, as he had to be sacrificed to settle a partnership dispute which has since been duly served up in public at the R.M. Court. Mr G. Rutherford, I learn since, had an interest in the horse at the time of the sale, and I shonld not be surprised to hear a further litigation between the contesting owners. I always had the opinion that a racehorse was a treacherous thing to have a part-ownership of, and am not surprised that such things should occur over a horse such as Secretary has been, one who when looking most fit and ready to win, was found to collapse. In short an in and out horse to play with. _ Now that Mr Higgins has him entirely in his own hands -1 presume all will be in his favor. His price under the hammer by Captain Cotton was 85 guineas. I consider him a remarkably cheap horse. The coursing meeting held under the auspices of the Plumpton Park Coursing Club was a great success in every way except the weather. Hares were stout, strong and gave good sport, and the best dogs won in nearly every case. Messrs Howe and Goodman having decided to discontinue coursing have sold nearly all their dogs; their last sale of importance being that of Symphony and Success, who tied for the April Cup, and Grace Darling who yesterday won the August Cup very cleverly. All three now belong to Mr W. J. Mills of Dunedin but remain in Taylor’s kennel during the remainder of the season. Their other dogs have been disposed of here, there, and everywhere only two having found their way up to the North Island as yet. . , Hunting is in great vogue just now, ana the meets of each pack are most assiduously , attended by some keen lovers of sport of this class, amongst whom are a number of ‘ globe trotters' who find the sport here very much better than they had anticipated, and they are especially pleased with the mounts they get here. Indeed a meet of either of the six packs of hounds now in regular keep in Canterbury is attended by some really fine horses and equipments. Since the erasure of several names from the Melbourne Cup there has been a little more betting done, and a fair amount of speculation has gone on over the double Melbourne and New Zealand Cups. The choice picks are Silvermine, Chesham, Commotion, Trenton, Britisher, Trident, Volcano, Crossfire and Krupp, in the order named, while for the New Zealand Cup, Nelson, Lochiel, Pasha, Tit Bit, Spade Guinea, Brigadier are most fancied. Some inquiries have been made for Terori, and I heard to-day of a hid being laid about Rubezhahl. The Derby prices remain as in my last quotations.