SPORTING.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 913, 20 March 1879, Page 2

SPORTING.

«, [by telegraph.] GREYMOUTH RACES. Grey mouth, March 19. The races were resumed to-day under very unfavorable circumstances, the weather being miserable, thick fog and heavy showers alternating. The first event WP.-S — The Goldfields' Handicap, for which :ive started— Blazing Star, Doneaster, Elfin King, Banker, and Native. After a good race, Native came in first; Blazing Star, second ; Elfin King, third. Hack Race (handicap).—Warrigal, 1; Hero, '£ ; Rover, 3. i Grey Valley Stakes (handicap), I.V mile. Fivo accepted Blazing Star, Kensington, Native, Banker, and Doctor. After a false start, in which Blazing Star went round the course, the whole of the horses got fairly away. Doctor's jockey was thrown in the first round, and Banker as usual bolted. A good race then ensued

between the three horses left, Native beating Kensington by a length, Blazing Star a bad third.

The Handicap Hurdle Race brought four to the post— Stoker, Maori Girl, Blue Bell, and Septimus. After a good xace between Maori Girl and Septimus, the two running neck-and-neck twice round the course, Maori Girl fell at the second last hurdle, hurting her jockey. Septimus won easily. Blue Bell was second. The next two events —the Novel Race and Consolation Stakes—were run in the dark. NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE CLUB'S MEETING. Christchurch, March 19. The programme of the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechases is published, and being a most attractive one, will no doubt bring an unusually large field of horses to the post for each event. The meeting will be held at Awamoa, near Oamaru ; and the country, which has been kindly placed at the disposal of the Club for the occasion by the Hon. Mathew Holmes, being the stiffest and most difficult yet selected will make the races more open than they otherwise would have been. One of our racing celebrities has added the great Australian crack, Lone Hand, to his team, in the hope of seeming the big event; but a few of the North Island fliers are also coming clown to contend for this prize. Mousetrap, the last winner, is on his way back from Tasmania to enter, but we entertain grave doubts of his scoring a win, especially as he is unaccustomed to water, which on this occasion will be a natural jump, a " yawner " will have to be cleared twice in the race. As the meeting takes place on Her Majesty's Birthday—always kept as a public holiday—and as arrangements have been made for running special trains from Christchurch and Dunedin on that day, at single fares, we have no doubt but that this meeting, which is daily increasing in popularity, will be the most successful of the kind yet held in New Zealand.