CANTERBURY AUTUMN MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1325, 21 April 1877, Page 16

CANTERBURY AUTUMN MEETING.

[BY TfILEGBAPH.I

(from our own correspondent.)

Chbistchohch, April 18th. Stewards : Messrs L. Walker, P. Cunningham, W. Reeves, Wynn Williams, E. G. Griffith, F. W. Delamain, Sir J. C. Wilson. Judge, Hon. E. W. Stafford ; Starter, C. A. Fitzroy ; Clerk of the Course, E. W. Millet ; Handicapper, H. P. Lance ; Clerk of Scales. S. Garfcrth. First Dat, Tuesday. Given the most magnificent weather it was possible to conceive, the attendance fair, and the ground in splendid order, and the chance that the two big events — the Champagne and Great Autumn — -would be as open as ever it had been the pleasure of the reporters to chronicle, it is no wonder that the Autumn Meeting of 1877 must be pronounced a decided success. The showers during the last few days were just sufficient to lay the dust, generally a great drawback to the perfect enjoyment of a race meeting in Canterbury, especially to those to whom the rail offers no attraction, and who prefer the time-honoured means of locomotion — from the redoubtable four -in - hand down to the modest spring trap. The disqualification of Fishhook had been the cause of some considerable excitement during the last few days, and when it was known that the case was to be reconsidered by the N.0.T.C., the possibility that the original judgment might be reversed was discussed, in which case of course the C.J.C. would have been bound to follow suit. But tile telegrams of this morning put to flight the hopes of the ardent admirers of the Hook, I suppose I may say, for ever. Calcutta sweeps here are becoming quite an institution, and the excitement attendant upon them appears to be year by year on the ascendant. I shall select a couple of these sweeps, indicating indirectly the merits of the various performers in the public estimation. In a sweep ot L 193 17s for the Great Autumn, Punga. fetched L - 5 L 10; Guy Fawkes, Ll7; Fallacy, L2O; and Cloth of Gold, LIL In another for the Champagne, of Ll4B 15s, Foul Play fetched L 25; Mirelle, L4O; Jangler, Ll3: Oberon, L 10; Trump Card, L 29;2 9; Lady Bird, Ll3. To come to the racing proper, the Leger produced two competitors, in the form of Dead Heat and Puriri, Danebury and Middleton beiug scratched. The race raquires but little description.^ After a fair start, Dead Heat made the running for a couple of hundred yards, when Puriri came up, and was leading past the Stand a clear six lengths. This was increased shortly to twenty lengths, which position was maintained until coming into the straight, when Dead Heat made his effort, but without avail, Puriri, with plenty in hand, winning by about a length and a-half. For the Champagne, eight figured upon the card : M> Webb's two colts— Trump Card and Jangler, Mr Redwood's two filliea— Ladybird and the Towton-Toi Toi colt, and the rest comprised Mr Delamain's Oberon, Mr Malloch's Foul Play, Mr Ray's Mirelle, and Mr Griffith's Tell Tale. The Towton-Toi Toi filly, however, waa scratched, and thus seven faced the starter. For this splendid race, which, like the previous one, does not require a lengthy description, a deal of fiddling at the post ended in a moderate start, of which Oberon got the best of it, j Mirelle, the favourite, and Ladybird next. The latter soon dying away, wa3 never again in the race. Mr Webb's pair then came to the front at the distance, and a grand race was the result, the Revoke colt (Mx Webb's declaration) winning by a neck, Tell Tale third. For the Great Autumn a field of 12 turaed out to try conclusions— Tattler, Elfin King, Izaak Walton, and Mangle being scratched out of the 17_ that appeared upon tb.B card, and Lara being out of it by means of a wrong entry. After a couple of false starts, in which the colours of Eclat were conspicuous, the lot going away very indifferently, the starting post being just opposite the side, and several of the horses being in consequence rather shy in their confined position, Danebury and Bribery went away with the lead, with Punga and Titania in glose attendance, Panebury then fell away,

and got into the ruck, and in the turn in old Guy rushed through hia horses, but to no purpose, for Bribery had all the best of it, and was not to be denied, winning easily by a clear length and a-half, Punga next, and Guy a good third. The Hack Race, which is never of any outside interest, concluded the day's proceedings. The following are the details of each event :— St. Leqkr Stakes, of lOOsovs, for 3-year olds, added to a sw3epstake of 10 soys each, h ft for acceptors. Colts, Bat lOlbs ; fillies and geldings, Bst 71bs. St. Leger course. 14 subscribe! a. Mr Redwood's eh c Puriri, Towton — Waimea (Lyford) 1 Mr Logan's brc Dead Heat .. ..(S. Waddell) 2 Mr Ray's eh c Danebury and Mr Ray's br c Middleton were scratched. Betting, 5 to lon PurirL Dead Heat jumped off with^ the lead for the first 200 yards, when Puriri headsd him and was never collared. The chesnut made the running at a slow pace until the top turn, when Dead Heat closed up, but ths result was never in doubt as the cheanut colt won as she liked by a length and a half. Time, 3min 38^sec. Champagne Stakes, of 100 soys, for 2-year olds, added to a sweepstake of 10 soys each, h ft for acceptors. Colts, Bst lOlbs ; filliea and geldings, Bst Slbs. Six furlongs. 30 subscribers. Mr W C. Webb's eh c Trump Card, Traducer— Revoke (Fuller) 1 Mr W. C. Webb's br c Jangler . . . . (Mathews 2 Mr E. Griffith's br f Tell Tale .. .. (Wattie 3 Mr Delamain's br c Oberon .. .. (Rowland 0 Mr Ray's b f Mirelle (Owner 0 Mr Malloch's br c Foul PUy (Higgott 0 Mr Redwood's eh f Ladybird . . . . (Ryder 0 Mr Redwood's b f by Towton — Toi»Toi was scratched. Betting : 3to 1 agat Trump Card, sto 1 agst Jangler, 6 to 1 agst Oberon, 3 to 1 agst Foul Play, 2 to 1 agst Mirelle, 8 te 1 agst Tell Tale, and 4 to 1 agst Ladybird. After two false starts, Oberon went to, the front, and the lot made play at a clinking 1 pace, Ladybird and Mirelle, however, failing to get on terms with their horses, the former being hopelessly out of the race. Trump Card and Jangler took command of affairs at the distance, and ran a great race home, Mr Webb's declaration winning by a neck, Jangler second, Tell Tale third, and Mirelle easing off fourth. Time, lmin. 22sec. Great Autumn Handicap of 300 soys, for three yes* olds and upwards, added to a sweepstake of 10 soys each for acceptance ; second horse to save his stake ; the winner of any handicap of ICO s >vs after the declaration of the weight* to carry 51b ' penalty ; of 200 soys, lOlbs ; 1£ mile. Mr Redwood's b f Bribery, Traducer— Etheldred, : (Clifford) ,1, Mr Delamain'a br m Puneawerewere .. (Rowland) 2 Mr Redwood's blk h Guy Fawkes .'. (Lyford). 3 Mr Redwood's eh c Puriri . . . . (W. Honor) 0 ' Mr Ray's eh c Danebury (Oemutt) 0 Mr ShadbO't's br h Eclat (Shadbolt) 0 Mr Nosworthy's b f Fallacy (Clark) 0 Mr Logan's eh c Cloth of tiold . . . . (J. Allen) 0 Mr A. W. Moneys b m Maritana .. (Ansley) 0 Mr Delamain's br f Titania .. .. '(M'Lurc) 0 Mr Hungerford's b g Jasper .. .. (G.Hope) 0 Mr Delamaia's br h Templeton .. (A. Fuller) 0 Betting.— 6 to 1 agst Guy Fawkes, Bto 1 agst Templeton, 6 toi agst Puriri, 5 to 1 agst Danebury, 4 to 1 agst Punga., 19 to 1 agst Eclat, 4 to 1 agst Fallacy, 2 to 1 agst Bribery, 10 toi agst Cloth of Gold. ' ' Mr Redwood' declared to win with Bribery, and Mr Delamain with Punga. The flag fell to a wretched start, of which' Danebury and Bribery had all the best. The former made play at his best pace, and the race throughout was run tremendously . fast. The two leaders were attended by Mr Delamaia's Fungs, and Titania ' until a mile had been covered, when Bribery took a decided lead, and Danebury dropped back beaten. In the run home Guy Fawkes came through his horses, but Bribery's jock, knowing that the j filly had the race in hand, did not persevere, and Punga. took the barren 'honours of qecond place, being beaten by a clear length,, Guy third, three lengths away. Tune, 2min. 45Jsec