OUR CANTERBURY SPORTING LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 24

OUR CANTERBURY SPORTING LETTER.

(By Oub Special Sporting Correspondent ' "St. Geobge.") Chbistchcboh, June 14. , RACING. There is absolutely no news under this head. Rain came on on Friday, and has continued since with very little intermission, and the training tracks. are again unfit for use. Lunn gave his Geraldine candidates — Eingask and Irish King— a gallop on Saturday morning, both going well, and nothing but walking exercise has been possible since. Borderman having declined acceptance for the Geraldine Tally-ho, the event I looks a good thing for Kingask. Wrangler will probably win the Maiden Steeplechase, and Seagull the Novel Hurdle Race. Backers have given some attention to the New Zealand Cup and Derby during the last few days. For the Derby, Maxim is at 2to 1 taken, nothing else being inquired for, as there is an impression that Sextant will contest the Victorian blue riband. I think the impression is a mistaken one ;, and in any case the layers of 2to 1 against Maxim five months before the .race have the best of the wager. Lochiel is favourite for the New Zealand Cup at 100 to 7, with plenty of takers at that figure. He ■ was blistered some weeks ago, but is said to be all right now. Maxim cannot be backed at longer odds than 100. to 7, but very little is' taken ; Gipsy Kingi Sextant, Fair Nell, and Artillery at 100 to 5, Nelson and Stonyhurst at 100 to 4, and St. Clair and Captain Cook at 100 to 3 have -also been backed for small sums. • 'i A.general meeting of the members of Tattersall's Club was' held last night to consider 'the proposal that the club should hold a race meeting. The' meeting was strongly in favour of the idea, and passed a . resolution referring ' the matter to the committee, who are 1 to submit a programme and details to a 'future meeting. The general opinion was that the races should take place at the opening of the raoing season. TROTTING. The handicaps for the Lancaster Park trots next Tuesday appeared yesterday. Jimmy : Brown and Nap-a-Nap look about the pick of the | Jubilee Handicap. Jimmy Brown should win the ; Novel Trot (harness) if started for it ;' in his absence Zulu will take some, beating. 111 1 Sally is leniently endugh treated in the Lancaster Park ' Harness Trot. The pony trots I will not offer [an opinion upon — indeed .trotting races altogether are very dickey things to prophesy 'about. \ . Large entries have been received for the Heathcote trotting races on the day after I Lancaster Park, but the weights are to be issued to-day. COURSING. The Yaldhurst Club were to have had some | coursing to-day, but the near approach of the Flumpton Jubilee meeting made .entries so iscarce that the meeting was postponed until after the Waterloo Cup. Some life has been infused into the Waterloo Cup betting, by 'the backing of the Auckland greyhounds Sailor Boy and Smuggler for £1000 each at 100's to 6 to 100's to 8; the backer wanted more, but! this lamount exhausted the books here — a great | change from three or four years ago, when several books of £1000 each were opened on the !event. Miss Taylor has been backed at 100 to '6 : Grace Darling, 100 to 10 (100 to 12 now offered) ; Ringwood and Waitangi, 100 to 10 ; ■Blue Rock, 100 to 6; and several others for small amounts at 100 to sto 100 to 2. There is every prospect of a strong entry for the Waterloo Cup, the numbers being variously put down between 40 and a full stake ; I think 50 will be very near the mark. Nominations are due on June 27. The secretary has written to the Grand National Steep! -hase Club with a view to hold both events ■ i the same week, but no answer has as yet b <;n received. ; , Mr R. P. Hill has ha. I a lot of bad luck with his dogs lately. Last week Bordeaux , lamed himself in a wire fence ; and last Sunday Cham- , pagne, winner of last year's St. Leger, was shot dead by ' an irate individual whose cat he was chasing. Champagne was not in the , best of condition when he ran in the Plumptoh Queen's Birthday Cup, and had, desperately bad luck in the course in which he was beaten ; and he was considered to have a good chance in the Waterloo Cup. CBICKBT. , . The Midland Club had a smoke concert on Saturday night to cslebrate their winning the Senior and Junior Cups last season. A large number of members and friends joined in the festivity, and congratulated Barnes and Hill upon the success of their respective elevens.