OUR CANTERBURY SPORTING LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1875, 28 October 1887, Page 24

OUR CANTERBURY SPORTING LETTER.

(By Oub Special Sporting Correspondent "St. George.")

Christchurch, October 25 RACING. The New Brighton Racing Club meeting last Tuesday was undoubtedly a profitable one, but that it was successful in a sporting sense there will be few to say. A totalisator total of £2071 and £38 from selling races, with a substantial sum from the gates, will about put the club's balance on the right side. The sandy soil of the course was very loose, but this fault is mendiDg every day, and by the autumn it will be fairly sound going. The company to which the pro. perty belongs has shown great enterprise in forming the course sad fencing and building ■ and as the situation is picturesque and the drive from town charming, this is already the suburban racecourse of Christchurch. A very good list of stewards was printed, but several of those with racing knowledge took no active part iv the management. This may account for the remissness of the stewards in regard to the foul riding in the Novel Race, which was so daring that nobody thought it would be overlooked. Brown, however, is credited with possessing good judgment, and his great experience has evidently enabled him to know better than onlookers the exact capacity of ordinary racing stewards. The Selling Hurdle Race, of 30sovp, one mile and a-half, was a peculiar affair. Mammoc was favourite, Romeo close up. Romeo' is a great jumper, but he nearly shot off his rider (Dan Roberts) at the first hurdle, and all the others ran off. Romeo got right away, and though there did not seem to be a perfect understanding between horse and rider they did not part company, and Roberts scored a win on his first mount in the colony, whereupon he was much congratulated. Romeo was bought by the club for 25gs, but afterwards transferred to his previous owner. The Saddle Trot, of 40aovs, three miles, fell to Dixon's Darkie, 35sec, beating Bob Gawn, 45sec (2), Miriam, 50sec (3), and eight others, of whom Chanticleer was at scratch, and as the winner's time was 9min 7sec, in bad going, of course, he was never in it. Dividend, £46 13s. The Avon Handicap, of 50sovs, one mile and a-quarter, was won very easily by Ruby with Derritt up ; Patrician, Bst 121b (Thomson), 2 ; Derwenter. Bst 121b (Smith), 3 ; and a very third-rate field of seven behind them, of which Tyrant, who ran inside a post while leading, gave most promise of better performances. The time (2min 22sec) shows what the course was like. Dividend, £2 10s 6d. Then came the Novel Race, of 30sovs, in which the incident alluded to occurred. Mistake (Brown) was evidently the live 'un, but she was getting the worst of it with old Doncaster (late Conundrum) and Stratford had to come with Mont dOr; he in turn was in danger of defeat from Moderideroo, but Brown drove Mistake into the latter and robbed him of the race. Mont dOr was bought back for 26gs. Dividend, £2 3s. The Harness Trot, of 40sovs, three miles, was won very easily by Harrickson's Tommy, 30sec ; with Wait-a-whilo, sscc (2) ; and Daisy, scratch (3), five others starting. Time, lOmin 16sec. Dividend, £14 14s 6d. The Flying Handicap of'2ssovs, six furlongs, fell to Kimberley (Apremont—Martyr), Bst 71b (Smith), beating Oliver Cromwell, 7st 71b, by a neck, Mac, 6st 91b, a moderate third. Three others started, including Presto (Bst 81b), who was well backed, but could not get along in the sand, which was very loose by thid time. Time, lmin 23sec. Dividend, £2 4s 6d. Kimberley thus did not do much towards reisurning his followers the amouut he owes to them. — Tyrant (Young Traducer — Belle of the Isle), 4yrs, won the Hack Race, with the Oaks filly, Water Queen, second for the one round (one mile 86 links). Dividend, £1 19s;— aud a Hurry Scurry was won by Oliver Cromwell, by which time everybody was tired out.