OUR CANTERBURY SPORTING LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1880, 2 December 1887, Page 24

OUR CANTERBURY SPORTING LETTER.

(By Oub Special Spouting Correspondent "St. George.") Christchurch, November 29. I RACING. The Ashburton Racing Club Spring meeting last week (November 23 and 21) attracted a fair attendance, but this is the wroug time of the year for race meetings in country districts. Station owners and work-people are all busy shearing, and as Ashburton is largely populated by shearers et hoc genus omne, the November races there suffer from their absence. The performers at the meeting were of very moderate class. Totalisator investments amounted to £3250 for the meeting. On the fh"3t day the Handicap Hurdles, of 40sovs, two miles, was won easily by Effigy, lOst 21b (C. Hobbs), the wretchedly unfortunate Mainboom (9t.t 121b) being second, and Sawdust (Bst 71b) third. The other starters were Mammoc, lOst 101b, and Nero, 9st 51b. Time, 4miu lsec. Dividend, £2 Bs. The County Plate, of 30sovs, one mile and a-quarter, was an easy win for Oliver Cromwell, tfsfc 2lb (G.Williams), i in a field of 11. Time, 2min 20sec. Dividend, £2 195. The principal race was the ASHBURTON CUP HANDICAP, Of 70sovB ; second horse 7sovs. One mile and threequarters. ] Mr M Sherwin's b g Quibble, by Sfc. George— Maria Thereea, Oyra, 9sb ... ... (Derrett) 1 Mr R Rutherford's eh c Eaveuscraig, 6yrs, Bst lib ... ... ... (Cochrane) 2 Mr S H Lemon'a b g Leeston, 4yra, tisfc lib (Lesson) 3 Messrs M and C Hobbs' b g Jack, aged, Bst 41b (Dodd) 0 Mr X Rutherford's b m Miss Webster, oyrs, (3st (carried 6st 4lb) ... ... (Holmes) 0 Jack made the running for a mile, when Quibble took command and won easily by a length. Time, 3min 14sec. Dividend, £1 16s. I The Handicap Trot, of 25sovs, was won by Lady Guy (60sec), beating Gipsy (15sec), second ; Jimmy Brown (15s'ec), who was a hot favourite, third, and two others. Dividend, £4 195. Goldfinch won the Post Stakes, of 15sovs, six furlongs, from five others. Dividend, £2 15s ; winner bought in for £22. The Spring Handicap fell to College Boy, 6st 101b, carried 6sb 131b (Dodd), beating Authentic (6st 71b), second, Tornado (7st 91b) third, and four others. Dividend, £1 16s. The second day's programme included the County Hurdle Handicap, of 25sovs, one mile and a-half, won by Wrangler (lOst 121b) from three others. Time, 3min llsec. Dividend, £6 193. Then followed the RACING CLUB HANDICAP, Of 55sovs ; second horse ssovs. One mile and a-quartei'. Mr H Rutherford's eh h Ravenscraig, by Craig Miller -Lady Ravens worth, 6yrs, 7st 131b (Cochrane) 1 Measrs M and 0 Hobbs' b g Jack, aged, Bst 3lb (Dodd) 2» Mr M Bherwin's b g Quibble, 6yrs, Oat Gib (Derrett) 3 | Mr S H Lemon's b g Leestou, 4yrs, Gsfc 31b (carried 6st3lb) ... ... ... (Holmes) 0 Leeston out out tho running for six furlongs, whence Jack led into tho straight. Here Ravenscraig joined Jack, and a capital race was won by the formur by a length ; a goo>l third. Time, 2min IB.sec. Dividend, £5 14s. The District Trot, of 15sovs, two miles, was won by Mareugo. The Welter Handicap, of 50sovs, two miles, fell to Derby (lOst), beating Mammoc (list 121b), Leah (lOst), and Doubtful (lOst 81b), Time, 3min 53sec. Dividend, £2 17s. The Novel Race, of 25sovs, five furlongs, was won by Mr M. Friedlander's eh m Goldfinch, from six others. Dividend, £2 14s. Goldfinch's owner weighed out for his mare, and rode her in the preliminary canter, but afterwards pub up Cochrane to ride her in the race. The stewards thought this was done to rig the market, and after investigating the matter in the evening, fined the owner JGIO. The Flying Handicap, of 30sovs, five furlongs, was won by Tornado (Bylong— Policy), 7st 91b (M'llroy), beating St. Agnes (6st 8lb), Uriand (7st 91b), and three others. Time, lmin ssec. Dividend, £4 3s. The Consolation, of 15sovs, one mile, fell to Temuka, 6sb 121b (Holmes), beating Miss Webster • 7st 121b), Leeston (Bst 71b), and Leah (Bst). Time, lmin 51sec. Dividend, £6 4s. The Lower Heathcote Racing Club's trotting meeting yesterday was spoiled by cold stormy weather, and the attendance was small. The trotting in the Champion Handicap was magnificent, especially in the final, wherein Daisy and Maid of Munster trotted neck and neck for close upon two miles. None of the other events were' of much interest. The totalisator investments amounted to £1096. Results :— MAIDEN TROT, Of ISaovs, Two milfs. Mr A Duncan's blk m Black Jean, aged ... 1 Wanda (late Irish Queen), Sting, Sam, Mistletoe, and Lady Emma also started. Time, Gmia 39sec. Dividends, £2 10s 6d and £2 4s 6d. OHAMPIONSHIP HANDICAP TIME TEOT j (Saddle), ; Of 120sovs ; second horse 30sovs, third horse 2(hovß ' from the stakes. Twc miles. To be run in heats ; first and second in each heat to start in iinal. First Heat. Mr A Dunn's b m Daisy, aged 12sec (Owner) 1 Mr G Henricksen's eh g Tommy, aged (Brice) 2 My Dream (so3ec), Despised (55sec), and > Lioness (55sec) also started. .Won comfortably j by five lengths; a bad third. Time, Bmin j 39sec. Dividends, £1 16s and £1 18s Gd. Second Heat. Mr F Standish's g m Lady Grey, aged, <»sec (Nicholas) 1 Mr H Hammond's blk m Miriam, aged, 27sao (Pfper) 2 Gipsy (12sec), Lunatic (3O.sec), Rambler and Ballochmyle (55sec) also started. Ballochmyle was the favourite, but played up after getting the word to go and effectually

extinguished his chance. Gipsy lost about lOsec by her rider refusing to go behind the mark to start. Lady Grey won by 20 lengths, ' Gipsy losing second place to Miriam by less than " a length. Time, 9min 22£ sec. Dividends, £19 16s and £10 9s. Third Hbat. Mr D Granea'a b in Maid of Mumter, syrs, ]2sec (Day) 1 Mr J Wright's br m Prairie, 6yrs, 45sec (Owner) 2 Dick (40sec), Energy and Dexter (50$ ec), and Blackwood (60sec) also started. Maid of Munster won on the post ; Dick close up, third. Time, Bmin 22§sec. Dividends, £4 5s and £4 Is. Fl-VAL. Maid of Munster ... ... ... 1 Lady Grey ... ... ... 2 Prairie ... ... ... ... 3 Daisy was favourite, and a most exciting race took place. Maid of Munster and Daisy trotted neck and neck for nearly two miles, when the latter broke. Tho Maid going on caught Prairie and Lady Grey in the last furlong and won comfortably by 12 lengths ; sis lengths between second and third. Time, Bmin 25sec, Dividends, £3 12s and £3 Us. The Pony Handicap Trot, of 20sovs, two miles, was won by Shakespeare (scratch), beating seven others. Time, 6min 29sec. Dividends, £2 13s 6d and £3 3s 6d. The Consolation Handicap, of 20sovs, two miles, was won by Henricksen's Tommy (25sec), beating seven others. Time, 6min lOsec. Dividends, £4 3s 9d, £3 8s 6d. Very good entries have been received for the Plumpton Park meeting next week. CRICKET. Saturday was a good day for the game, excepting a nor'-wester which made the afternoon very hot. The Senior Cup matches (second round) made good progress, and now stand as follow : — United Fifteen v. Lancaster Park Second Fifteen. — The former were beaten by an innings and 95 runs, the scores being : United, 53 and 39; Park (first innings) 187 (Labatt 78). Labatt bowled 13 wickets for 29 runs in the match. Lancaster Park Eleven v. Addington Fifteen :— Addington, first innings, 83 ; Park, first innings, 146; second innings, 63 for six wickets (W. Firth, not out, 37). Unfinished. Midland Eleven v. United Eleven :— Midland, Irst innipgs, 160 ; second innings, 130 (Barnes, 52). United, first innings, 79 ; second innings, 121 for one wicket. Unfinished. Midland Fifteen v. Lancaster Park No. 3 Fifteen :- Park, first innings, 152 (Cant, 46). Midland, first innings, 173; second innings 67 for four wickets. As many of last year's " juniors " are absorbed into the fifteen in the Senior Cup competition, the Junior Oup is not exciting much interest. AQUATIC. The river was busy on Saturday and yesterday with the club matches of the Union, Canterbury, and Avon rowing clubs. The finals are not yet all decided, but the excellent form shown in the preliminary heats promises that the season will be a very interesting one. The Interprovincial Amateur Regatta, at Lake Forsy th, is fixed for January 26.