CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2202, 14 May 1896, Page 33

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Br M. Quad. May 11. Once again Liberator has changed hands. Mr V. Hanis is his new owner. I hear that Mr Harris got the gelding for £159. If he did he obtained a decidedly cheap horse. When Mr .Butler bought him it cost that gentleman 500gs, and I recollect tbat many thought the buyer had made a mistake on that occasion. Although the Herberton trainer cannot have lost much on his purchase, as Liberator won several good races when carrying the green and white hoops, I am sorry thas " the battler" has left his old quarters. The monthly meeting of the committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club was held last week. A jockey's license was itsued to F. O'Brien, and an apprentice's license to F. G. Harris. An owner's peiinit was granted to F. Baker, and a gentleman rider's certificate was granted to Mr C. L Inwood. The following transfers were passed : — From T. Monin. to N. King, biown colt, by Hotchkiss — King Cole ; from J. F. Rnd to C. F. Dalgety, black geldiug, lyr, by Wolverine— Sortie ; to J. D. Reid, brown colt, lyr, by Artillery— Fairy Maid ; to. J. Laughlin, bay filly, lyr, by Medallion — Huguenot ; to H. Goodman, brown filly, lyr, by Artillery— Titania ; from R. Derrett to H. Goodman, biown gelding, lyr, by Artillery— MlSs Webster : from T. !£• tt to G. Grose, bay gelding, Campbell, 3yr«, by St. Clair -Titania ; from G. (5, Stead to T. Connop, bay colt, lyr, by St. Olair— Lady Gurt ude ; to H. A. Knight, bay filly, Argon, lyr, by Medallion— Auray ; to E. G*tes, chestnut filly, Crest, by Medallion— lch Dien ;H. Vallance, black gelding, Black Eagle, -2yrß, by Meda'lion - Enid. A letter from the Ohristchurcn Hunt Club in regard'to altering the conditions of the Hunters' Hurdles was referred to the Programme Committee. The secretary was j instructed to spend the sum of £26 in tree planting. r Tho Chrisfcehurch hounds have had aome fine runs durieg the paat week; as also have the Bracke»field hounds in North Canterbury. | There is not much betting here on the New Zealand Cup. I -notice, however, that bookmakers ! do not intend to give backers much opportunity j to wager, judring by a price-list of ~ probable nominations which has been circulated here— soo to SO is quite a common quotation. This cannot be cotoidored a fair price about even the best home I in New Zealand aix months before the race, | especially without a nomination.. Kulpice U looking very well, though, big. He is kept at strady pacing, with an, occasional jump thrown in, and is improvise rapidly. . He s«ems to be quite sound, and if he gets over the National country it will take something good to beat him. The Medallion— Enid colt, purchased at Mr Stead's sale, is now in charge of S. Higgott. rl"hisr l"his trainer does not keem to have-had much luck ftirica he lost little Patrician. - So far as I can ascertain Mr Mason has not disposed of his YaWhurst property. Mr Stead advertised teveral of his animal* for private sale, but no bu*ineß3 has so far transpired, although I hear many inquiries hava bean made. Gillie has never been better than he is now, and his jumping is especially good. He will be taken to Waug*nui. Marino's defeat at Egmont was not relished by ao:;>e of his local friends. Waiuku and Napoleon were "dead snips" for their respective races, especially the latter, all the wires sent down giving Napoleon. If breeding is any epoa, the Natator gelding seen out with the Christchurch hounds should make a good jumper. On Wednesday last Mr Rattray and another gentleman went to Geraldine with the object of seeing the trotter Moody. From what I can gather, those in charge of the horse were none too pleasrd. at what they considered an unseasonable visit, and strongly objected to allow the horse to be seen. However, the two visitors were subsequently given an opportunity to examine the animal, and both gentlemen had no difficulty in recognising him as Sultan, a horse well known here. The Geraldine Club at once determined to take action against E. Bull, the nominator of the alleged Moody, and an information has been laid and a summons issued for misrepresentation with intent to defraud, and obtaining money by false pretences, in connection with ringing in Sultan as Moody at the Geraldine Trotting Club's meet- | ing ob April 23. The cases will be heard on May ' 26, at Geraldine. At the meeting of the North Canterbury Jookey Club an honorarium of £3 3s was voted to Mr 0. O'Connor, starter, and one of £5 5s to Mr Cresswell, handicapper. The secretary's salary was fixed at £20, and a bonus of £15 was voted to him. On the motion of Mr M. Scott, it was decided, to hold a jockey club ball at an early dale, and a committee was appointed to arrange details. The president brought up the matter of leasing the racecourse from the present trustees. Mr W. G. Nicholls, one of the trustees, stated that they had already spent £1500 on the coarse, and the four guarantors would be pleased to assist the club to procure the property on easy term?. After some discussion it was left with the committee to endeavour to arrange with the trustees.

In speaking to several prominent trotting owners and trainers here, I find that they are almost unanimous in their desire to establish class trotting on a satisfactory and lasting basis, convinced that class trotting is the only form of the sport which will give s tic-

faction to the majority of trottint? enthusiast*. As one trainer said : "It is not ri-ht that a hora* which has cost a lot or money to land here or t« breed here should be sot to catch a butcher'a horse. What chance has the beat animal sot when asked to give up to a minute's etart ia a two-mile race, and thread his way through a big fisld ? Thio kind of argument is unanswerable, and I hope the authorities here and in other parts of the colony will ondoavonr to introduce class trotting. We shall certainly get better trotting then than we do now. I feel sure the Canterbury trotting authoiities are doing their best to forward trotting, and I have no doubt; that they will mike every effort to raise tho charaoter of tho sport. Mitchell is giving Salvo Shot plenty of work He may be taken to Dunedin Trotting men are looking forward to a good meeting on the show ground this month. Training operations are being pushed along, and tha Riccarton tracks are nowadays utilised a great deal for trotters. Wherever a good bit of country j road ia available there can be found the trotter. I Judging by the nominations received on Saturday ! nieht, the Canterbury Trotting Club should have little difficulty in carrying through the biggest i trutting programme ever originated la the colony. The Medallion— Miss Lucy filly is once more occupying & box at her owner's place. It ia reported that Mr A. Boyle, who went to England some time ago, received instructions as to the disposal of the Musket hor«e Chainshot in the old country. Local sporting men are almost unauimous in expreasin/r their approval of the departure mude by I the Dunedin Club in bracketing horses together oa the totalisatov the property of one owner. This question will be discus«ed at tho next meeting ol the Canterbury Trottin* Club. I notice the Au«trala?i»n, in discussing tha totalisator, ventured the opinion that racing would deteriorate here if the machine wera abolished. I doubt this oseertion. XJnksa I aui greatly mistaken, Mr Stead could have mada more in tho old days than he can now, and tha same remark applies to the other two gentlemen mentioned by the paper— Siv G. Clifford and Captain Russell. The paper also suggests that studmastcrs might have to relinquish breeding if the "tote" were abolished. It may be a mcra coincidence, but till the introduction of tha "reaper and binder," studmasters had little difficulty in selling their young ateck at a decent figure. Now the few studmaaters we have find it anything but easy to dispose of their stock. Since the advent of the machine the New Zealand Stud Coravuny and the Middle Park Company have both had to realise, but I do not think the totalisator had anything to do with these failures any more than 1 1 elieve its introduction has improved the breed of our race-horses. Neither of our champion sires— Traducer and Musket— was brought here through such influence, and a glance at the names and p-rformances of some of the best of the oldtimers will prove that the braed was just about as good then as it is now. Tbe totalitator is unquestionably the beat and safeftt method of gambling, but its virtues are >«ot so numerous as some imagine. Baruardo is still pegging away, and gets through his work splendidly. He is jumping the schooling fences apparently without the slightest trouble. It is astonishing the number of peoplo I have fallen across who could have told me that they knew Moody was a 'ringev'" when they saw him at Tinwald on New Year's Day. This statement has been made by some men who evidently did know, and why some action was not at once taken I cannot understand. It seems to be almost a recognised principle by some that unless & "ringer" wins it does not matter. This is •urely a viciouß principle ; if the Tiuwald {towards knew that the horse was a "ringer* (which I very much ddubt), a little plain talk > might have prevented the extreme and unpleasant step now token against the nominator of • Meo«ly. I hear tlut Young Cheviot hi again in work at Ashburton. Thomas, the boy who rode Wolverine in tho New Zealand Cup, is now connected with Fre» Holmes' » stable Yellow Rosh and Montacute are regular visitors ' ,to the tracks. Both travel in a pleasiug style. I notice tbat J. Butler, in a letter appearing m th« Witneso, att-mpts to defend W. M'Lsllan, who, the writer says, knew nothing about the movements of Silvcrwood. Thin may be true, and bear out M'Lellan's contention, but I must say Butler took a long time in making his statement public. [ Orizaba was withdrawn at £24 10s at Tatte* Ball's. Mainstay is doing good work, aa also is ,Fir« King. Both aro jumprng well.' Mogjzine is spelling, bur he will bo taken up ta a short time and put over hurdles. Attillrur haii pretty well got over the accident which befell him at Little River. Mitchell has just broken the Medallioa—Rosebud filly. She is on the small side. The Hornby mare Mona has not done much since Rangiora. Free Holmes has a good string in hand now. Liberator has joined this stable. A general mueting of the North Canterbury Jockey Club was held at the Red Lion Hotel, Kangiora, on Monday night, to receive tha balanco sheet in connection with the recsut race meeting. Mr W. Buss (president) occupied the chair. The balance sheet presented by Mr A. S. Clarksou (secretary) showcut the receipt* to hava beetf £47.9 18s 6d and the expenditure £307 8b 2cL loaviug a credit balance of £16(5 10s <d. Mr U. Scott, chairman of the committee, in his report Baid the rcceut race meeting gave proof that by being properly conducted races in liansiora could ba made successful. In discussing the highly satisfactory character of the balance sheet, reference was made to the excellent way in which the secretary (Air Clarkson) had carried out his' duties, the success of the meeting having beeu,; mainly due to his energy.