CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 33

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By M. Quad. ,

The price a3ked for' the Maori-owned Slaiden was £150. I should fancy Wi Hutana will be plcasod that the offer was nob accepted, as the hoisc won 'the June Handicap at Napier on, Saturday. The Betrayer gelding Fire King was offered for salo at Tatt'ersall's on Saturday, and passed in at 25g5.. ,' l ... ■' The well-known Middle Park estate, comprising about 103 acres, together withthe dwelling house,6j»ble<r, ~,amT outbuildings thereon, was sold privately -on" Saturday, Mr A. b'efton beiuy the purchaser. The price has not transpired, but I believe something • like £3200 was paid for the' estate.^ If so, the purchaser has surely -mado an exceptionally good deal, as Middla Park is only a tovr miles f roni town. \ • It has often struck me that it would be just; as well if trot ing trainers, before taking a horse, insisted on the owner giving them a wriitsn declaration as to the antecedents of the animal. I know of one case where a trainer took a horse, an assurance being given that the animal was a maiden. Fortunately for the trainer it was discovered that this was incorrect, the horse having won a trot in the North Island. The probabilities were that had this horae been nominated by the trainer as a nuiden he would have suffered disqualification. It therefore b shoves all trainers in these " ringing in " days to be exceedingly careful, as it would be easy for an Innocent man to suffer. I take it that if an owner is an honest man, aud desires to race and act fairly, he will not ohject to give a declaration to the trainer of his horseThe tracks at Riccartou have not been so bad as they are now for some considerable time ; consequently trainer* have been unable to give their charges anything but the lightest; of tasiw. Barnardo is supposed to be lame. I do not think there is much wrong with him. The sore- . ness after hfe Auckland trip was not very apparent when he made his first appearance here after his return. Given a decent weight I firmly believe he will take a lot of beating in our crosscountry events at National time. The Plug was a very strong order here on Saturday for the Hawke's Bay Hurdleß, scarcely auything else being inquired for. Local books must have got a rather b*d turn. New Zealand Cup betting has not been very brisk during ths week. Lord Zetland has been inquired for, and a few wagers at lon.tr prices bouked about him. The stable have also, I under* stand, supported Lady Zetland's brother fora fair amount. I cannot *ay I have -much fancy for Lord Zetland's prospects ; still it must not be forgotten that this' raaged-looktng customer has made a- great improvement during the last year, and many hold the opinion that he will eventually turn out as good as his sister. Gipsy Grand is frequently inquired for, but considering that he has only just be- n taken up, it would surely be as well to wait until he has shown' a few good gallops. Liberator -looks very well. The old wonder soon got over his northern trip. He was supposed to be all to pieces when he left Auckland, if some of the reports aie to be believed. If so, his recuperative powers are of a very high order. I understand that Gillie will be put into work again as soon as the tracks are fie to gallop on. Gllie's leg may not stand another gruelling -winding up, but his trainer hopss to have him well for the National meeting. The National double, Steeplechase and Hurdles, has not been much inquired for during the week. St. Kilda is about favourite here for the Hurdle Race, coupled with Barnardo, Mutiny, and Tiritea.

£100 to 5s can ba got here about the double of Melbourne and New Zealand Cups. The jockey G. Smith is onca more with Mr G. Murray-XVnsley. Conflicting reports reach me as to Prime Warden. The most reliable Information I can obtain is to the effect that he is jumping as well as could be expected, considering the time he has been schooled, but that he is not yet a wonder. It is a pity that those members of the House of Representatives who are so intent on attempting to put down betting or the publication of racing news or betting odds did not take a mora enlightened view of the subject. If our representatives would but remember that it is simply an impossibility to stop betting or wagering it would help them considerably in their efforts tO minimise the gambling instincts of the people of the colony. I have frequently suggested to local trotting clubs the advisability of altering the system in vogue here of starting trotters. I contend that under it it is a physical impossibility for any starter to get a large, field away fairly. This is not the fault of the man, but of the system. It is quite a common spectacle to see a field, say. of 10 or 12 strung out 100 yards, according to their handicap. .The limit horse is sent away from a standing start, and when tho starter gets to those horses -about midway in the handicap, with only a second or bo between them, it is impossible, owins to the crowding, to get them away according to the card. Then, again, the scratch hone usually seems to get a big advantage by obtaining a flying start. This has always struck me as somewhat unfair, for if the limithorse is started standing, why not the soratch

horse? An animal getting away with*- a flying start has a great pull over the limit horse. Ido not say the scratch animal crosses the line before tho time, but even If it was 2scc behind an advantage has been obtained which was denied to the limit horse.

I understand the starting machine which was so succe>sful in the south has been the subject of inquiry from local trotting clubs, but the royalty asked was considered two much. If this machine cannot be got, why not try the system adopted by swimming clubs? The horses could be drawn up in line, the limit horse on the inside, and so on according to handicap across the course. When the starter called out "One" the limit horae would go, when he said " Two " the next, and so on until all were away. Every rider or driver would know his number, and it would not matter how many were on the same mark, the callingd their number would let them away. The starter could stand on a raised platform on the inside on a level with the field, and in this position would have a better command over his' horses. The handicapper, too, would have a much better chance of gauging the form displayed, whereas now, if he were to assume that all the horses got away at their proper time, he would probably bea long way out in his calculation! At almost every trotting meeting complaints are made that hor/sea get away before their time. Whether tbis is so is immaterial ; the fact that such statements are made ihould induce tha trotting bodies to try some other .system, so as to minimise, the chances' of a horse beating tha starter ; and I would submit that the idea suggested by me would do so. Canterbury trottingmen know perfectly well that I am not romancing when I state, that such statements have been' made. When Peggy won at New Brighton it was stated that she got away before she should have done. The same was said when Le Corbeau won at Lancaster Park, and, still later, when Hits Poole sot homo first at the sbow gvonnds. I hold that it is the duty of trotting bodies' to do all in their power to so conduct theirjneetings that no opportunity to complain shall be given either to ownew, ti'ainew, or the public. I know that great improvements have been effected in the-manogement t>f trottitig during the last few years, and I do not wish to infer that the authorities are not anxious to do all the} can- to benefit the sport ; but I feel sure that all trotting people would be pleased to ccc some other system tnea to that now in force. I fancy that by adopting what I have suggested the work of the starter would be considerably lessened, and the handiopper's duties simplified, and no chance would be given.to thoae over anxious to find fault. Would it not be advisable to make some alterat'on in the trotting rule 3 with reference to a distanced horae ? This rule seems to mo to b« most unfair. For the Bake of argument, I will instance the case of the Three-mile Trot at the show grounds, won by Ascot. Now neither Brooklyn nor Rita had the slightest possible chance of getting within the distance, and we were treated to the spectacle of two veal good animals being trotted right out, and yet, although both of them performed up to their best form,' they get no part of the stake. Was it the fault of the horses? Scarcely; Ascot received such «a long start that no horse in the country cOulcLhave caught him. Why, then, this being io, should Brooklyn and Rita not receive some portion of a large sake ? It is surely wrong 1 in equity that a horse should not receive some portion of the stake money when he has done his nest and could not win ; it is just ai inequitable, of course, that a hoi so which is pitchforked into a. race sh -uld receive the whole of the stake. The more pockets the money goes into the better, but again and again we »cc the whole of a good stake go rnto one. s I have always held that if a horse \s nominated.for, say, a three-mile race, it is fair to assume that' his owner belie vei that he cap last that distance' light out, or why nominate him ? ■ In Ascot'e caie* ho had no record at thi* distance. Now I would . ask, with all due respect to trottini? handicappcrs, whether- the fact of a horse being-ablo to .stay le not the owcer'a business rather than the handicapper'a? And' if any man likeß to nominate ahorse for a distance over which' he has not previously trotted in public, whether that horse should ' not be treated as able t»; stay until he had proved in public that he, could not? Is it not a fact that scratch horses' are usually kept in their place, reallowance being made for probable deterioration, whilst no allowance is made for probable improvement in' mediocre animals ? I- think it would' be perfectly fair to handicap any horse in a three-mile race proportionate on his performances over a lesser distance. All horses, slow down over the last mile in a three-mile race if they have been taken' along previously, and it is only a question of degree aa between a tried horse and one who has. not been tried. The Christchurch Hunt Club have decided to hold a meeting shortly. The C J.C. has passed, the programme, but it has not yet been determined where the gathering will be held' Clarence is looking aud going well, as also an Baiquither, To Kooti, and Kulnine. Vogenjjaug's leg is not a thing of beauty, but it seems to be standing all right.