CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 32

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By M. Quab. Mr Hobbs informs me that he has purchased Marquis of Zetland's full brother from Mr Gates. Last week I mentioned that Mr Gates had told me the gelding gave promise of growing into a bigger «nd handsomer horse than the Marquii, and Mr Hobb* heart out this opinion. The youngster will be an inmate of the Racecourse Hotel stables early this week. >j«da and Douglas are favourites here for the Wellington Cup at from 4 to 5 to 1, the latter showing sigfS of shortening. Sr. Laura and Skirmisher have both been supported, and a small commission was worked on behalf of St. Clements. F'encillers show but little inclination to do business straight out, and backers are waiting to see whether the weights will be altered. * riie Canterbury Trotting Club held an adjourned meeting last week to discuss the charges made againxtTseveral stewards in connection with the disqualification of Honest Wilkes and awarding the stake to Te Aro. The letter was anonymous, and I do not at present see what the club will gam by carrying the matter further. The writer accused stewards of prompting the owner of Te Aro to enter a protest against Honest Wilkes, a charge denied by the whole of the stewards. Reporters were not admitted to the club's deliberations, but so far as I can gather the club will attempt to ascertain the writer's name, and has in*truced a solicitor to take means to secure that information. It is not easy to do this, as there is little likelihood of the editor of the paper giving the writer* name, and even if he did, the club might discover that he was not worth powder and shot. Of course the - letter contained a serious charge, but I certainly

tbink the club should have treated an anonymous letter with the contempt it deserved. Mr Bebbinzton, the owner and driver of To Aro, has made a sworn declaration that no steward spoke to him or suggested that he should enter a protest. Marino has returned to his native heath as also has his owner. , Mr Mace tells me that he has had an exceptionally good foaling this year, the whole of the new arrivals looking well. Mares and foals have every opportunity to <io well at Brooklyn, the ground being beautifully dry and the paddocks well sheltered. Mr Mace speaks highly of his Emerson— Puella youngster. The trotter Brooklet is in quiet work again. It will be remembered that he broke down after competing in the Juvenile Stakes at the Canterbury Trotting Olub's meotiug. JCuroclydon was immediately selected- as th« good thing whon the weights appeared for the Dunedin Cup. Bookmakers have already laid him coupled with all the supposed good things in the Publicans', the popular picks being Skirmisher, Belle Clnir, Plotter, Arline, and Martin. There is no straight-out wagering. After Rosy Morn was bought in at the Ashburton meeting she wab told to a northern sportsman tor £20. Mr Stead is thought by many to have a mortgage on the Chumpagne and Fifth Challenge Stakes, to be decided at the C.J.O.'s Autumn meeting. Besides Gold Medallist, Mr Stead has Beauty Sleep, Mul'iform, and St. Cyr in the Champagne Stakes. The whole of the above are engaged in the Challenge Stakes, as also are Mauser, Mannlicher, Musketry, and Curassow. The iact that Mt Stead purchased St. Cyr's full brother at the recent Auckland sale may denote that Yaldhurst has another top-notcher in St. Gyr ; indeed, rumour says the eon of St. Leger — Hazel is quite as good as, if not better than, Gold Medallist. 1 notice that Aucklandersquickly discovered that Mr Stead was after all not such & bad sportsman, and all northern writers aTe now loud in praise 'of that gentleman and Gold Medallist. A week before " \lr Stead aaid he -would never take another borso to A\ickland," "the public were misled-," " the black cup, denoting first choice, <fee, were changed," and so on. All piogno3ticate a great career for Gold Medallist, and poor Multiform is somewhat neglected. Now, can anyone outside the stable say whioh is the butter of the pair ? Multiform has done pretty well everything he has been asked to do, and I am not yet by any means convinced that Gold Medallist is far and away Multiform's superior. He is a stronger horse, undoubtedly, but whether he i« faster under ordinary weights I am not prepared to admit. Vanguard will be taken back to Wanganui this week. Walker informs me that the Traducer horse has done a fairly good seaßon considering the number of stud hoi set available. Diploma was" injured through falling iv the Flying Handicap at Ashburton, and has been turned out at Ash burton. Lord Zetland is still running out, but will probably <>■ taken, up again in time for autumn fixtures Skirmisher in putting in some really good gallops at Ricranon, and should be about_ ready to race as well *« he ever did in the Wellington Cun. Bloomer ib ahaping nicely, and gets over the gronn.i in a most taking manner. The filly is fast, and i am cure will win good races if her preparation >.s unchecked. Chaos and Msu-qui* of Zetland are both going well, the latter particularly so. The Riccmton tracks ure terribly hard. The weather has been tropical lately, aod the ground is fairly baked. Many trainers aie afraid to send their charges along. Salvo Shot it showing much improvement since he ran at New Brighton. The jockey 11. Wilson, who got such" a severe shaking when Tale of the. Wur fell with him at Tinwald, is progressing as well as could 'be expected. F. Cochrane and Bridges are also mending. The inquiry into the running of the trotting pony The Miller was to be finished by the Athburton stewards on Saturday last. I have not yet "heard the result. Some queer yarn* reach me as to the trot at the Atthburton meeting, and from whnt I can gather the whole of the clever division were sadly .out in their calculations. A requ sition vis being handed round for signature with the object of calling a general meeting of the members of the Canterbury Trotting Club. So much dissatisfaction has been shown at th« action of the stewards in disqualifying Electioneer, R,uadan, and Ham that the membera feel something radical should be done to inspire the confidence of owners and public. The Canterbury Trotting Club was deservedly looked upon as one of the best in the colony, and I hop? that at the meeting steps will be taken to elect stewards who are not owners. I know it is not easy to obtain the services of gentlemen who would conform to this condition, Dut I believe it is possible, and every effort should be made to restore the club to the high position it at one time occupied. When the Lancaster Park stewards made what many thought an unpardonable blunder in connection with the Sam Slick- Dexterina race, it was believed trotting had received a blow which would t»ke a lot of wiping off. But the last trotting meeting at the show grounds reminds one of the old days at Heathcote, and thu original Plumpton Park. They used to perpetrate some terrible blunders at these places, but then the public were prepared for anything, but things should be different now. I should like to suegest to the Canterbury Trotting Club, and to all others, the advisability of allowing press representatives „|o attend all meetings of the stewards where ! owners and the public are concerned. The public have a right to know how a decision was arrived at ; and although it would not be actually necessary to publish the names of the stewards, I do not Eec why they should not be. The stewards have nothing to fear by such publication if their actions are fair and iquare, and if the public were assured that they would be informed through the press of the method of cominir to a decision, it would inspire the confidence that has so often been rudely shaken. Of course, I am aware that many meawould refrain from speaking or voting on » question if they were to be reported, and would not care to vota against a friend for the same reason, although he might do so if the pressmen were not there : but there are many reason* why reporters should be admitted. Supposing, for instance, a question involving many thousands of pounds was decided by the casting vote of the chairman ? Haven't the pnblic a right to know this? The public find the money,- and owners the horses, and both ought to know by what majority a point was decided. I submit that they have. Unless some great improvment is made in the conduct of our meetings the public simuly will [ not attend, and at the Canterbury Trotting Club's meeting T hope the member** will Bhow that they intend to try and prevent a repetition of what took place at the recent meeting. It will be remembered that when Electioneer, Ruadan, and Ham were disqualified all the investments were returned. One gentleman informed Messrs Hobbs and Goodwin that he had seven tickets on Ruadan belonging to a friend, but unfortunately he had destroyed an equal number owned by himself. " How many ? " asked Goodwin. "Seven." "On Ruadan?" "Yes." "My word, you tell it very well. How the Svengali could you have had seven tickets, seeing that I have paid out all but two. You're beautiful ! " By the way, what a large number of people did destroy their tickets. Gold Medallist, Multiform, Epaulttt, and the youngsiers purchased at the Auckland tales arrived here on Saturday. I hope soon to take advantage of Mr Hasan's invitation to look over Yaldhurst. J. Milne, who has been with Mr Mace fot'a good many years, has left the New Brighton establishment, and intends to start as a public trainer. Milne has proved himself a good man, and I wish him success. Several trotters were submitted to auction on Saturday last at TattersallV. but- foiled to find purchasers. It has been reported that the owner of Ruadan was told by the Canterbury Jockey Club stewards on New Year's Day that no notice would be taken of that horse's form on Boxing Day. I believe this is incorrect, the stewards declining to bind themselves in any way. If the stewards did so promise Kerr, all I can say ii they have a very queer idea of the duties of stewards. BonaU H'Gregor, the trotter, was gelded ioim

•week* Bgo, and is now running in ft coach. The -•two processes may quieten him. Saracen has been taken up again, and appears to be sound. War Dance and Mona have been turned out. Sp.ashell is putting in decent work, as also is Choroid. I notice that Rangefinderis a candidate for selllngrace honours at the Hororata meeting. The trotters GleDgarry and Misnomer were ■hipped for the north on Thursday last.