CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 33

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

'&r U, (^siajo*.

Mvr Bufiklaad \v»s asked f.o put a price on his two-year-old What, but kis teply did' not l«ad to business.

Vascoe has i>esa bought by Mr G. M'Clatchie, »nd has gone into the hands of T. Price.

The Marquis of Zetland is often to be seen pottering about the tracks, but his owner is not very sanguine that this once brilliant horse will again stand winding up.

Mr Buekland left Lytteiton on Friday by the Wflkafciott. tiaa kai?es accompanying him being Priia, §t U-wis. What, Thought, Viva, and H>tlk< S.

tifc. Ouida, purchased out of the Selling Race at the Forbuiy, ts now in charge of Roden at headquarters.

Very few wagers have been made for the next New Zealand Cup. In past years most of the metalliciar.s have booked a large number of wagers. Perhaps last year's experience, when ueither MuHifoim nor Gold Medallist was nominated, has had something to do with causing backers to wait until the nominations have appeared.

Mr Mason tells me he has beeu very busy breaking: his youngsters. Most of them will how carry a boy. Herrtas got rid of his bridle one morning last week, but fortunately did not injure himself in his subsequent gallop. Whilst Valetta was being schooled .over the small huidles in company %ith Jack the JJ'lat he tried to tun down the fence, unseating M'Kinnon, who received' a severe shaking through being thrown against the wing The horse jumped well afterwards; R. Lunn riding him.

Bloomer is looking big and well, aid appears to be greatly improved by her short cessation from active work.

Sporting men are unanimously in favouj" of the idea formulated by the 0. J. C of appointing a paid judge. I may bay tbat I advocated this change a long time ago I sincerely trust the club will obtain the services of a competent man.

Highlander is gradually losing his aldermanic protjoitiona, and Lunn is keeping the horse at fast work.

Navigator is not likely to race again. It is intended to put him to harness work.

(Jpai waa well backed here for the Great Northern National Hu.dle Race, as also \vas Th& Sinner.

There was a large attendance at the Kiccarton racecourse on Thuisday afternoon to witness Fritz trot against time, with the object of attempting to lower his own Australian record of 2min 14 4-ssec At half-past 2 Fritz appeared, and was tried quietly a little over a mile before making- his attempt. Mr P. Campbell's liorse Magazine- acted aa pacemaker to the champion. Flyiug past the milepost alt hif best gait, and as he reeled off thefurlopg the time was eagerly notched by huadreds of timekeepers. The quarter- mile posts w*re marked by led iTaRs, as being easily distinguishable. The first furlong was covered' in 15 3-s*ec, 31 3-ssec was marked aa he reached the quarter, and. it was at once recognised that it was quite possible the borsn would succeed. The thud furlong was covered in 46aec, the fourth lmin 4 l-ssec, and, soing on, Fritz reached ths chair in 2rnin 14 4-issec, thus equalling his record. Dr Seate and 1 Mr Us Beeve v/ere the timekeepers, but whilst tlie former'?, watch rsgiste"e<i 2min 14 4-sseo, the latter* showed 2min 13Jsec: However, Me Be Beere acknowledged he had made -a mistake. Comparing the time taken by a dozen well-qualified men it was found that Dr Slate'a time was_ borne out by nearly even one After a 20 minutes' spell Mr Buckland again essayed the task. This time the hovse covered the mile in exactly the same time, although he commenced much slower, hut finished faster,, na will be seen by the times registered for the first few furlongs,:— One furlong, 17aec as 1 against 15 3-b'sec ; second furlong, 32 2-ssec — 31 3-ssec ; thiid furlong, 46sec —^8sec ; half, lmin 8 4-ssec —lmin 4 l-ssec. Ringing cheers were given for Mr and Mrs Buckland, and also for the horse. The clay could not have been better, as there was scarcely a breath of wind. The track was undoubtedly a bit Flow owing to late rains, but a friend who walked round the track after Fritz had made his second attempt, tells me that the going was very fair indeed, and that whilst Fritz had scarcely made an. impression, Magazine's tracks were distinctly visible. Mr J. A. Buckland was on Thursday last made the 1 recipient of a handsome pair of field-glasses, suitably inscribed, by the members of the Canterbury Trotting Club. The presentation took place at the Cafe de Paris, and was made in the presence of a goodly number of trottiDg men. At the same time, a handsome bracelet, set in diamonds and sapphire?, was presented to Mrs. Buckland, in _ whose name the champion runs. When the idea of inviting, Mr Buckland to a convivial gathering was first mooted it was- generally thought that the Canterbury Trotting Club would endeavour to bring together all the principal men of the district, and, whilst doing honour to Mr Buckland, make the occasion one for bringing trotting men and their aims into closer touch. Several stewards, in discussing the matter with me, expressed the opinion that no better time could be chosen to make the meeting as representative of the trotting world as it was possible, to make it, as such a gathering was bound to foster the sport. However, the moving spirits of, the Canterbury Trotting Club evidently did not relish the idea of allowing many but themselves to share the convivial evening. Here was a chance to boom the sport, which has been missed by the Canterbury Club— a chance that may never occur again. Trotting men had shown the greatest good feeling towards Mr Bnckland, and had cheered him and Bis horses' again and again. Mr Bnckland had proved himself a thorough sport, and this fact and Fritz's meritorious deeds had so impressed the best of our local sportsmen, that they would have only been too glad to meet the visitor and wish him bon voyage. TJiis pleasure was denied them by the action of the Canterbury Club, w-ho preferred to have the visitor all to themselves. This opinion is the- only feasible explanation 1 can give of the action of the club, which was the essence- of deplorable pessimism. Froni the above it will be gathered' that I feel particularly aggrieved with the club. This feeling was considerably intensified when. I w as told by the president and secretary of the club' that the presence of Jiewspaper reen at the gathering was not desired by the club. Why? Considering that the visit of Mr Buek-lamd's-team was an important event in tha trotting world, it would naturally be thought that the club would be well pleased at the presence of pressmen, who, in turn, could publish Mr Buckland's views on trotting here, and ao not only help the sport along, But matc-iialljr benefit the club. By no stretch- of imagination could harm, have resuited by the presence* of men who have for. years done their utmost to improve the sport, ►speaking solely, as the representative of the Witness, lean confidently aaßert that I have at all times done my best to; promote the best interest of the sp,orfc, and so far as I am aware have never written* one word that, was not absolutely in accordance with fact. Notwithstanding this, and I challenge 1 anyone to disprove- it, I am told that the club would rather I did not attend. Why ? Was any member afraid that he might be correctly reported ? Did someone- iutend to utter that which* would not bear reporting 1 It would seem so. What was there to hide, any way? To all intents and purposes it was a public gathering, fostered by men who fire acting as trustees of the public. Had the presentation been a private one, paid for' by private money, I should not have dreamed of attending * v but this was not so,, as the club "had^ voted JE2O from' its" funds to defray the necessary expenses. To be told my presence was nor. required, whilst a representative of another paper attended (and who, I was in form sd, hed likewise been told that no newspaper mun would be present), only makes the iixsult mort galling. Considering, as I previously remarked, that I have ever doi.e my best for trotting, and this club in particular, the position is totally unexplainable. I do not believa. that the majority of the stewards were aware of the embargo placed on pressmen. Had I been guilty of some fault, or committed some gr&ve error, iv writing of this club, 1 could partially understand ; but this,l absolutely deny. T sincerely, timst that the stewards will take care that such an occurrence dooß not happen, again. From a gentleman who* waa present I gather $18!: tV>t rsresenttttion wstt s&svde bs Mr Perkins,

president of the club. Mr Buckland,, ia thanking the club for the presents, said his trip had been a most enjoyable one, and complimented the club on the efficient manner in which it carried on the Bport. He had been disappointed with the showing of his two-year-old What, but as he intended returning to the colony in the spring he would most likely bring bis crack youngster back, when he hoped that he would be able to show him off to advantage, and maybe he 'would get him to equal Fritz's time. Dr Slade, Sydney, who- also brought a couple of horses across the yrat^r, said that although he was unsuccessful, he intended to return with his friend Mr Buckland, and trusted to then have something good enough to win a race. »He believed Fritz was the best trotting horae in the world, and thac had the course that day been more suitable he thought; the horse would have trotted the Qfotanrc in 2ni;r. ?Pi»e.

Mr W. Tonks. es-preaiaeiit, iv. "•tuponAicg to tlie toast of nis health, th«s rise of trotting in Canterbury hfs reai&rk* baiofi supplemented by Mr V Hai'rf*, the president of the L&ae&^.er Pack Clvb s in JC-pouiiisg to the tos.st oi "SSudreA Clubs." tvlr V. IViuJholland ou h?half of trotting owners, thanked Mr Buckland for iha sgott he had sho-jvo,. .and said the omm would alwa*B weTcome him tcCanterbuyy. M* MulhoUaod proposed ?he toast of the ''Lfldir f-"a i rosiessss," onupled with thrnames of Mra E. C. J. Sctvens »nd Mrs Slade. In wishing prosperity to tha Canterbury Trotting Club Mr Bucklacd remarked that one of the most, pleasing features to him of the wet day on which the second day's races were held at the recent meeting was the way he was cheered to victory when driving Viva, li proved to hico th« thorough sporting spirit of th^ciitxitaxiXiity, seeing rhatonly £2 10s was invested on his niire, ao that only three persons, orre of rbein bit tiaiusr, benefitted by the success.

The toast of " The Officials'" wss honoured, the secretary, handicapper, and Mr Reynolds (timekeeper) responding. . A pleasant gathering was brought to a close by the singing of " Auld Jang syne."

TJmslopogaas and a couple of hnnters were landed at Lytteltot) from the north on Saturday. Mr G- H. Rhodes has purchased the Stepuiak — Illusion colt from Mr btead. It will be remembered that the latter bought the youngster in Dunedin.