CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2372, 17 August 1899, Page 37

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

! By M. Quad. ; The horses engaged on the second day of the Grand National meeting, especially the Grand National Hurdle race horses, have been respon'iL'e for the execution of some really good work. Spcial Pest, the top -weight, was never better than now, and jn his training exercise tho son of Ahua has been stiiding along in capital style. He has not dene any schooling — he does not require it — and tboagh he is asked to carry a terrible load, he will in all probability prove particularly troublesome to shake off. A prominent sportsman accepted a fair wa#?r that Dummy vrill win the double, but whatever he may do in the steeplechase, the result of which will be known when these lines appear in print, I do not fancy him for the hurdle raoe. I have never seen Ilex galloping quite so freely as he is now, but he is a rathei dirty jumper, as Robertson discovered on Saturday, when the son of Le Loup refused a fencs, thaugh ho subsequently jumped fairly well. \ Ddfiance was .sent over t.he schooling hurdles in company . with Popgun on Saturday, and the pace being made strong from the start, Do fiance simply ran right away from his companion lioth fenced well. Defianet is a quick, clean jumper, one of the best ever seen at Riccarton. He is a strong favourite for the race, aod deservedly so. His chance appears j to be particularly rosy, and his connections I make no secret -of their confidence. Torpina is travelling and jumping nicely, as also is Tioubadour, but »,t the time of writing Marina, who ] orrivod on Saturday, has done nothing but j walking and cantering. This mare looks really well. Windermerc is also in capital condition, a^.d shows much improvement both in galloping and jumping. Dundee is scarcely ready t» raco, I should say. He iooks well — *,oo well, m fact, and I shall be surprised if he pr«vnils. Kuku is reporter! to have hurt himself at the latter end of the week, and it was then rumoured that ho would be unabls to race at the meeting, but he has since been out at exercise wjth neck sweaters on. I have no fancy for him. Straybird can scarcely prevail on truck form, neither can The Weaver, Daphne, DeTy, or Popgun, some of whom will probably race on the first day. At prp.sent the race appears to me to be a vwitablo gift to Defiance, but should he miss this event, I am coniident he will become oue of the best hurdle horses the colonies ever saw. His par.c is undoubted, and now that I have seen him jump, I am satisfied that his prospects are particularly bright. Last year, it must not be forgotten, the favourite, Opae, was badly defeated, and favourites, as backers know to theii cost, do go down occasionally, aaid there is just a possibility that Defiance may share a similar fate, especially as he has uofc yet raced ovci fences wHh a big field bumping "and'knocldng him about. But whilst this argument is usually perfectly sound, I fancy the field will not have much chance to bump him about. They may obtain a particularly fine view of him, but that. I should say, will be all that will be vouolisjled. to the majority of his antagonists. In response to a icqui&ib'on signed by ssvcu members, a =p?cial meeting of the Canterbury Trotting Club waa held on the evening of thp Bth to reconsider the advisableness of joining the Tjancsster Park Trotting Club in acquiring their new giound. There waa a good attendance of members, and the president (Mr T. .Marri occupied the chair. At the opening of iho niristing. the chairman said he would refuse to put any motion that was proposed, as he luled that, according to Rule 10, the matter, having once been decided, could not be reopened during the financial year. This ruling caused a heated discussion, several members, contending that it applied only to committee meetings. Finally, th^ chairman, iir.der protest, agie°d to allon- Iho aieetma; to Mr W. Tonks moved and Mr G. Paylixig seconded—" That it is >i»B;Yi>ble ior tiuo i.lu 1 ) to join with the Lancaster Park Ciub in acquiring the land known as the Twicgcr estate, situate at Aldington, on lease, for the purpose of electing stands, fencing, etc., and forming a track for holding future meetings." In the discussion, the supporters of the motion said they were not 'vs favour of the clubs amalgamating to foim one club, but wished to sec- the Canterbury Club join fotces with the Lancaster Paik Club in scouring an up-to-date track. Mr H. Reynolds moved, u/nd Mr J. H. Thompkins seconded an amendment, expressing the desirableness of sending a deputation to interview the Coloninl Secrefaiy to ascertain whether, in the evunt of the clubs joining to secure a trnck, the pmitiit's would be granted as st present. After a Jong discussion the ainomment was lost by *13 to 12; and on the motion beir.g \ix\t it was lost by 14 to 13, tho chairman exeicismg both his deliberative and casting vote ags»in=t it. I am sorry that the joint occupancy of the ground was not agreed to, si tho amalgamation may now be forced upon them by the Colonial Secretary. ''"'iis view ihelil by <v h'.r.^e number of people quite outside ihe hiflupiice of either side, and a telegram from Wellington, which appeared in ihe Lyttelton Times during the week, to the effect that the Colonial Secretary had agreed to give the Canterbmy Trotting Club a permit for its meeting this week conditionally on its amalgamation with the Lancaster Park Club, has strengthened the conviction. The meeting was soroevhat noisy. The chairman at first stated that ue would not put any motion that was ' propesed, holding that, under Rule 16 of th«s 1 club's mle3, nothing could be rescinded during i the current financial year. This rule deals , with the duties of the committee, not with the general or special genera 1 meetings of the club, and after this view had been placed before the ■ chairman he allowed tha motior to go to the meeting, though nndei protest. The amendment to the motion ou^ht r.ot ro have bc^ii accepted ns such, as it did not traverse the motion. Thi3 is the second time the proposal to amalgamate with Lancaster Park has failed. • The South Canterbury Hunt Club's annual Steeplechase nieethig, to conclude the season, ' was held at Mr Elworthy's Holme station, Pareora, on Thuisday, and passed off very pleasant'y. The weather was fine, the attendance fair, and the sport good- There were a good many fallh, but no one was hurl. The principal event was won by Mr M. Orton's Dugald, Mr Elworthy's Sam second, Mr Austin's Tommy third. Four others started. Mr , Orion is the club's huntsman, and his win was a popular one. At a meeting of the Brackenfield Hunt Club, held at Amberley on Monday, Mr G. B. Starky in the chair, it was resolved to hold a meeting in Christchurch on August 17, to decide ' whether the hounds shall be kept on for another I season. I A meeting of the Amberley Steeplechase Club was held on Monday afternoon, Mr F. Courage being in the chair. The secretary was instructed to engage detectives to prevent bookmakers betting on the ground at the race meeting, and final arrangements were made for the gathering, which will take place on August 31. A meeting of the South Island Trotting Association was hold last night, when there was a large attendance of members, Mr Donald M'Leau

being in'lhe c&air. "It was decided to postpone the next meeting until August 30. The delegates representing the South Island Trotting Association on the evening of the Sth presented Mr P. Selig, ivho had filled the position of president of the association for two years with a. handsome gold watch-chain, the medal and sovereign-case attached to it being suitably inscribed. Mr D. H'-Lean occupied the chair, and in making the presentation, spoke highly of the efforts made by the guest of the evening to purify trotting, and complimented him on the manner in which he had filled the chair, to the satisfaction, the speaker believed, of trotting men, and he trusted that when the new association was formed Mr Selig would be found in the association again. Mr Selig, in replying, said that he scarcely thought his services deserved such a valuable recognition as that just handed to him. His only aim had been to improve the sport ir every possible wiiy, a»d it afforded bin.' acute pleasure to find that. his pieaidential efforts had met with approval. In thanking his fellow-delegates most neartiij. for the. band. j oius souvenir of his connection with them and the association, Mr Selig said he felt sure the wearing of the chain would be a. constant and pleasant reminder of bis association with the gentlemen sitting , around him. Several toasts were duly honoured, many of the speakers contributing interesting reminiscences of old-timt trotting. | At a meeting of the Ashburton County Racing Club Committee on Saturday Messrs T. ! E. Upton and Hugo Friedlander were nomin- i ated to represent the club at the meetings of the committee of the Metropolitan Club. The election of a secretary was deferred, and the lime for receiving applications from candidates ■was extended.