SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 46

SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Bad weather quite spoilt the South Canterbury meeting last week. Ihe first day was cold, the second wet, and the people wouldn't turn out. As a consequence only £24-29.| went' through the totalise tord during the two days, this being £<60j less tlian last year. Bristol, now owned by Mr Logan, led all the way in the High-weight Handicap, and if for a moment at the home turn he looked like coming back to Phryne and Vandyke, Emerson easily persuaded him to go on again and make the result a certainty. Telemeter broke do"-vn in this race. Galileo, the favourite for the Washdvke "\\ elter, distinctly failed to stay the mile in the heavy going, and Lady Medallisu beat him with something to spare. Tho Hack Race could hardly be called a success. Only four started, and of these Aldershot was a long way the best. Last year the Autumn Handicap was won by Poubie Event 8A with Jupiter 6.9 second and Vandyke 7.0 third. This year Vandyke got in at 6.12 and won, while Jtniter was again second, but with 8.6. It was a race in which all the five starters seemed to be in it at various s stages. Paladin and Suzannah made the running to the top turn, where Jupiter passed Suzannah, and shortly afterwards Paladin suddenly fell out of the lead. Jupiter led into the straight, where Vandyke and Nihilist challenged, and Vandyjce s light weight enabled him to run home three lengths ahead of Jupiter. Nihilist a couple of lengths au'ay; Paladin last. iua inquiry into Vandyke's running was, of course, unavoidable. The old black, starting favourite in the Hiqhwei^ht ±iandican, disolayed very little finishing power, ■nbile in the Autumn Handicap, when he was the outsider, he outstayed what wa=i presumably the best, field of the meeting. As to the merits of the case T cannot say a very great, deal, being dependent for opinions on hearsay : but I may point out that j.irkiol's puce was equal to 13 7-103 ec per furlong, whilst Vandyke's race sveraged 13 5-14oec per furlong. This shows that by little Vandyke's was the faster race. On the other hand, in the Autumn Handicap Vandyke had only 7.1 to carry, or 151b less than he had in the High -weight Handicap. As against this may be set the facts that the speed average was bettor in the Autumn Handicap, since in it the pace was for a longer distance, and, moreover, Vandyke was not near the winner in the first race. I am bounds ho£-

ever, to say that these calculations do nos conclusively prove anything. The stewards probably saw that, after looking at the figuresy and their personal observation- of the races apparently did not help them, since they did' not come to a direct verdict of exoneration, or blame. What they did was to resolve^- 1 *-j " That a vote of censure be passed upon Mi* v v J. Fitzgerald, owner of the horse, and thai; similar running at any future meeting of the 1 club will be more strenuously dealt with."-^ This is. where they fell into error. From any,, point of view the verdict is a mistake. 1^ Mr Fitzgerald is innocent, he is blamed aa much as if he were guilty, and has a rightr to consider himself aggrieved. If he is guilty,; the censure is not sufficient punishment. * am, as a rule, slow to blame stewards in reW *\ gard to decisions arrived at on the spot. Such? decisions generally deal out justice in a more, or less rough and ready manner, and mostly they are much nearer a fair thing than thef delayed decisions arrived at after appeal.But in this case the stewards' conclusions are illogical and absurd. The mistake about Conqueror was another regrettable feature of the meeting. Mr Dowse has never before, so far as I know, mistaken one horse for another;/ I did not think of this as the explanation un-~ til our Canterbury letter arrived. Now that' the explanation is made, all I can say is that it it exonerates Mr Dowse to some extent it - is at the expense of the club. Where were the lists "of previous performances? They should have been laid before Mr Dowse. The neglect in this respect spoilt the race. The only, other thing to comment on is the fact- thafc Ukase, winner of the Pony Race on the second day, is one of the Messrs Ellis's breeding, being by Stepniak from a mare by St. Glair — - Legerdemain. The St. Ulair blood is going to be very valuaoie.