CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 41

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Feitz. Free Holmes's term of disqualification has just x expired. He tells me that he lias no intention at present of attempting to train for himself, and is prepared to accept a position as private trainer. Free is probably the best all-round man in New Zealand. There is, a gr-eat demand here for horses, especially decent handicap animals. M. Hobbs could have sold Dundas several times last week, and in response to a North Island inquirer he named 550gs, which failed to lead ! to business. Peerage, who Tan really well, but [ unluckily, at the C.J.C meeting, is another i horse whose owner ha? recently been asked to j put a price'On him, but when he asked £200 the inquirer- declined to deal. " 'J. Taggart purchased Belligerent last week. I This horse has changed- harids four-times-dur-i ing ths past 12 months. i Sant Ilario, purchased at the spring sales here"foi 270gs, by Mr Woodrofie, is at work- at i Riecarton. If his leg stands, the son of St. Leger should win a, few stakes at the coastal i meetings. | -Materoa, who secured the principal handi- | cap on the second day of the Wellington Spring ! meeting, was priced before leaving Riccarton for the north, ' but an offer of £500 failed to tempt the, owner. • i Sara, the filly by Saracen from Chiara (Cuirassier — Ouida), changed hands at Tattersall's on : Saturday at £20. Mr E. C. Studholme, of Waimate, is her new owner. Sara was bought cheaply enough, and she is quite sound, and enly three. ! .Mr V. Harris's team of four — Strathnaim, Paladin, Magnificent, and Skipper — should secure a few stakes at tlie northern .meetings. They will .shortly be taken north. At present it is intended to start both Paladin and Strathnaim in the Otago Cura. T. Pine has left Cutts's and T/ O'Brien Hohbs's stable. Backers fairly held their own with the Wellington meeting. One backer on the second ; day invested £10 on Melwood. Subsequently i he desired to change the wager to Whitney, I but it was then too late to accept the altera- | tion. Melwood won and paid ovei the limit. i I hear -that one or two prominent citizens here have expressed their intention of purchasing a few highly-bred trotting animals. The sport will probably boom here now that the amalgamation of the two big clubs is a, settled matter. Almost, the well-known rsaeing sire^ was put up: to auction t at Tattersall's oa Saturday, the auctioneer stating that possession could not be given until June 6 next, owing to the horse leased to B. Edwards. This , condition "completely, spoiled the sale, and Almont was bought in at 230gs. Mr.Mace informed me that "he did not desire to part with the horse, but in order to settle a partnership account he was put up. to public cempetition. Several offers were made for the son of Puella, provided the .lease could be cancelled, and there, is little doubt that he would have realised something like £750. Bona fide offers of £400, £450, and £500 were made in the yard. It is generally considered "that in Almont we may have a horse fully equal to lowering Fritz's record for a niile — 2min 13sec. At the same sale ; "Weary (offered under similar conditions) was 1 passed in at 40gs. Warringtou has been sent to his owner's place in the south. He will be mated with a few mares. If St. Denis goes on to Feilding, I should say he would be extremely dangerous. Young or maiden trotting stock will find a fair market in Christchurch just now. D. Price is now training the northern-bred mare Casabianca. She was purchased after the C.J.C. meeting by H. A. Beatty ior £125. There is no betting here in connection with tli3 Dunedin gathering. A special general meeting of the Canterbury Trotting Club was held last week to consider n letter received froni the New Zealand Metroinolitan Trotting Club with reference to the appointment of an arbitrator to act for the Canterbury Club in connection with the arnalganiatjon of the two clubs. Mr T. Marr, president, occupied the chair, and there -was a large attendance' of members. At the last meeting Mr T. C. M."Rallinshaw, a member of the club, had been selected to act, and the Jetter from the New Zealand Club suggested that, as it had decided to appoint an arbitrator not connected with the club, re -would be advisable for the" Canterbury Olub to act in a similar manner. Mr Marr -stated that he had replied to the -effect .that as his club had selected Mr Rallinshaw, he -thought nothing would- be gained by calling a special general meeting- to reconsider Mie matter, but he was. surprised to casually heai that Mr Harris, the president of the~New Zealand Metropolitan Club, had not received his letter.- . After a lengthy discussion, the resolution .appointing Mr Eallmsliaw was lescinded, and Mr T. H. Davey was appointed j to act as arbitrator. It was agreed that the . funds of the club, amounting to about £1700, should be handed over to the arbitrators on demand. On the motion of Mr Tornpkins, the resolution regarding the appointment of life

members was rescinded. It was ag-reed that a letter should he addressed to the executive of the amalgamated club, suggesting that Mr H. Mace should be elected a life member. A vote of thanks to Mr T. Marr, for his efforts oa behalf of Ihe club, terminated the proceedings. Mr R,. J. Henry has resigned 'his position as i secretary of the Ashbuxton Trotting Club. At the Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, before Mr R. Beetharn, S.M., Walter Symes was charged with having, on November 1, laid totalisator odds on the New Zealand Cup. Constable Muriay said he had met the accused, who did not appear, outside the Emipire Hotel on November 1. After talking with him, witness asked what he would lay against Ideal. He said 8 to 1, but at the constable's companion's request, agreed to lay totalisatoi odds. The witness laid 5s on this understanding, and aftei Ideal ran a dead heat with Fulmen, received 25s from accused. Constable Osborae, who had accompanied the last witness, gave similar evidence. Mr Beetham pointed out that the constables were liable to three months' imprisonment for their action. Sub-inspector Black said that some such cases had heen , brought up, but had heen dismissed. The accused was fi-ned £5. A second charge against the accused of carrying on the husiness of a betting jrnan was not gone on with, s "nee .the i charge was laid for the same case of laying totalisator odds. Richard Oxenham '.Mr Ivussell) was charged with having, ■on '^oveuiber 2, nt Plunipton' Park, laid totalisator edds. Richard Trueman was called. Mr "Beetham"" said, he thought it only fair to point cut to the witness that he 'would be liable to three months' imprisonment for having taken tctalisator odds, so that he had better not jn^r-nni-nate himself. Sub-inspector Black, Iruwover, held'-thkt section 31 of the Gaming Act would protect the witness. Mr Beetham, aiier referring to the act, eaid it was rather a difiicult point to decide of[-hand, but he believed the witness would have no indemnifioacion. and would be liable to prosecution ly g.nyono on his own evidence. The examination cf the witness then proceeded, but as he refn*ed to say anything about the betting, he was soon removed 'from the box. Constable Osborire was next called, and was warned by Mr lic-ethani that any person would be able to lay an information against him if he ::2crimui"..led himself. The witness said he was at Plunipton Park on October % and saw the d<f>m3ant taking money. He gave Trueman 5s to put en Little Archie with defendant. The horse yon, and paid 30s, and defendant paid Trueman 7s Gd. To Mr Russell : He had been acting tin- I der instructions. Trueman knew he was look- j ing for " tote ' bettors. The defendant said he had not been taking bets at all. He "and two friends had been making up tickets between • them for the totalisator. They -wanted to take | two 10s tickets upon this particular race, and j each contributed os. Trueman came up, a-nd \ they took his 5s to make lip the pound. He paid Trueman his money when he got the | dividend from the totalisator. Alan Dock! 'corroborated this. The case was dismissed. Chas. Peteison (Mr Malley) was charged with having laid totalisator odds at Plunipton Park on November 2, on the Electric Handicap. Confetable O&borne stated he went up to defendant and asked to put ss, at totalisaior odds r on. Michael Malone. Defendant said, "Look but, the D's are watching nae," but toek the ss, .at totalisator odds. Trueman was with him. The horse did not win. To Mr Malley: The defendant did not call him a " contemptible . crawler." Richard Trueman corroborated the ]ast witness's evidence. The defendant said, he had had Constable Qsborne pointed out to him," and when the constable had tried to entrap him into giving " tote " odds, had given him a. piece- of his Bookmakers had quite a hard enough time without taking risks. Rohert Peterson, brother of the defendant, corroborated this evidence. Laughlan M'Kinnon and John Fraser gave evidence which seemed to bear out that of the defendant. Mr Beetham , said that one side must be perjuring them- . selves, and it seemed most improbable that the constable and the other police witness were doing' so. The defendant would be fined £5. The Waiau facing Club has decided to hold the next race meeting on January 5. The following were elected stewards: — Messrs D. Mullane, T. M. Marr, G. Anderson, "W,< Hutherford, sen., W. Rutherford, iun., J. Coakley, T. Mannion, D. Douglas, B. Newton, and C. E. Derrett. A programme of "seven events was drawr. up, and £60 was allocated. ■ ; Mr P. Selig has been appointed arbitrator by the Metropolitan Trotting Club with reference to the amalgamation of that club with the Canterbury Trotting Club. The trotting mare Irene was sold on Sattirdav for £100. She is by Rothschild. Mr Boyle, a prominent member of the C.J.C, will shortly take a trip to England.