CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 52

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Frii/. The weather during the past week has again been atrocious, and locally-trained horses are not likely to bs seen at their best at the August fixtures of the Canterbury Jockey Club and New Zealand Metropolitan Tiottmg Club. The Yaldhurst track has not been used for weeks, and little more than walking exercise can be given to the horses at Riccarton. North Island trainers are apparently much better of? m the matter of weather, and I am afraid tlrat unless the climate improves, our horses will not win much money next month. Several delegates tc the Racing and Trotting Conferences recently held in "" elhngton have returned. On the whole, the respective bodies appear to have adopted legislation which ought to considerably improve both branches of the sport. The efiorts of uhe Dunedin Club did not meet with approval at the hands of the. Racing Conference, not one suggestion enianatmg fiom that club being adopted. The Hon. G. M'Lean is reported to ha -c eommei.+ed upoii this tact , but, after all, there did not appear much need to amend or add to the ru.ts m the manner suggested by the southern body. I hear that General Tracy has been purchased by a southern breeder, the price paid being, it "is said, £420. This appears to be a stiff sum to pay for the son of Berlin and Jenny Tracy, but he has pro\ed hißiseli a. successful sire. His stock are hoc oily able to race, but they are good-looking aminaib. I am soiry that the Racing Conference d d not agree to appoint stipendiary stewards. It appears that there was a- general feeling amongst the delegates that such men were urgently required to watch the running, but fear was expressed that good, competent men could not be found to accept the position. It is a pity the delegates did not press Mr Baldwin's motion, and then look for the men. Until such an attempt has been made, the argument has not so much weight. If supposedly competent honorary stewards can now carry out the duties which would devolve upon a stipendiary steward, there ought not to be any great difficulty m finding suitable men. Of cotirse, many might apply for the position, and there appears to be an impression m some minds that the man chosen will be on a level with the racecourse detective looking after and expelling bookmakers. Eveiy press writer and those who are clamouring for the reform are agreed that whoever may be appointed must be a man whose personality will help to raise the sport, and whose life and experience enab c him to carry out his duties in a dignified manner. The subject has been referred to a committee, which means shelving the matter for^ a year, during which time we shall probably again have the misfortune to comment upon the rascalities of some of those connected with, the turf. Even a stipendiary steward might not sec all thßt goes on on our racecourses ; but once it was known that a fearless man was watching the racing, the swindles now perpetrated right under the noses of stewards wou.d not be attempted. Such a man would not only be able to occasionaliv detect frauds, but ha would, from his knowledge of the bjjoit, defend. trad protect the guiltless. The Trotting Conference's recommendation that the New Brighton Trotting Club shoald next year receive two totalisator peimits has been well received heie. This little club deserves to be encouragd. It bis done all that was. asked of it, and the seaside course is now infinitely better provided with conveniences than are many of the more pretentious ones.

The winter meeting of the Ashburton Coursing Club took place last week at Lngmhor _ undermost unfavourable circumstances. Continuous rain fell during the day, and only a few enthusiasts attended. The first course was considerably delayed owing to ram. The following aie the res\ilts —First round • Austral beat Gipsy, Fr/sky Lass beat Peisimmon, Little Sliamrorlc beat Emperor, Lady's Chp-n beat Mizpah, Faster Yet and Mafekmg byes. Second round . Frisky Lass beat Au=tral, Little Shamrock, beat Mafeking, Lady's Cham beat Faster Yet. At this stage, owina; to rain, it was decided to discontinue, the ow"ners of Little Shamrock, Lady 9 Chain, and Frisky Lass agreeing to divide the stakes.

At the annual meeting of the New Zealancl Farmers' Association the chairman, Mr F. F. D. S. Neave, in the course of his address, spoke as follows . The war m South Africa, and the low prices of wool and gram, lias mad« the country turn its attention to the breeding of stcut horses for the army, and the Gbverninenfe has very wisely taken up the question ot improving the horses m this country, and has already sent Home for some sires. This is right enough in its way, but, in my humble opinion, the Government, has a far surer and easier means ready to its hand were it to utilise the money earned by the licensed totalisator When, we reflect that one single racing club, in Canterbury, alone received £12,447 from the totalisator last yea. , what would be the result it all that vast sum of money earned by the totalisator all over New Zealand were devoted to the improvement of the breed of useful horses, instead of the whole machinery of racing, as at present, benefiting only a, few owners of speedy, v-eedy two and three-year-olds, that are nsitally unsound in then legs, and broken down by the time they come tc maturity? Were a law passed that all money earned by the totaligator vims to be given ii? prizes tc horses over threo years old, carrying s minimum -weight of lOst ovpr not less than two miles (we need not go quite to the extremes of the Queen's Plates of our forefathers, who used to run four-mile heata with 12st up £0} £100 prizes), the result weuldL be that, without spending one farthing of public money, we should here in New Zealand produce the finest hunters and cavalry horses in the world, fi* to carry a man for his life, by Luadreds, instead ol bj ones and twos as a*

present. There is no doubt we have the climate and the class of country suitable, anri even under the present conditions otir New Zealand horses in South Africa compare favourably •with those of other countries. A barrier has recently been erected by the C.J.C. for the convenience of trainers having two-year-olds to educate. Mr H. M'Lean's team, consisting of Rex 11, Surrey, and a St. Ives gelding, in charge of M. Goodger, is looking and going well. The southern horse Waikaia is also in fair condition. Larboard Watch, Marina, and Long Tom have occasionally jumped well. The trio, given fine weather, should give a fair account of themselves, although Marina sometimes fences rather slovenly. Cameo, Glen ogle, and Glenaladale, Zither, Somerled, and Cadet axe thriving on the long ■walking and slow exercise apportioned them. Dundas and his companion Benzoin are shapnig nicely. Hobbs has a promising youngster in work out of Bloomer by Lakeshell.