CANTERBURY DOINGS BY Fritz.

Otago Witness, Issue 2660, 8 March 1905, Page 55

CANTERBURY DOINGS BY Fritz.

I understand thai; Mr Laurie" Wilson, a well- , known lecal trotting enthusiast, has made up his nurd to- pay a. visit to America m the near future, ftis obiect in going to the Land of Starg and Stripes is to attend some of the best of the circuit trotting meetings, and. if possible, bring back a few colts and fillies of the besi strains to be got. Mr Wilson has for years bred a few trotters, using Huon as his premier sii-e, whilst in his paddocks are running horses sired by Rothschild, Wild-wc-od, and Lincoln -Yet. He own 3an ideal estate fci the breeding and rearing cf horses on the Peninsula hills, and I trust his enterprise will meet with the success it d-eserves.

Mr St. John Buckley, who has recently purcha=ed several horses, last week botight the hurdle and cross-country hor&e Phaefeonitis, with the object of capturing some of th-e winter prize mone>y.

Mr J. B. Reid, who, it will be, remembered, raced that geed mure Gladsome in this colony, and Australia, left on a visit to England on* Friday. His trip to th-e Old. Country, so far as I can undei stand, has no connection with the sport, of which ha has been such a. keen supporter.

A week or two a^o I mentioned that several owners and trainers complained, during the progress of the New Zealand Trotbing Club's rac-otinig, iha.t the- track was a bit rough, espeoi?lly along the back stretch. The meeting concluded on Saturday, and on the following dr.y it is said, several prominent membeis of the recently-formed Horse Breeders' Association looked ~ver the track. It is also rumc-ured that they considered there was fair ju'stifieatioii lor the complaints made, and I believe they formulated their grievances in a letter to the cltib. Some of the club officials, it appears, rather resent the action of these who paid a, visit to the club's ground without in any way informing the c'aib of their intention, or seeking permission to tiespass on private property. Further, they object to what are described as irresponsible persons scraping holes in the track, of water was undoubtedly the main cause of the complaints being made as to the roughness of the track, but this ought to be fairly ea-sily remedied. The ckrb could comfort-ably purchase such a, wa.ter ca>rt as is used in tho streete oi Christchurch, and this, with th» tank supplies, just finished, should prove equal to the occasion. It may have been somewhat indiscreet, perha.ps, to bore holes in. the track ■with the heels cf boots (if siich were done), the obvious drity of the malcontents being sv direct appeal to the club to improve the tunning. However, but little harm has been done. T.he newly-ic-rni-sd association has it in its power to materially assist clubs by drawing attention to necessary alterations and improvements in any branch of the sport, and so raxitua-l'iy benefit trotting and those taking part therein. It might have been belter, perhaps, had th-e association members invited the trsck officials to together inspect ths surface of the course, hui, though this was not done, _ I feel' sure that no- discourtesy was intended, anid- probab'y the club will not allow any initial resentment to prompt it to decline to recognise what is the rightful privilege of owners — namely, to call attention to a-ny matter which has for its object th-e furtherance aead good government ot trotting.

A -meeting of. the stewards of the Akaroa County Racing Club was held on the eo^irse on March 2; present — Messrs H. D. Buchanan. W. Buchanan. O. Bradley, G. Robinson,. R. Latter, T. Quesuly, and S. Harris. The following resahiitian was passed : " Tha* on account of the course being flooded it is impossible io hold the races on the date fixed, March 7, untL that the meeting be pc-atponsd until"Tues-d-ay, April 4." The acceptances were very go-orl, but it is scarcely worth while to at present sJtianrat to foreshadow re-sults.

The defeat of Stronghold on the first day of the recent Wanganui meeting proved a bitter pill to a large number of punters, whilst the success of Quarryma-n, a- s-table oompanioii, in the Cup was not very freely anticipated.

A two-year-old by Castashore, out of a St. Leger filly, was disposed of m± £13 10s at Tat^ersall's Bazaar on Sa-burday. She is untried, and, if a suspicious-looking leg stands, she should be worth nior&than the sum named as a hack.