CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 56

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Feitz. A start was mad© with the New. Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club'* meeting oh Saturday. There was a large attendance, and those who were present were rewarded by witnessing one of the best day's racing ever associated with the Addington track. The investments on th totalisatof showed a slight falling off from last year's figures, but twenty-three | bookmakers paid the license fee of £2O; so that the financial side should be all right. The day's sport opened with the Introductory Handicap, for which the field numbered twenty. Dayspring drfew out at the start, and was never troubled, winning by a dozen lengths from . Stormlet,' with "Vondey six lengtha ,-a'way, just in front of Pinewood. . The • winner is a three-year-old filly , by the American stallion California, x her dam being the pony-Daybreak;- Day-spring ia very small, but. she can. muster up .a- great? turn of pace. Stormlet is a four-year-old sister to Storm. A. ' field of twenty-foui lined up for the Lady's Bracelet Handicap.Teresina was responsible for the early pace; but Eavalli ran "to the front two furlongs from home and won comfortably by eight lengths from Erina, yvho beat St. Treela by a head for secor/ "4ace. Kavalli is ai stable mate of Daysp.- N and there wa3 a general feeling of satisfaction that Mr J. A. Buckland should have made such art auspicious start at the meeting, as his horses have not done well at recent meetings. The New Zealand Handicap brought out thirteen good performers. Welfare went off smartly, followed by Alliance, Florin. Piecework, and Factory Boy. A' mile from home Welfare was beaten, and Alliance * went out in front. A fine finish ended in Alliance lasting long, enough to win by two lenarths from Factory Boy. who got up near the post and beat Revenue for second place. Abarfeldy, who left the mark slowly, was next." and ther cam« Florin. Piecework, and Noreen. .The trotting division of the Futurity Stakes brought out four starters, and it proved a very disappointing race. To-night, a filly by Woodencl —To-morrow, jumped off in good style, while the others seemed unable to strike a gait, and it was a procession all the way, To-night eventually winning, pulling uo. by four lengths from the Australian filly Grattan Chimes, with Lady Wallace a poor third and Jolly Bells last. It was a sorry exhibition, and is not likely to encourage the club to continue with tha race. For the President's Handicap ! the field numbered a dozen. St. 'Swithin was quickest to begin and he soon had a good' lead. His nearest attendant all. the way' was Lenape. who made up a lot of ground, in the last half-mile, only to be. beaten at the finish by half a length. Bonification was a poor third and Emmeline fourth. I St. Swithin is a three-year-old l colt by Rothschild from Queen V, who is well i known oin southern tnacks> He got to ! the end of two miles in 4min 58s>eo. and. | he is likely to do a lot better yet. Eiprht ! lined up for the Autumn Handicap. Majou 1 Rothsea made all the running: and at ono j time looked like winning easily. He tired i badly at the finish, however, and Elmwcoct ( beat him by half a length, Vanclare being

a dozen lengths away The Flying Handicap, for which the field numbered ten, was keenly contested all the way, but Mains drew out in. the last bit and won by four lengths from My Mistake, who was eight lengths clear of- Wild Bill, with Hin.au and Havoc close up. The day's sport was concluded with the Express Handicap, for which there were fifteen starters. Major Rothsea went off smartly, and though he tired at the finisri, he lasted long enough to beat Bessie B. by three lengths, Elsie being a good third, just in front of Decoration, Mada, and My Mistake. The times all through were exceptionally fast, and it is evident we are likely to see some fresh records shortly. • ""•

■ March 28. - The conditions were very unfavourable for the opening of the Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting. Rain set in last night, and continued at .intervals until well on in this afternoon. As a consequence the track waß very heavy and the times slow. Apart from the desire to have fine weather, for the racing there was a special feeling of disapointment that the Champagne Stakes could not be decided on firm going in order to afford a thorough test. The half dozin which made up the field were as "fine a looking lot of two-year-olds as ever took part; in the classic event. The victory' of Madam Madcap was gained in very decisive style, and if the form can be accepted as right, on which point the state of the going is the only room for doubt, she is clearly the best of the year. She has a good style of moving, and showed that she can stay all right. Formless went very fast,, and there is no doubt as to her pace,, but she did not run on at the end. Her-young trainer-owner, R. O'Donnell, who learnt his business under R. J. Mason, rriade a happy'selection, when he secured Los Angelos, Guianforte, and Formless at the Stead clearing sale. Danube ran a decent race, and Countermine also shaped oretty well, but Formby and Sunburnt were very disappointing, Formby especially so, as he was hopelessly beaten nearly halt a mile from home. Genius, the -winner of the Autumn Plate, is a well-grown three-year-old by Acmnen. He is on the improve,'and he may be seen doing well in better company next A field of 15 contested the Great Easter Handicap, in which Penates registered a grand performance. He may, however, have been a trifle lucky. Broadsword jumped out in front, and with Penates as his nearest attendant he showed the way to the entrance .of the straight, where he fell. Ali the others behind swung out iwide to clear the fallen horse and jockey, the result being that Penates was left with a big break. He might have won under any conditions, as hS was galloping like a good one, but the. mishap made things easy for him. Broadsword, who, v/itlrhis rider, escaped without injury, was going strongly when he fell, and he might have been very hard to shake off. I should say - that "Killindini suffered as much as anything from the accident, as she was just making a forward move at the time. The' recent, sale of- Penates was the theme of general discussion to-day, and Mi- G.' iW. Patterson came in for plenty of congratulations on having secured such a good ■ horse.

Silene, the winner of the Russley Plate, Ss a very smart galloper over a short vsourse, and will repay watching. She *ad not, a great deal to spare, however, SSs" Knight and Martine kept her on £he stretch. Fisticuff, the winner of the Courtenay IWelter Handicap, is a three-year-old by Singlestick H. Those Government im- ■ fcartations were roundly condemned in some Jluarters, but they have a fine record jriii our racecourses, for*it must be rememjbered that they have not -had a great chance with good mares. - Fisticuff, by : jthe way, is the biggest horse at Riccarton. ..Jranui registered an attractive perform- .'.- ance when she- just got up and beat ([Bridge in the Sockburn Handicap. She '•put in a great run from the distance. Flitaway, who wore a special hood, lost a lot of ground at the start of the Sockburn ■Handicap. When she did set sail her rider >was in too much of I e hurry, and after being second at the home turn she subsided inside the distance.