THE SOUTH CANTERBURY MEETING

Otago Witness, Issue 3085, 30 April 1913, Page 49

THE SOUTH CANTERBURY MEETING

The South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meetings have, latterly, been making rather more than progressive steps in catering for racing, last week’s meeting scoring a positive stride in a financial direction, whilst.

at the same time, the sport proved interesting from start to finish. The club was favoured with excellent weather. Ir, was really summerlike on the first day, but a sharpish tinge came into the atmosphere towards the latter part of the concluding card. On entering cho gates it became very obvious to one that the club had not been idle since the spring meeting, but had made further c-ffort to comfortably accommodate their patrons. The stewards’ stand has been shifted back and greatly improved by the addition of another story, which houses the stewards, press, members of the club, visitors, owners, etc., and grants them a comfortable view of the sport in addition to shelter that would be appreciated in the event of hostile weather. The birdcage has been considerably enlarged, and other improvements carried out which all go to show that the club has been continually studying how to enhance the popularity and •success of their meetings. The S.C.J.C. is now well equipped as far as its track goes, and a growth of stakes seems to be a foregone conclusion as a result of last week’s splendid financial success. It is stakes and yet bigger stakes that makes the chief factor towards success, and the building of the two leading races on each day’s card is imperative if better fields and a bettor class is desired in those events. The face that the Timaru Cup carried 200sovs in 1891 is a spur to encouragement, although of course the prize-list was not near its present total. The field which mustered for last week’s Timaru Cup was a trifle disappointing, but, once under silk in the actual contest, it provided an interesting race. Sunbeam was principally responsible for a sound pace as ho carried Mumura along, and, after settling him, had Kilrneny to assist into the straight. Here the St Ilario gelding retired, and Thrax wore Kilmony down in the run from the distance. Kilmeny might have proved a bigger thorn in Thrax’s side if ho had nor gone after Sunbeam so soon, but the second* day’s form suggested that the Martian horse would have won under any reasonable circumstances. given a fair chance to win. Dooley, in point of fact, docs not unnecessarily expose his mounts, and so achieves one of the greatest factors in building up a rider's reputation. If the first day’s running was as close as it appeared, Kilmeny should have run a better race in the Autumn Handicap. He was not receiving a great deal of concession for defeat, as Thrax went, up 141 b and Kilmeny 91b. It was a higher scale, and the distance appeared more in favour of Kilmeny and Sunbeam. The last-named, however, failed to show up; a newcomer in old Medallist, got hung up in die tapes, and so spoilt his chance, whilst Spccialform did not got a good passage. This, of course, helper! Thrax to win, and he did it in pleasing stylo. The chief sprint on the finac day saw a good race which ended up by Gapon just outing OlHono, who had all the luck of the race, but failed to grasp the success necessary to climax matters. Kilts was making up ground towards the finish, and John Bunyan ran a fair race, but Gnome and Carolus never looked to hold a winning chance at cho business end of the run. Punters went very strongly for Pilgrim’s Way in the Farewell, and, despite his previous failures, Oxenhope finished up a second favourite. Gapon had the apprentice allowance claimed for him, and M‘Coll had the ride instead of Beard, who rode a good race when he won on the Stepniak gelding. Lupulito fiddled about a bic at the start, and the starter ordered him out of the way. From the rise of the barrier, Oxenhope took charge in the first few strides, and made a one-horse race of it to the post. Some people wore quite annoyed at Oxenhope’s form, and wondered why the stewards did noc ask for an explanation of his previous running. Oxenliope had failed to show up over shorter courses and in bigger fields, which mayhave hampered him, whereas he got a clear run in his winning effort. Taken all round the mooting proved a most successful one, and forms a pleasing reward and encouragement to the club.