COURSING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3682, 21 July 1886, Page 3

COURSING.

TIMARU TRADESMEN'S COURSING CLUB. (BY OCR OWN BEPOBTBB.) Judge— Mr B. Hibbard j Slip Steward, Mr J. Whelan ; Flßg Steward, Mr P. Stock - ! Secretary, Mr T. G. Cork j Treasurer, Mr J. Morgan. The third meeting of this club took place on the downs of the Levels estate, m paddocks about a mile to the S.W. of the township of Pleasant Point yesterday, and turned out one of the most successful coursing meetings ever held m this district. The weather was fine, and the attendance very good indeed. Shortly after ten o'clock a move was made from the Point to the trystiog ground, and it was not long before sport i began m real earnest. The trials with one exception were regular teasers, the hares being m remarkably good racing form, and m the 1 majority of cases giving the best of dogs a long " good-bye." The officers— that is the few that were m attendance — worked very hard indeed, notably Mes»rs Whelan and > stock, and it was mainly due to their efforts 1 that trials were got off so speedily. Mr B. Hibbard, as judge, gave universal satisfaction, | only one courser— and that an owner— having a civil growl at him. Messrs Power and Clarke I handled the slips, on tbe whole, capitally, I and though the latter is an amateur tie gives promise ere long of performing this tedious and generally thankless _ duty excellently. Coursing was continued right on without a break for luncheon, but visitors who felt at all " peckish " were very hospitably entertained by Mr D. Mahoney of the Shamrock hotel, and Mr Morgan of the Royal hotel, Timaru, whose trap, and the tasty sandwiches and capital ale it contained, were dealt gratis by a prodigal hand to all and sundry. It will be seen from details below that the all-aged stake has fallen to Messrs Hobbs' Jack, who workod cleverly and is a grand dog for open country. The Puppy vtake was carried off by Mr Mahoney's Flemington, who has placed more than one winning bracket opposite his name this season. He is by the famous Australian dog Curate, and was imported by that old and well-known lover of coursing, Mr tiurman of luvercargill. Following aro details : — Axl-aobd Staeb ; winner £7, runner up £3. Mr J. Shark's bk w d Frost Fish beat Mr Morgan's (ns) bdl d Agent 11. Mr J. Wh elan's r d I'hunderbolt beat Mr C. Wright's b w d Don Podro. Messrs M. and C. Hobbs' be d Jack beat Mr J. Power's bk w b Lady n. Frost Fish beat Thunderbolt. Jack, a bye. 111. Messrs Hobbs' be d Jock beat Mr Shark's bk w d Frost Fish, and won the stake. First Round — It was just striking ten when Agent 11. and Frost Fish were handed over to the slipper. After walking about a mile a hare was put up right m the open. The slip was a bad one, Agent 11. getting by far tbe best of it. Frost Fish, however, soon raced past bim, led up, turned and wrenched, and bofore Agent 11. could get m again the Fish had once more turned, and the hare taking through a fence the flag went up for Frost Fish. The two cracks, Thunderbolt and Don Pedro, were next placed m the slips. Power had not gone far before a clinking hare was put np. Tbe slip was a splendid one. Thunderbolt was the first to got to work, turned twice and then, served the Don. He had only scored a few weak points, however, when the fawn again got m Some exchanges followed, and the Don once gave Thunderbolt the go-bye, but the latter coming again knocked up a few extra points with easo, killed, and won a long and rather grueling course. This trial was without doubt one of the beat of tbe meeting, and much enthusiasm was displayed by the winner's friends at one of the favourites going down. Lady and Jack were first taken on the sunny faoe of a terrace, and bad rather a rough lime of it, as after drawing the terrace and several swamps on the top of the terrace blank, they were taken on to a stony paddock. Here puss was soon afoot, and T. Clarke who had taken the slips from Power, gave her rather too much liberty, and as a consequence tho dogs had a long slip, and the hare was on to the terraoo before any work was done. _ The trial was a most one-sided one, Jack winning by any number of points. As the hare was nearing a fenoe, Mr Mcßeth's Taipo got loose, and turned the hare directly on to Jack, who at once killed. Second round— Thunderbolt led, turned twice, and served Frost Fish, who turned short and let Thunderbolt m again. Nearing a fence, however, Frost Fish sgain got m, scored very quickly, and was given the course. After judging had ceased the dogs continued their. course, and bad a regular grueller. Jack had a long trial m his bye with Countess, and showed better form than m the first round. Deciding round— A grand racing hare was put up from. the edge of a small swamp, and as the dogs were slipped across it, Jack was pulled right back and off his legs.' This gave Frost Fish a great advantage, and as the slip was a short one, he led up, and turned twice and wrenched.. Jack then got m turned and | wrenched, and tbe bare taking to a gully

some very pretty exchanges followed. Or getting into the open again Jack once more took charge, and racing the hare to a fenc< wrenched four times before the Fish got ir again. Soon after this Jack once more came. Some give and take work ensued and then Jack giving his companion tbe gc by, won handsomely by a couple of points, Puppy Stakes; winner £4 lOs, runner up £2. Mr D. Mahoney's f d Flemington beat Mr J. Power's bk b Miss F. Mr J. Mcßeth's bk d Taipo heat Mr 0. WedereU's t d Montrose. Mr J. Hammond's w b Marion beat Mr P. Stock's f w b Countess. 11. Flemington beat Taipo. Marion, a bye. m. Mr D. Mahoney's f d Flemington beat Mr Hammond's w b Marion, and won the stake. First Round— Flemington and Miss F. wero given a very short slip, and the hare favouring Flemington, he had scored on the lead up, and had got three turns to his credit before the young lady got m. Up over the terrace the dog took the hare, ond kept selfish possession, only letting the black bitch m foi one or two very weak points. The dog was m fine form, and won handsomely. Montrose raced away from Taipo ond led up, did Borne smart work, but th« fawn could not Btay, and once Taipo got to work he kept so close that the other dog really never had another show. Just before the trial closod the hare took through a wire fence, and " the devil " fenced beautifully, the other one scrambling through it. This lost the latter several points, and he never regained the lost ground. Marion led Countess by lengths to the hare, and won a clinking course with some points to Bpare, The Blip was rather a cross one, Marion I getting if anything the best, of it. Second Round— ln a short course Flemington led up and turned, but the hare dodging very much, Taipo killed too quickly and Flemington was given the course, winning it by three points. Taipo worked closely and cleverly, but was a regular artist at breaking away. He got away from his trainer twice, and as tho runs were long ones, they must have had a distressing effect on him. Countese had a tremendous bye with a Bordeaux pup and worked splendidly, but as she fell two or three times, tho trial told severely upon her. Deciding Round— As tho dogs wero placed m the slips each had a good following, but as the fawn dog was really quite fresh, and the white had but half an hour before run a very long trial, tho former was most fancied. The slipper took the dogs to where a hare was lying m his form, and " swishing " him up, let tbe dogs go rather toe aoon. The course was a very long one, and the hare so dodged m and out and along the banks of a tussocky creek, that the dogs got several times unsighted. The decision was given m favour of Flomington by two points, but did not appear to give entire satisfaction, to the owner of Marion especially. To our mind it would have been better for all parties had the course been fiven as an " undecided " ; though wo are ound m all fairness to the judge, to state that we quite agree with his decision — that is to the point where the dogs once got unsighted and judging virtually ended. This trial brought a most pleasant meeting to a closo at about 4 p.m.