CANTERBURY RACES, 1862.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1701, 18 February 1862, Page 5

CANTERBURY RACES, 1862.

From thc^yttleton Times, lt ?>^wa,ry.' 12 V ' ' (

The present week is marked for trie recurrence of what may properly be called our annual national sport's; for though JohoJßull may-have other-special delight as for instance 'a 'great and' Pat revels in a wild fight, still the children of both Saxon and Celt know no pleasures like those of the turf, and in tjieir passion for sport the settlers of Canterbury have shovyu no symtorns of degeneracy. Indees iji j^ropprtibn. to the num^e'i:s. of! our community, Canterbury „may „,lake the credit of manifesting a liberality and spirit connected wilh racing second'* to none in the South Seas." 'U'nfprtunatply she has somewhat missed her way jti' ; not having earlier provided proper breedingstQ.ck, ; and even yet suffers from a wawtt of mares possessing the requisite bone and blood. ( On rtrlsabcount none of her stock can compete' m 1 a long, r.ace with the northern horses. This conviction was pTainfirily forced upon us on the entering d&y, though ori the 'whole- the entries were such as to promise^ good sport. With YVetsaH/ Revoke, Deception; Peter Flat, Barbary, Lady Bird, Ultima.,, and Prunella, it will be, strapga, if the. .Canterbury meeting of 1862 does not aclipse all its predecessors. • - ■•<•■-''

We have inadvertautly, piit " down Wetsail, but sjhe will not run', ' ; , JC)n,,Sunday, at 6.30 am., she was scratched -for all her engagements. The mare isi'Said to be unable to lift her hind leg's' arising it is suppose^'; from inflani'ation .'m^the kidneys. This is &s bad.a. stroke of u fortune for Canterbury sporting- men 1 ' as could have happened ; and wh eta ''the uiiwelcoiW 'news' was ' made ljiqpwjiT* it, seemed, a,s, if. §om&. ,gr.patqaiawiVy ) .^ad fallen upon us. , . She had been backed* it seems against the field for-every race inwhich she was entered ; and the -most sanguine hopes were enCeftuined that"for the-lronour of €anterbury she would have carried off all the great stakes^ 'As I 'in 1860, when old Scrip was suddenly lost to us, we shall again haveJo yield to the Nelson and Auckland teams, in all probability. FIRST DAY'S SPORT, . ... i < THE-iiOAD. The morning of Tuesdayi at uii^early- hbur was very unpromising. The.narth-easUjoriion was hi rid en by a mass of leaden-hued' clouds, and the whole* 'hemisphere <li£td-. a- watery aspect ; but very little rain fell, -arid- that most | resembled a sea mist. About tdh o'clock^' the suu struggled through the" cldit'ds,' aVd gave promise of a fine day, rendered", ail the jpore agreeable by masses of fleecy vapour mitiga. ting Sol's heat. The "road was in admirable condition the whole distance' from Christchurch, ond the improved aspect of the country since last turf gathering was "a" theme of general comment. Pleasant live fences have taken ' the place of mud banks and skeleton like posts and rails. Young copses give promise of' rich woods in years to come. - iThe plain piedwith verdant paddocks aud -folds of golden grain; the cluver-scented moruiog- airrthe roadside fences, alive as it Were" with • -birds 1 ; and' the grassy margins of the foadside, >Jl deoked 'with tiny flowers, presented a tout ensemble dear to every British sportsman. ' Add , to ['this' the stream of bursting life rushhig .o'nwijrd to the same goal, and you have up mean idea of the coup d'ail on Epsom Dpw,ps, or jthe South roadou the Pevby Day. ;^,ere..wp. I^ave the ,same variety of vehicle antf. quadruped. The barouche and four, with gay p,os.silions.,, the omnibus, carriage and pairs, gigs* /dog- carts

jiand whUechapels', - spirited -hacks, heavy. cart horses, miserable hbn-descripts with "swin'grng legs, bullocks, donkeys, aud goats. Dust-.po.vy dered pedestrians, of all ages, f sweating, chaffing, aud laughing good humouredly, complete „t£e, motley group. . , . ... ., . . . ; . . _._ , ,

)<•• ,! i IHEr COURSE - : . \-, „ Is in-fair condition, and provokes the adminition;of'all>who have not seen it before.. Cer-? tainly, when its belt of English grass is ma 1 tured, it will beoneof the finest race-courses 1 in the world, its Circle having a stretch of two miles almost as level as a billiard table. The Gratod Staff d"is not an imposing 1 structure, but it is 'considerably improved since' last meeting, and'erowde'd h'S'ft is now with tbe beauty and fashion 'of the prbvihee, ! it' ! lobks like a gfandbouquei,.redb'leut of : bloom and sweetiie»s. s ße^ neatii, aie, the refreshment rooms, 'thronged with thirsty, wights. and hungry mortals. ". . Ip ,tlip, r^r,,p'f!, th^ stand .. were, booths,, of vayious, kinds. , Tbe strains of the.Christ,clifircn band in QJifij'Buperintended l by l iMr..Mauu, appealed; ito .bei the:: centre of attraction.;- . Xhe ; iruffMrßritish Bull Dogs'.hadaitentadjoining",iniwhich w&s 'exhibited the f'suoble* arV'tft a " bOD'"'ia- piece | r and r drew large audiences. ■■ Refreshments of superior 1 Character, 3 »n'd' at; towii"' prices IJ vvere to be h'ad ! ih l . abuiiaaiice ( Aiintl ; Saliy; ll to ! d;" li'ad ; berstiaVe 6f admirers ; ndr was there any desirable'' thiiig, ''wauting, t tp reh)in(|l ( pjie of t^e ol,d £)pgiisli race course, Tbe jW^ather >yas inildJtbrduljhQut' th^.day,, , ' '■ THE KAOES '-. .-,. , - ... Commenceil ali(tl,e after one. with, the (Maiden Stakes, for/ which ; six hois.e9i..started ;. Lady Bird was disqualified, having -won. money at Njelson, and liattan was' scratched. We Can, tu|-day, only briefly notice the difierent : «vdhts. [Maiden Stakes, £6 ; eacb, h f with £IQJO;

added; l£ miles. F6i l all 'hordes 'that. HaVe.;; never won a sweepstake,s'"br plate' 'p&vidtis'tp I starting. 2 years old, ssjt \2lbs; 3 jrea|fs" 7sti 7lbs ; 4 years, 8k 7lbs ; 5 years. a iid, aged, Bah ■11 lbs., , The. second horse, tp receiV.e--.*20 out} ol the stakes. I'3 subs. .),,,- ,,.\ i ".•-.• • JM(r. H. Redwood's ch m Waime^,, 4,.yr5,, (Red- • jwppd, jun.). „- ...,.,.,...,.,......,..* ; i Jh^lyanceXb g, t Market G,atdeneiv3 ,\T9.*(Rj Maine) ."..,.,..<..,» , ..*>.....;< 3 Prunella took the lead at starting, and made tie nmniug for three fourths of the distance when she was passed., by . Waimea, quickly folh wed. by, Market Gardener. >In this position' tt e race was finished. Market Gardener Was Unexpectedly .jjeatgn joujy ,by> a necb; Prunella : tuo lengths behind ; King of the<Ji ps ies well u) ; True Bill bolted. Waimea was backe'd'at ceos afeainst the i field} thrie, 2 intniites -54' S( COh<K.j I ' '- '

| L&TTiRY Pfitet.'o'f i£3each i ;-,wit{i V £3 [ d udC,; \ a mile; 2 "y e ? r * o\d t 7*l: 3 years-, 6it 6!1,5. Ihe winner of .the Maiden Stakes Slbs^xtm.,, ror,hprses ; thQ6o»a oi residents in., jthe,, settlement ior- six months pi;eyious to th,e,,day.of entKance. .- • i -.-• r i M Ofley ' s r & lßob Boy^'fryrai (Money)- !• 1 Mr. Shand's, gv m : Spowdrop, aged (R,ifiay),2s 2 .Messrs. G. and H. Lee's b m The Nun, a ged3 3 The. first heat was won by -Rob-Roy, Si'.ow-.dropi-a gbod.seooncK -lu'this heat, TrUe'Bill' agaiu sold his friends by bolrin{r: i; The second hjeat'was a beautiful race, its ii blanket^mfglit Wave covele'c? the 1 three horses just before reacbiig'the Wii^nirig post.'.at which'poin't Nun lost a|buu t' '; half :a-length, ,'aftex a r.espl u te '. strug.-' ale;for;the first ,place, jt ' ( ., Bob Jloy was. the .on lyMoVse tint found favour in. .the,- rjjjg; .. The. firs.t ,beat, was.won.in I min. .25 sees.,. The BJBCflpd.Jie^t iq ; I- min M 24 seconds. •• .. ...;* i Sleighx-of-Uand Cup, of £50; 1| miles;---3| years,ißat y.lbsi with allowances'; 7-subs. ; "• l^ri.Mallook's h f Etfieline, 8 yrs, (R. Maine).?. 1 Messrs. Gv and H.Lee'ab 'h Koh-i'-iiooe, aged', i ! I (Ji iFb-ee)- .i.. t :..a.v..i\.. vj . . .•'. : , : . .•„ ; . 2 Messrs. G. and E/Day'db f by Sleight of Hand' - j out of-^Alice .'.v. ;". ,-, .... «-i .-;. j. i .....'.;.. 3

Itoh r i' : pb'9r tqok, ; /the.lead'.whjch he ..maiur! tained/or t|ie firs.t, mile, aoid thea. succumbed to J2mmeUnp, ; w,l)o.p.a ni e i n , a n,.easy winner. by severa.l lengths.. Days .filly was avgood third 1 Starlight.bi)lted- when half orer. the course. Afc starting, the betting was all in: favour of- the winner, Time^ 3 minutes 2 seconds.

: Cantemjury' -Cup of £50, added to a sweepstakes of £5 ea'uh j'l^-' mile's '; C.J.C: weights forage, viz.,,2 years old, 6st 101b. ; 3 years, Bst 91bs ; 4 years, 9st 131bs : 5 years, 10st7lbs; 6 years and "aged, list. Winners in 1861 or 1862 of any race of the value of £50, to carry out 3 lbs extra ; of £100, 7 lbs extra ;. of t£ 1 00 twice; or £150 in one stake, £10 extra.

Mr. H.. Stafford'* br m Ultima, 6 years (E Stafford) , ... ..... , ; A Mr. Morse's b m Revoke, 4 ye^ts (E. Cutts) ... 2 Major White's b g Rob 6 years' (It. Ray) 3 A start declared to be false was made for this stake. Piince Charlie ;J had the lead, and his rider refused to return, asserting that both flags ware down wbea- he- was at the post, and he ran in solus. A second start was then made, and a slashing" race took place betwixt Ultima and Revoke, Che- 'latter being beaten only by a few inches ; Rob, a fait third. Barbara,'which had been 'heavily 1 no a . wliiere. "At die' time 'out reporter left!,' the decision of the Stewards oh the Jisgate ds to. the' first f start was not made kno\yn. " ""' '"'" ' '