CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 16, 15 November 1890, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

(from our own correspondent). Monday, November 3rd. On the eve of the big meeting! To-morrow we will know all about the New Zealand Cup of 1890. It is quite superfluous to write anything about it in this letter, so I will merely remark that I see no reason to alter the tip given in my last. Dudu has been greatly impressing the touts, and promises to start as good a favourite as anything. As with the Cup so with the other races—silence is golden ; you will know all the results before you get this. But being barred from writing on the Metropolitan Meeting there is a perfect blank. No, not quite a blank, for we had trotting at Lancaster Park on Saturday. The day was fine but the attendance very moderate, there being a big counter attraction at Addington, where Wirths’ cowboys had a trial of skill against a local stockman. None of the trotters known to fame took part at Saturday’s meeting, but the form shown by many of the competitors was high class. The principal event, the Spring Handicap, 55 sovs., 2 miles, saddle, was taken by Mount Joy, a mere pony, who with a 24sec. handicap did the distance in 5.48. There were eight events on the programme, and in only two cases was less than £5 paid in dividends. In the Pony Trot taken by Taradale there were only three investors on the winner and 6s. was paid to each. One of the three who benefitted by the win was, I am informed, the wellknown Chinese merchant of Dunedin, Sew Hoy, who is one of the most habitual and at the same time lucky turfites in the colony. Maybe he is so thorough because he is so lucky. Be that as it may, the beaming face of the Celestial is to be seen wherever the noble animal is raced, putting his money on the machine in large sums, and generally raking in much larger sums than invested. The entries for the Ashburton Spring Meeting closed on Saturday and were very satisfactory, the district races in particular being well filled.

’ Our Dunedin friends must be rather put out at the miserably small entry of 23 for the Dunedin Cup. Fully twice that number might have been reasonably expected to enter for the rich stake, and it is hard to account for the great falling off. Calista, the record-breaking mare, was shown at Ashburton, and gained first award for harness horses under 15.2. An offer has been received from Sydney for the trotting stallion Kentucky, but the price was not tempting enough. Nothing less than will buy the horse, just at present at all events.

Fred Hodge, of steeplechase fame, is still here, although it was announced some little time ago that he had departed for the old country, having fallen heir to an inheritance. Fred has been saying good-bye to his friends for the last month, stating his intention of being off the next morning. “But he don’t go,” and the valedictories are getting a bit numerous.

The Toole company left last week after a most successful season here. Don’t make any mistake about it, the company is not simply composed of the redoubtable J.L. Miss Johnstone is one of the finest actresses that has appeared on the boards in this Colony, and other members of the combination are very little inferior to the principal lady and gentleman.