CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 21, 20 December 1890, Page 1

CHRISTCHURCH.

(from our own correspondent). Saturday, December 13th.' Thank goodness the elections are over ! For the-past few weeks everything has had to give 1 place to them and most people are sincerely . glad that the turmoil has come to an end. Of course, the talk in regard to the outcome is incessant, and many are presaging disaster owing to the discomfiture of the Atkinson party, but I have hopes that “ The Great Liberal Party ” will not prove so revolutionary as supposed by the Government press. As far as politics and sport are mixed up, I hear the trotting people here are highly pleased at the likelihood of a change of Government, as they consider they were treated very badly by the late or present administration. Mr. G. G. Stead was badly beaten in his contest for the Avon seat. His opponent. Mr. ,Blake, is a very popular farmer and had the advantage of representing the greater part of the district during the last two ParliamentsMr. Stead’s . friends, counted confidently on victory an d • were sorely put out when the numbers went up. He would have made a valuable member, and there is I hope no truth in the yarn that he is so disgusted with his Rejection that he will never again offer himself for a seat. " ' Dick Mason with Medallion and Lebel, P. Butler with his own two, Crackshot and Bay King, and Cutts with Dudu left for Auckland by the Tarawera yesterday. St. Malo, who has been purchased by a prominent firm of North Island bookmakers, also went up by the same steamer. The horse would be landed in Wellington. The five horses mentioned will be all the Southern representatives at your meeting. Dan O’Brien will not have any horses running, but will himself go up. The defection of Freedom and Florrie and of IJa Moa will rob the classic events of much of their interest. Mr. Gollan may have other reasons for not paying up with his speedy filly, but I fancy had Tirailleur been better treated all his lot would have been seen up North. As for Dan O’Brien, he is a man who makes racing a business, and with heavy expenses such as a trip to Auckland entails, he did not perhaps care very much about being represented, though he had arranged for space aboard the boat that conveyed the other Canterbury horses. Dan has his eyes further afield, methinks. There is the meeting here in January and then Flemington will see his youngsters. In regard to the horses that have gone I do not purpose saying much, as you will see them at work before the meeting. The big son of Pungawerewere is quite himself again. He has lately been doing alfhis galloping on the course the reverse to the orthodox fashion, and it is found that when going this way he does not strike himself. Yours being a left-handed course will suit him exactly. You will not, I take it, see Medallion at his best, and for the Derby I stand the big fellow. One or two of the minor events may fall to Bay King, who is not in the first flight. Lebel is a second Libeller or Tartar, but good, and as he is in the best of health and condition should run prominently, as the distance will suit him. *. Should Dudu manage to pull off a good stake the victory would be very popular in Christchurch. Cutts intends to offer the mare for sale before returning.

The Middle Park Co. intend to send Eros, the two-year-old half brother to Sir Modred, to Auckland to be offered for sale. The colt is now real lywell and is a handsome one all over. The two-year-old that was sold from the Park at the last sale, Hammock’s son Morpheus, has been doing exceedingly well in his new owner’s hands, for although he has not scored a win his exhibitions show him to be a wonderfully fast horse and one that is likely to develop into a stayer. Excuses are being made for Ixion’s poor display in the first hurdle race at the late Dunedin meeting. It is said that the stable connections backed him on each occasion he started, and had as much on the first day as when he won. The jockey and trainer tacitly admit that he could have been nearer the winner on the first day, but as the horse struck the last jump they don’t think he could have won and consequently he was eased off. There is no doubt he was eased off, and not to mince matters, the great bulk of the racing public believe Ixion was never meant to win. They would like to know, you know, how much the stable had on another. There was a little betting over the Auckland Cup and Derby and the Cup and Steeplechase up to the day of acceptance, and Darnley was so much in request for the latter event that one metallician told me he had been asked for nothing else, in fact he had a whole page of Darnley coupled with horses in the Cup, and he must have felt very pleased when he noticed the first acceptances this morning. Mr. Evitt got a bigger acceptance than I expected, though I did think Whisper was likely to pay up. Gooseman, who trains for Mr. G. Hunter, likes plating form and the small meetings about Napier, and the Christmas Meeting of the H. B. J. C. will perhaps be worth farming, besides, I know he entertains a good opinion of the Ingomar—Elfin joker, and possibly prefers to keep out of his road, The nominations for the New Brighton Meeting, December 16th, which is to be run without the aid of the totalisator, and which is unworthy of the name of a meeting, are not large, but they are good considering the value of the stakes. Only passable entries have been received for the Rangiora Meeting, but Heathcote promises to be fairly well patronised. It is said the bookies who got a knock over the Dunedin Meeting laying “totalisator” odds have all paid up. One of them says he has not had such a time since Lochiel won.