CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 339, 21 January 1897, Page 7

CANTERBURY.

Marino sold—The imported English colt —The C J.C nominations—The Canterbury horses engaged at Wellington— The work at Riccarton — Dunedin prospects —The bookmakers cases—The Middle Park Plate. Christchurch, January 19. Mr Livingstone has sold Marino to Mr A. Sefton. The price paid for the son of Nelson was, I believe, £3OO. Mr P. Campbell’s English colt, Sandhurst, has arrived at Port Chalmers in good condition, and is expected to reach Lyttelton in the course of a few days. The nominations received for the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Summer Meeting, to be held on February 6, compare favourably with those received last year, the figures being—Hornsby Welter : 1896, 13; 1897, 16. Midsummer Handicap : 1896, 12 ; 1897, 9. Craven Plate : 1896, 18; 1897, 17. Selling Race : 1896, 13 ■ 1897, 14. The final payments for the Middle Park

Plate show a decided falling-off from last year, there being twelve left in, while this year there are only five ; Mr Stead’s pair, Gold Medallist and Multiform, are no doubt responsible for the poor field. The handicaps for the Midsummer Handicap and other events are due on Friday, January 29. ! The Canterbury horses engaged at the Wellington Racing Club’s Summer Meeting are Skirmisher, May Bud, Marquis of Zetland, Choroid, and Belligerent. All these horses are in good fettle and should each reward their owners by winning a race. The training tracks at Riccarton are very hard owing to the want of rain. Trainers are afraid to give their horses fast work. This morning some good work was done by several two-year-olds, most of whom were restricted to five and six furlong spins on the plough. "Vulcan finished in front of Bold in a fast-run six furlongs ; the firstnamed is improving fast. Barmby was on the course and did light work; he is looking well, but will not be fit until the autumn race meetings come round ; his owner is not satisfied with the weights allotted the- son of Vanguard in the Dunedin Cup and Publican’s Handicap, and will not accept. ' ... ■ , m Arquebus, who is looking in blooming health after his successful trip to the West Coast, is considered to have an excellent chance of appropriating the Publican’s Handicap. I think he is well treated with only 7.4. . . Quiltiri was not be got ready fen- the Wellington meeting. He will, however, be pushed on with a view to competing at the Dunedin J.C. •_ Autumn Meeting; he is worth watching. At the Christchurch Magistrates Court to-day several well-known bookmakers were charged with having, on December 16 last, wilfully trespassed on the INew Brighton Racecourse, and with having neglected and refused to leave after having been warned by a person duly authorised on that behalf by the Christchurch'Racing Club, the owners of the course. Mr Stringer appeared for the racing club, and Mr Solomon, of Dunedin, for the defendant, M. Grant, who was first charged. The prosecution broke down on facts, the principal witness for the racing club, a private detective, being unable to say with certainty whether he first told Barnett merely to leave the enclosure or course proper. ■ In view of this etale ment, Mr Stringer withdrew the case, which was dismissed, costs being awarded against the club. After consulting his clients, Mr Stringer said he would withdraw all the other cases —twelve in number. The costs in each of the twelve cases were given against the club. Mr Stead seems to have a mortgage over the Middle Park Plate this year, his two champion colts, Gold Medallist and Multiform, being much i superior to any of the other horsrs left in. Musketry has been put into work again, and . will probably start in the Midsummer Handicap or Craven Plate. Chaos, Bish y, and Vogengang are among the entries for the Selling Race at the C. J.O. Summer Meeting. Neither of these horses have won much this season.