Inter-Provincial.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 661, 9 October 1902, Page 14

Inter-Provincial.

Our Own Correspondent.)

CANTERBURY.

Christchurch, October 7. Mr Charles O’Connor, the newly-ap-pointed starter of the Auckland Racing Club, is well known in Canterbury, having been a resident here for many years. He has acted as smarter for ihe. Metropolitan, Plumpton, and New Brighton Trotting Clubs for six or seven years, and has done his work in an admirable manner, having the confidence of both owners and riders. In 1895, in the absence of Mr Boyle, Mr O’Connor officiated as starter at the Autumn Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club. The success he attained brought his name prominently nofore the public officials of country racing clubs; Since 1895 O’Connor has wielded the flag at the following Clubs’Meetings: —Greymouth, Gisborne, North ' Canterbury, Akaroa County, Hororata, Ohaka and Eyreton, Geraldine, North Otago,* South Canterbury, Tinwald, Ashburton County, and Dunedin in, Harry Piper’s absence. Mr O’Connor’s services are much in request by tne Swimming Clubs in summer, both ’as starter and timekeeper.

I feel certain the Auckland Racing Club has secured the services of a thoroughly capable official. I wish to congratulate, Mr O’Connor on securing such an important appointment.

The first pair of visiting horses io arrive for the Cup Meeting, in Blazer and Battler, put in an appearance at Riccprton last week. The crack Otago sprinter is looking in rare fettle, and will prove a hard one to beat in the Stewards’ Stakes. .

The presence of Nonette, St. Michael, . Welbeck, Canteen, Terrapin, Calibre, Punamu and Clanburn in the Ashburton Cup should prove interesting, as all these animals are engaged in the N.Z. , Cup. Melwood is in the mile and a-,quarter race, also in the shorter distance events at Ashburton. Ringman was scratched for the New Zealand Cup on Thursday night. Imperator has been scratched for all engagements at the Cup Meeting. There is l every appearance of its being a record field in the Cup this year. St. Michael, Siege Gun, Glenaladale, Calibre, Terrapin, Bombardo, Welbeck, Punamu, and probably Dundas, are likely starters from this part. In consequence of her win at Wanganui, Tqrtulla’s price for the, New Zealand Cup has hardened to eight to one. - ~ . ■. Magnificent showed very poor form at the Ohaka Meeting, and will » need to improve a lot before being fit to start in the Cup. Dune as still walks a little sore after his gallops. I am afraid he! will not see the post in the Cup. He looks well, and may be reserved for some of the sprint Calibre is doiijg his work well, and has improved a lot during the past month. Cannie Chiel aiid ; p , Glenaladale generally work in/ company. The pair have done some strong gallobs during the week, and are looking well on it. Siege Gun and Nonette are still equal faviorites- for the Cup, best price on offer about either being six to one. ' ;.~ ' f , OTAGO- , Dunedin, October 7. Your representative was present at the Kurow Meeting last week, and some fairly interesting racing was witnessed. Tsaritza ’ ■' who is in the C.J.C. Stewards’ Handicap ' with 7st 121 b, ran wide on the course in the Jockey Club Handicap, and with 9st 121 b up ran the six furlong's from a: barrier staaw in Imin 19sec, after dwelling on the mark. Tsaritza is on the big side at pre- . sent, and should she train on up .to the day she should! be one of the hardest horses to beat in the race. There is, howevet, one risk attacheci -to her chance, and that is that 'in tile past she has broken blood vessels in her head, and that is liable to occur again. Musketry had a winning representative at the meet- ’ ing to Caliver, the half-sister to the defunct Beadonwell. The North Island-bred mare Himalaya, by Lebel—Bombshell, . started in a £l5 Selling Race, the winner ' to be sold for a tenner, but was very spre, and was beaten easily in the race. Himalaya won several fair races tip North, and her new owner did not display much ambition in starting the mare in the race. Poltava, a four-year.-old Stepniak —Tempest mare, was started twice at the meeting, but was backward in .condition, and may be seen to better advantage later in the season. C. S. Pringle has returned from Melbourne, and brougnt over with him a three-year-old trotting stallion and a six-year-old gelding, but up to date I have not been able to obtain any particulars concerning them. At a meeting of the Forbury Park Racing Clvb, held last night, it was announced that 200 names j had been sent in for enrolment on the Club’s membership list. Welbec-ki has put in a couple of good gallops since his arrival at Wingatui. Yesterday he rrn over ten fhrlongs in 2min 17 2-ssec, with Derrett up, and considering that he did hot have anything to cart him along, it must , be considered a good gallop, as the track was very heavy in places. Pampeyo ran over a mile in company with Vladimir in Imin 53sec, and Canteen had a couple of horses to assist him over ten furlongs, j. which he ran out in 2min 18sec. St. Denis is improving, and is now getting the work slipped into them. Blazer left for Christchurch last week. Red Gauntlet continues to train on all right. Information reaches me that sufficient, and convincing evidence has been gathered that will sustain the protest lodged against the mare Opportunity for being' an alleged ring-in at the last Lawrence Meeting. It is| said that the mare was - once a stable companion to the pony Minervia, .who was well known up in the North Island. Welbeck fell on his nose when being, unshipped; at Mosgiel on the , night of his arrival from the North. The accident was caused through one of the railway hands neglecting to provide a * > proper light to allow the colt to see where he was walking when leaving the horse box. Luckily the colt escaped without injury, and was undamaged beyond knocking the Bark off his nose. Zither went amiss just before the acceptances fell . due for the D.J.C. Spring Meeting, hence his withdrawal from tne first day’s Hurdle Race. It is reported that the horse will ; be turned out until next National Meeting!