SPORTING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 848, 22 January 1883, Page 2

SPORTING.

GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASES.

At the general meeting of the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase Club held in the Grosvenor Hotel, Timaru, on Saturday afternoon, the first business dona was tin fixing of the place for " the next meeting of the Grand National/- and this gave rise to a long’and animated discussion on the question of whether or not guarantees against loss to the Club should be asked from the smaller centres of population desiring to have meetings held in their neighborhood. Last it was arranged that the meeting for ,that year should be held at Ashburton, and a number of sportsmen there consented to give a substantial guarantee. At the suggestion of the Ashburton sportsmen arranger irjent was afterwards abandoned and tl}e meeting held at Christchurch, for seven reasons, among them being, it was stated| that but for the Grand National- being held there another steeplechase meeting would have been held at 'Christchurch on the same day, which would have clashed with the meeting at Ashburton, and reduced the fields and the receipts there to a degree that would probably have ensured the financial failure of the meeting. Owing to those arrangements having been made, thougli set aside, it was felt that Ashburton had the prior claim for the next meeting, and the Club would have been glad to hold it there, on' the same terms, and had decided to do so. But the Secretary to the Ashburton Llacing Qlub, Mr S. Saunders,' wrote that the Club ifould not' now consefat to give the guarantee, as agreed to last year.' HXs letter ran :—“ I am directed by the Committee to state that they are not disposed to give the guarantee you apply for, as, while confident that a meeting here would be a financial succesa, they 'think that, under the circumstances, such«an applicaj tioa should not have been made. They no longer see any reason why Timaru should be treated more fayorablj than Ashburton in respect to acrabgements for the fixture, as the course available here is admittedly better, the position mors central, and the, revenue 1 from oar late Spfing meeting (statement appended) will give you some -idea of out resources. Wbile declining, fo£ the reason stated, to give a guarantee, tba Committee will be prepared to afford every possible

~ assistance in bringing about the success, -of which;they feel assured.” The statement of receipts at the A'hburtori Spring ■! Meeting was as follows :—Subscription", r U. 47 ; nominations, L 145 ; acceptances, li>-8 i2s; privileges, L 283 2a 3d ; totalisa- . tor, L 193 ss; total, L 856 19s 3d. The meeting admitted that the Ashburton steeplechase coarse is superior to the one at Timaru, but as the country is perfectly flat the running could not be seen without a stand, and no stand exists. Wit hout a proper stand als o the success of the meeting would be entirely. dependent on the weather—a , wet day would be fatal to it. Some members urged that it would pay to put up a stand, as the larger attendance that might be expected from the neighborhood and from Christchurch would recoup the . expense. Mi Mitton spoke strongly in favor of the meeting being held in Ashburton, without a guarantee being required, and in this was supported by Mr Hameraley, who did not believe more money would be made at Timaru than at Ashburton. Somemembers were for communicating f urtherr with tbe Ashburton Committee, believing that they would change their minds if pressed, and consent to give the guarantee. The Hon. Secretary said that from communications he had had with them he was sure they would not, and finally it was decided to take Mr Saunders’ letter as giving the final decision of the Ashburton Committee on the subjectof the guarantee. Mr El worthy was strongly of opinion that a guarantee should be required in e - . ery case, so as to avoid invidious distinctions.

Mr Mitton moved, and Mr Hamersley seconded—“ That the meeting of the New Zealand Grand National for 1883 be held at Ashburton” (*.«., without guarantee). Mr Jones moved, as an amendment, and Mr Jefferson seconded—“ That the next meeting be held at Timaru.” Mr Boyle urged the claim of Ashburton to the next meeting, and moved—“ That this meeting authorise the Committee , to make arrangements for holding the next Grand National at Ashburton, provided a sufficient guarantee be given to protect this Club from any loss that might bo sustained if held at Ashburton ; failing this condition, the next meeting be held in the Timaru district.”

This was seconded by Mr Clulee, but tbe Chairman ruled that it was out of order, the meeting having decided to 'accept Mr Saunders’ letter as a final refusal to provide a guarantee. The motions were then put, and five voting for Mr Jones’s amendment, and four for|Mr Mitton’s motion, the Chairman declared the former carried—that the next meeting be held at Timaru. Mr Mitton said the meeting was a mere see-saw between Christchurch and Timaru, and not at all in accordance with the oriS'nal intention, which was to hold it at Jferent places all over the colony. Mr Boyle moved, and Mr Jones seconded—“ That the Grand National meeting after this year be held in one and the same place year after year.” After discussion, it was decided that the motion being one to alter a rule, could not be dealt with at once, but was taken as a notice of motion for the next general meeting. At a meeting of Committee held subsequently, a programme for the next meeting was adopted, on the basis of the one used at the meeting in Timaru in 1881, the added money to be the same less LSO, the amount .for tbe Hunt Club Cup being reduced by one-third. The amounts agreed on were :—N.Z. Grand National, L2OO ; Maiden Plate, LIOO ; Hunt Club Oup, LICO ; Consolation, Lso.—Total, 1.460.