SPORTING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1100, 15 November 1883, Page 2

SPORTING.

SPRING RACE MEETING. First Day. President, E. G. Wright; Vice-President, W. C. Walker; Stewards, C. H. Dowding, H. Friedlander, John Grigg, T. .Leahy, W. G. Ross, W. Saunders and H. T. Winter; Judge, Matthew Stitt; Hon. Treasurer, C. C. Fooks; Clerk of the Course, W. B. Denshire; Clerk of the Scales, H. Friedlander ; Starter, David Thomas; Handicappers (open races), E. G. Griffiths, (district races), E. G. Crisp, C. C. Fooks, T. Leahy and M. Stitt. The weather to-day has not belied the promise of yesterday, an 1 never since the Ashburton races have been held have the fate a been so propitious in this important matter. To find fault on such an occasion would be following the example of the great auctioneer of ancient days, George Robins, who when selling an estate felt it necessary to mention the only drawbacks to the property were that the rose leaves made a litter, and the nightingale’s song was wont to disturb sleepers. But still the only possible objection to the weather to-day is the excessive heat, and this is not likely to militate greatly with the enjoyment of those present At a comparatively early hour this morning the streets of Ashburton were alive with people, whose appearance showed that they were on pleasure bent, and the crowd at the Show yesterday made it pretty certain that if the day was fine the races would be witnessed by the largest number ever seen on the Ashburton course. At about noon crowds began to pour in from town, a great many vehicles of all kinds—from the convenient hansom to the le;s comfortable express cart, in which seats were extemporised—being brought into requisition. The new grand stand has greatly improved the look of the course, and the substantial and convenient nature of the structure was greatly admired. At present it does not of course look so well as it will at the next meeting, owing to the grass on the slopes not having yet grown. When the first race was run there could not have been many less than 2,000 people on the ground, and there was in the paddock a strong detachment of the bootmaking fraternity. Messrs Hobbs and Goodwin had a totalisator on the ground, which was well patronised. All the arrangements appeared to give satisfaction, and redacted great credit on the secretary, Mr S. Saunders, and the other officers worked well to secure the success of the meeting. The following are the results of the racing up to our going to press : County Hurdle Race (Handicap), of 30 sovs ; over six flights of hurdles about’Sft Gin high ; nomination, 1 sov; acceptance, 1 sov. li miles. District horses only. Mr E. W. Osborne’s ch g Andy, Gyrs, 9st 71b ;. (J. Cotton) 1 Mr W. B. Colton’s blk m Brenda, Gyrs, 10st 71b (Smith) 2 Mr A. Dawson’s chg Why Not, aged, list 121 b (Lyford) 3 Mr A. Hathorn’s ch m Shepherdess, aged, 10st (Armstrong) 0 Mr E. Prebble’s br g Butcher Boy, 4yrs, 9st 3£lb (including 3ilb over) (Miller) 0 Betting—s to 4 agat Why Not, 2 to_ 1 Shepherdess. All the horses accepting in this event faced the starter, and they were got off well at the first attempt, Why Not, on the inside, getting slightly f the best. Passing the stand the favorite [ led over the first hurdle three lengths ahead of the field, Andy being next, and Brenda third, the rest close up. Attha second obstacle Andy closed up $o thi leader, and at the back of the course the horses widened out, but the relative positions were not altered. Coming round the turn Cotton brought Andy on level terms ' with Why Not, Brenda being’three lengths i behind and the rest out of it. Coming . into the straight Brenda came away, and the three leaders took the final fence in a cluster. A splendid race took place between Andy and Brenda, who left the favorite in the rear and came the last two hundred yards neck and neck, the whip being out to both, Cotton landing Andy a winner by a head, Why Not about four

lengths behind. The victory was a very popular one, and the people were loud in their admiration of the excellent handicapping, which led to such a close finish. The time was 3min 2seo. The totalisator showed 171 investors, 27 being on the winner, dividend L 6 14s. Handicap, of 43 sovs ; acceptance, 2 sovs ; 1 mile. Mr John Carter’s ch m Marchioness Neil, 4yrs, 7st (White) 1 Mr G. Bate’s ch g The Painter, syrs, 6st 91b (including 31b overweight) ... 2 Mr J. W. Cotton’s ch g Prospero, 6yrs GstlOlb ... (Sharp) 3 Mr D. O’Brien’s oh h Johnny Faulkner, 4yrs, 7st lOJrlb (including 2£lb overweight (Oerntt) 0 Mr P. MeEvedy’s b g .Trumpeter, syrs, 7st 10lb ... (Miller) 0 Nimrod and Turquoise were scratched. Johnny Faulkner was favorite, but there was very little betting. Marchioness Neil and Prospero were rather fidgetty at the post, but Mr Thomas eventually, got his horses away to a g iod start, The Marchioness immediately rushed to the front followed by Johnny Faulkner, The Painter being next. At the half-mile post Mr Carter’s mare was still leading, but Prospero had come up to second place a length behind, The Painter being three times that distance in the rear, Johnny having dropped out of the race, as was also the case with Trumpeter. Coming into the straight it was seen that the Marchioness had it all her own way, and she passed the post in a canter three lengths ahead of The > Painter, who had displaced Prospero at > the last hundred yards, winning second L honors by a short head. Time—lmin I 45360. The totalisator slowed 353 inveSi tors, 30 being on the winner, LlO 11s ; being the dividend,,, „ , „ „ Maiden Plate, of 40 sovs ; weight for

age ; entrance, 3 aovs ; miles* Messrs Robinson and Lance’s b o

. Leopold, 3 yra, 7atl2lb (Purdham) 1 Mr F. Lewis’s- b h Digby Grand, 4yrs, i dst ... (Rudings) 2 Mr A. 6 ; Drummond's ch g Bpofforth, 3yrs, 7st 121 b ... ... (Sharp) 3 Mr T. Quill’s ch m Roseaeath, 4yra, " Sat 9lb (EUiott) 0 Mr R. T. Button’s ch g* Kahikatea, . Syra, 7st 121 b.. ... (Wattle)’ 0 Mr John Bull’s, bf Gondoline, 3yrs, „.75t,71b,, ~(MUJ«t)~rO Mr F. Bozehberg’s g g Selim, aged, 9st 31b ... (Williams) 0 Betting—Even money bn Digby Grand. Some time was spent at the post before a start was made, Selim 'dislodging his jockey and going a journey over the ground on his own account, fle was eventually re-captured, but when ’ the horses got away he was left behind from tho start. Kahikatea was the first to show in front, Gondoline being in close company and the rest aoraelengths hi the rear, Digby Grand being second and Roaeneath fourth. Rounding the turn at the back of the course the favorite-made a rush and ran clean through his horses and at the same time Leopold came up to within a length of the leader. At the straight the two were running locked together, and a slashing race ensued to the finish, both horses being ridden hard. Leopold came in a winner by a short head from Digby-Grand, Spofforth being a very bad third, and the rest tailing off to nothing. Selim--came with a grand rush at the end, and if &e (had been better ridden be might - havshada show for a place. Time, 2min I4£sec. There were 369 investors in the. totalizator, 96 being on the winner—dividend, L 3 9s. Asitborton Cup (Handicap), of Isd scvs; nomination, 2 sovs j acceptance, 5 sovs; miles. Mr D. O’Brien’s hr h Tasman, Syrs, 9st 61b (Derritt)^! Mr H. Goodman’s ch g Violin, Syrs, 6st 51b ... (Sharp) 2 Mr G. Bate’s ch g The Poet, 6yrs, 6st 121 b (Brown). 3 Mr G. G. Stead’s b o Sir Bedivere, \ ; 3yrs, 7st 81 ■> (Tetley) d Mr P. Butler’s hr h Emir, Bey, Syrs, 7at 7lb (Butler) 0 Mr W. B. Haugbton’s b g Hercules, 6yra, 7st 71b ... ... (Williams) 0 Messrs Robinson and Lance’s ch c Master Agnes, Syrs, 6st 7£lb (including 4£lb over weight) (Rudings) 0 Mr A. Hathorn’s ch g Comet, syrs, 6st (White) 0 Turquoise was scratched. Betting—2 to 1 agst Violin and Sir Bedivere, 3 to 1 Tasman, 5 to 1 Poet, 10 to 1 any other. Mainly owing to the restiveness of Master Agnes and The Poet there was a long time occupied before the horses were got away, several false starts occurring,. in two of which Hercules bolted half way round the course before he was pulled up. Ultimately the.field was seat away to a very indifferent start, Comet being left at the. post. The Poet and Master Agnes jumped with the lead, but after going a quarter of a mile the latter bolted off the course, and was thus out of the fight; At|the half-mile post The Poet was still leading, Violin being second, and Tasman, Emir Bey, Hercules, and Sir Bedivere following in the order named. At. the back of the course The Poet and Violin were abreast, leading Tasman by six lengths, Emir Bey being four lengths further in the rear. When half a mile from home, Violin took the command, and at the turn was two lengths ahead of The Poet, the gap between the latter and T-sman having been enlarged. Coming into the straight it was seen that The Poet had shot his bolt, and at this point Tasman began to come u|> to the leader. Derritt had the whip oat and the winner of the New Zealand Cap responded gamely, and a hundred yards from home Violin was beaten, Tasman winning rather easily by a length. The Poet was a bad third, and the rest cams in straggling. On the totalisator there were 80 on the winner out of a to*al of 443, the dividend being L 5 19.