GREYMOUTH JOCKEY CLUB ANNUAL RACES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1137, 20 March 1872, Page 2

GREYMOUTH JOCKEY CLUB ANNUAL RACES.

SECOND DAY. ' • ; The Greymouth race-course recovered its reputation yesterday. It was the scene of some racing which was apparently fair,, and whioh depended upon the merits of the horses, and not upon the miserable designs of men who estimate the intelligence of the public to be equal only to that of their stable-boys. The "recovery" waß something like that which . persons' are occasionally said to "suffer." The attendance was not so large as Oil Monday, and there was less of that enthusiasm and excitement by which the opening of the meeting was accompanied. There was that calm enjoyment which is sometimes excited by recovery from, past headaches, and by the quiet consumption of a bottle of Tennent's beer. People were disposed to think, as people are often disposed to think, thaV the previous day's proceedings were not so bad as they looked, and that just a hair of the dog that had bit them would do nc harm. Thus there was found on the race-course yesterday a crowd which, though not so considerable in dimensions as that of Monday, was respectable in numbers and character, and. which was stimulated to reasonable excitement by some reasonable racing. The outward circumstances favored the resumption of this interest in the races. The weather was fine — finer by many degrees than the weather of Monday. The programme of sports was varied, if not so important in point of money value, as that of the previous day.. And there was still, notwithstanding resignations, Stewards nu-. merous enough to see the meeting to an • end, and, as it. proved, to an end more satisfactory than the beginning — as satisfactory as the ending of any race-meeting could be expected to be. There was, indeed, sufficient popular satisfaction, with the proceedings of yesterday to cover a multitude of sins associated with the day previous, even supposing that these sins were multitudinous, instead. of being singular ; and there was a general consent to the correctness of the aphorism that " All's well that ends well." Plainly stated, it may be said that the attendanceat the race-courseyesterday was only about a third short of what it was on Monday. A large .number paid for admission to the' ground,' and the Grand Stand was fairly filled. Individual thirst was not less than, it seemed to be on Monday, and the booth-holders did a fair second day's trade. There was much less betting than there was even on the first day, after betting became discreditable or useless, but there was not less interest taken in the racing, and, in most ' cases, that interest was rewarded by close running by the competing horses, or by results which were admitted to be as they ought to be, and not as they were ordered The following are the results of the races in the order that they were run : — Greymouth Jockey Club Hurdle Handicap, of 75 soys j two and a half miles ; ovet nine flights of hurdles. Mr M'Glashan's eh g Roland, a»ed, lOst . 71b ..; ... (Taylor) 1 Mr M'Millan's br g Brown Stout, "aged;" 9st ... ..... ... ... 2 Sailor Boy had been entered for this race, but was lamed on the previous day, and the race lay between Ronald, a good runner, and Brown Stout, better known for his jumping power than for his pace In fact, the fate of the race depended upon Ronald making a faux pas at one of the hurdles, when .Brown Stout, it was expected, would be able to gain some advantage in distance. Ronald did not promise well at his first hurdle, which he took so awkwardly that few would have retained their seats but such a rider as Walter Taylor, but afterwards he "shaped" as well as he was ridden. Brown Stout kept wonderfully well u'jrin his' pace, and made the leaps easily and gracefully, biitj after they had passed the Stand, in one of the rounds, neck and neckj it evidently' became Ronald's race, and so it ended. Town Plate, of 100 soys; open to fall horses j weight; for age,; winner of "the Jockey Olub Handicap to carry 101 b extra, second horse to save. his stake; two miles; entrance, 8 soys , Mr Redwood's. chm Peeress, 6 yrs, 9sfc 91b ... , ... v ... (Mason) 1 Mr Maclean's bg ; Flying Jib; , 6-yrs, 9st . -91b. „...,. .: .'(Blyth) 2 This was a race, of the description of races to be' seen at Astley's, or, on a smaller scale, in Murray's Great World Circus. Black Eagle, whidi had been entered, was reserved for a subsequent event, and Flying Jib avowedly ran only to save, his stake. It. was quite as pretty a race to the innocent beholder as was another race in which Flying Jib took a part, but "pulling in" was, in this instance perfectly fair-play. Of course, the result -was, -as was intended,- with the consent fofj, all .parties, 7 spectators included, and nobody felt a bit the worse. SELLING: STAKES, of '20 SOYS ; weight for age. The winner to be . sold for 50 soys; . if to be sold for £40, allowed 71b; for £30, 141 b| r for £20, 211 b. The winner to be sold by auction immediately after the race, and the surplus, if any, to go to the Race Fund. One mile and a quarter; entrance, . . 2. SOYS ... , : ..;:'.. ■'" : . ....■: ,;',.'. .*: Mr M'Glashan's eh ni Lacenfeed; 6 yrs, LSQ, 9stslb ... :.;.., ... 1 Mr Ferguson's > b g Economy, : 5 yrs, LSO, Wstolb ... , .... ; ;. ... . . ... 2 • : This was said to be a good •■.: race. Economy tried several times to force the pace, but Lacenfeed had the command of him. .At the last turn Economy made a good effort, but Lacenfeed obeyed M. { Glashan's call, and came in first. Hack Race, *of 10 soys; minimum weight, Sst; one mile and a half; post entries ; entrance, 1 soy. >' Mr Call.aghan's.br g Victor . .... . .... 1 MrHasting's b, g. Cheats-field " " '"...' 2 Mr Ferguson's eh g Stockman ... 2 Miyßarton's Waiho. ..„ r . ..... . .. 0 This race gave great satisfaction. There was • nothing involved- as -to ■• the reputaf : tion of the horses, their progenitors, or their owuers. Each simply ran to 1 win. Victor was victor, and 1 jt was a dead heat for second place between Stockman .and Chesterfield. The riders seemed to enjoy the race quite as much as the spectators; 1 and took their horsesa third • time round the course, but naturally that did not ,

affect the decision/ though it cpntributed to the excitement.. ■i - i:\ ■ %'■ Gold Fields Handicap, of 100- sovs; two „■::■'■;■■■' miles. '%■■'-./" '•■^, " MrHales's bk g Black Eagle, aged, Bst 41b ... (Hales) 1 Mr Maclean's b g "Plying Jib, 6 yrs, 9st (Blyth) 2 MrKichardson's eh m Misfortririei (5 yra, Bat7lb .., . ... , (Richards) 3 Mr Redwood's eh m Peeress, 6 yrs, lOst 71b (Mason) 4 This * was another good race, done in very; good time^- : -3mirii43sec. Starting with some loss in distance and over-, weighted, • Black Eagle ran beautifully, • and the horse and the jockey were complimented by cheers on the conclusion of a race which , seemed to be fairly won. Flying Jib also sustained his reputation, and between him and Misfortune the running was throughout very close. : .- Consolation Stakes,, of 20 soys. ; one and three-quarter miles ; for all horses that have run 'for and -riot won any money during the meeting ; entrance, 2 soys Mr Ferguson's, b g' Economy, 9st 71b - (Biyth)...: ;.. ...-•■ ... -:■-.? ;i Mr Ahston's eh g Stockman, [9st >91b ; (M'Glashan) ... ... ... 2 This concluded the. Jockey Club list of races. The race was well run, but was won by Economy with ease. . . i After these events, we believe there was a private match between Task arid Waiho, in which the former won. Thus the races ended, unless human nature and the Jockey Club are equal to the fatigue of another day's exertion and • excitement. ' Beginning ill, : the ' races may be said to have ended well. It remains for the Jockey Club to end their labor of love by meeting their engage^ ments, arid by making improvements where the experience of these races have shown improvements to be required..