CANTERBURY DOINGS

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 55

CANTERBURY DOINGS

I ' By Fkitz. ,

Tbait stock subject, the weather, continues the same as it has been ixn several months past. The need for a downpouar of rgtin. is becoming every day more, evident. Xt ia very foxtun<ate that the Canterbury Jockey ' Club has such an. excellent wwtsT supply, aa 1 otherwise I tremble _to think bow some of the horses would be-'getting on. As it is, a free- use of the huge water-cart keeps the tracks* in" fair order. With so nuany horses away at the Dunedin. meeting, matters* h»ve- been, very quiet , locally during tfie past week. During the ' next- few days, however, they will be' all back at Kicoarton, amd; business should then liven up considerably. By the way, borsea >£rom this quarter played! sin. important part in the Dunedin"Jockey CluVs meetmg, the lion's shaiFe of the prisse-money distributed' during the three dnys coming" this way. General sympathy is felt here for Mr J. F. i Buchanan, on. account >f the accident which befell Fireiron while racing: in Australia last week. It is to be hoped the mishap will i nave no lasting effects, us the son of Benzoin—Fireside is just the sort of horse that might- win some good races when he becomes acclimatised. We will have a busy time in racings circles duTing the next few w«eks. First there is the Akasoa. County Racing; Club's meeting early in March, »td after that we will ha>ve the meetings of the New Brighton Trotting Club,. Oxford". Jockey Club, Methven Trotting Glwb, S*uth Canterbury Jockey Club, Waimate Racing Clvb r and North Canterbury Jockey Club to engage attention before I the autumn fixture ait Eiccaxton. At the- anxLoal meeting of the South Canterbury ' Coursing Club on Monday night th» annual report stated: that the year had baen satisfactory, except that the three meetings that Bad bsen held l had been marred by ■unfavourable- weather. The balance sheet showed receipts £709, expenditure £792, and asset* £11L Mt H. Howard was elected president, and Mx J. H. Rodgers was reelected secretary. Some exoitememt waa caused at Ricoartoa last Thursday through an outbreak of fire on the racecourse. It appears that several of the oorrrse hands were working- near the sod • wall at the five-furlong post when a spark from one of their, pipes blew out and! . ignited the grass*. Assisted by the exceptionally strong wind that was blowing, the "fire soon obtained a strong hold, and, sweeping along at a great rate, enveloped the two vahtable stacks of hay standing opposite- the half-mile post,' which were soon reduced to ashes. Fortunately the fire was got under upon reaching across "the" straight near the plantation, «nd further damage waa thus prevented. "This 19 the fourth outbreak of fire which has occurred on the racecourse this summer, and it proved to be easily the most destructive. Pattypan and Canton were schooled during the week. Canton is rapidly getting into shaped and he should be in fairly good form by F.arrinr f Muskeboon,. the- Sanrt Hario— Royal Salute gelding, & the latest addition to ike, aspirrante for jumping honounrs, and judging by his reoent essays he 5» likely to develop into a good fencer. - f Teacup has- been sent home to her owner s place ior a* spelL . If all goes wall in the meantime, Gleuculloch will be shipped to Wanganui next Monday to fulfil hi* engagement in the Jackson Stakes. He will be accompanied by the two-year-old Millionaire, who is also in the earn© race. G'len.cullocb. bas been responsible for some attractive- work of late, adid he is looking in capital fettle. Fleetfbot, who wu lightly blistered after her victory in the Middl« Park Plate, made her reappearance on the tracks this morning, and appeared to be quite sound after executing two steady circuits. The champion two-year-old is in great heart, and is looking healthy and well.