GREYMOUTH ANNUAL RACES.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 635, 22 March 1870, Page 2

GREYMOUTH ANNUAL RACES.

(From the Argus.) The Greymouth Annual Races in every respect may be said to have been most successful. The fields have been good, the horses above the average, and the arrangements in every way excellently carried out. The contests in many instances have been close, the weather beautiful, and no serious accident occurred, as last year, to throw any gloom over the proceedings. The course was the same as last year. The ground was in excellent condition, a true turf covering it in all but one or two places. Betting generally was slack, the gambling being chiefly confined to "sweeps," from balf-a-crown upwards. The only race on which anything like speculation was shown was the Town Plate, when the pot that was put on Magenta boiled over, and seriously scalded several of that horse's admirers. The first event on the card was the Trial Stakes, for which there were seven entries, nearly all the horses of the meeting apparently having been nominated. Of these five came to the post, Backbiter and Prince Patrick being scratched. As might be expected, Magenta was the favorite, but was incontinently bowled over by the young one. Magenta is a veteran on the turf, and is one of the best horses the Southern Island can boast of, but on this occasion did not seem quite up to the mark, and though his condition was good, seemed stale on his understandings. Economy, the winner, on the otber hand, was as fresh as Eaint, and is one of the neatest little orses that we have seen for some time. He was in the pink of condition, and made a frightful example of his followers. Corsair was thought highly of by a select few, and he was in fair trim, but he has never got over the injury he sustained last year when being landed from the Wallabi, and,

though not lame, he exhibits stiffness iu the injured liinb. Any chance that he had was utterly extinguished by his rider being thrown. Robin Hood, though a smart Little horse, found himself in ever so much too good company, and the same may be said of Sir Tatton. The race from start to finish was never in doubt, Economy winning m-a canter pulling double. The Lottery Plate brought out the quartet entered, Sir Tatton, despite his poor performance in the previous race, being made a hot favorite, and backed at evens. Bones, too, had his admirers, but his chances were destroyed by a girth breaking. His rider, Blyth, determined to hold on to the saddle, but could not do so, and was eventually thrown violently, fortunately without sustaining any injury. Turpin, too, from whom great things were expected by his owner, was fractious at the post, and before starting reared and fell over. Stokes, who rode him, was fortunately not hurt, and re-mounted immediately in time to join the others. Prince Patrick had been reserved for this race, and justified the judgment of his owner by winning easily. In the Town Plate, Magenta was placed at the head of the poll in the betting market. Economy, too, had many strong supporters, on account of his previous performance, but the distance was thought to be rather too long for him. But for his bolting, we think he would have scored another win. Backbiter had an influential party who had faith in his performance, and their confidence was rewarded by his winning tolerably easily. This, however, was due in the first place to the obliging conduct of Economy, and in the second to the excellent riding of Kraaft. This young jockey promises to be a star in the riding world, and is already one of the best performers in the pigskin in New Zealand. Corsair, as in the other race, was outpaced from the first, and never bad a chance to go to the front. The Butchers' Purse brought out three, Deception being the favorite, but she managed to fall and get rid of her rider during the race, and Trooper could scarcely make Bobin Hood gallop. The Hurdle Eace was looked forward to with great interest. Trump had the foot of them, although Blinkbonny, well wridden by Dwyer, stuck to him gamely, but ineffectually. Poor old Stout labored away a distance at least in the rear, jumping as well as ever, but troubled awfully with the slows. Bones was worse still, the two making a very long tail to the leading horses, Bones bringing up the rear and driving the others before him. A Hack Eace, won by Mazeppa, beating four others, concluded a verv pleasant day's sport.

Second Dat—Pbiday, Mabch 18. The opening race, the Publicans' Purse, brought out four starters, Economy being the only absentee. Sir Tatton made a gallant effort, but Dick Turpin after all won the race with ease. The winner is said to be by Traducer, consequently half brother to Backbiter, Slander, and other firstclass horses, and we are much mistaken if he is not heard favorably of again in racing reports. The Greymouth Handicap, thepiece de resistance of the meeting, was next on the card, and engaged the amount of attention that the value of the stake demanded. Out of seven entries the owners of three very wisely declined acceptance, viz., Corsair, Sir Tatton, and Bones. A better race out of so small a field has been seldom witnessed. Though Economy and Dick Turpin were starters, all the chief interest centred in Magenta and Backbiter, Economy having the credit of starting to make the running for the latter horse. The previous race it was known must tell on Turpin, even presuming that his quality was good enough to keep company with such crackers. As on a former occasion, Economy bolted, and shut out any hope of pulling off the stake that his owner may have had; and Turpin disposed of his rider at " Danger Corner " (as it should be termed) and took an excursion into the bush on his own account immediately. The rider, we may say, was thrown, through a stir-rup-leather breaking, but was not hurt seriously. The betting was between Backbiter and Magenta, and they may be said to have been great favorites, Backbiter for choice. "Whether rightly or wrongly, the impression was that Economy was merely started for the purpose of making running, and no money was staked on him in consequence. Dick Turpin carried 81bs over. A more honest race was never run on the West Coast; and Backbiter, by his performances, has proved himself a first-class horse. The Selling Stakes require little comment. The three horses entered came to the post, but Eobin Hood unfortunately came to grief, and lamed himself in rounding " Danger Corner No 2 " coming into the straight run, and almost extinguished his chance. The judge decided in favor of Prince Patrick by half a head only. The Ladies' Purse was looked forward to with great interest, but anything more humiliating to the gentlemen riders of Greymouth could hardly have been arranged. According to the conditions, every horse before starting was to qualify by jumping a hurdle in front of the Stand. Instead of a hurdle a pole was put up, and the height of it, by the stewards' direction, was not to exceed an axe handle. The exhibition was anything but creditable,

and the best thing that can be done is to draw a veil over it. The Hurdle Eace of 100 sovs. produced the whole number of entries, but the quality and condition of Trump admitted of no denial, and it ended, as we anticipated, iu an easy victory for fhat horse.—Amongst others on whom the "burden anS heat of the day " chiefly fell, we may mention Mr James Payne, the hon. sec. His exertions were great, his duties were onerous, and he discharged them well. A third day's coorts were organised. The Mawbera Plate of 20 sovs was won by Trump, the Pree Handicap of 30 sovs by Economy, and Hurry Scurry stakes by Mazeppa.

Mr J. Crispe writes to the Southern Gross as follows : —" Every man who plants an acre of flax yearly will, at the end of ten years, have acquired a regular income of £IOO per annum, with little cost, trouble, and no risk; or, if he will plant two acres per annum for five years, the same result will be produced in that period. I want to see every flax mill surrounded by 20, 130, 50, or 100 acres of cultivated flax, and am sure the neighborhood of such mills will be thriving ones. lam not ashamed of being an enthusiast in flax cultivation, confident as I am that, if we do not cultivate, and that pretty largely, we shall in five or six years hence find ourselves short of the raw material, however abundant it may be now."

A girl who had become tired of single blessedness, wrote thus to her swain:—"Dear Jim, cum rite off, if you are coram' at all. Edward Kildisman is insistin' that I shell hev him, and then how he hugs and kisses me, the fact is I can't hold out much longer." Stinging.—" Now, s'posin' you was to be turned into a animal," said Jim, " what would you like to be, Bill ? " " O, I'd like to be a lion," replied Bill, "because he's so " —"Oh, no, don't be a lion, Bill," interrupted little Tom, who had some recent painful experience at school; "be a wasp, and then you can sting the schoolmaster."