CLICK HERE TO GO TO TIME LINE

INTERNATIONAL HISTORY

Peary reaches the North Pole.

July 25 - Louis Bleriot made the first flight across the English Channel in a 24hp monoplane he built himself.

LOCAL HISTORY

City's high pressure water supply in operation.

The 'Press' building in Cathedral Square is opened.

Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries

RACING HISTORY THE BEGINNINGS

The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting, which will be commenced on Tuesday, of next week, promises to be the most successful trotting fixture ever held in New Zealand. An experiment has been tried this year, the leading event, of the meeting, the New Zealand Cup Handicap, being down for decision on the first day. The wisdom of this plan has been freely canvassed, but as the club has secured a large nomination the innovation must be held, in the meantime, to have justified itself. All the best horses in training claim engagements at the meeting, so that there is every reason to look forward to some first-class racing.

Credit: Star 6 Nov 1909

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Wildwood Junior , with owner Bill Kerr

1909 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Wildwood Junior, a "commanding 16 hands black stallion," underlined what might have been had he not been so unsound when he won the next two Cups in what were his only races in those seasons.

Bill Kerr's brilliant son of leading sire Wildwood and splendid foundation mare Thelma was eighth favourite when he first won by 40 yards, but was first favourite the next year when again winning in style despite giving away starts of up to eight seconds and having to thread his way through a 15-horse field in a dust storm.

Trotting was flourishing in Canterbury, and in 1910 the Cup stake had doubled in two years to 1000 sovereigns, while the year also marked the arrival of a new grandstand, bringing the seating capacity, along with the first one, to 6000.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 1Oct03

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1909 NEW ZEALAND CUP HANDICAP

"Who in their wildest flights of fancy," wrote "Spectator" of the 1909 race, "could have dreamed of the sport becoming so popular in such a comparatively few years... The chief race, the New Zealand Cup Handicap, carries a stake of no less than £700."

The class was now 4:45, and the winner was Mr W Kerr's Wildwood Jnr (owner) with Terra Nova second and Lord Elmo third.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 25Oct44

CLUB HISTORY

CPTC
In June a tender of £2,390 from N N Smith was accepted for the construction of a new grandstand at Plumpton Park. And in September N N Smith's tender of £590 for the erection of a new totalisator house was accepted.

The name of the Club was changed to the Canterbury Park Trotting Club, the change to be effective from October 29.

Credit: CPTC: Centennial History