THE TURF

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 21, 24 July 1918, Page 5

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(BI "BIR LANCBIOT.")

■The South Canterbury Hunt Club's Meeting, to be held to-morrow, should act as a feeder to the more important gathering to be held at JrUccarton next month. The committee of tho C.J.C. has acted wisely in deferring the weights of the minor events at Riccarton until after the events at the Washdyke are run. The fields are very satisfactory for a Hunt Club Meeting, and the form shown may be found worth following at the Grand National Meeting.

Don Francisco, top weight in the Hadlow Hack Hurdles, is in the Grand National Hurdles with the minimum weight. He cam show his best form at Timaru without incurring a penalty for Riccarton. He has a good record in hurdle races this season. He won at Ashburton and Geraldine, and at the New Zealand Cup Meeting ran second in the Spring Hurdles, two miles,, and won the Middleton Hurdle Handicap, one mile and three-quarters. Hie most formidable opponents may be Giralda, a place-getter at Dunedin, and Silver Shield, who won at North Otago.

Most of those down to compete in the Pareora Hack Steeplechase are also in other events later in the day. Blaster Hamilton is probably more forward in condition than most of his opponents, and should allow up prominently in whichever event he starts in. Golden Butterfly is only engaged in this event, and! if produced may be well up at the finish. In his only two starts this season he was placed at the National 1 Meeting. If Fleetham is started in' the Levels Hack Handicap, six furlongs, he will probably be favourite after winning at Trentham. In the mile race backers may go for Bomb, second at Aehburton, and Barley Rigs, a winner at North Otago. . Moor&bbe, who was fancied for the Kia Ora Handicap at Trentham, meets Fleetliam on 191b better terms. She ran second in the Laghmqr Plate at Ashburtora beating Silver asid Black, who scored later in the day. Bore is reported to have quite recovered from his exertions at Wanganui and Auckland. If so, he should be in the money in the open steeplechase. The best known'of the others engaged are Master'■Hamiltpm and Vascular (who competed on the second day at Trentham) and Sylva, who was among the winners'at Kiverton at Easter time, and was also placed at Dunedin. Vascular and Svlva are Grand 1 National candidates. Jack Symons, top weight in the Huntere' Plate,'a'mile and a-half on the flat, won at Geraldine, and has since been' placed at North • Canterbury and North Otago (twice). Seville ran second to the Auckland double-winner Tirau in the Hunters' Flat Race, a mile and a-half, at Bastings.. If Kaupokonui is in tho same form as he was at the last Grand -National Meeting; when ho won a doubfo, he will probably go out a short-priced favourite for the.Hunt Cup Steeplechase. The Opaki4rained Brown Joe (one of the Captain Webb tribe), who ran second to Tello-w and Black in a. flimilar class of event at Napier Park, and third to Jacaranda at Hawftes Bay, may prove the best of the others.

Several Winter Cup candidates are engaged in the Claremont Welter, and the successful performer will not have a penalty in the Riccarton' race. The Ancklandor Hiero is sure to be well supported after the good race he ran at Napier Park. Majestikoff is such a consistent performer that she is sure to have a good following... *

Before the Canterbury Jockey Club took over the management of the/Grand National Meetings, the gatherings were held at Timaru and Oamaru. The gatherings at the first-named place in the old days used to be held on 24th May (Queen's Birthday), and clashed with Lower Heathcote, a popular suburban meeting near Christchurch, on the way to Sumner. The programme included three steeplechase events, and at one meeting the late Harry Piper (afterwards known as a successful starter) rode the winners of the three events. In the Grand National Mr. Pilbrow started both Clarence and Barbary, and declared to win with the last-named. Clarence jumped; the wrong side of a flag and Barbary baulked twice. Koscinsko won after a good race with Canard. In the Hunt Club Cup, weight for age, three miles, Clarence, who won from his only opponent, was an old-time champion. He won the Wanganui Steeplechase, three miles, and the Grand National Steeplechase, three miles, the same afternoon. On the same day, Barbary, who was an unreliable jumper, ran second to The Agent in the Grand National Steeplechase. • The meeting was held at Christchurch, but it was not till Faugh-a-Ballagh won that the meeting was held on the Canterbury Jockey Club's course. It was at a meeting held at Oamaru on Queen's' Birthday that Fred. Hedge won on Clarence, and after weighing-in caught The Agent (who had fallen), and finished third. Sailor Boy finished second, but was disqualified for running round a fence, and The Agent was placed second.

In those days totalisator permits were more plentiful and steeplechase gatherings more numerous than they are now, especially in the Canterbury district. The Christchurch Hunt Club used to have a day at Eiccartoh following the Grand National (a one-day's fixture), and put on a good programme. The North Canterbury Meeting, held at Amberley, included the Creat Northern Steeplechase. The late D. O'Brien (on Batman) beat T. Sheenan (on Kosciusko) at one meeting, otherwise the last-named would have ridden every winner at the meeting. Every event was a steeplechase. Other meetings held about National time were the Ashburton, Waimate, Geraldine, and South Canterbury Hunt Clubs. Lonehand, Faugh-a-Ballagh, The Lad, Canard, Clarence, The Agent, Irish King, Quamby, Moody, Orient,' Hercules, Kosciusko, Batman (late Katerfelto), and other old-time performers patronised the meetings, which gave them more than a local interest.

At Tasman's New Zealand Cup Meeting, a three-days' gathering, the programme included a steeplechase event on the second and third days. Clarence won the Spring Steeplechase, but was beaten by Hercules over a two miles course on the concluding day. A steeplechase was also included in the programme of the Autumn Meeting that season. Mr. Pilbrow started both Clarence and Barbary, declaring to win with the firstnamed, and they finished in that order. The injuries which Sleight-of-Hand received on the. voyage to Lyttelton, which was a particularly rough one, may necessitate his withdrawal from Grand National engagements: This is hard luck for his owner, Mr. Frank Armstrong, who likes to see his colours carried in the big jumping'races at Riccarton probably more than on any other course. That owner will still have Yellow and Black and Reformation to represent him at the meeting. Another North Island-owner who has had a somewhat similar unpleasant experience is Mx. James Bull, jun. While working at Riccaxton, Colorado slipped, and ricked himself. Although the mishap may not be serious enough to prevent the gelding starting at the meeting—which is still three weeks off —it cannot improve his prospects. Mx. A., N. Gibbons,,of Tauranga, has arrived in VVellington on his way to the C.J.C. meeting, where Ms colours will be carried by Ibex: and Kauri King.