RACING NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2502, 9 January 1869, Page 2

RACING NOTES.

(Br Bixegown.) " The Boy in green wins the day." I will now take eacli race separately, an>l give my final opinion as to the winners. The Maiden Plate has the capital entry of ten, and it is long since we have had such an open race for it. I expect, from its uncertainty, that it will be best betting race of the meeting, and that we shall have at least nirn starters. Webb has two in it, and his best, from the well-known character of the stables, is bound to be formidable, and from the way that Southern Chief was supported in tbi lottery on Thursday night, he must be hi< champion. Foretop, unless he mends hit performance at Leeston, cau have no chance. Of Mr Stafford's two, 1 greatly prefer Lady Florence, but as she seems to be slim-sore 1 must discard her, otherwise I should havt 1 taken her as the absolute winuer. Lacenfced J do not like, and the lot must be moderate if the passes the post first. Peeress, unless she belies her private reputation, will be among the first three; I have only sew her take a slow gallop, and I certainly am not greatly prepossessed in her favour, still when extended, she may take the fancy more, and, from her breeding, 1 cannot altogether overlook her chance. Novice I have not seen, as she only arrived yesterday, aud unless she is a great dual better than her sister Abbess, will finish in the rear, also she ha< not time to recover from her sea voyage. Burgundy, 1 saw for the first time this morniug; he will run a good honest horse, but ha' not the speed to beat his more youthful competitors, Croydon is a big horse, but I think he will be ton slow for this journey Fairy Queen may go tast t'or a quarter of :i mile; she ought to have been kept at her oM occupation—running in a buggy—aud 1 think she has not been properly trained. No horse in the race will run faster than Don John, if he can get the distance to him. Peeress ami Southern Chief 1 leave the finish, and if compelled to pick one, that one will be I'kkbkss. The Lottery Plate has five entries, and

ur of them are supposed to be the fastest

horses in training, therefore, we shall have :i slashing raw. Virginia seems to have lost her old form, or she could not have lost thi« race. Presto is not the horse he was two years ago, therefore Ulaekboy or Backbiter will furnish us with the winner, and as Ulaekboy down here has always shut up when collared, I expect B u'tcmrat to outlast him and prove the winner of this race. 1 now come to the Canterbury Cup, which I am afraid we must no longer consider a* "the race "of the meeting. Although we had originally eleven entries only four have paid up their stake, a fact which ought to shew us that owners of horses are now beginning to fight shy of three mile races on such hard ground as we generally have ; anil it is a well known fact in the old country that if a horse can stay in good company over the Derby course (1J miles) lif can stay any distance, ami 1 think Uluigown's performances last season prove the truth of this. Knottingley, if he can race on the hard ground, is sure to run well, and the high scale of weights is all in his favour; last year he won easily ovi r the heavy ground, but I do not thiuk him a fast horse ; »nd 1 fully expect to see him beaten this year br a horse thai will not only go faster but can stay equally well of course I mean Magenta. No one deserves a turn of luck more than Mr Stafford, for he is one of the best sportsmen in New Zealand. There arc very few who would come down with the pluck : hat lie has shown for the last three or four years, and only take away a paltry hundred pound plate; and I hope, if h l ' proves successful, that the Canterburypublic willgivehim the hearty greeting which hovrcll merits, The Hip, from his Sydney running, 1

JnnOt fancy neither would Mr Tait have parted with iiim if he was a superior three mile 50 Manuka, although lie has a wonder--4 i -vntp reputation, indeed too good to be ! pr } fancv will find the distance too far rue ' l as ft takes a good three year old to 51 over three miles; certainly the weights 5 n favour of horses of his age, but as Prefer public performers to private, I must in this c!lse unhesitatingly pluuip for Maoekta, with Knottingley second. The Criterion stakes this year, altered from * mile to a mile and ft quarter, has seven entries. The Rip, if he runs ratejira mile race, is sure not to go for it, and the remainder, with the exception of S-n er and will have met in the Lottery, so we shall be able to spot the winner for certain. Slander did not show any great turn of speed last year, and Firetail appears to mc to go like "a cat on hot bricks, so I ut y expect the Lottery plate winner to pass the post first, with Slander in close attendance. The Maiden Plate must give us the key to the Derby, as, with the exception of Manuka and Flat Iron, all are in the former race, and Manuka will have fully exposed his form m the three mile race, therefore I must leave my final tip for it for your Wednesday's issue. The same remark applies to the Tyro, The Grand Stand Handicap, not being made, of course I can say nothing about. For the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap, eight out of fifteen have accepted, a fair proportion, considering that all of those scratched have broken down or are no good, Knottingley last year, both here and at Nelson, appeared to me to be only fit for one race a week, therefore I must pass him over, as he is certain to have a severe race on the previous day. The Rip, also, will not have sufficiently recovered, Blackboy will never get two miles if raced hard, and Firetail will be done with the first day, if he runs. Atalanta, if m the humour, must run well. Flying Jib was overrated by the public after his victory over Blackboy, who would have beaten him easily if he had run true. Lacenfeed cannot win ; besides, if she runs in the Derby, it will entirely destroy her chance, as the two races follow one another. Mainsail, 5 yrs, 7st, sifter his Dunedin victories, certainly appears well in if he beat anything of repute, but as this is doubtful, and as he ran very badly here two years ago, he may be handicapped on his merits; still any five year old that can gallop at all, ought at the weight to be very formidable, and with the exception of Knottingley, who most probably will not run, the lot are all moderate, so to him and Atalanta I must look for the winner. The Hurdle Race is a failure so far as entries go, and I now think the Jockey Club have made a mistake in substituting such a race for the Ilam Stakes. As far as such races can be certainties, this is one for Centohion. Thursday's races depend so much on previous running, that I cannot give you the absolute winners. Magenta, if he wins the Cup, will have a 71b penalty for the Christchurch Plate, so I expect it will stop him, as it has done all previous Cup winners. At the present moment, I have the greatest fancy for Backbiter. In conclusion, I only hope we shall have good sport, that we shall see a good attendance, and more than all that the public will come forward liberally with their subscriptions to enable the Jockey Club to keep the Canterbury Races, what they have alwayi l»een—the best in New Zealand.