CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2069, 19 October 1893, Page 31

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Rata.

The Ohoka races held on Thuisday were well attended both by people and horses from Riccarton, aud the meeting appears to have been a most pleasant one. Totalisator speculation was somewhat curtailed by the piesence of a strong contingent of fielders. So far as I can ascertain book" making is iv a paiticularly flourishing state just at present. The laying of totalisator odds seems to be a most profitable business, and beyond what money changes hands that way on racecourses, a lot of betting is done by bookmakers and their agents who stay at home. I have trecinently thought bookmakers have been harshly used by being prohibited from laying totalisator odds on racecourses, but of late 1 have heard same most practical owners of horses maintain that racing executives are quite right in opposing "walking totalisators on racecourses in the interests of stakes, and sigularly enough, too, these owners would abolish the totalisator tomorrow could they do so. Presumably they look At the matter thiswise : Walking totalisators curtail stakes and reduce dividends, and the licensed machine places the public on an equal footing with owners in respect of wagering. The 71b penalty Justice incurred at Plumpton stopped her in the Hurdle Race at Ohoka, Silvertail beating her after a good race, Matariki being second, and Erin-go-Bragh last. Old " Erin" has most certainly seen the best of his days, but I shall not be surprised to see him to the f me in a good hurdle race again shortly. Sometimes he appears to be " done up" for racing purposes, and a day or two afterwards he looks sound and well again. He is a veritable wonder. Stl vertail was i idden by Jimmy Walls at Ohoka, and she paid a dividend of £6 10s. Jimmy also had the ride on Dinah, who won the Hack Selling R ice, and paid £6 6s. I have often noticed that Jimmy is very lucky in riding winners who pay good dividends, and I fancy that sometimes he would bo good enough to follow in hurdle races for a series of meetiDgs. He is a rattling good liovscuian. and if his mounts be good enough he will bring them home. For the Ohoka Cup Vpgdngang was only opposed by Foresight, and notwithstanding his 71b penalty he won very easily, and there is no getting away from the fact that he is now in most excellent fettle— about as well, perhaps, as ever he has been. Should Sheenan accept with him he ought to run a real good race for the Stewards' Handicap at the C J.C. Metropolitan meeting. With only 8.6 to carry he is leniently enough handicapped. Radical annexed the Flying Handicap at Ohoka, and apparently he is a very fair horse. Stewart has him in good nick now, and he may go on winning in certain company for a tim<\ His owner, Mr J. A. Holmes, bets yery little, and thtre is not much chance of his being manoeuvred for hoodwinking purpo:*es. His owner and trainer are about as stiaightforward as they make them. The New Zealand Cup is undoubtedly being made the medium of good speculation here. Bookmakers have a habit of grumbling, but, taking their number into consideration, they are doing good business here. The following list represents a firm of bookmakers' last week's quotations, and they are a very fair sample of ruling prices :— Eight to 1 agst Stepniak and Prime Warden, 10 Clamanald, 20 Boulanger, 16 Hippomenes, 10 The Workman, 25 fct. Katherine, 20 Liberator, 14 Skirmisher and Dilemma, 33 Palliser and Fratemite, 15 Rosefeldt, 20 Au Revoir, 16 Westmere and Thame, 20 Captive, 25 Melinite, 33 Tempest, 50 Dishonour, 20 St. Anthony, 50 Royal Rose, 16 Outpost, 20 Strephon, 12 Pegasus and Response, 25 Lady Zetland, 50 Gitano, 12 Beadonwell, 20 Stanmoor, 50 My Jack, 20 Ich Dien, 33 Musket, 25 Lochness, 20 Magazine, 15 Tussock, 25 Ua, 60 Purepu and Spinaway. Up till this (Monday) morning Sam Mercer is the only arrival at Riccarton from a distance, and he thinks he will have his horse iit by Cup Day. A day or two ago Beadonwell did a mile and a-half on the sand in '46, and for a horse not strung up altogether that is good going in working shoes. If Sam. does get his horse to the post pink on the convincing day some of them will have to travel. Sam told me this morning that he thinks he will just nick pinkness on the day. Beadonwell has certainly done a lot of fast work since he came here, and he has had a good^hare of sweating too, and should he stand his winding-up gallops all right he ought to make some of them stretch themselves. He has been well backed by his owner, too, and should he continue to go on as he is doing now he ought to speedily see a shorter price. Mercer n> -'"xrs to think lie will stand any amount of work, lne Yaldhurst quartet constitutes something of a problem. My impression is that Melinite and Magazine, notwithstanding their light imposts, arc not good enough, and from looks I should say that Stepniak and Ich Dien are the best of the Yaldhurst four in the New Zealand Cup. I have heard a rumour to the effect that Stepniak is not likely to start, and I believe that Mr Stead thinks he cannot concede Ich Dien the weight between them. That may be, too ; Ich Dien is a wiry little filly that may be good enough for anything under certain imposts. But I have a strong fancy that Stepniak would run a great horse under 9.1 were he brought to the post absolutely fit. At anyrate I think Stepniak and Ich Dien are the better pair of the Yaldhurst quartet. The Workman and Thame were the pair Ipicked to supply the winner of the New Zealand Cup, aud rumour now has it that Pegasus can ''knock spots" out of The Workman. I have heard similar rumours before iv other cases, however, that were a long remove from authentic information, and this one may be ditto, though 1 hear that The Workman will most likely contest the Stewards' Stakes and the Jockey Club Handicap As fit as he was for the Challauga Stakes, though, I should sooner stand him for the New Zealand Cup with 5.3 to carry than I would for the Stewards' Stakes with 9.8, capital race though he did run over the same course in the Challenge Stakes. He ran a good mile and a-half in Australia, and why should he not get two miles? There are other good horses in the New Zealand Cup in the same street as The Workman in respect of stamina, and I shall not be surprised to Fee the race a slow run one over the first half-mile in regard to the best burses. I do not think last year's time will be equalled, and should the first mile be a really faot one I anticipate that the makers of running over that mile will be somewhere about the tail end when the winner passes the post. Pegasus may be good enough to make the running all the way and win with his mouth open, but I doubt it ; and if The Workman be not started for the New Zealand Cup of '93 I am afraid Major George's colours will not be to the fore. A good horse for the books was St Hippo. He was considered a moral by a great many people, but I am afraid my first estimate of him was not far wrong, his New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup times notwithstanding. I fancy there was n'ifc much fluke in his Derby licking

There is no doubt that Piime Warden is greatly fancied, and he has been backed by hii trainer. I came down from the course this morning with one of the shrewdest racing men about these parts, and he said :— "I think Prime W.uden will win," and doubtless he had some information ; f think .he did. Prime Warden is well in at 87, but my opinion is- that the field will be a bad one should he win. My argument is that I do not believe him anything like as good a horse as Sultan was, and in a real good year Sultan would have no fshow of winning the Naw Zealand Cup. Very contradictory accounts reach heie regaiding Dilemma, and Skirmisher, but no doubt their relative merits arc piotty w.-ll known in Dnnedin. I understand we will have them up here presently, aurl I haves a strong suspicion that Jim M Guinness will bring the pair on to Uicarton iac rout .■ c in bettor trim th^n some reports have made them ou'' to be Au Revoir I do not think has 100 to 1 show of winning the New Zealand Cup, and from whit I knew of Westmere last back end I do not think he will get to tbe end of a couple of mile 1 ?. I have information to the ullVf I, however, tli.it a hig eflort will be inarle to win with Thame. Shu w,is one of my original two picks, and if brought to tho post fit n hc ntu't lnue a, show if I'iiim; Wanton has. I do not \ hink R( spore is bcroelr. There ia soinu thine wiong with her, I f.uiey ; at anyiate she ha not looked well for some time. She was a fastmaro

once, and a good many people fancy her for the New Zealand Cup. And she may win, but I don't think so.

A well-known sportsman, and a good judge, remarked the other day that he would not be surprised to see Lady Zetland run well in the New Zealand Cup, but I think she will be out-classed. Were it run over half the distance she might have a show. As it is she may boat her stable companion, Prime Warden ; but I hardly thirjk that even, and I do not think Prime Warden will win the New Zealand Cup. When the Stewards' Handicap acceptances appear I fancy Vogengang and My Jack will iemain in. Both have real good chances, and though the latter is a bit fat, his Plumpton win notwithstanding, I will take the pair against the field. My Jack is in the New Zealand Cup, but 1 hardly think he will accept for a two-mile race in bis present condition. Bobby Ray has got three weeks to string him up on certainly, but I think three weeks will be insufficient to get him in perfect order for a two-mile race.

The Spring Handicap Hurdle Race bids fair to produce some good competition, though Justice is scratched.

I saw Mr Hammond riding Taniwha up the road the other morning, and she now looks a most excellent hack Her four-year-old daughter, by Captain Webster, was being ridden by little Miss Williams. Mating Taniwha with Captain Web ster lias produced a most excellent lady's hack. Mr Hammond thinks she would race well were she put into training, but he w, somewhat afraid that training her might impair her quality as a hack.

In King Wai and Watchword Cutts has a pair of good two-year-olds, but they differ greatly. King Wai is naturally a light horse, and it would be impossible to put much "beef" on him; but Watchword is a youngster that would not run well too light, and his trainer tells me it takes him all his time to keep a requisite amount of muscle on him, though he is a splendid " doer." I fancy, however, that Watchword will gallop very fast. In the same stable there is a clinking good two-year-old by Stonvhurst— Golden Crest (Golden Fleece) that 'can gallop uncommonly fnst. I think she is the best of the Chokebore Lodge two-year-olds. Strath Braan, the youngster by Apremont— Engagement, in Sheenan's stable, is a very fast colt and a trainer remarked this morning that be would name the Welcome Stakes winner in one, and then picked Strath Braau. He is a big, powerful colt that will be fit enough in three weeks' time.

I do not know why Lady Lear did not run at Plumpton, but I know she is a fast one, and though little, she will pay mote than her oats bill.

Another good two-year-old atlliccarton is Wedlock. He is by Chainshot— Adulation, and trained by Lunn, and on Saturday morning be cut out a particularly good four-furlong gallop in company with King Wai. They did not leave each other, and it is difficult to say which is the better colt, but I incline to the opinion that Wedlock is better than King Wai.

I do not think the colt by Chainshot — Veno will run particularly well in the spring, but he will be a really good autumn two-year-old. He has been growing too fast to be got really fit in the spring.

Director is in the sale list, but I do not know his price. He gallops fairly fast on the tracks on occasions, though

Empire is being galloped and jumped regularly, and Charlie O'Connor seems to be getting a bit of condition on him.

Persuasion, in Lunn's team, is going real well, and I think she will be fit enough by Metropolitan meeting time.

Another three-year-old that is doing excellent work is Token. He will win a race shortly. Taranna is being exercised in blinkers, but I fancy she is merely flighty ; there does not appear to be any vice in her.

Buller is very much incensed at a rumour that has got abroad about Loveshot. It has been said that Loveshot did a good half mile gallop recently, when as a matter of fact he has never been extended in his life.