CANTERBURY CHAT

NZ Truth, Issue 579, 22 July 1916, Page 10

CANTERBURY CHAT

(By "Tho Lcoker-On.") j Tho South Island horeca that com- ■ peted at tho Wellington Racing Club's Winter meeting were not very numerous, nor, with one or ttvu oxceyUons, of very good ck'sy. Araongrtt them they won five races, got second money once, and were- placed third on two occasions. Comely Is only a handful, but she is [ very genuine. At TrtsnUiujn, lust week, eho raced three Umt>:» and way never out of a place, winning <»tie race and getting necond and tliird money for her other starts. Jcannot should bo greatly Improved by the racing he had m Wellington. It was five months since he raced. Pyjama gave a very sorry showing at Trontham In both of his offorts, and was never able to get near the loaders. Oratonu bashed his nUllea once more when ho fell In the Hack Steeplechase at Trentham. Ho has tipped out In each of his last three starts. \ Local sports stuck to Crib all lust week, and wore rewarded with a pood price to wind up with. The Tirnaruowned jumper has got to be reckoned with m the big hurdle races at Riccarton. Banian and Art arrived homo from Trentham by hist Tuesday's bont. Art look« none the worse for Ills trip, but Bitnlun wiits walking a bit stifl' behind

owing to having hit one of his stifles hard m the First Hack Hurdles. On Wellington form Flying Start can have very little chance of annexing the Winter Cup. A. Cutts did not wait to see the meeting out, but returned home with Flying Start and Battle Eve by Friday nigh t'a boat. Sir Taska, who bruised his foot a few days ago, Is sound again and has resumed work. Crib may be taken to Australia after our National meeting. R. J. Mason has practically given up the idea of going over to Sydney with a team. Kilmeny is getting back into shape, but there is no doubt about his being on the down grade. On looks, the "Winter Cup winner will not come from any. of the Riccarton stables as our Cup candidates are not a particularly bright lot. Holmes has not given Ogier much schooling yet. He does not think a great deal of the Charlemagne EL gelding as a jumper. Majestikof is sound again, but she will not be sent down to F. D. Jones's stable for a few weeks. San Sebastian, for the present, has got over his kidney trouble, and is one of the gayest of the gay. Snub is looking healthy and bright and is getting through a fair amount of half-pace work m view of the New Zealand Cup, m which, barring accident, he is a sure starter. Banian and Comely were solidly supported here for the races they won at Trentham. Bomb's showing at the Wellington meeting was not up to expectations. He was galloping well at homo before leaving for Trentham. Oxenhope's owner tried to get B. Deeley to ride the Obligado gelding m his engagements at the Grand Nationai meeting, but the Auckland horseman had already booked to ride something else, Cronstadt is leaving good stock m the Methven district. Several of his youngsters are shortly to go into work, and their owners are confident that they will win races. Formola is being hacked about with an occasional jog on the track at Addington preparatory to going into Btrong work. Members of the Brackenfleld Hunt did not nominate, their hunters very freely for the forthcoming meeting. Thrax has not been nominated for either the South Canterbury Hunt Club fixture or the Brackenfleld Hunts outing, but may be nominated at t'm National meeting. Mr. Barr was not long m getting a return from Melford, and as he got the lion's share of the big dividend paid by the Buccleuch gelding, he is more than satisfied with his Wellington trip. H. Coker is still adhering to his intention of giving Hap Dha most of his work on the roads, and the Obligado gelding looks all the better for the change of treatment.