CANTERBURY CHAT

NZ Truth, Issue 695, 12 October 1918, Page 7

CANTERBURY CHAT

NORTH CANTERBURY AND OXFORD MEETING.

("By Waimangu.")

The attention of owners is drawn to the programme arranged by the North Canterbury and Oxford J.C. for the meeting to be held on October 28, and a perusal will show that all classes of handicap horses are entered for, while there are also two events set aside for trotting horses. The star item is the Rangiora Cup, of 200 soys., one mile, and outside of being a stake worth winning the race gives trainers of New Zealand Cup candidates an opportunity of sharpening, them up. The Welter, six furlongs, and Flying Handicap, five furlongs, are open races; the Trial Handicap is for . horses who have not won a race worth 50 soys, at time of starting, while ordinary hack conditions apply to the Oxford Hack, six furlongs. There is also a Jumpers' Flat, of 1} miles, and altogether the bill-of-fare should draw a good response from owners who should not overlook the fact that nominations for all events close at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 11. Racing at Wlngatul this week-end. McDuff is a good cut of a .two-year-old. He may not be forward enough to get m the money at Riccarton. Good Hope has a royal chance to get his name on the winning list over hurdles at Dunedin where the fields are very poor. The leggy bay ran fourth to Kimbolton on the second day of the Ashburton meeting. ■ There are some very fine-looking two-year-olds at Riccarton and, as usual, this province will keep its reputation up m juvenile events during the season. Though Adjutant is not m the New Zealand Cup. Sir Geo. Clifford's horse is galloping constantly at iSccarton and doing all his work nicely. Moorabbe looks well after . racing at Amberley and Ashburton. Emerson's chestnut would win plenty of races if she were not so wayward. Winter Cherry is coming along nicely and will be cherry ripe with a race or two. .... Kaminohe was schooled over the small fences a few mornings ago and performed satisfactorily. ■.»... It is the' general opinion that those weighted under 7.0 m the New Zealand Cup have not much chance. Still, it may. not be safe to leave Mangamohe out. The son of Charlemagne 11. hailing from R. Hannon's stable m • the Waikato, won . three races last season, his last success being m June at the Great Northern meeting. In a mile and a quarter- race, after being tailed off m the first seven furlongs, he simply walked through the field and came m on his own at the finish. Riccarton stables are strongly ' represented at the Wellington meeting, but those taking teams north should make certain of securing steamer accommodation for the return. Owners should not overlook the fact that nominations for the North Canterbury and Oxford meeting close on Friday of this week at 8 p.m. Rorke's Drift will only have to go on the right way to be a nuisance m the' New Zealand Cup with 7.8. Nobleman, whom many were selecting as a likely winner of the Cup, was the first horse to drop out. King Star was given a turn over the pony hurdles at Riccarton last week and he shaped satisfactorily. Previously h? had done a little jumping m the schooling ring. King of the Vp.lley will take some heading off m a welter. He is m at Dunedin. Kazan may not be long before he does his owner a useful turn. Riccarton trainers were last week giving their young 'uns tryouts with the colors. • The Dunedin Guineas will be a match between Long Range and Scornful, and the latter may be the one to get the thick end of the prize. Hiero, who was on the easy list since the Amberley meeting, has been put into work again. Word from the south is to the effect that Fleetham is amiss. Cynic will be galloping on when a lot of those m the Cup have had enough. A rare stayer m Cynic. The racing at Kurow would not help m locating, the ' New Zealand Cup winner unless it be John Barleycorn. He seems to be better over a shorter distance than two miles. ...... , Vascular has stood up to his racing well and looks as well as ever Bomb ran two good races at Geraldine without paying a dividend, but at Kurow

the Charlemagne 11. gelding had two runs and paid a dividend each time. He was beaten by Spyglass m the Hakataramea Handicap, but came out later arid beat the best In the Belfield Handicap, paying twice the limit. Subterfuge was m the market for the Kurow Handicap, but the little daughter of Counterfeit, though she ran a good race, 'had to be content with third money behind Linden and John Barleycorn. There is a good race concealed about Subterfuge. Sir Malt Is reported to have ricked himself at Invercargill recently. The two-year-old Anton is not so forward as others of Murray-Hobbs's team. Nantville, the half-sister to Nanna, can sprint some, and if taken to Wellington for the Wellesley Stakes will be one of the hurry-up brigade. Those who saw the bad run Jack Symons received at Geraldine were on the chestnut at Kurow m the Welter. He put up a good race and beat all but Achilleus. Rose Pink was not produced at Kurow, 1 her owner evidently having set the Mosgiel Handicap at Dunedin m which she is nicely treated at 8.7, considering she has won three big handicaps on end, each; time m easy fashion. Under a light scale of weights Thestius is always entitled to respect over a short course. ■ ■ ''-.•• Evidently the run he had at Geraldine improved John Barleycorn as he beat all but Linden m the Kurow Handicap. Another run at Dunedin and the Sarto — Brisa gelding will be at top for the New Zealand Cup meeting. Warstep has produced a colt foal to Solferino and will visit Sanquhar. After the Dunedin fixture the Riccarton track will be pretty busy as trainers will settle down to tune their teams up for the Wellington and New Zealand Cup fixtures. Tremena was galloping ' attractively prior to going to Kurow, and the racing the Count Witte mare had will sharpen I her up. I Jingo, who can go very fast when tuned up, is m regular work. There are some fine looking two-year-olds at Riccarton, not the worst-looking by a long way being Flight Commander and Mac Duff. The first-named is one of M. Hobbs's team, while Mac Duff hails from the Cutts Bros, establishment. Good Hope has done plenty of schooling and he has a rare chance to win a hurdle race at Dunedin where the fields will be very weak. Killjoy is one of the fastest at Riccarton and was never going better than at present. The bay rriare will take some heading off. m anything she steps out m. Murray-Hobbs is slipping the. work into Winter Cherry, which suggests a trip to the Wellington meeting. All her tasks are over a mile or further, so she can be expected to take part m some of the big handicaps. She is inclined to loaf m the early part of her gallops. There has been another shuffle with Oxenhope, and the old chap is now being trained by J. B. Pearson, who also has Vascular. After the Kurow Handicap the stewards considered the question of interference to John Barleycorn by Tremena at the home turn, but after hearing an explanation from C; Emerson, rider of Tremena, no action was taken. The parties behind Linden were quite prepared for the son of Martian's win m the Kurow Handicap, consequently the price he returned was not big. i The Reids had a mortgage on the Welter at Kurow, riding the three, placed horses. R. C. Reid was on Achilleus, Roy Reid on Jack Symons, and A. Reed on Arihia. Mortham was not produced at Kurow, neither was Rose Pink. Both" neddies are m good form. Bomb has misfired several times of late, but he went off all right .at Kurow and settled the sprinters' m good style. , Pyjama is consistent, and J. McCoombe's gelding is always' in the first three. Achilleus won the Welter m good style at Kurow, but those behind him were not too good. The two-year-old, Link Up, was showing a dash of pace before going to Kurow, and though beaten into second place m the Trial, paid a fair price. Linden only had a neck the best of John Barleycorn m the big race at Kurow. Lady Superior was favorite m the Trial at Kurow,-: but the best the young lady could do -was finish third, which is not much consolation to punters. There' were only five runners m the Waitapgi Steeplechase at Kurow, and of the quintette Merry Lad, Moddite and Dardanelles did not get the course. This enabled-Rolling Tide m a "thrilling" finish to beat Kaupokonui by something like a furlong;' ■ -' The distance of the Trial Plate at Kurow just- suited Canamana, and the MenschikofFfilly won very nicely. It was a comfortable ride for Roy Reid. A McAulay has Kilrush galloping well, and one morning last week the Kilbroney — Prank -gelding was going every bit as good as Scornful at the end of a mile gallop. Kilrush.;has not started since he won. a welter at Amberley. The well-known . Riccarton trainer, A. Cutts, was before the Medical Board at Christchurch last!:week and. thrown m the discards. . ";~ .:' . .'