CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1911, 6 July 1888, Page 23

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Br "RATA."

Last week by permission of Mr Stead I looked over the Yaldhurst training establishment, owned anil presided over by Dick Mason, and it is the premier stable in Canterbury, and perhaps a long way beyond Canterbury, from any point of view whatsoever. The boxes are erected on tho open system— i c , each is independent of that immediately adjoiuing and of the stable beyond itself. The buildings comprise two separate rectangular blocks — three sided — and the larger of these has an additional outside wing running parallel with the side of alesser block f roan the entrance gate inwards to the interior of the main square; tho smaller block is on the immediate right on entrance and the larger on the left, beyond the extremity of the smaller, and the object of the outside wing of the main square is apparently twofold : utilisation of space and curtailment of an appearance of separation. The bnildings are of wood, and contain upwards of 20 boxes, and these are double lined and ventilated at back and front. They are also well lighted from revolving windows immediately above the doors ; and I do not think boxes of this pattern can be improved upon in point of utility. The main square contains the trainer'e office, the head lad's room, and the saddle room ; and in the paddock adjoining several boxeß have been erected for brood mares and foals, but the boys' quarters are removed from the stable?. The dwelling house, situated on the right fronts of the main entrance and some 20yds beyond the boxes, is a tolerably large two-storey building, surrounded by a rather extensive garden ; and the ground, which covers a considerable area is divided into perfectly regular paddocks, separated by hedges, and in some instances these are in rea li ty double fences, the intermediate space being planted with trees. The trees are yet young, bnt their object is shelter and an obscuration of view when the paddocks are severally occupied by brood mares and stallions, and in the course of a few years that object will be attained. The first of tho string I interviewed was Rose Argent, a bay filly by Musket from Rosette. She is well grown, and stands over a lot of ground, and her top is good at either extremity ; but she is perhaps a bit flat-sided, and the points of her hocks are considerably misshapen, by reason of a mishap sustained at sea in transit from Auckland to Lyttelton. During the voyage, toe, her near fore leg was injured, and the effects of the injury are still very apparent in the knee It is uncertain whether the accident will materi-' ally affict her future career, but in the event of such a contingency the knee will doubtless prove the troublesome part. The next box was occupied by Musk Deer — another bay filly, but considerably darker than Rose Argent — by Musket — Sweet Cicely, and these, together with Scots Grey, comprise the last of the Muskets, I believe. Her attendaut was washing her feet when I entered, and the box being somewhat shaded I did not see her particularly well. She is very muscular, however, and better ribbed up than Rose Argent, and she engenders the impression oi one likely to exhibit considerable excellence at maturity. Scots Grey, a grey colt by Musket from Maid of Athol, is the best youngster iv the team, perhaps, and bar any exception that might be tak\ n to his colour be is a magnificent colt, well grown and muscular, with exquisite symmetry. He is a capital forequartered horse, showing prominent shoulders and muscular veins, with very little dip in the back *nd no unnecessary elevation of head and neck; he is well turned in the middle piece, clean in the legs, and though not as massive as some of his kinsmen in the quarters, he is shapely enough and sufficiently powerful for anj - thing behind the saddle. Indeed, I fancy he will develop into a clinking racer and one that will race early.

Sierra, a four-year-old sister to Repose and Sommeil,was the next animal I saw, but she shows nothing like the quality of the latter, and fails to impress one as being more than an ordinary specimen of the racer. Rttina, a brown filly by Apremont — Iris, is a good-loofeirg youngstsr, with more substance thai? some of h«r sire's stock, and sho appears to bo better tempered too than the majority of the Apremontp, though that hereditary ailment is frequently developed with age. It is a pity that that stallion's stock should bs so affected ; in himself he is a finely built horse beyond the Hbowp. ar.d that slight defect of conformation is apparently easily rectified, as in the caie of Retina, by judicious mating. In regard to bad-tempered horse b, however, I believe that no end of temper is a direct result of bad haudliug after yearling s leave tho charge of the studmaster. Enid the Dun-

edin disappointment, is a very passable mare, apart from sire and a bad-looking hock, but her quality must be somewhat indifferent ; she stands 15 2, and in point of 3ize she has a considerable pull over Sb. Clair. Milord, a brown yearling colt by Apremont— Strenua, is a very symmetrical youngster, but evidently he is not growing rapidly. He is very compactly built, with a nice head and short, well-made neck, and shows plenty of depth in the girth, and power in the loins, with good hocks aud lots of muscular development in the end extremities, back, arms, gaskins; and should he grow sufficiently he ought to prove one of Apremont's best get. I was next introduced to the famous Maxim, and he is a racehorse all over from the muzzle to the dock. He has a good-looking head, and his neck is short and straight— i.c , it is not arching — straight from the poll to the withers, and it h carried low; his chest is broad, and his shoulders superb, while his middle-piece is round as a barrel, and his quartern immensely powerful. He is low sec on his legs au J well let down on the hock, and though he .is now tolerably rough quality is very perceptible; at any rate I have never seen one of such conformation that could not race when thoroughly wound up, and Maxim's performances show that his ability is on a par with his looks. Yet Maxim, as I saw him last week, and Maxim in racing fettle, would look very different horses. He is now suffering from windgalls in the fore legs, and before morning exercise they are very prominent, but at the time of my visit they were hardly noticeable. I should like to see Maxim on the English turf.

Bar Sinister tenanted the nexfc box I entered. He is by Cadogau from No N-wno, and he is not a beauty certainly. He hah plenty of size — a bit too much perhaps — but he has a very plain head, and v shapely at neither end ; and apparently Cadog*n is unlikely to be a great success at the stud. MaUmata is too light I fancy to ever exhibit great excellence ; on standard measurement his height is all right, but he looks leggy and lacks substance in the top ; indeed, he might be a better racer with an inch less on the withers. Rainbow is not a bad-look-ing mare, bat she, too, is light in point of conformation and considerably removed from the class of the top-sawyers of the establishment. Russley is a good-looking horse ; he is too straight in the fore legs, but he has a capital top and an exceptionally good back, and he is a btstter-made horse in every way than Beresford, who is angular, and whose recent prowess I suspect was mainly a result of mentorship. Gipiy Kiug, Lochiel, and Sextant were running about in paddock?, and as each wore clothing I did not see them properly. Gipsy Kiug is in a thick winter coat, and he is much fatter than when I saw him last. Lochiel and Sextant I had never seen previously, and of the pair the former appeared the better insofar as I could see them. I saw Lochiel galloped round the paddock three or four times, and he has machine-like action, with a long, level stride, and he ought to make matters pretty warm for the opposition in a big handicap on a second occasion presently. Sextant may be a veritable top-sawyer for anything I know to the contrary — and undoubtedly he is a good horse — but he is evidently bad tempered, and his feet are not particularly good apparently. He looks a bit •• varminty," too, and I should think that Maxim, Gipsy King, and Loohiel are superior horses. Yet add Scots Grey and Milord to that quartette, aud few stables could be 'found good enough to equal the Yaldhurst training establishment in a production of quality.

From anything I have heard to the contrary the Grand National weights are generally supposed to be very equitably adjusted. Chemist, the top-weight, is undoubtedly a clinker across aountry, and he is a great favourite of. Butler's, chat trainer having offered £150 for him prior to «uiy exhibition of inordiuate excellence, yet 12st 101b is a stiff weight to carry in the Grand National, and perhaps Butler's owa horse, Faugh-a-ballagh, with a stone less on his back, will be a more dangerous candidate for the great cross-country event at Riccarton. He knows the country well and has travelled it successfully, and in the absence of excessive speed aud equal jumping capacity in his opponents Faugh-a-ballagh will have a great show. He is slow certainly, when gauged by a flat racing standard, but he is a good stayer and a very clean fencer. Since his return from Wanganui he has been perceptibly lame, but that lameness does not appear to bo prejudicial when fairly extended, and doubtless it will not interfere very materially with his Grand National preparation. Irish King (ll e t) is well in on public form, though Mr Lunn thinks he has got a bit too much weight. He is a very narrow horse, and in point of conformation, he is not a weight carrier, but his performances warrant list, and as he is a very excellent jumper and fairly speedy the handicapping committee has perhaps made no mistake iv weighting him within lClb of Faugh-a-ballagh. Chance (lOst 51b) is not sound, and Raven (9nt 12lb) is being indulged in a spell. Premier (Oat 121b), however, is in strong work, and he is evidently a speedy horse, notwithstanding his defeat by Icenian at New Brighton — as a matter of fact Iceuian's quality is not yet gauged, and he may be a very much better hor^e than his form indicates. He has been at the stud for a considerable period, and the majority of his victories have been gained under disadvantageous circumstances iv regard to condition ; prior to becoming the property of Mr Lunn he was perhaps never fairly wound up, and as he has only been in that ownership for a few weeks we have certainly not seen the best of him. He is a powerful bay horse, with good action, and beyond a disproportionate lightness behind the saddle he is an extremely well made animal, and that appareut lightness is mainly a result of excessive bone and muscular development in the fore quarters. Still Premier is hardly up to Grand National form yet. On the flat he would lose Faugh-a-ballagh up to a certain distance, but he jumps very badly, and like no end of hunters his jumping ability deteriorates with increased speed. At half pace I believe he could negotiate the Grand National country without a mistake, but when riddeu at fences he always loses a lot of ground ou lmding, and frequently comes down altogether. Haka (9st 7lb) h the only other candidate rained at Riccarton, and "If he can't win with the impost awarded him he can't win at all," says Mr O'Brien Prior to being trained, when the property of Mr Turnbull, Haka was a fine natural jumper, but he has improved very little since nis iuitial cross-couutry lessons at Riccarton, and I fancy he is a bit too high ou the hiud legs to make a clean fencer. An opinion obtains amongst Riccarton habitues that the race will go to the North Island, presumably by tho aid of the heavily weighted Chemist.

The New Zealand Cup handicap is generally considered a very excellent production, and looked at broadly the range— 3^ 71b— is a good one, and anything unable to cope with Nelson .->nd Maxim at that difference is unworthy of a place iv the New Zealand Cup. I should think, however, that Maxim, handicapped as he i* iv ths Melbourne Cup, would be sent to the other side, yet assuming this idea to be correct the stable is still bang in it with Gipsy King, Locuhl, Sextant, and Beresford, aud of the quartette I prefer Lochiel. He is the only one at Prince Charlie's stock J have ever seen that

could stay over a mile and a-quarter, and I feel certain he is a rattling good horse. Still Gipsy King is also a good one, and a difference of 41b, even in the region of 9st, is absolately nothing. Springston (7st 91b) may be well handicapped, but he is not in the same street with Mason's . lot, bar Beresford, and in point of looks he can have no stow whatever with Artillery. That is one of the best looking horses exercised at Riccarfcon. Entered and handicapped similarly in the Melbourne Cup Artillery would be worth sending to Victoria. In my opinion he is the pick of the handicap, though he is very fairly weighted on his performances. Carbine (7st 9lb) has got a crusher for a three-year-old, and St. Clair (7st slb), notwithstanding his recent development, is too much of a pony to cope successfully with Mason's best and Artillery ; he only stands 15 hands on the withers and an additional inch on the rump. Ruby (7st 51b) has laid on a lot of flesh since his partial retirement, and I should think he is a better horse than Springston at 41b ; indeed, I do not care for Springston. He is a good stayer, but he is only a commoner in point of quality. Lorraine (7st) I have never seen, and I know he was being doctored lately ; his legs are bad evidently. Northcote, similarly weighted, has been in retirement for some time back, but I should think his stable companion, Artillery, could smother him at 91b. Chain Shot (6st 131b) has never performed, I believe ; he is a great, powerful colt with good action, but his .symmetry is not as good as that of Exchange (6st). Redwood (6it 101b) is growing into a fine colt, but the pick of the Riccarbon three-year-old division is undoubtedly Mantoti ; he is a clinker, and coupled with Artillery, Butler has a fair look in for the New Zealand Cup of 1888.