CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1974, 19 September 1889, Page 24

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By RATA.

Undoubtedly one of the most brilliant horsemen New Zealand has yet produced— an excellent judge of pace and a most determined finißher?-is Billy White, and now he has been entrusted with the aining of Mr " Hammond's " horses there is no

apparent reason, from the tnition he received under the supervision of that experienced mentor E. Cutts, why he Bhould .not develop into a prominent trainer in the future. . Singularly enough a majority of the beat jockeys and some of the most successful trainers in' the 'colony have graduated in the rudiments of their profession under the vigilant eye of the master of Ohokebore Lodge. Mr Whits has had a lot of experience with horses beyond the pigskin, and since he has had Mr •> Hammond's " pair it is very evident that he can train as well ac -ride. For some time back he has been the proprietor of a houso on'the Yaldhurst road, and since getting Mr "Hammond's" horses he has had tbe otabling considerably extended. The stable now forma a perfect square containing seven boxes, a boys' house, and saddle room, with a trap shed and hack's box at.the outside.

It was recently stated in some of the Australian papers that " Billy " intended becoming a Benedict shortly, bat' the statement is incorrect, and he means to have it contradisted. He has no idea of running bis neck into a matrimonial noose just at present, though in fact he might do worse things even, provided- the deal was not actually a bad one.; but in a distinction of " bad, worse, worst," rather than ' good, better, best," rests the difficulty very commonly. ' However, tb.B statement in regard to Billy White's approaching marriage is a canard. In Mr " Hamroond " W. White has been fortunate enough ;in getting the patronage of a good sportsman, though not an extensive owner. He is a man that takes no end of interest in racing for a love of the sport, "and he must have seen a lot of racing too ; he isa good judge of quality and condition. He runs his horses perfectly straight, and he has been very successful in his purchases hitherto. Sultan is of course the best animal he has owned, and I hardly think he knows how good that horse is yet. My own impression is that no horse bar one with an iron constitution could have won at the Wellington meeting independent of his rtinning in the Wellington Cup, and I feel certain that paper indication has no bearing on the merits'of the DuduSultan running at Wellington and Dunediu. I was discussing the matter of the difference of the Riccarton and Forbury courses with a trainer this morning, and His opinion was that a horse who had never performed at the Porbury ought to be s»nt from Riccarton a fortnight before the Dunedin races, and I believe he is right. The courses are so dissimilar both in point of going aDd formation, and I have seen just as great disparity of form in horses I knew to be heavily backed and run out absolutely as Dudu's Bicoarton'and Dunedin performances— l have never seen the Wellington track - on courses less dissimilar , yet there is no getting away from the faot that there is a lot of doubtful running on New Zealand courses, and especially on trotting tracks. Sullan was the first of W. White's horses I saw, and he is looking uncommonly well, and in all probability he will race as well during the coming season as he has done in the past. I never looked upon Sultan as a really first-class horse, and I do not believe he is so, but I fancy he is a better racer than Dudu notwithstanding. He is not a particularly big horse either— l should think about 15hds Sinbut he is well made and wiry, and he 1b especially well made behind. A good many of the Apremonts are like that top, and for that reason particularly I fancy some of that sire'o get will be good stayers later on. There is a lot of the greyhound pattern about Adulation, Repose, Apropos, and Silvermark, but there is nothing of that in the conformation of Sultan, Lorraine, and Pygmalion ; these have excellent quarters and gaskinß, and they are well let down in the loins and on the hock. Sultan is a leyelly made colt, but his best feature perhaps lies in his constitution and muscular characteristics ; he is all muscle and sinew, and a colt that is certainly easy to train. He always requires a bit of exercise to obviate undue freshness, and that is usually sufficient to keep him in fair fettle. His hock is all right now, and he is looking quite a 8 well as I have ever seen him do previously. I fancy that Catamount will be a good one ; he is hardly quite furnished yet, and he trained late as a two-year-old, but he is a well made colt, though he perhaps does not show quite so much muscular development now as Sulfcan. Yet he is sufficiently muscular to make a good tbree-year-old nevertheless, and age no doubt accounts in a degree for any apparent muacular disparity in Sultan and Catamount. His front legs looked a bit bad as a two-yeat-old, but these are apparently all right now, and he is growing into a very nice colt indeed. He has been, doing a fair amount of work during the winter, and he will be quite fit enough for his spring engagements. Like Sultan, he is very wiry, and he has the appearance of a horse that will retain condition fora conaidorable'perioa. With TSIr " Hammond's " pair, together with his own accomplished horsemanship, I fancy " Billy" will be heard of early in the season. The gelding Relief tenanted the next box I entered, and he is the property of his trainer. He is not a badly made horse, and in all probability he will be a useful nag in certain company during the approaching campaign ; he is certain to be well trained, well placed, and well ridden. He is a chestnut, by St. Georae— Charity, and his breeding appears to be good, but I do not care much for his dam. I saw her at Middle Park quite recently, and she is not built on the lines of a good matron. "Since being purchased by his present owner, however, Belief has improved very materially, and he exhibits no symptoms of temper on the exercise ground, and I believe temper was the main cause of his being added to the list.

Taniwha is in foal to Captain Webster, and though she is only out of a common mare, I should not be surprised should she throw a fairly good plater likely to develop into a good jumper. She is by Le Loup, and in her looks aud conformation she shows every indication of her paternity, and Captain Webster is a strong, powerful horse.

A bay yearling filly by VaDguard— Molly Bawn completes the occupants of the boxes now, and there is room fora lot of improvement in that youngster, and no doubt she will improve a lot. Ido not know where she was reared, but I fancy she must have been starved a bit. She has a nice head and neck, but otherwise she does not look well at present, and a long coat militates very greatly against her looks too.

In Saltan and Catamount W. White has got a couple of good nagß to commence ODerations with as a trainer, and in all probability lie will fill the dual capacity of jockey and trainer as successfully as he did that of jockey. '

The successes of Garryowen, St Malo, Daddy Longlegg, and Mexico at the Otago Hunt Club meeting 'sayß. very little for the quality of Otago horses. St. Malo is better now than I have ever seen him since the early part of his two-year-old year ; he went to Dunedin in excellent fettle, hut his trainer will readily admit that he would have a very poor show in a good field even at his Dunedin weights, and I strongly suspect that he will have very little show if pitted against Wolverine in November. It standß to reason that Wolverine cannot be in condition at this season ; a trainer would never make him pink for such races as the Kensington, Telegraph, and Shorts Handicaps before the flat racing season really commences ; bat St. Malo, on the other hand, was made nearly fit for the Ladies' Bracelet at the Grand National meeting, and he has been kept in steady work since, and left here for Dunedin as "fit as a fiddle." Condition brought St. Malo home, and apparently he was a bit unlucky not to have won a double. H. Thomson has done uncommonly well with him. Some good judges of condition think that Daddy Louglegs was in good buckle when he left here, but I hardly think so. His legs are bad, and a few days before his departure he looked to me to have gone off a bit. He has certainly not done too much work recently, but "dicky" legs in themselves will make a hoise go off with incessant steady work. Daddy Longlegs had certainly form on his side, and his victory in the Tally-ho corroborates the Grand National form, but it says very little for Waitangi's quality or the quality of the field that opposed the winner, were they all spinning. Mexico won easily on the following afternoon apparently, and undoubtedly he was trained specially for the Dunedin meeting, and merited the success.

Garryowen's victory in the Maiden Hunters' Steeplechase was the most unexpected of the Biocarton horsea' successes, and the field that opposed him could not have bsen anything like a good one. The Biccarton contingent were certainly very successful at the meeting, bar St. Malo's second in the Shorts, and the Forbury will have to show some more quality or condition in flat racers, at any rate, ere it has any chance of competing with the Biccarton horses in November either at Eiccarton or the Forbury. At present the Middle Island is notoriously deficient in jumpers of good quality. Work commences very early at Riccarton of a morning now— a bit too early sometimes. Outts is always out before daylight, and hia horses are mostly exercised before other trainers come on to the exercise grounds. Training operations extend now from daylight up till about 10 o'clock, and during that time there are frequently no more than 50 h0r863 exercised.

Dudu is in strong work, doubtless in view of the New Zealand Cup. This morning she covered

two circuits on the tan at nearly top, and she moved capitally and looks in excellent condition.

Lorraine is also one of the early lot, and he occaaionally gets a rasping gallop, and appears to stand fast galloping all right. He is going to Timaru should be stand up long enough ; but in Mikado he will have a good opponent, and a horse that is now even in good condition. The opposition will no doubt comprise Wakatipu as well. S. Ray is preparing him for an early engagement, and he is looking very well. This Monday morning I saw him do a strong mile and a-half gallop on the tan, including two spurts at top op the straight, and he appeared to go uncommonly well.

A strong team this season again will be that from Chokebore Lodge. Beyond Dudu, British Lion will be a ticklish customer to meet in some of the handicaps at any reasonable weight a handicapper can give him. He is progressing very favourably in his preparation now, as is also Cynleca, and notwithstanding the lack of stamina exhibited by her elder Bisters, she will in all probability have a very big say in the Derby.

Helmsman and Vandal aie both in strong work, and no doubt they will be retained in New Zealand during November. H. Lunn has still got the late Hon. W. Robinson's horses in active work, and Exchange has been added to the morning team during the last few days. It is thought that they will fetch small prices when brought to the hammer, but I should be inclined to value Merrie England at 800 and Chain Shot at 750 giiineas should they remain in New Zealand, and in Australia they would be worth a lot more money. Undoubtedly Victoria and New South Waleo are the colonial markets for thoroughbred stock, and I should hardly think Australian owners would let these horses go cheaply without a try for them personally or through an agent. Australians had a touch of New Zealand quality last season. Should Exchange remain sound he is alao a very good horse, and Engagement ought to be worth a fair price for a brood mare. She has excellent blood in her veins, and she is big enough to make a very .roomy matron, though she looks somewhat short in tbe top in consequence of being a bit on the leg. Ab.ua has improved a lot since Luon got him, and a prominent jockey remarked to-day that he could feel quality immediately he crossed him ; he is a muscularlymade horse and a nice mover.

A lot of work is being slipped into Count d'Orsay, and no doubt he will be seen performing on the flat during the present season, though be may bo put over hurdles eventually.

Mr Webb has commenced in earnest with his team, and it comprises some useful horses, but there is nothing phenomenal in the string. Louis has been a bit sore of late, and that was why he did not journey to Dunedin. Erin-go-Bragb, Alcinous, Tornado, and Presto, in Sheennn's stable, are doing fast work every morning.

A majority of the two-year-olds are progressing favourably, and several of them will run well early.