CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1934, 19 March 1891, Page 25

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By RATA. The New Zealand Trotting Association Beetns to ba getting on all right with the new Parliamentary authorities, and its promoters certainly merit success for their enterprise, aud that immaterial of auy pecuniary benefits legitimately accruing to themselves hb mombera of the executives of proprietary clubs. Doubtless the promotion of trotting as si dialiuctaud ludividual sport originally emanated from the efficacy of the restrictions enforced upon proprietary clubs by the amended Bules of Baaing onaoted by the delegates of the metropolitan racing

volubß, and even should the Bules of Baiolng In tfegard' to added money be made absolutely compulsory in' respect of the added money to be given*y trotting clubs in view of receiving a totalisator permit, the New Zealand Trotting Association has nevertheless given a fillip to trotting that that olass of sport would not have received but for the efforts of the association's promoters. It is beyond doubt that the proprietary clubs in the vicinity of Christcircrrch can benefit a production of a rapidly saleable class of horses much more effectually by an encouragement of trotting than they can do by promoting flat race meetings. At the smaller race meetings in Canterbury a really good horse is rarely seen, and the metropolitan and bigger country clubs of New Zealand are sufficiently wealthy and numerous, to prohibit the possibility of any general degeneracy in racing stock— and that wholly independent of the smaller clubs; but these do not encourage trotting, with one or two solitary exceptions, as trotting requires to be- enoonraged now it has become a popular public sport. She New Zealand Trotting Association's promoters are the only people who have really taken, the sport in hand in a praotical manner, and their rules and regulations have been framed on the most approved principles; but, like other rules and regulations, they are open to oritioism. Bule 43 is open to critioism in the conduct of meetings. The rule is all right in so far as it goes provided it be properly aoted up to, but it does not go far enough. A considerable time since I argued the advisability of every racer being nominated in the name of the person having tho greatest monetary interest in it, and that in the interests of straight running and legitimate sport, and the same matter requires attention In regard to trotting. Bule 42 in the code of the New Zealand Trotting Association enacts that the name and residenoe of the owner, or owners, of a trotter must be stated with the nomination, but when strictly adhered to in practice it merely seems to be a reflex of the newspaper phrase, " Not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith." The public wants something more than that. The ownership of any horse— provided he be owned by more than one person, and nominated by the person having the greatest Interest in him— oompetlng in any one particular race ought to be easily ascertained by any owner having a horse competing in the same event, and from matters that I have been informed in respect of this is a subject that requires the careful consideration of the stewards of the New Zealand Trotting Association. It is beyond doubt that many of the stewards of minor meetings are owners 'of trotters, and it is a fact that it has been strongly suspeoted^that three or four horses in one interest have been run in different nominations in oneevent. It has also Deen frequently susoeoted that stewards' decisions have often been affected by monetary Influences rat.her thau by principles of equity. I do not believe much in these suspicions myself unless they be supported by actual proof, but a slight addition to Bule 42 of the New Zealand Trotting Association would greatly curtail the chances of undue misrepresentation. A backer who has lost bis money on some "crook" may frequently be heard saying that his favourite horse " did not try a yard "; and if a steward be suspeoted of having two or three horses In a race beside the winner it requires a very small stretch of imagination to traoe the origin of a story to the effect that the confederacy's money was put on at the last moment, subject to price, and that the winner's rider got the "office" to win in the first or second [round. In cases of disqualification, too, some nasty remarks are heard when a steward is supposed to have an interest in the second horse. A slight addition to Bule 42 would obviate a deal of the hearsay in regard to the integrity of trotting stewards. Boden has been in charge of Butler's Btable ever since the latter went to Dunedin, and Jim Harris and Fred Matthews in conjunction superintend the Chokebore L: dge team. Fred has got a bib too heavy for riding now, but he appears to be a very good man with horses. Charlie Stratford has returned from Australia looking uncommonly well for his visit, but he has not decided when he may journey over again. No doubt he will have a ride or two at the Autumn meeting here. Charlie is a real good horseman) and Mr P, Campbell used to say, " f like his riding as well as that of any of them." Mr Hack, the owner of St. Ives, tells me that stallion is now "being, ridden about until the covering season comes round again. Last season he only had 28 mares, but some of his earliest progeny show great promise. A farmer near Bicoarton has a colfcby St. Ives from a three-quarter bred mare that is described as a perfeot beauty of the roadster type in point of symmetry. That is the kind of nag to make a trotter of ; I should break him to a proper gait nnder saddle early too, and not leave him till he was three or four years old before introducing him to toe-weights. Breaking suon a one to harness can be done well enough later on when his gait has been got all right. St. Ives, I believe, is a sure foalgetter. ;>; > I do not think that many Rjccarfcon haUtufls will attend the Dunedin Anniversary meeting, and it appears pretty evident that no racehorses are intended for it. I do not know whether a trotter may not be sent down on the " off chance." Catalogues of the Middlepark Stud have been distributed at Biccarton, and it is very apparent that the stud will be dispersed. The sale is fixed for April 21 in order to admit of the attendance of Australian visitors. I saw the mares and foals on the road twice last week, and they look very well. A sale like that of the Middlepark Stud Company should certainly attract some Australian buyers wealthy enough to .produce keener competition for some of the lots than we have lately seen at Middlepark at the annual sales of yearlings. Tornado is in work again, and is now being galloped rather strongly. He is a fast horse when well, and he has been given a fair spell, but it is very doubtful whether he will stand, He seems to me, however, to have been doing a bit more than ordinary haok exercise since his departure from the training tracks. Sheenau may have been giving him easy work at Hornby. Sheenan has a good paddock there, and schooling hurdles in it too. Erin-go-Bragh. Lady Sookburn, and Nellie Gray have put in a fair amount of work in view of the 0.J.0. Autumn meeting, bnt Sbeenan never appears to have anything exceptionally good in his stable howIt appears that the foal by Sfconyhurat— Wai-iti is a very good-lookiag youngster, and certainly Stonyhurst ought to be good enough to transmit plenty of bone to his progeny. The Great Autumn Handicap will doubtless produce an Interesting contest. Bine do not constitute a good acceptance certainly, and doubtless something will stsrt a hot favourite, but two or three of the nine acceptors are in it nevertheleis. Freedom is going better than anything here, and he will have a big say at the finish. Hazel in the game stable is supposed to have a great show by those who know her well, and she is evidently all right now, but she is not galloping anything like as well as Freedom, wba is certainly as fit as a fiddle, and at that stage of condition when horses frequently appear to relish galloping, and bound lightly over the tracks. They show a kind of corky action. I am told that Breadalbane was & far better horse when he ran at Dunedin than he was at -the Midsummer meeting here, and that he has gone on improving rapidly since. Should that be right he may give Freedom a deal of trouble in the Great Autumn. Perhaps the fact of his winning at Dunedin, however, may have inculcated an impression of improvement, and I do not think Kingan has much in the way of trying taokJe to pit against him at Leeston. Cruohfield is certainly capable of a bit of improvement, and he may strip better for the Great Autumn Handicap than he did for the Dunedin Cup, and if not perfectly fib for the forthcoming 0.J.0. meeting the four four-longs and a distance less than he travelled at the Forbury will be a great point in his favour. It may be so even if he should strip perfectly pink. It appears that a mile and seven furlongs Is about the length of his tether, though in truth a horse that can get a mile and seven furlongs in a strong-run raoe can invariably be relied upou not to " shut up" over two miles- A mile and a-half, however, will suit Cruchfield all right in point of distanceThe Yaldhuret horse Palliser is fancied for the Great Autumn by professional raoing people here, and he ought to travel fast under 6.10. I have not seen him since he ran at the M'dsummer meeting, but he impressed me as being a good horso then. Though he may succeed In accomplishing it Freedom ought not to be able to concede him Sat 41b. I abould think Mr Webb would ba likely to have a " go " with Peerawick in the Addington Plate. He has run well over a sprint course at Riccarton previously, nnd being entered to be sold at £50 his impost is well within his weight-carrying capacity. Pears wick it one of the big s!ovenly-look-injt sort, and they are just the kind to romp home ocensionallv in front of more fsnoied horses. Nellie Grey i 8 not of much account, and Catamount may be left alone until he winß something. He appears to have Slost his paoo to a! greatextent. The two-year-old Union Flßg, though, should have a chance of netting ;ttae Addington Plate with all hia

weight his selling price (£300) entitle! him to. He Is in good form now, and I believe he will be started; for the Champagne, and- doubtless hopes are entertained of his running well in that event. The second and third money is worth spinning horses out for even should they have little chance of actually winning. Whim, the Ohokbore Lodge crew acquisition Is also engaged in the Addington Plate, and as she has entered to be sold at nil no very great optnion of her quality can be entertained. I do not think she is a good mare by any means — shots too light behind the saddle— but in point of condition she looks fairly fit. Dragon Jta another entered at nil, but he is one that cannot be depended upon on the (core of temper. He was given a rasping gallop this morning, and it required all "Fetrat" Lunn's exertions to keep him on the track until be was fairly pumped out. Sheenan has entered Lady Sookbura at £50, and evidently he fancies there n a bit of quality in her, and perhaps she has shown hhn a fair gallop, but I have never seen anything f tfJrry good in her. Tom Field is entered at £100. and 16 Is evident that he can gallop a bit. Cajolery is going on oapitally in his preparation for the Champagne Stakes, but he is a horse that might make a mistake on acconnt of temperament. That must be hazarded,.however, and on the day he will have a big following. Undoubtedly Florrie is not anything lite* the filly she was some time since. Ido not know whether she will run in the Champagne, but I hear that Flinders will be a starter. He has grown into a fine looking horse, and though be will not be seen at bis best before the spring he has already shown a nice turn of foot on the training tracks. The Challenge Stakes ought to be an interesting event. Mr Webb has paid up for Diadem, and she Is now coming on nicely, but I hardly think she will be good enough to foot 16 with some of the two-year-olds. I am told that Obarlie Parker, who was in Mr Goodman's employ some three years since, ha» succeeded in getting a couple of thousand pounds together since he went to Australia. Biding must pay there tolerably well I should think. Roden is pegging away with Chester Lad and the gelding by Perkin Warbeok 11, but I do not think that either will be of much good on the flat. Butler has apparently missed the nominations for the C. J. O. Autumn meeting, and it>. appears that Mr Gollan has made a similar mistake. In Butler's case, however, it is very unlikely that he> would have done much with either Crackshot or Thackeray in the present condition of these raoers. Tommy Stewart baß been training Inez during Billy White's absence at Wanganui. Though looking s bit light, perhaps, Bosebud continues to retain her form in regard to pace; but Ivanhoe in the same stable is very deficient in speed, and " Tommy " requires to get something' better in the hurdle raoer line ere his stable becomes very prominent in contests over sticks. . - '