CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1989, 7 April 1892, Page 28

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Bt RATA.

Billy Brown, who rode Crackshot at tho North Island, is of opinion that he would have won but for an accident.

Thame has been badly cut, and will not visit Riccarton for the Autumn meetiug. Boulangor and a two-year-old are coming clown however.

Crown Jewel has returned looking very well, and she is likely to win again shortly.

There will be a lot of racing this month in Canterbury, and tho C.J.C. Autumn meeting will be greatly in front of any fixture. At present the Great Autumn and Easter Handicaps are the chief events talked about, and there can be no doubt that the handicaps are very good ; both races are considered,} very open ab present, and the acceptances, I thiuk, are flattering. No strangers for these races have yet arrived, but it is not improbable that a stranger may annex one or other or both big events, though that stranger will have to travel rather swiftly ere he gets home in front of the local nags — I do not consider the Yaldhurst horses strangers, though we do npt see much of them at Iticcarton. It is said that Boulanger is certain to put in an appearance, and with 8.10 in tho Great Autumn' he. is well treated on public form, but so is Crackshot at a pound less, and Crackshot seems to be improving every day. He will be steered by Billy Brown in the Great Autumn, and there is no doubt he will be ridden clean out, and a very good judge remarked a morning or two since that there are more unlikely things than a win for him. Both Dudu and Cruchfield in the Chokebore Lodge stable will run on their merits, and Cutts thinks that if he can bring Dudu to the post well she will beat Cruchfield at the weights, but I do not think so. The pair will not be tried together prior to starting. Merrie England has been left in the Great |Autumn, but I strongly suspect that Kulnine will be the stable's selected on the day, and I fancy a mistake has becu made in taking Clanranald out; he was nicely weighted at 8.5. Flinders is well enough certainly, and he may run a good horse, but I fancy Cruchfield will prove his superior. Palliser has a great reputation at Riccarton, and though he is advertised for sale after the Autumn meeting, I shall not be surprised to see him run well in the Great Autumn ; it is generally understood that he is in fair nick now. Heather Bell is a mare well known here, but I should prefer her chance in -the Great Easter to her show in the Great Autumn. A visitor to the course yesterday morning told me he had got Diadem (as the winner) from a very good man, but I have heard nothing of her winning prospects from her . owner, and I attribute the "good man's" information to an emanation of a study of public form. Diadem is certainly improving, but she is not altogether right now, whatever she may be on race day. Ilium could not be very much more lightly treated than she is, but I am of opinion that the Great Easter may be more in her line, though from what Charlie Stratford said to me this morning I fancy he thinks she would have a show for the Great Autumn were she started.

Perhaps, 1 the betting on the Great Easter Handicap may not be as extensive as that on the Great Autumn, but taking the acceptances as an indication the field will be stronger. Boulanger now heads, the list, and he is a smarter horse than I take him to be if he can win under 9.2. Ido not think Merrie England can possibly win, but Crucbfield 8.12 has a big show, and so has Kulnine 8.2, but from all appearances the Great Autumn will be these horses' "dart."jj Palliser 8.0 is also left in, and Flinders at the same weight could not be very much more leniently treated. Heather Bell is well enough weighted, and so is Lady Zetland, and nothing can be said against the imposts of Ilium and Diadem, Tassy, Dieyltera, and Wanganui could not get very much less than they have been" apportioned. I do not think Dielytera has much of a show, but Tassy is in strong work, mainly in view of this particular event, I believe, as is also Wanganui, and the latter is a fast horse with an excellent chance of success if a light boy can induce him to do his best over seven furlongs. He is flighty, however. The Champagne and the Challenge Stakes can hardly fail to produce interesting contests, though now there are only five left in the former event. The form of these is fully exposed, and Wakawatea and Daydream will no doubt carry most public money. I should think that Sheenan fancies Vogengang must have a phow in that event by the way he lias recently been working him. Vogengang is a c"olt I have always had a great opinion of, but when in conversation with an experienced racing man a few days ago he remarked that Vogengang was not well enough bred in his opinion, Psyche having a stain in her pedign-e. Yet Muulen had a stain in his pedigree, and he was a grcifc horFC, and the stain in Vogengang's pudiiircc through his dam Psyche may belike the Mnnlon stain. Many of these stains are a result of not being able to trace horses' pedigrees. One of ii J «-yche'B first trainers, however,' tells me that him was not a good mare, and not a desiiablo one to breed from, but Rhcon.an is of :i different opinion, and he ought to know something about her.

The Challenge Stnl'os will doubt Ij-fs produce a good field, and good accounts of Medallion ;ire current in the neighbourhood, though I do not

know that anybody has seen him lately. Clan-, ranald is in good buckle for that event, and it will require a smart two-year-old to beat him over six furlongs in his present form, but I dare say there are youngsters in the Challenge good enough to put hinxthrough.

The general' entries for the C.J.C. Autumn meeting are very good, and should the handicapper'beas successful in adjusting the weights for the minor events as he was those for the Great Autumn and Easter Haudicaps the fields will be numerically strong generally.

The weights for the forthcoming Plumptoii meeting have produced very little adverse criticism, and in all probability fair fields will fa.cc the starter on the 14th. there is something more than ordinary plating quality handicapped too, and the quality of the sport should bring a good attendance of spectators and speculators to monetarily assist the club.

There are a lot of "queer" customers in the Handicap Hurdle Race, but it may prove to be a difficult race to pick nevertheless. Old Springsfcon has been weighted at 10.7, and if he be anything like in condition he ought to have a show. I hear that he has been regularly practised over sticks for a considerable time and that he jumps well and is standing well. Ecjn-go-Bragh and Tornado in Sheenan's stable are a pair of "dicky "-legged ones in active work, and who will doubtless perform at Plumpton. Tornado has not looked as well as he is doing now for a long time, and the chances are that he will win a hurdle race or two for Sheenan during the winter. There is no mistake about Tornado's quality when well. Another Riccarton horse in Magpie (10.9) is very well and going well, and he will hays a strong following at Plumpton should he start. He Js one of the few good jumpers Tommy Stewart has had in his charge for some time.

I have never seen Rocket jump yet, but report says he is a good jumper. Still I am very dubious about Rocket's quality, and perhaps he may not eventually prove good enough to pay training expenses. * Mef ryboy fs located in Charlie O'Connor's stable, but he is cne of those mad-headed brutes that no reliance can be placed upon. He is fairly fast would he go straight, and so far as I have seen he has always got over his jumps all right, though he hits them very hard usually. , " '

Mrs Mullaney is now at Riccarton, and she has performed fairly well on occasions, but she is a long remove from a really good one, though her trainer now has her in excellent fettls. I have not' seen her jump since her arrival yet, and I believe she exhibits a bad feature sometimes in regard to not caring to gallop on the exercise track when there are a lot of horses about, and for that reason she' is worked very early, or just before the second lot make their appearance in the morning. I should hardly think a mare like that would be very reliable in a big field, but I have heard nothing about her not going straight in public.

The Plumpton Park Handicap ought to produce a good race. There is.a lot of fair quality in the entry , and I f amcy that more than one of th c competitors will be genuinely backed on the day of the races. Prime Warden is top weight with 9.5, and Bay King comes next with 8.6. I have heard a racing man remark that Bay King can easily defeat Prime Warden at these weights, but without being able to solve the problem I think both horses will find something good enough to stretch them lower down in the list.

Diadem has received 8.0," and I should think Mr Webb would run her. If she be good enough to win, the stake is good enough to pick up at this season, and a mare like Diadem would require to do something very brilliant in private ere she would be worth keeping back for the big money at the C.J.C.: Autumn meeting. Inez, I should think, will be almost a certain starter. Charlie Stratford has not been too lucky with his horses during the season, and he is not likely to allows L7O prize escape him if his mare be good enough to win it. In regard to condition Inez is looking very well at present.

Yon Tempsky, Tassy, and Dieletera, are also Riccarton horses weighted in the Plumpton Park Handicap. Yon Tempsky has got in fairly enough this time, and he ought to run a good horse over a mile and a distance under 7.6 ; he is in capital nick now.

From what I heard Harry Fuller say the other day I fancy Tassy will be a certain starter at Plumpton, and his running there will be a very good indication of his prospects of success at the C.J.C. Autumn meeting. Even with no more than 6.7 on her back I do not think Dieletera is good enough to win the Plumpton Park Handicap should she start. She is a mare I do not have a very exalted opinion of. The Sprint Handicap, of 40sovs, run over five furlongs at Plumpton, ought to receive a good acceptance, and produce a good race. A lot of smart horses are engaged in that event, and I have heard no grumbling in regard to the weight adjustment.

Ilium is top_ weight with 8.7, but she is quite equal to that impost if she be fast enough over the distance to defeat some of those below her in the handicap. Like Inez she is very well at present, and she is almost sure to accept for Plumpton unless she does something very good in private during the present week. In that case she might be kept back for the C.J.C. Autumn meeting. I know her trainer has a very high opinion of her quality, and there is no getting away from the way she gallops on the tracks. Perhaps there is nothing much faster than Missile at Riccarton over half a mile, and she can certainly cut out a capital five furlongs. May and Euphrosyne, too, are fast, and Corn Rose must have a show over five furlongs with no more than 6.7 to put up, and perhaps one of the two-year-olds entered may astonish the connections of some "good thing."

For the Welter and Sockburn Handicaps some good cattle have been weighted, and the sport will be of a considerably higher' class than that usually witnessed at minor meetings in the immediate neighbourhood of Christchurch.

The Time Trot (jn harness) at Plumpton Park will bring out some good trotters, and there is an animal in the immediate vicinity that will require a power of beating. I had a yarn with Wright, the trainer of trotters, "on Sunday, and he has now got five trotters in training down New Brighton way. Some of them are good performers too, Sunlight and Fragment to wit?

Good nominations have been received for the Lancaster Park Trotting meeting, notwithstanding the' opposition of the Owners' and Trainers' Association, and it would appear that body is not advancing fast in an acquirement of power.

I hear that Mr Mace has some 150 trotters, including young ones, at present. The acceptances for Springston races have not been published yet, but a good many people from Riccarton will journey up, and from what I can hear the fixture bids fair to be successful.

A good many people say that Lumper is very like Kulnine when he was the same age, but I do not believe it. Lumper is a good horse, but he is more slovenly in his action than Kulpiue.

, Derrett's hew stables will be finished in the course of a day or two, and Hai*ry Fuller's horses will then be transferred to these from the Racecourse Hotel boxes.

The advertised sale of some of Mr Stead's horses has engendered an impression that that sportsman intends to materially reduce his stud. 1 hope the impression is a false one, and that the sale is merely a weeding out one ; but even with a curtailment of the Yaldhurst stud I should begin to think that Canterbury was improving more rapidly as a racing province with Middlepark bought by another company, with Mr Stead its managing director.