CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2006, 4 August 1892, Page 27

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By RATA.

The near approach of the Grand National, together with an already lengthy arrival list, has sufficed to considerably intensify public interest in the big cross country event. In regard to every big race run at Iticcarton since I have been here I have heard people remark that there is not the same interest taken in the race this season as was last year and foregoing years beyond last year. This season's Grand National has been remarked upon similarly, but I have seen few Grand Nationals— no Grand National here in fact — that has elicited more public interest than that forthcoming. Every here and there on the road lam stopped with the query : " What's going to win the National." I know perhaps as much, about the actual result as a man putting the names of all the accejjtor.s in a hat, and throwing for the winner— horse racing, and especially steeplechasing is subservient to lottery — and. I certainly know no more than I write. Men who have opportunities of seeing horses engaged in big races exercised every day are always supposed to know something about them, and they do too, but when trainers and owners, who see horses in stable and at exercise every day make the most palpable mistakes, how is a man who merely goes by ocular demonstration going to prove a superior prophet' How many stable "morals" are bowled over ?— and even in New Zealand we every now and again pee a winner turn up who does not carry a shilling of stable money. Artful turfites, of course, are troubled with few of the latter sort ; but I have known cases of horses having to win because losing would mean disqualification. Respecting the " spotting " of winners, too, I have heard the most experienced of trainers say : "We never get the big dividends ; those who get the big dividends are people who know nothing about the horses they are backing beyond book form and reading." That is quite true. When a

trainer or owner has a real " certainty," there are i-thers beside that trainer and'owuer in'the swim, »nd consequently there is rarely a big dividend. At New Brighton, for instance, I recollect Potatau paying over L4O in a harness trot, and I afterwards met a man who had one of the three tickets on him, while his owner, Mr Mace, did not have a full ticket on the machine. Yet as Mr Mace remarked in talkingou the subject the other day when I saw himin town :— " My three-quarters of a ticket paid me betterthana 'liver' would had hestarted first favourite." But at the same time, had Mr Mace thought Potatau had a really winning show he would have had a few pounds on him, and his friends' cash would have swelled the totalisator revenue and shortened the dividend to perhaps L 2 or L 3 Potatau was merely an instance of this kind: "Well, if he be worth paying nomination and acceptance fees for, he is worth a little bit on the totalisator," and I suppose if nobody had gone in with Mr Mace for a sporting bet on Potatau he would have had a ticket on himself. Potatau's race was a trotting race, however, but I do not think that trotters are very much more difficult to "spot" than hurdle racers and steeplechasers, and espe3ially steeeplechasers. The Riccarton country is stilf by comparison, but not a particularly stiff country; yet you must know the junipiug capacity of a chaser pretty accurately before you can place great reliance upon him. Riccarton is stiff enough to bring down any horse not an accomplished chaser, and tricky enough to dispose of any accomplished chaser not used to similar obstacles.

Regarding the Grand National, my own impression is that it is a fairly open race on paper; there are several good horses in it, and the handicap is a good one. Yet beyond that there are horses iv the acceptance having that can have no show whatever. Since his arrival here Mr Gollan has been riding exercise of a morning, and I hear he will ride Captain Webb in the Bracelet; Mr Gollan is a good horseman and Captain Webb is a. good horse, and I do not see anything to prohibit that combination from landing the ladies' trophy. But for the work local horses had done previous to the commencement of the winter, few of the jumpers would be iv condition now. A majority of them, however, were raced throughout the summer and autumn, and beyond a hunter or two that has lately arrived they will be all fit enough for National and Hunt Club engagements. Ihe tracks have had to be closed frequently of late, but tho caretaker tells me that he will allow them to gallop as much, as they like on the inner plough, now supposed to be in grass, right up to National day. As a matter of fact that track requires ploughing up, and it is just as well to allow the horses to cut up the surface before the plough be introduced. ... , Qui Vive in Mr Gollan s team is a big, gooa- • looking horse that can pull a bit. He travels fast, however, and like all his stable companions he is in capital fettle. R. Ford has a grey horse called Nelson in work. I do not know where he comes from, but he is not a bad hunter, and he can jump well. He has got a considerable amount of foot too. Doubtless the Tally-Ho Plate will be his journey. Warrigal and Mr Knott are not greatly admired at Riccarton, but my opiuion is that both are fairly useful in their class. Of course if they jump at too high game they must meet with defeat. Catamount looks in nice nick at present, and he seems to be perfectly quiet too. 1 believe he has been made quiet through drafting horses on a station, and lie is not the first horse I have known in Canterbury who has been benefited by the same kind of work. Mr Murray-Aynsley is a great believer in putting a certain class of racers to the drafting game, and he has proved its cilicacy beyond doubt. Mrs Mullaney looks in rare trim, and I should think she is almost certain to win something before she leaves Riccarton. I have seen her raced, but I have never seen her look as well as she is doing now. Ido not like Flintstone. He is a very commonlooking horse. It is said he is a good juniper. 1 have not seen him jumped yet, but I fancy ho lacks pace in comi>arison with others in the National acceptance. Caloola is one of the most recent North Island arrivals, but Ido not like him. He is tucked up somewhat, and he is not a muscular to .follow. It appears that some of Mr O'Brien's horses are being worked in view of spring racing in Australia, and apparently Captive and Launceston are very doubtful performers at the C. J.C. Metropolitan meeting. Worth seemed to be poor when he arrived at Chokebore Lodge, but he is picking up a bit now, and if he be as good a jumper as they say he is he may have an outside show for the National. He can gallop, and in a twice round the inner grass he can waltz over Welcome Nat, and Welcome Nat is not a bad sort of prad. There is no doubt thatHiggott has made a great improvement in Tournament. Since he went into his new quarters he has become quiet, and he has laid on a lot of condition.

Though Torch did not accept for the National Tommy Stewart has a big opinion of him. At E resent he is evidently not up to National form, owever.

As a plater a good deal seems to be thought of Reinga by those who know him, and apparently he has done some fast gallops, but_ he is a " roarer," and though he may win a sprint race or two he will only do so in inferior company. I saw a chestnut horse by Burlington, from a half-bred mare, on the course this morning, and Jim Webb tells me is going to take him in hand presently and put him through the rudiments of a jumping education. Were I Jim I should leave the schooling of jumpers alone, but Jim is a game young fellow who likes something more exciting than the galloping of flat racers, and he knows the mentorship part of the business right enough. At the time of writing the extent cf the accident Sam Kingan met with is not known ; at any rate I have not heard his real condition, but I know he looked bad enough when carried in on a stretcher, though I believe he could speak on being taken Lome.

A good stamp of a horse is Commotion. Ho is well made, and he is equally well trained, and it appears to me he is not likely to leave Riccarton without winning something. Another good horse here now is Couranto. We have seen all about his pace on this course before, and provided he can stay and jump well he will trouble some of the best chasers about. Up till to-day (Monday) he has not been jumped at Riecarton, however. I saw a hunter called Nellie Moore on the course the other morning. She was not worked, though, and I do not think she will put in an aiipearai.ee for the Hunt Club meeting. Yet I believe she is a most excellent jumper, though she may lack pace. Marangai in Mr Gollan's team is a good soit who ought to run well down here, should he fail to actually win anything. Abig upstanding horse is Booties, and he can evidently go a bit whatever his jumping capacity may be. He does not impress me as a National horse, but he is not a bad one all the same. Tommy Sheenan is one of the most artistic trainers I have -known, and keep an eye on him for the forthcoming National and Hunt Club meetings. •