CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 31

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Rata.

December 5. Some of the Riccarton horses that journeyed to the Dunedin Spring meeting were delayed in returning for lack of horse boxes* This is a subject that is very often agitating the minds of trainers, and it requires a lot of agitation. On their way to Dunedin trainers had their interests attended to this time by being allowed to box their horses at Christchurch instead of Hornby, but on the return journey some were disappointed at not getting their horses despatched homewards on Saturday night. There is no doubt a, lot of unnecessary grumbling amongst professional racing people sometimes, but there is very little doubt that they have not been very well treated by the Railway Commissioners. Racing throughout the colony means a lot of railway traffic, and trainers, the producers of racing, ought to receive just as much, or more, consideration as the travelling public to and from racecourses. They evidently do not do so, however ; and the boys attending horses on their various railway journeys bave to be paid second-class fare for, though their duties necessitate their occupation of horses' quarters. That is a bit rough, especially when the general cost of the transit of horses by rail is taken into consideration. Trainers are also growling at the Dunedin . starting. During the late Mr Powell's startership nobody bad anything but praise to say of starting both at the Forbury and Riccaiton. After the last two meetings held at these metropolitan centres respectively, however, starting has been most adversely criticised by racing men, and it is very evident that the results of various races have becu affected by bad starting. For the Otago Cup Prime Warden was not backed for much money here. I know one bookmaker who laid most of the starters and never wrote Prime Warden's name. Doubtless his recent running at Riccarton stalled off backers somewhat. It appears, however, that he runs better on the Forbury than on the Riccarton track.

I have heard it remarked two or three times that Prime Warden was overtrained when at Riccartou, but that is disproved by his Dunedin running. When hordes get overtrained they are not so easily got right again. When Prime Warden raced at Riccarton he ran a perfectly trained horse, as near concert pitch as a trainer could hit it, and very evidently he did the same at Dunedin. Ido not think Murray Hobbs can be taught much about his business, and I have every reason to believe fee knew that Prime "Warden was in perfect condition when he ran at Riccarton. His defeat in the New Zealand Cup was a disappointment, too, and one of the most singular thing 3in lacing is that horses frequently win when you least expect them and run nowhere when you think they are little short of " morals."

Response appears to have shut up pretty early in the Otago Cup, and Topham says he cannot explain the difference between her track form, and her racing, unless it be that she is one of those mares that are very inconsistent in the early part o f their three- year old seasons. There are certainly mare 3of that kind, but whether Response be one or not I should certainly have a bit on her when she starts for so ore little time to come were I a backer. lam confident that mare is a goxl one, and I am equally confident she will prove it later on in the present season. She was well backed here for the Otago Cup.

No doubt Liberator ran a good horse in the Otago Cup, but Butler has not had the luck with him he anticipated. With 87up he certainly appeared to have a show of winning the Otago Cup, and had he won that event he would have been a very cheap 500gs worth, but he does not now look as good a bargain as he did when Butler bought him. He may soon get the money back, however, and with him and Au Revoir in his stable Butler has a pair of real good handicap horses. I understand that one of the pair will be sent to Auckland to compete at; the Summer meeting there. A most disappointing mare is Melinite. I hear she has done them gallops at Yaldhurst good enough for anything, and very evidently she is a " track mare," and perhaps one of the kind that will romp home some day when everybody is full up of her. Chokebore Lodge managed to net a race with Lord Aston, but the stable was not in great luck all the same. Lord Aston had beep highly tried for the Selling Race on the opening afternoon, and he started well backed by his party, and I fancy the stable would have got the lion's share of the totalisator money had he won that event. I hardly think hfa connections supported him for much in the Novel Race, however.

I did not think Melusina would do very much at Dunedin. She was a bit " cronk " a day or two before she left home, and it was only at the last minute Cutts made up his mind to take her down. lam afraid she will not do much more good on the turf. Golden Fleece was sore before she left home, and I hardly think her best form was seen at Dunedin. Good filly though Ambush is, and notwithstanding her easy victory in the Dunedin Stakes, I shall not be surprised to see Golden Fleece turn the table 3on her ere the season closes.

As usual, Sheenan did no good at Dunedin. I hardly think, however, that either Vogengang or Strath Braan were at their best when taken to Dunedin.

Charlie O'Connor only succeeded in gaining one victory with four horses, but Dumlop is not a bad youngster, and in consideration of the improvement Charlie has effected in him since he took him in hand he deserves to win a few stakes with him. It is not often you see starved ones make such rapid improvement as Dumlop has done since his arrival at Riccarton. Apparently Empire requires to get a bit of weight off ere be can earn winning brackets. I do not think he is likely to be got into very much better condition than he has been of late. I am afraid, somehow, he is an overrated horse.

Some of those who journeyed to Dunedin have formed a high opinion of Johnny Faa, and he raust be a good horse to have downed the cattle he did in the President's Handicap. Evidently Clarence was not good enough for the company he met down south, but Clarence is a long way from being done with, I imagine, though he is a bit limpy occasionally, and there may be a good few races in him yet. Aa to Rae's win with My Jack, I hear that Bobbydid notgethis "btuff" on. That wasbadluck, more especially as "father" would in all probability be standing in a bit. It has been known for some time back that My J ackis a most useful horse, and I should think lie carried some Riccarton money on Friday even should his owner have failed to back him. I fancy some of the big dividends at Dunedia were struck by Riccartonians. Those who journeyed down that I bave come across so far seem highly pleased with their trip at any rate, and with racing men generally the pleasure of a trip is mainly centred in an accumulation of coin.

Busybody was out to-day (Monday) for the first time since her arrival from Wellington, and she seems to have injured her back somehow. She looks very like it, at anyrate. She walks sore and carries her tail between her legs.

Awarua Rose appeared to be a bit lame on the off foreleg this morning, but his limbs do not now show unsoundness, and perhaps he has got rheumatism or something of that bind.

Butler will not now get another race out of Crown Jewel. She has gone "cronk," and has been sent to Middlepark to be turned outfor good. She may throw some good stock to Artillery. The Chahishot — -Nautilus colt has gone to pieces. He is bad both in his logs and wind, and L>, as a matter of fact, onu of the best two-year-olds of the season knocked out.

Lady Lear is doins; steady woik regularly, and it '3 thought she will be benefited greatly by not being hurried. She may, too; and as a three-year-old I shall not be sui prised to see her to the fore in some good races. Abel Tastnan is very likely to be fahlylitby midsummer meeting time, anil Piper thinks he will win a small race or two with him. [The above arrived late for la.st week.— ld). O Wl Dec'mber 11. The court to-day (Mor.da/) was occupied all day hearing the case of O'Brien v. Stead (otherwise the C.J.C.). The proceedings were interest-

ing. Nothing more than evidence was heard, however, the counsels' addresses to the bench being postponed until to-morrow morning. Before this reaches Dunedin the result of the case in all probability will be public property ; but at present opinions are pretty equally divided respecting the probable winner. I was a bit late in getting into town, and when I got into court Mr Dow3e was under cross-examination by Mr Fisher. Cool and wideawake as some of his countrymen frequently are' under similar circumstances, Mr Fisher could do nothing very much with him. Then followed Mr Lyons, from Wellington, and he seemed well enough acquainted with racing as ' we have it in New Zealand, but he did not appear the John Bull looking racing man Mr Dowse did, and evidently he also lacked the experience of the southern sportsman. Mr Sydney James then followed, and after informing his Honor that he was thpre in a private capacity, and not in any way officially representing the D.J.C., proceeded to give his opinion on plates, subscriptions, and sweepstakes to Mr Bell, after which Mr Stringer was unable to shake his convictions in the least. For the defence, Mr Stead and Sir George Clifford underwent long examinations by the various counsel, as did also Mr C. Hood- Williams, but a majority of the" witnesses for the C J.C. were dismissed without cross-examination. Lunn and | Mason appeared as witnesses on behalf of the club, and their views on the cjnditions of the race were entirely opposed to those of the master of Lonsdale Lodge. Some of the minor witnesses, I fancied, had but a hazy idea of some of the chief features of racing. Butler will not now go to Auckland. Ihe Pal- ] merston North meeting holds out far more inducements than the minor events in the Auckland programme. It appears, too, that Palmerston North is a wealthy place in so far as money is wanted for racing. Everybody who journeys up that way with horses speaks most praisingly of the prosperity of the district. " A good place to work a good thing with a couple or three fair nags about Christmas time, wouldn't it?" I remarked some time ago to a North Island trainer. " Why, he said, "they have hacks up there that will put down anything bar your best horses," and I discovered afterwards that third-rate cattle are of no good for winning money on the travelling principle in the North Island. Au Revoir, however, has had his weight apportioned him in the Palmerston Cup, and that weight pleases his owner, and being well up in the second rank of our locil performers he must have a big show of winning some money up north. I think he will win the Palmer3 # ton Cup. Butler is now making up for Au Revoir's slight relaxation in work by sending him along at a great rate rather frequently. And , how docs he go, too ? Why, he bounds over the ground like a cricket ball. I have never seen Au Revoir better. In a mile gallop on Saturday morning he fairly lost The Winchman, and did the journey in most excellent time. Should Butler fail in winning a cood stake with him presently he will be very unlucky. Like Au Revoir, Liberator is doiDg a lot of work, but he strikes me as beiug a horoe that has had quite enough strong work for a little time. However, Butler wants very little dictating to in the way of training. He wins many races through what people term "pure luck," but in Butler they overlook something when they give luck such a prominent place. It has been reported here that Moore might ride Loyalty in the Auckland Derby, but Mr O'Brien tells me that the report is incorrect. It is currently rumoured that the Auckland Derby is considered a "soft thing " for Skirmisher, but the owner of Loyalty says that the southerner will meet a " foeman worthy of his steel " at any rate. The antagonism of these horse 3, however, ought to produce a contest worth ■witnessing. Regarding the merits of tha pair public opinion here is pretty evenly divided. There is not much betting on the Auckland Cup, but a few doubles, Cup and Steeplechase, are being taken by the public. Rosefeldt or Skirmisher, coupled with Waterbury, seems to be the popular pick. [ Roseguard is nearly certain to perform at Tinwald if anything decently treated, and she may win there for Butler. Koseguard is a plater, with a Challenge Stakes subscription hanging over her. These subscriptions are a bit inconvenient sometimes < when horses turn out badly. Little Inez continues to improve, but she doea not seem to have improved sufficiently yet to earn something towards paying the corn bill she has been running up for some time back. I do not know whether anything is internally wrong with her, but improving though she certainly is, she does not have the "gay" appearance that characterised her when at her very best. Charlie O'Connor seems to have a very good opinion of Gaorgie Sharpe, and ehe looks well enough in health certainly. Her foreleg mars her appearance, however, and I do not believe she is within measurable distance of some of her year, though her trainer appears to dream of classic honours for her. Philson is going on the right way, and he will be a good horse. " A better horse than Loyalty," I remarked to Mr O'Brien this morning. "He will have to be a good one, then," said Mr 08. I have a suspicion, however, that Phihon's owner has a great opinion of him. Besides having raced well, and done some most excellent gallops in private, he is a handsome youngster. There is a peculiarity about Versailles. He throws out his near fore leg in a peculiar manner when walking, his knee appearing to turn inwards. He is not a bad-actioned horse when extended, though, and as he does not hit himself his peculiar method of walking may make little difference in his racing. Mr Webb is strongly of opinion that Versailles will turn out well. The best non-schooled jumper at Riccarton is Busybody. Going on to the tracks she frequently gets clear off the ground and high enough in the air to clean the racecouise rails. "She ought to make a good jumper," I remarked to Mr Cutts the other day. " I bet she will do that," said the master of Chokebore Lodged; "I never saw an Aprempnt yet that could not jump," and, indeed, speed, jumping capacity, and good legs seem to be the chief favourable characteristics of the Apremont breed. CJanranald is doing a lot of work, and he is looking very well, but after his Dunedin performances I am afraid he is hardly as fast as he was taken to be. Ha is a bis, well-made horse that has never really been overburdened. Persuasion's work is a continual canter morning after morning, and apparently Lunn does not mean to knock her out by hard work for a time. It is very evident, though, that he expects to get a race out of her during the autumn. Butler's Apremont — Take Miss filly is going to be fast. She is quieter, too. than Apremonts usually are. I shall not be surprised should she prove faster than Lady Lear in the same stable. lam afraid Butler does not care for Lady Lear as much as he did at one time. She is, however, a filly that will undoubtedly prove useful in handicaps with a bit of more age on her. Here in New Zealand a two-year-old must be a real clinker to distinguish itself greatly in its first sea- on. So far as I can discover few of those who went to Dunedin seem overpleased with theiv visit, and in all conscience the Forbury " be3ted ' Riccarton at the D.J.C. Spring meeting for ODce in a way. The best procurable horses were certainly sent to gauge Dunedin's strength, with the result that their performances tended to a reduction of their owners' banking accounts. I observe that the most expert excuse finders, too, hardly care to tackle the handicapping thi^ time. The divideudsshow the excellence of that department. I am glad to say Mv Sherwin, so well known to Canterbury and Ofcago racing men, is improving somewhat. He i 3 a long way from beiug clear of danger yet, however.