CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2111, 9 August 1894, Page 30

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

My Rata

The prospects of the National meeting constitutcthc mam feature of di sc « SS ion now at Riccarton, and a real good meeting the National meeting will be too. There are nowat Riccarton a big contingent of horses, and some of these in the jumping department are, I think, as good as can be procured in the Australasian colonies At Riccarton, at the present moment, there are some of the best jumping horses I have ever seen— rattling good fencers and hurdlers, and fast horses on the flat at the same time. There is, however in my _ opinion,, a bit too much of tbe gentleman^ rider business m the Hunt Club programme I think, somehow, that a bit of the professional element, with a certain amount o? in&eESd weight, would make some of the hunters' races more genuine. A s matters exist in some of these races at present the rider and not the horse must bo backed if the punter wants to make money, and the punter is a very peculiar genus of animal nature if he be a straightgoing punter-he backs his fancy in horseflesh mostly. 1 therefore thinV in the comparative dearth of artistic genttS riders that a limited influx of pKioffiS manship would be all in the favour of backer and backers are the people who find the " sinew 4 of war." We have now at Riccarton some 3 excellent horses of the timber type, and I am very much afraid that m some of the races backers of the best horses will lose their money. mm ' K - ors 0I many people about liere th^riie^Tll'sffly walk in for the Gra,nd National Hurdle Race. Tie may do so, too, buthe will have a doughty opponent to meet in Melinite. Butler is very sanguine of success, however.

There is a lot of talk about Empire, who will arrive on Wednesday, and I hear he is wonderfully well, but I have never seen any extraordinary quality in him.

Magazine is a horse in uncommonly good nick but I fancy there is more than two 4 stone difference between he and Liberator on ordinary going over two miles.

Both Kulmne and Barnardo have been Kalloned on every possible opportunity of late, and I fancy both horses will strip fit enough for their engagenients. After the manner he has pulled up on two or three occasions lately, I fancy Kulnine is in good nick ; he is naturally a muscular horse. Ihe biggest horse I have ever seen is Roscius : he stands over 18hds, and he is in good condition, too. '

Awarua Rose is looking well, hut did I own that horse I would put him over sticks The trotting meeting at the Showgrounds on Friday is going to be a good one, and I will stick to Springfield and Sea Foam for the big race. The acceptances for the New Zealand Cup are considered very satisfactory, and some good betting is being done on that raco. I think one of my three selections will win, too— viz Au Revoir, Pompom, or Loveshot. Artillery is going to have a good season at the stud, and, like other New Zealand-bred stallions, we may miss him when we lose his company.