CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2118, 27 September 1894, Page 30

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Bt Rata.

September. 24. | N»w the racicg season has fairly commenced, and the weather has taken a change in the right direction, Riccarton is beginning to take on some of its wonted spriug time businesslike appearance. Three trainers commenced work before breakfast this morning, and the tracks now being in splendid order some capital work is being regularly done. The two-year olds in particular are beiDg pushed along, and altogether they look a most useful lot. A majority of mentors say they have no idea what their young charges may prove when actually tried, but there is no getting away from the fact that there are several youngsters here who can spurt up the straight very rapidly. In the early spring lack of good grass galloping has invariably been prejudicial to young horaes at Riccarton during late years, but independent of the very (ever* winter we have had I hear very little grumbling in that connection this season, and if the local two-year-oldß, including the Yaldhurst team, get badly beaten in the chief spring juvenile events, the season will be productive of some exceptionally high-class two-year-old brilliancy. Several trainers are complai< ing of shin soreness in some of their two-vear-oldc, but that cannot, in any way he attributed to the tracks, I thiuk, and as a matter of fact one always j hears a good deal about shin soreness at this • season. The Riccarton contingent of horses to Ashburton last week might have done a bit better, but at the same time I have heard no grumbling against bad luck, and presumably the professional element returned quite satisfied from a monetary point, of view. It is generally conceded that the racing was really goad, and the management at Aihburton is sever adversely criticised, though racing men generally seem to have no very exalted opinion of the Ashburton Licensing Committee's judgment. Sheenan did not take Ean-go-Braffh to Ashburton, though the old grey was going in ftae form just before the meeting. Invader, who won the Hurdle Race on Thursday, was a strong " tip " amongst racing people in this neighbourhood on the morning of the race, though both Gillie and Empire were backed for more money on the machine. In regard to Empire lam afraid he is not up to very much ; I never did think much of him. Perhap3 he may return to better form than he can show at present. When he won here at National time he was very fit, and he may have got a bit stale, though he looks well •aough. I am afraid old Liberator's defeat in the Ashburton l. 'up must bave toeant a slight loss to followers cf Butler's stable. Liberator had been well tried, and only on the morning of the race Butler told me that he would run well, and I do not thiuk much tear was entertained in respect of Aqualate. Itisßaid that Prime Warden stripped very fit at Ashburton, and that says little in favour of his New Zealand Gap chance. At a concession of 2lb Au R-voir ran him clean out, and finished close up in the Aahburton Racing Club Haudicap, and Au Revoir can be made a stone better than when he ran at Ashburton. A good many people seem to think that Prime Warden will 6tay two miles, while Au Revoir may not. My opinion is, however, that Au Revoir will stay two miles when fairly strung up. I like the way Butler is training him for his New Zealand Cup engagement, and in my judgment he will run a rattling good race. King Wai just succeeded in defeating Barmby for the Spring Handicap, but he proved himself to be a very fair horde, and through his running at Ashburton I pick Golden Fleece as a most dangerous candidate for the Hawke's Bay Guineas. She was tried over a mile with King Wai on Friday afternoon, and for once in a way I happened to Bpot a Chokebore Lodge trial. I should say Goh'en Fleece was giving King Wai 2st, and she pulled over him all the way over the mile they traversed, and eventually won by about five lengths. George Matthews rode GoWen Fleece, and George Smith was up on King Wai. Cutts does not seem to think much of Golden Fleece's chance at Hawke's Bay, but should the voyage not upset the little chestnut she will run well, though she does not look particularly bright in her coat. She leaves for Hawke'a Bay to morrow (Tuesday). War D«mcs won the Longbeach High-weight Handicap somewhat easily at Ashburton, and he jis not a bad cut of a horse at all I have often I wondered why he has not been perfected in his 1 education over hurdle 3, but it appears he has 1 sometimes & habit of coming down on his head when spun out either on the flat or over hurdles. I hear that was the reason of his di.-posal from. ; Yaldhurst. Hiirfcawny did no good at Ashburton, and his trainer, Bill Mitchell, was taken very bad after the race?, and was unable to get home for a day and a-half. He looks very unwell now even, and were I he 1 should not sweat any for a time. Sweating is a bad thing for the lungs. New Headford was fancied for the Hunters' Hurdle Race on the second day, but he is a horse which reqniresa good deal of jumping practice yet. His owner told me he was an excellent jumper just after he had leased his horse to Charlie Bourne, but hitherto New Headfor«.l has failed to show vary clever jumping at Riccarton He may improve later on, however ; he is not a bad stamp of horse in appearance. Jack, who ran second in the Di*posal Stakes at A»hburton, is now located in Free Holmes's stable at Riccarton, and Gewldine will probably be his next journey. Abel Tasman'rt victory in the Open Welter at Ashburton was evidently not unexpected from the dividend he paid, and now he haa succeeded iv getting his hend ia frout hs may win a race or two On occasions he travels fairly fast on the tracks, but horses of big class are not now as profitable property in this neighbourhood a3 they were before the curtailment of minor racing. He jumps fairly well for all the practice he hai had, aud he might prove a fair all round "coaster" for anybody wanting a horse of that kind. I am afraid Reflector, who finished second to Abel Tasraan, is not going to prove a cheap horse to Harry Franks. Had Harry bought Ultimatum he would have proved a cheaper horse than Reflector. Sometimes a difference of £25 in the price of a horse ought not to prohibit a deal. A email stake will get that back Old Justice was a runaer at Ashburton, but surely the is about done for racing purposes, though she wi n a point-to-point steeplechase recently. Her legs are bad, and ■will not ; I believe stand much stronger work than hacking about the road?. Hobbs's stable did well at the meeting, and it is generally conceded that his horses are very forward for the season. That may mean worse luck later on, however. You frequently see gO">d early spring performers running indifferently all through the summer and right up to the autumn. Barmby succeeded in winning the Flying at Ashhurtsn, aud it must be admitted that he was pieviously an unlucky horse Very few hones from here will attend Geraldine, but should Barmby put in au appearance he ovght to bo worth an investment. B» is very well. Lunn has been giving Cbainlink a lot of work of late, but there is no denying the fact that he is a very bad roarer. Bsyond that, however, he is a good-looking horse, powerful enough for anything, and but for hin roaring he might have been a good one. When in conversation with Lunn the other morning he queried, " Isn't be a beautiful stamp of Derby horse?" So he i 3 in point of looks, but in his condition it would be a poor Derby field he could beat over a mile and a-half. There is a black horse at Riccarton now called Starling— a brother, I believe, to Magpie — that looks a good tort. He is a big. strong, hardlooking customer that I should think would be fast. I saw Lunaire being hacked about the other day, but she looks altogether out of condition. Of late I understand she his been mostly grass fed, but she may yet be trained for some short race, her rider said. Rosebud has thrown a nice-lookiDg foal to Medallion, and from her two youngsters now aJ: l

Higgott's place I fancy she will get some very fair

Mechanic did not run very well at Aahburton, but he is a horse Tommy Stewart thinks will eventually prove a good steeplechaser. Though a bit carty he is otherwise good-looking. Bowahot seems to havo a temper of his own, and that may have somewhat affected his recent performances. His private form is considerably in f roDt of his public. Director is being given strong work in view of a hack iaae at Plumpton, and ne is fining down considerably, but I am afraid ho is only ad indtfferent hack. He may only have indifferent company to meet at Plumpton, however. The Plumptou entries ara considered fftirly satisfactory, but a very mixed lot of horses hava been entered, and the success of the racing will mainly rest with the handicapper. The Kindergarten Stakes will be one of tha most iuteresting races at Plumpton. The five two-year-olds entered are a fair lot, and some of them are being specially prepared for the race. The Chainßhot— Miranda colt, the St. GeorgeCharm colt, and Alceßtes are a trio of speedy youngsters, all well forward in condition. St. Louis, in Sheenan's stable, ia going very well in his work, and he ought csrfcainly to b« returned a wiDner ere long. At any rate he can gallop fast when worked with Vogeogang, and we all know Vogengang is no duffer when in tha vein.

There is a very good-looking chestnut three-year-old by KiDg Cole in the Chokebore Lodge stable that goes very well in his work He is an own brother to Wyvern, and I fancy ho will be % bettf r horse than ever Wyvern was. He is very well at present. Little Black Cloud is looking well, and she may run better during the present scaf oa than she has hitherto done. She is looking better than she usually do'os, but still Cutts says he cannot get enough of flesh on her. Should Artilleur fail to score early in the spring he will not do 'O from lack of work. He has done a lot of {tallop'uj?, bnt be ie not very highly thought of. iiis irial with Biwshot may h»ve discounted his fui ure prospects in public opinion. He was not highly thought of before his double victory last autumn at Ashburton, however, and Mr Murray-Aynsley has done so well with his horaes in the past that I would not be inclined to take many liberties with Artilleur, kaowine him to be highly thought of by his trainer. The C.J.C Committee has ordered a starting machine from New South Wales, and it will be here in time for the Metropolitan meeting. Mr Parsons lately informed me that the machine now in use at Randwick is frequently in use during exercise hours for the practice of horaes. I suppose the same method will obtain at Riccarton, and in that case the sooaer the machine arrives the better.