CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 31

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Rata.

I undeiMtand that the Plumpton Club Committee would have liked to have hi-ld thtir meetiDg ju?t before the metropolitan meeting at Ricc<u-ton, when a lot of straugo horses could have a chance of competition, but it appears that, the C. J.C did not care for such an arrangement, and the -Plumpton meeting had to be fixed for October 5. The Plumpton Park executive nrc alive to the fact that tha stakes rffered for tfeir forthcoming meeting are too small, but if the club meets with a fair amount of Success in October more substantial prizes will be offered on a future occasion. Trotting atallinne are not going to pay as well this season in this vicinity &s they have done for a year or two back. There are too many of them, and good blood is plentiful enough. The covering fee.s a»e going down. You can get a mare covered now by a first-class trotting stallion very cheaply indeed. Marino will be trained specially in view of tho New Z-aland Cup, and there is no doubt whatever that he is a really good horse, but Riccartouians do not seem to fancy his Cwp chance greatly. Specification covered 50 mares in the B-mgor district last season, and on that account it seems singular that he should stand at Middle Park this year. He is not likely to get 50 mareo th^re. Neroli is goiDg very weli indeed just now, and she may be worth keeping an eyo on about metropolitan time. She did not run up to expectations last year, but during the present season she may show some brilliant form. Just at present she can travel very fast on the tracks, whatever she may do in public when she is asked to race. Boulanger is not likely to have a big season, but it appears that his owner, Mr Busch, has four or five good mares, and he may have a fair chance of showing what he is likely to prove as a sire even should bis list not be a lengthy one. A good many people seem to think he is very likely to get good stock. Skirmisher has lightened a lot of late, and at present he looks hard and well, and bar accident he will strip as tit as a fiddle in November. He is generally thought to be tha best Cup candidate at Riccarton. During the winter I believe a bet of 1000 to 40 was taken about Loveshot for the New Zealand Gup, but his trainer always doubted his staying capacity, aud his Tiruaru running certainly iudic\tes n^n-staying. On S.Uur<?ay Dave Mitchell said it was intended to enter both Loveahot and Suuspot at PlumptoD, and I am afraid the Chainshot colt will have to fly at lower game than New Zealand Cups. Though Sun&pot has not yet performed very prominently, he is a nice looking littla horae in good nick, and f.s his fire's stock in Australia are apparently above mediocrity generally, Sunspot may effect a surprise one of these days. A trainer at Riccarton who was located in Australia for a number of years says he never knew Sunrise to get a bad one, ana though that may be an ex-

trerao opinion, there is no doubt that some of Sunrise's stock have been running very well in Australia. Tho two-year-old Shooting Star in Tommy Stewart's stable is one of the bent topped of Artillery's stock we have had at Riccurtoa, and though he has not been very long in tiainiijg he can evidently gallop fast. Some of Artillery's get we h.id learning tha rudiments of galloping at Riccirton lust dpriug could gallop fast aflsr being but a short time in work, but they got wor^e as the .seaeon advan e<l, and it is to be hoped tint Shooting Star does not follow suit. The Apremont- Lady Dngworth filly is growing into a n ally giod looking lwo-y. ar-olii, auil when Free Holruc-t gets hor Ihicii down a. bit she will utnl mbt-dly gallop fast, if look:, go foi anything. Free thinks of cnllag her ArtreM. Though Sol.mo i.i a te.u.iway customer he ran get o\er sprint di*tir ces at a. fist rate, and under medium imposts he may win a race or two during the sp.ing. He is hardly a " boy's hor.se," however. Roden is pushing Banner along, and I brlii-ve he has been backed by his connections for the New Zeal md Cup I thi k, however, he looks more like a Stewards' St.ikfs than a New Zealand Cup winner. There is no doubt ho is a fast horte, and he is ono that I think would be difficult to be^t oviM" a mile. Nicholas was very light when he came to Riccarton, but he is now layiug on ftVsh rapidly. He is a good "doer," and under a judicious system of plenty of "tucker" and steady rxernso, he will build up into a hard, musculai -looking colt by the time Dan Roberts begins to stretch him out in earnerit on the exerciso tracks. Nichol*s may be a useful colt. Kow.ii U huving a lot of work slipped into him, and he is not a bud one »t all. He i* very well now, and he can cut out a good six fuilonjjs. Bobby Kay has now got the trotter Rita in training. She looks very light at piesent, but she cau trot well nevertheless. She is a terribly hard puller, aud a bit more than a handful for Bobby. Harry Piper vole hor on Wed esd.w morning, and to could hold her at stwly work right enough, but it floiinn evident she has not been p. operly trained fur svldle trotting : if she has been ridden lunch she has apparently been ridden at top most of her time. Shecoan commenced to ride exercise on Friday again, and should hi< h*nd get all riicut I shall not be n»upri«€d to see him race riding again. When he met with the Wellington accident he made up his mind to relinquish tho a'.dillo, but perhnpt ho may alter bin determination. At prcsunt he can only ridf with the rtina twisted round bin hand ; ho can't close up his ftnff-iv yet. Tommy Stewart has got the bumiaicrs oif his face, but lib jaw is not well yet. He amnot chfW anything, and he cannot ride work, though he rid. h to and from the course. Au Ravoir is going very stilty, and I am afraid he is nearly "coopered" for first-fhws racing. He may get. all right again, but he does not look it at presont. Should he go on aa he is doing now, however, there i.s no reason why he should not win v welter or two, or perhaps other bhort race= iv medium company. Sheemiu is still persevering with Ben Trovato, but I do not know what he intends him for. A drain is now being made across the course from the training tracks, above the stands, and it is to Ixs hoped that it will be of morn practical value duiing a very wet wnter thun toine<.f its predece j sors havo pi o veil to he. Crucbfield is goiug on capitally ho f ir, Fnd ho appears to i»Uin much of the brilliant ('a h that charanU-rbed him in his palmy days. He la now employed leading the Ohokeborti youngsters, and could any of the^e now gallop as fast as he can, Cutta's stable would produce something phenomenal ill the juvenile Hue. Cruchfield is a horae that does not require very much strong woik, and the chances are that he will atand loDg enough to win a lace or two. "He ought to have been in the New Zealand Cup," Fays Cutts. Perhaps he may be too old to make a proficient over timber, but should he stand ail right that will probably be his avocation some time in the future. Old horses, however, are sometimes very difficult to Echool and convert into safe conveyances over obstacles unless they be natural jumper.*. Sh*-enan says he is going to race horses mainly of his own breeding in tho futuie. he is Rending thiee mares to Burlington this season, or rather Burlington is going to Uoruby to cover three of Shee tin's mares. Shnrpsihot has thickened a lot during the winter, and he seems able to gallop fast, too. He was a fast two-year-old hist spring before he went sore, and he looks like bum;? in possession of all his fastness now. His temper .socms tho worst part of him. To see Cla fence one would think he was a very quiet hfirtse, but I believe when he taken a dislike to anyone he is a dangerous customer that will both bite and kick, and w*tck his opportunities for doing so, too. Bisley looks very big at, prcsant, but he hhowa signs of developing into a good borse. Mr Sherwiu thinks he would be all the better for beiug kept for another year. The Australian colt in Shearsby's stable iscoming on nicely. R'cciuton will be represented at Geraldinn, but the meeting is unlikely to attract many people from these parts. Roy.il Rose's running in Australia has brought him iv favour here for tho New Zetland Cup. Some of the best judges i,t Riccarton who know Koyal Ko6c well think be will win riftbfc enough. It has b«en reported that ho is almost certain to be a competitor at Riccarton. Miuketry was well supported here for the racn he won on Saturday, and from the price ha btarted at and ijifortua' ion disseminated in this neighbourhood, I fchould imagine the stable had a good win. I have seen ihe nominations for Pluinptou. The Spring Handicap hns only received six entries, and amongst these is Lady Zetland. Perhaps an idea that such as she would be entered accounts for the small entry. The Hurdle Race and Flying Handicap have filled fairly well, and with gocd handicapping some very fair racing is likely to be seen on October 5.