CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2203, 21 May 1896, Page 33

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Bx M. Quad.

May 16. ' A fine picture of the members of the committee of the Canterbury Trotting Club has been presented to that body by it& president (Mr Toj.ks), and will shortly be hung on the walls of the club's rooms. I have not previously mentioned the rumour as to Prime Warden's retirement, owing to the fact that I questioned whether it was intended to allow the horse to go to the stud. I could obtain no reliable information on the point, but I am able to 'state now that he is to be tried over fences. Mr Wynn-Wiiliams has charge of the horse, and I have no doubt that Prime Warden will be found an apt pupil, as nearly all the Anrenionts are natural jumpers. In addition to this, the horse is remarkably sound considering the amount of racing he has done, a fact highly creditable to his late trainer. Mr Murray Aynsley tells me that he leaves for Wangmui on Monday, taking Gillie with him. The hcr.-e could not be in better health or galloping or jumping with greater freedom, and even supposing tbe steeplechase is slightly too far for Calstock's sod, he may pick up something else ere he returns. Artilleur is still in hospital, although he is slowly throwing off the effects of his injury. His owner, as I believe I have previously stated, does not intend to put him into work again until the spring. Fire King is jumping the smell sticks nicely, but does not so far relish the obstacles to be met with in the hunting field. Mona has not been asked to do much of late, ' but the little mare is very well, and will shortly hava the -work slipped into her in view of winter events. v . ; Mr Mason left for the south on Saturday. Bellicent accompanied the Yaldhurst - trainer. Thu.mare will take a lot of beating. True, she has a lnmp mow weight to carry than when she won the Autumn Handicap, but she got home in that event so easily that 1 believe the increased weight will not stop her. I tip Bellicent to win, with Saracen and Black and Red in the places. Some of Mr P. Butler's late possessions were offered for sale at Ashburton by MrT. Meikle, but failed to find purchasers. Mr Stead's youngsters have been seen at Eiccarton several times during the last week, and their traiuor tells me they are all progussing nicely. Barnardo is still on the improve, and in a round over the big fences on Tuesday lasb jumped faultlessly, although once or twice it looked as though he did not quite like the biggeat of the walls. Ran£(iatea has been doing well since Free Holmes bought him at Rangiora, and will take beating in whatever lace he starts in at your meeting. Liberator is in great heart, and is worth an investment in the Hurdle Race. The Canterbury Trotting Club has gone a sttp further than other clubs re the bracketing of horses on the totalizator. At a meeting to consider the question on Friday it was decided not only to bracket horses the property of one owner, but also to include all horses in ono stable. This addition at first sight seems to be inadvisable, as it might cramp a trainer with a big string, but as even one stable seldom has more th*n two engaged in one race, pat haps the new clause ruav not act harshly. The experiment will be watched with great interest. • Frenchy i 3 vary well, and should he start in the Selling Race at your Birthday meeting I would look no further for the winner. He won easily at Rangiora, beating a much better field than he will m»et a.t the Forbury. It will be just as well for backers at tote odds to remember that horses may be bracketed en the machine, and to have an 'understanding with the pp.ncillers. Backers are still accepting lidiculou&ly thorfc odds about the chances of their selections for the next New Zealand Cup. The old story that " a million idiots are born every year, two-thirda of whom live," is as applicable now as it ever was. Kulnine most unmistakably showed his dislike to the big jumps at Riccarton last week. He got over the minor obstacles somehow, bufc repeatedly declined to negotiate the big ones. When previously tried Kulniue did ju3t ths same, although he occasionally got the other side of a rasper. Bland Holt had an experience at one of our race-

meetings which ia father too good to bo lost. Ths "genial" Bland (I fancy I have seen this before) dropped across one of hia locally-engaged supers oa the courte, who had, by the wav, previously informed the actor m .nager that if he was going to the course he might be able to teU liitu something, as he knew several good things. "Well," eaid Bland,*, "what can win?" "Ob, Graveyard's a moral," replied the super ; "don't tell anybody. Say, put a pound on for me." Graveyard finished about last in a field of eijrht, acd Bland was naturally wondering how the "moral " got into such a position. Meeting his super, ha iuquireJ what ha-l happened to Graveyard. " Stiff as a crutch, but I didn't know it in time. Wait till the next race. I know a dead snip for that." In cunveisation with Beveral members of his compuny Bland discovered that all of them hid been put on to some good thing in Graveyard's race, but in oach case a different animal had been selected. Each one, too, had put a pound on for the super. That night a well-known Christchurch man happened to ba at the back of the stage, and Bland inquired if he knew the auper. '"Know him? I should gmile!" "What sort of a man ia he? Fairly staight, eh," atlred Bland. "Straight! Oh, ye*, he's he.»utifult Why, he m>ke« his living knocking aboufc racecoui ?«s ; iills up his spurt) tiuie as a super ; but he's a ruagsmiu, that's what he is." " A what ? * said Blaud. "A. magsman ! " said his friend. ■ " What on earhh is a magsm&n?" Bland wanted to know. "Eh! what? Whit's a magsmaa? Not me." " I really don't know ; what doea ha do ? " " What does ho do ? Why, goes round to* lot of mug 3, if he can find them, and tells them every horse in the race can win, and, you know, gets all of them to put a bit on for him. See, he always makes a bit." This was too much for Bland; to bi had wai bad enough, but to ba taken down as a " mug " by one of his own aupara was more than he could suffer, and peeling off Ms coat he weat in search of the super, whoshouldbave been on the stage, but he could not be found. As the "magsman" did not again turn up dur ; ng the season it is surmited that he had been an attentive lisfeuer to the' conversation, and had made himso'f scarce. M. Hobb3 will shortly tak« up a full sister to Piime Warden. Mrs E. 0. J. Stevens will be proposed as a tncrabsr of the 0. J.O. at the meeting to be htld on May 22. Ido not think I have previously heard of a lady being proposed as a member of a jockey club. Mr Mason tells me that offers to purchase some of ISr Stead's horses did not lead to business. The animals have now "been withdrawn. Roden has charge of the Apremont horse Ta Kooti, who ha 3 returned from his ?hort ttay afc Little River. Mainstay is doing good work, and is a muchimproved horse. lie is jumping well. Salvo Shot may have a show in the Maiden at Dunedin. The annual meeting of members of the Canterbury Jockey Club will be held on Friday next. The business to be transacted is of an interesting character. Mv Crotsan has arrived here with his two Juveuile Stakes candidates, and U staying at Middle Park. He was a visit ji to the Canteibm-y Trot ing Club's I'oomj on Saturday evening, where, in company with Mr Morri-on, he waa ihown the pictures of trotting celebrities, with, which the walls of the room are hung. It is said that an offer to puichsse Bombshell was made from Australia, but Mr Stead declined to Eell. " Bisley 13 once again a visitor to the training trackc It. Bay has both Rita and Pastime in work afc Riccarton, and both are getting through their allotment* very well. Mr Ayn*ky's most recent purchase, Vonouo, waa on the course last week, but he is about aa rough, as it would be possibly to make him. - Quittiri will be taken to Dunodin early next week. Ho is in good nick. The handicaps for the various events to bo decided at the show grounds next Friday have made their appairauce, and as acceptances are not due until Monday night ,it is not uasy to select probable winneis. The Pony Handicap (ia harueas), two miles, seems to me to be a fair thing for Sandy, and perhaps Fate well and Coral may be d «ig>Tous. Lady May, Hampton, Sans Souci, and Rita are my selections in that order for the Winter Handicap (in saddle), two miles. For the Sires' Handicap Wildwood w»a scratched as soon as the handicaps appeared, at which I was not surprised, as ne was rather harshly treated. The limit of 15sec touiewhat cramped the handicapper, otherwise I tave no doubt Electioneer would hive got a longer start. The records o' those animals left in with their rospecti. c handicaps are as follows :—: — .Record. Handicap, m. a. sec. Specification 5 5 .„ — Viking 514 ... 5 Young Irvington 5 16J ... 9 Brooklyn J ... 517 ... 11 General Tracy 523 (about) 15 Electioneer 5 29 ... 15 From the above it will be eesii that Electioneer and General Tracy are not t-)0 well treated, but hoth L know have made a great improvement. Brooklyn and Young Irvington might very well have been on the name mark, whilst Viking ix not too well handicapped on record form. Without going any further into the question, I fancy Brooklyn or Young Irvington will win, with a preference for the former. The large field engaged in the Juvenile Staked, which, try the way, is to be run in hea's, makes it a paiticularly hard race to pick, and in taking King Haiold, Brooklet, an.i Imperial to win lam doing so almost in the dark. So many rumours are afloat regarding these youngsters that it is difficult to come to a conclusion. .. The Addington Plate (names*)," two miles, may bo won by Blue Gown, Little Ben, or Sacramento. I have most fancy for Brooklet (two-year-old) if started, Sacramento, and M.M. in the Dash Handicap (in harness), one mile. Arahuva, Lady May, Peggy, Pastiiaej and Stonewall Jackson are my fancies for the Electric Handicap (in saddle), one mile. f ' The following ia the draw for the Juvenile Stakes :— FIRST HEAT. Mr J. W. Johnson's b f Lady Lincoln, by Lincoln Yet — Katie Brown Mr P. Williams'a gr c Dictator, hy ImperiousNellie Mr T. Walker's b g Garry Owen, by Young Irvington — Mistake Mr B. Downey's b f Miss Emerson, by Emerson— Djomcdes mare Mr W. Jardiu's b eKing Harold, by Viking— Kea« tucky Maid (law Belle Brigs) Mr W. Orossan's b f Whroo, by Berlin—Wanderoo. SECOND HEAT. Mr T. Walker's b f Annie Rooney, by Lincola Yet Mr B. Edwards' 3 b c Imperial, by Imperious— Fairy Mr N. Leuhart's blk g Collector, by Lincoln Yet— Lock-*t Mr H Mace's b g Peak, by Berlin Abdallah— * Irvington mare. THIRD HEAT. Mr D. M'T-esn'ti eh f Tracy Belle, by General Tr'cy— Fanny Belle Mr W. Orossan's b c Bandigo (sire unknown)— B.itterfly Mr (J. M. Lester's gr g Lincoln Pride, by Lincoln Yet— Polly Mr T. Marr's b g Brooklet, by Breoklyn—Waikari Mr F. M'Cafferty's gr c General Standish, by General Tracy— All Steel.