CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 32

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By M. Qui».

The nominations received for the New Z»&land Cup are quite as good numerically as was anticl- - pated, and I certainly think the quality of the entrants is equal to, if not better than, those entered last year. On that occasion 64 were named as against 59 this year. A glance through- the list • shows that only 16 horses of those nominated last year are engaged for the next Cup— viz., Euroclydon Fabulist, Searchlight, Culverin, Chaos, Lord Zetland, New Forest, Defiance, Epaulet, Belligerent, Marquis of Zetland, Antares, Day j Star, Lord Rosslyn, and Oma. The Hon. J. D. 1 Ormond has nauied five, amongst them being j Defiauce, who finished third last year. Dauntless , proved himself a good thive-year-old, his best [ over a distance being when he finished second to The Possible in the Metropolitan Handicap, one mile and a-half. Dauntless subsequently won tha Jockey Club Handicap, one mile, iv clinking I time, and defeating some good animals. This colt J has been generally looked upon as a non-stayer, but after seeing him run two such races as those mentioned I should not be surprised if he occupies a prominent position in the next Cup. Mars was not disgraced when running in the north, and Sir Lancelot is a really good colt, whose bieeding (Dreadnought— ldalia) certainly suggests that he may stay. Defiant has shown himibelf a fair horse, and nl together the Hawke's Bay sportsman has entered a fairly strong contingent. Mr Hobbs has named four. Of these I should take Marquis of Zetland to be the best. He won the Midsummer Handicap easily in fast time, and if he were likely to go to the post sound would beat ! more than beat them. Ohao 1 ), runner up to Euroclydon when that horse won the big event, is ' unsound, and i«, besides, being schooled over hurdles, an operation which doe 3 not usually tend to improve a horse's pace. Bluqrner ia a smart filly who may develop staying ability, but I shall be surprised it Hobbs succeeds in getting the Vanguard — Mi»s Lucy horse Addington, who Las but recently returned from the Chatham Islands, fit enough to start in a race like the New Zealand Cup. Skirmisher is once more to bo given an opportunity of showing a glimpse of the form displayed by him as a three-year-old, and as he has been running well of lata there is no reason why Lunn'a horse should not '. *nke a prominent part in thn decision of the race next November. It has always been assumed that, h^ was either a nou-stayer or a. roguy, especially over a distance, and I must say that I had , begun to think that he was somewhat of a Sun- ', day horse ; but after seeing him win so easily at I Rangiora, and bearing in mind his subsequent easy victory in the Birthday Handicap at Dunedin my views in this respect are considerably modified. Sporting writers do not, as a iule, com- . uiifc thumsel yes to a decided opinion, but I say right ■ here that if this horse trains on and ia fairly , treated by Mr Henry he will make amends for past failures over a distance of ground. I feel sure the ' horse has not been thoroughly well since his threej year-old career until lately, and a careful preparaI tion is all that is required to bring a deserved j slice of luck to the Middleton stable. Euroclydon 1 has been vrell supported all over the colony, I . understand, and if Goodman succeeds in landing this fine animal at the post as fit as he was last , year he will take no end of beating. He can stay, and Gorton's son may not have the bad luck to , meet another Lady Zetland. What weight will Euroclydon get ? Top weight, of courEe, but I ( hope he will not bo uuriea to give some of the worst of them a chance. If I might guees, I should say he will get at least the weight allotted 1 to Gipsy Grand last year— 9.7. Mr Stead has but fwn nominated this year— Epaulet and St. C'yr. The first-named is pretty well known. He ran well in last year's Gup up to a mile and a-half, and finalty'tfnished well up in front of tho beaten, division. "I tiiiped this horse to win last year, leaving Lady Zetland at the last minute in his favour. He is in work, and is shaping nicely — getting through a good working gallop every morning. He is bred on fairly cood atajing linos, , being by Medallion— Dudu, and I should say I he will shape better this year than he did last, as the j ear's age may do him a loi of good, although a' fouv-year-old is not considered to show his bet.t form at that age. St. Oyr is a big laking colt by St. Leger out of tbe Nordenfcldt mare Hazel, and if a little deficient in power behind the paddle he nfay follow in the footsteps of many other animals so shaped, and who have proved themselves remarkably good racehorses. Good quarters are usually looked upon as one of the best, if notthepremier, pointsof a horsecalled upon to gallop over two niiles ; but ono of tho best English authorities says that " whilst it is silwaj« desirable that a horse should be possessed of good quarters, I always prefer a horse with deep chest, giving plenty of heart room, slightly deficient in quarters, to the animal with powerful quarters ' and bad fore-end." St Cyr is in work and doing ! well all that he is asked. Searchlight i» a good 1 animal, and I should fancy able to stay fairly well, but his stable mate, Girofla, has not yet shown any ability to justify hiß entry. St. Conon is a good colt, I am told, and is, in addition, a fine hor3e, sompwhat overgrown, perhaps, and may not show 1 bis bssb form until he gets older. Lady Ann* and Miss Anna are two animals that have sho ( wn more than average ability, and in all likelihood will be good representatives from the north. Douglas, the " certainty " for the last Wellington Cup, ia evidently a gcod horse. Telemeter can gallop fast over a short distance, but it is questionable whether he can get two miles. He is : big and strong enough, certainly, and in a weak j field may have a chance. Lord Ros3lyn has only I to keep sound to run a good race, as I feel sure ! we have not yet seen the best of him ; but in a 1 race like the New Zealand Cup an animal requires J to be iound in wind and limb to have a hope, and j the horse's feet may occasion the trainer some trouble. Tird is one of the ragged sort, but he ' can race all right, and Mr Gollan's horse must not ;be despised. Wakelyrj, in the same stable, ; has not done much so far, but he may turn out as good at his own game as the rifle champion, after whom he was named, was at his. Day Star is undoubtedly a stayer, and last ' year's one-time favourite may have better luck this year. I look upon Day Star as one of the ■ moat dangerous animals iv the race. St. Paul, who is one of the best colts in New Zealand, ao I am , assured by those who have seen him, cannot be far I behind Day Star. Apparently the last-namod stays better than St. Paul, but they are two real j good ones, and I hope both will see the poist. St. Ouida and Fulmen ara both decent animals, and • of Oma and Picklock the latter is probably the better. Woodstock Ido not like for a race of this description ; but Haria can get to the end of a, mile and a-half with a light weight, and may shape well over the two miles. Antares ii another fair northern representative with more than average ability ; and Leda will aauredly defeat more than beat her. Culverin is a really good mare. Her enforced rest may have done her a lot of good, and I should say she is likely to stay better than two-thirds of those engaged. She is at present at her owner's place, and so far as lean gather no arrangements have at present been made for her transference to headquarters. Of Mr Douglas's three nominations I prefer The Brook. She ia a fine mare, and many good judges consider that she will be one of tho last beaten if well on the day. Waterstone seems out of his olass, and of Sarda I know next to nothing. Blarney Is not bred to stay, perhaps, but up to a mile and a-hali ho has shaped well. Waiuku is one of the beat horses now racing in the colony, and although most of the St. Legers are adjudged to be better over a short distance I believe Waiuku can gallop over any distance as well as anything engaged, barring, perhapß, Euroclydon. Of Belligerent, Mauser, and General Wolfe, I prefer the first- ' named, principally because ho is sound, and, moreover, is fast, his easy double win at Ashburton being full of merit. Cannonshot js just the kind of horse that may turn out a fair animal over a distance. He is remarkably strong, and ia also fast. I did. sot espoct to sa;

■Monte Carlo nominated, neither did I imagine ] that such an animal as Linkshot would be in the t list. I have not seen Haukins's charge of late, but I know him well, and he will surely have to make a big improvement to have a possible. Primulahas not shown herself better than, or even up to, second-class form, aad Britomart's norniuation comes as a surprise to most people. New Forest has already been backed to win, and this fast horse may be dangerous. Fabulisb is once again in the list, and I hope his connections will not this year leave the horse's best race on the tracks. He may not be able to stay, but I think be may quite as well as most of the others. Strathbraan has ahown .good form up to a mile and a-half. Can Lord Zetland follow in his sister's footsteps ? Those I have not "mentioned I know little of. Of the 59 engaged I like the following 20 : — Kuroclydon, Lsdy Anna, Tire", Dauntless, Defiance, Leda, Culverin, The Brook, Waiuku, Marquis of Zetland, Skirmisher, Belligerent, Epaulet, St. Cyr, Gannonshot, Fabulist, Blarney, Antares, Douglas, St. C'onon, and Searchlight. The ages of those engaged at time • of running are — Agsd. 6rrs. syrs. 4yrs. 3yrs. 7 8 12 18 14 There are several horses whose names I fully expected to see in the list, and many are named I did not anticipate. Nestor is a notable absentee. The names of -The Miser, Arquebus, Angler, Pompom, Sabretache, and Ohoroid are also missing. Goldspur's absence has cost early backers a good round sum, as also has the non-appearance of Mr Stead's two colts, Gold Medallist and Multiform. Of course backers have-only themselves to thank. Every year the same thitig goes on, and it is astonishing the number of people who absolutely I throw their money away, as thi^ is simply what ' it .means when backing horses before the nominations appear. i General Tracy and Sam Slick, the two trotters , mati-hed to -trot over three mile 3on the 17th inst. j on the show ground, are going on well in their urfeparatiou. Sam is bsing worked on tha if iddle Park track, which is fairly good going. Dundai is the name bestowed on the colt by Perkin Warbeck II — Reverie. He is an occupant • of the Racecourse Hotel stables. i The Canterbury Trotting Club made a profit \ of about £280 over its recent two days' meeting. I "!haos jump 3 tbe hurdles fairly well occa- ! sii nally. as also does Bogeuzang. j The Canterbury Jockey Club has not yet confi .ered the evidence sub-nitted to it by the North Canterbury Jockey Club iv connection with the j Flying Handicap run at llangiora, aud in which i B-acelet was left at the post. t is reported that the owner of Errington has di' crmined to destroy the horse. Ohoroid, by Chainshot — Retina, is growing into oue of the handsomest horses at Riccarton. Cutts has the rising three-year-old in fine nick, and I am sure Choroid will be heard of when next spring j comes round. i Cutts's youngsters are also looking and moving ' •well, and the veteran Chokebore trainer will have 1 a fairly strong team to do battle for him next sea- ! son. Unless Mai on has something pretty good for next season's two-year-old tvents, Cutts should have more than an outside chance of appropriating some of the valuable stakes. Cactus is shaping well over the small obstacles. Highlander is jumping the big post and rails in fine style. This horse will be a good representative in jumping events from the Middletou stable, i noted for the number of jumpersj umpers trained therefro -H. < is again in woik. 7\lirino is not doing much just now, the horse being indulged with a short spell. H Thomson, who took the stud horse Apremont to the north, has returned. He tells me he had not the slightest trouble. Te Kooti, the steeplechaser, is, I hear, in work in the Ashburton district. fe Baniardo is to be tried over country again. Un Tuesday morning Mason paid Riccarton a visit, his team consisting of Altan, Conqueror, Gold Medallist, Mannlicher, St. Cyr, Uniform, and .Epaulet. All of them are apparently iv nice order. 'he Phaeton— Burlesque filly has been named Clymene, aad tho colt by the same sire out of Take Mies, Eridanus. Boulanger has been returned to his owner, Mr Buscb. M Edwarde, the well known trotting trainer, will probably again take up his residence in Canterbury. As far as I can ascertain, Lettie is the only one of the Sydney trotters Ihat has changed hand?. The contractor for forming a training track at Pluupton is making fair progress with the work. A fair amount; of wagering was transacted over the events decided at Auckland on Saturday. St. Simon's win was not a g->od one for backers, although the pnuters did fairly well in other races. The case Promt v. the Hon. E. W. Parker is act. down for hearing this week. So far but little business of importance is notified for consideration at the next meeting of the racing conference. At the ordinary monthly meeting of the committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club the Hob. E. W. Parker was re-elected chairman for the entuing year. Owners' parmits were i. ranted to J. Smith and V. J. Hill, and a gentleman rider'a certificate to Mr R. M'llwraith. Sir Gsorge Clifford was appointed delegate to the conference. The Railway depaitment wrote atking for additional siding accommodation at the racecourse, aad it was agreed to carry the work out A Programme Comniittee, consisting of Sir George Clifford, Messrs AVinter, Hood- Williams, Pine, aud the chairman, was appointed. Messrs Winter, Reid. Morton. Stead, and the chiirunn were appointed a Course Committee.