CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 32

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By M. Qujjo.

A veiy great amount of interest is bting evinced this year in the doings of the horses eugaged at the C.J.C. Grand National Meeting. The morning ■work is watched by a larger number of sports ; indeed, I never remember seeing co many at Riccarton. Nearly all the work is accomplished after breakfast, the frost usually forbidding trainers to s,«,nd their charges along before Sor 9 o'clock. By this time the eavly tiaiu has brought the onlookew, whilst fleets c.f bicycles are to be seen on the toa-i to the coins?. Thi« year, too, there is an manually large number of horses at work, the Xcrth Inland being especially well represented. Veiv little junipro? had been innnlsjpil in until Hatm-cby morning by the foreign nontingent, and on the whole the "' leaping " exhibited was a long remove fiom Giand National form. 'lhe simplest method of giving my readers an kiea of my opinion of the chances of the horses engaged in the two big laces will be to take them beparatrlv, and t.y debCVibinc,' the woik done by each Mii^e airiv.ug at, Kiccarton, enueavour to as?ht those at a distance in arriving at a decision . aa to the merits of the anima's engaged. Opai is looking and suing remarkably v ell. bu f i em what I can bear bis minion will be in the Hu'dleHace So far no attempt has been made to iump hiui over the bigger obstacles, and, io addition he him not been backed at all for the Steeple* His gallop on Saturday morning in company wvih He&'lfoid showed that ho is in good itVuio is a powerful hoise, and evidently in fine condition He thoioughly disgraced himself on S-\tnr^ay however. By himself he was sent out. i,\ scbotAing woik ovt-r ih«. big fences, but tki b'ned to try Ido not think the horse was given ■\ fan- chance. H.e had bt-on standing and walking -b-ut fo>- fully an hour I'ofoie being mounted, and theis without, ihp s'ishtest exercise, waa tuiuci round .it the \.^\ -nd rail. Cumiug to (,'utts's fenf-e be ran iotuui. bui was afti'rwarfis o-ot over This fence h?i. btcn the cause of tuoic baulking and falls than any other in New Zealand (ioing on, llhino ptojiped at every fence. I •im told that he does the came th'rsg at home, and those who know him best affirm that he will Dot, lefusein theiace. At present, however, J will not have him. Dummy is looking in fina fettle, if somcwh'il big At ncir'y half parehe put in thrreiouw's on gptniday, taking the sod wall at the back ear'a time. It v.as a lieat to see him jump. Although he was only a ked to negotiate the wall, there is no doubt about his ability to get over all the fences He is deservedly favourite. Noi' west is rather a nice-looking animal, but I am somewhat piejudiced against any hoise which I>u'lsKudreefsashedces. He is evidently gifted with pace, too, but if hi? lumping here is to be taken ,'.s a snide I cannot ißfummeml him. Even suppr.siug be Joes not, iet\ist\ he dwells a bit at the fences

Mmcatel is a bib sore, aii'l bas so fa> done little heir to guide me as to her chance It is generally Mipposert that Dummy and lier&clf aie runniuß 5q the same interest. Violence is moving along nicely, and is bound to have a chance.

Booties appears to be about the Mine aa be anpeived on bis last attempt here. He is a reliable jumper, but deficient in pace. Claymore jumped the big training jumps splendidly on Saturday. This horse does not appeal to be fast, but Ua can, evidently ivunu well.

Huntingdon is one of the best jumpers of the lot. He is very quick at ths fences. Nor'-west brought him down at C'uttb's fence, but neither ridtu'o nor horses were injured. Plain Bill Ins uot yet arrived, and although he has been well supported for the race, there seems to be an impressiou that he will uot come. Robin has yet to arrive, but it is quest iocabie whether Diomedary will come. Great Dritain and Magpie make up the list. At pietent I can only see one horse in the race, and that horse is Dummy. On lust year's form alone he must have a chance, and his pcrfoimauces hero are far better than any other horse has Bhown. Morns ought to beat Rhino on Napiar running, ?nd if I were sure Dromedary would be a staler I would take Dummy, Movag, and Dromedaiy to fill the places, idjt judgment being greatly guided by the facb that all of them have jumped the country without putting a foot •wrong.

Now, as to the Hurdle lurses:— M'ssfire appeirs better than I have ever previously ee»n him look. Penrose seemed to hold him in a strong gallop on Saturday, but zaethink3 the former's rider flailtd too much.

I have aheady mentioned Opai. I fancy he will get a place if he does, not win outright. XJinslnp.igaas- its veiy well and jumping splendi 'ly. lie his a leg, and usually pulls up lame. If he sands till the day ho will have to be reckoned with.

Social Post is another premising candidate who has got through a lot of work this reason and thrives on it. This horst possesses an undeniable chance.

Nor'-weat feud Miucutel I have previously referred to. I prefer •the clian.-es of the former. Magazine has come on quickly, and may have a chance. I shall be better able to form au opinion a week hence.Headfoid 13 a nico horse, and h sure to hi one cf the hardest to beat. .He travels in a niofcl determined stjle and is a nice movir. Kanaka will probably run better than he did in Wellington. He shows the marks cf his contact ■with the hurdle at the uoithern meeting. I like this horse, and would say that he ought to be well Up with the leaders at the finish. Smth. Pac fie, I should fancy, would be more at home in inferior company to those he has, to meet now.

I have only mentioned those I have seen. Of the uiminder Plain Bill may not come. 'ilic we'ghts for the minor events on the fiist day appealed on Saturday. Fur the Firat Hun teis 1 Huulle Piace Waliua is top weight with 12.5. If the race is made at all st;or.g he will not see it out, and Crescent's furm at Wtllington does not suggest the likelihood of his piGvmg successful ucdtrl2.4. Of Glenore 12.2 I cannot say much, but if be can jump he should be d.mgcrous. So should Wiudermerelt.9 be, but Jack the Flat 11.9 I have no f *ncy fur. Piccolo 11.9 will beat more than beat him. Riverdale I do not know, and have no guide as to the prospect* cf Rex 11. Jib is looking \vvll, if on the big side, and can jump faiily well, if somewhat tbw at the fi-uces. Yaletta does not like jumping, aud I knew nothing of Picddily's foim. Glcnore seems to me the pick, pioviding he can iunip, acd he, ("icEcent, Jib, and Piccolo m^y light out the finish.

There is a faiily test lot in the Maiden Hurdle Handicap. Headford and Cafala&hnre aro both dangerous car.did«ites, and Pen rose, Hussar, and St. Iliko are all fast horses. South Pacific, SLiiden, St. Vincent, Cresceut, and Izal I have no fancy for, but Powder Monkey hns a chauce. Of Guide and Rata I have little knowledge.

Clovmore, St. Hiko, and Coastguard, in the Enneld Steeplechase, aie well-known crosscountiy horses, aud many of tl.e others have got round the ccuihP. Stvcral of the horses are ecg?gdin the big lace. Ohymore, if reßerved, mv t have a chance ; and on North Island foim St. Iliko is not to be despised. Coastguairi has a show.and if Kukucan ;uinp wulls as he can hu.dles he will tiouble tha b-s^. DiUidonald is ■vi certain, but Much Ad > hr.s shown fair ability. So, too, has Conscript and i'ukctoi ; ■whilst Huntingdon is well treated. This hone is engaged in the Grind National Sieeyltcha&e, but if reseived for this he would nearly win.

It is almost us less to attempt to pick the winner out of the 39 engaged in the Winter Flat Handicap. Maiuer, Staishot, Boreas, Moonraker, Titoki, Shath'braau, ('astashore, Missfire, Sealiiook, Liberator, Jlerita«, Pdnrose, f-equin, lil. oiner. Culveiin, Wngczi'ie, Kanaka, Ra'-gc-finder, We Hock, Fein le Franchis 3 , and Alceslis are those I have seen, and I baljevc Strathbaan is the fittest horse of the lot. However, I will wait for the acceptances before making my final selection. I may say that Swordfisb. appears to be well in after his Wtllin&ton display, and Whaiio on the same ground has a chance. If St. Cyr is any good he ou^ht to very nearly win the Ladies' Bracelet ou the first day. Cmcl is going very well, as also is Seabreeze and Boccaccio.

The South Canterbury Jo .-key Club's Spiing meeting will be held in September, and the stakes amount to £685. AU the events are open. I notice that trots still appear on the programme, notwithstanding repeated statementa to the eftVt that tha club int-.-nd to eliminate all trots frcm their programme. So far, no ai r.uigcmeut has been mide by the Ashbuiton and Tinwold Clubs towards .>inalginiation. Mi Gate 3, who was in twn on Friday, told me that he hoped the two bodies would soon come to an amicable understanding on the point. The ■permit to Af>hburtou for its Spring meeting has been withheld, pending somelbiug definite being done.

Jsy the way, Mr Cuites also informed me that he liad fully made up his mmd in tell off his racicg stcck. A tiyoue in teaich of a stud hor^e iiiijjht do voive than cumim<nJcate with him.

Dlooniei is none the worse for her escipade last •week, when, through lur bit breaking, she got away and galloped a few miles on her own account. The boy was unhurt.

Siarshob, JSpauler, Goldleaf, aud Sequin (Cup Candida* e&) aie in nice condition, and putting in sen iceablc daily tasks. The new semaphore, the erection of which is just completed at Riccirton, may be useful ; it is not very ornamental. Of course, I know that usefulness is the great desideratum, but it is hard to see why so much money was spent ou the uew apparatus. At present, I cannot see how the promised convenience to patrons of the club is at all equal to its co3t. A meeting of the stewards of the Noith Canterbury Steeplechase Club was held at the Crown Hotel, Aniberley, last week, Mr Or. B. Starky in the chair. A letter was lead from the Railway lvalue manager agreeiug to run an excursion traiu on August 18 fur the race meeting without a guarantee. It was resolved to sell the privileges by auctiou, and the final arrangements for the meeting were left to the secretary, Mr A. H. Lldik'on.

Tb(! application for a rehearing in the ca«e of M;irtiii Taylor was made on Wednesday in the BL'gUtiate's Couit before Mr It. Becthun?, S M. Mr I'isher appeared tor the applicant and Mr Stiinger for the Crown. Mr Fi&her, in hw addre??, contended that if his Worship had been informed of the fctate ©f Martin Taylor's health when the case wan first before him he would have taken the matter into consideration in inflicting the punishment. Learued counsel submitted that his Worship was entitled to have the evidence before him. Mr Beetham said ho was willing to take any evidence that Mr Fi&her would bring. Mr Fisher called DrOvenden, who deposed that he had attended Martin Taylor for some time. There had been no improvement iv Jus conditiou since he gave evidence at the Supreme Court on June 24. Taylor was not in a fit condition to go to gaol, and he did not think he ever would be. Dr Aithur C. de llstizi said that he hid attended Miutiu Taylor for five yeais. IHs present condition was very seiiou3. The fact of sending him to gaol in bis, present condition might be attended with eeiiou3 coi sequences. Mr Beetham asked if he undei stood this was all the evidence Mr Fither would bring forvrsid, either on a subsequent occasion or on a r hearing. Lcamc-d counsel answered iv the affirmative. Mr Beetham said that he would later give a wiitteu judgment. The handicaps for the Canterbury Trotting Club's National meeting appear to give general satisfaction. If Mr Brinkman is successful in drawing as large »n acceptance as was the case at the last meeting of the club he will have cause to congratulate himself. The Maiden candidates are mostly unknown quantities, but as the limit is hea Kai-Ivri may score. I Drsfcr N&rragansetl to

anything else in the Pony Harness Handicap, and should not be surpiised if A' lean nearly won fioni scratch. There are sewta! maiden little ones in this race, and one of them nuy be good enough to wiu. Them are several newcomers in the Pio-gve-fcivi! Handicap Tiot, but if Bslltnan and Young P,urlin/jto» are at thtir beßt one of them may win. Tracy Belle will take a lot of caching in the Addinston Handicap, and the should l.c out by herself for at ieasi two-ffirds of the journey. If Ham weie well she. would possess a chance, and both Rams and Polly Iluon will take some beating. Belbnau should win the Spring Handicap Tiot, although he is at scratch. After him I like Millionaire and Harry Snc&ker. If Utah is fit and well he will neatly vrm the Dash Handicap, Isabel and Ailean being the pair I like after him. Bellman has again been given achancs in the 111. ctiic Mile, as also has Dictator, Biadlaugh, and Jessie. „«•. The inaugural meeting of the T-smuki Trotting Club proved highly successful Silvertail won tho Maiden Handicip Trot, Itambler the Temuka Grand Handicap Tiot and the Publicans' Hau<iicipTiot, and the Colonel was successful in the Farmers' Handicap Trot, while Tralee won the Selling and iJiver the Consolation.