THE SOUTH CANTERBURY HANDICAPS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 46

THE SOUTH CANTERBURY HANDICAPS.

The -weights for tho South Canterbury /ockoy Club's spring meeting made their Jippeararico promptly on time, Jind the weight-adjuster wa-3 greatly assisted in his task by the form displayed at Ricoarton last week, as a large percentage of the horses engaged at Timara met each other during the National week. Of the horses engaged in the Hurdle Race Redoubt may be placed on one side., as he has become partially paralysed. Long Tom holds tho pride pf place in the handicap with 11.9, and if ho can reproduce tho form that made him jfcretcb. Smithy in the Final Hurdles at

Ricearton, ■when giving the Treaeon gelding a stone c.ad a-helf, he will take a great deal of beating in the race under notice. A long-bodied hoise like Long Tom is, however, seldom found to be a weightcarrier, *ad he may race differently from what he did when he had over a 6tone lees in the saddle. Roller ran last in the National Hurdles, s>nd is now roec-iirg Long Tom on two pounds worse terms, end I think the brace should be beaten in the race by Surrey, who has 10.0. Surrey ran a fairly good horee in th& Maiden Hurdles to Scottish Minstrel when in receipt of nine pounds from his victor. After the race Surrey wa« lathering freely, and the gallop wp-s one which would be calculated to improve liim. In the Grand National he finished fifth to ' Scottish Minstrel's fourth when in rcoeipt of a stone from the Clanranald gelding. In the Final Hurdles he we 9 receiving 131b from Long Tom, and finished on his quarters. Now Long Tom has to give Surrey 231b over a slightly longer journey, and as Surrey is probably the more likely of the two to show improvement (provided he remains sound), I take him to be the master of Long Tom at Timaru. Roller was expected to win the Lincoln Steeplechase, and although he was travelling great guns when he came down, it is not right to m&k^ excuses for beaten horses, but h« would have a chance en liis best form. Zither's weight should be a luxury to him after the back-breaking burdens he was carrying to victory in hunters' events at Riccarton. He has plenty of pare, ami ie lik-ely to b© more at home over hurdles than when attempting big- coar.try. Skipper had 9.2 in tlie Srdenham Hurdles, and ran a good second to Mars (11.3), and he ha-i now a stone and ten pounds more on his back. Slow Tom had 12.0 in the Second Hunters* Hurdles at Ricearton, and rau the mile, and three-quarters in practically the «ame time as that put up by Scottish Minstrel in the Maiden Hurdles. Ho should be able to account for aJI those who figure below in the handicap. At present I like Surrey and Slow Tom. In the President'a the best appears to me to be Nereksue, with 8.10, and the top-weight, Scylla. Terrapin displayed bad fenn in his only stßrt at Rieoarton last week, and would have to improve a great deal to have a chance in the Timaru Handicap. Of thcee encaged in the race, and seen out at Rcccarton, I am inclined to fancy the chance of Someried, who rail well and was travelling oil at the finish of his kwh»<. Muscovite should be greatly improved by hie recent racing, and on the form displayed by him prior to his breakdown he wouW be entitled to a great chance, but he may not be ready to get ov-er a male and a-quarter. Cameo waa going a trifle short at Christcharch, and looked overdone. Count of ELolmar ran a surprisingly good third in the Sumner Handicap, over a mile and a-q farter, and to name two at the present stage to supply j the winne-r I would take Sommerled and Count of Kolmar. If Hurricane fences oil right I would stand him as coon as any- { thing engaged in the Hunters' Steeplechase. In the Flying Handicap Goldspur j should prove a diffu-utt horse to beat if he j trains on up to the day, and he and Wpl- j beck read the best in the handicap. Of j those engaged in the Washdyke Trot Bill j reads as well as anything in the race. j