CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 56

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Fritz.

The trainers at Riccarlon are on good ieini* -with themselves at present. Tho fine weather >xperiencsd during the past week ha« given thorn an abundance of good working ground for theii horses, and they have been able to push their charges along in earnest. The conditoni eecm settled now, and the track doings during the next few weeks are likely to grow more interesting. During September the gates et the Riccarton course wore opened each morning at 6 o'clock, but only a few of the trainers availed themselves of the opportunity to work before br<jakaat. Since the beginning of thas month the starting hour has been 5 o'clock, and it will not be long before the track presence a busy appearance in the early morning, as already the majority of the trainers can be found on the scene soon after the gates are opened. South Island owner 6 have not patronised the Wellington Racing- Club's spring meeting very freely, the onjy horses from this quarter claiming engagements being Nautiform, Chameleon, Flitaway, Taskmaster, Merchantman, and the two-year-old Saxifrage (Quarryinan— Goldleaf). Tho Geraldine Racing Club's meeting was hcJd on Thursday and Friday in excellent weather. The club arranged for a special train from Christchurch each lav, but ii was not very liberally patronised. Local enthusiasts mustered in good, force, however and the attendance was above the avei-age for the Orari course. Financially, the meeting would work out well, I think. The total'isator investments, amounting to £4394, showed c falling off of £675 compared with last year, but ncarJy £220 was received in bookmakers' fees. From a racing point of view, the meeting was very disappointing. The fields were 6mall, the quality only moderate, and the sport not exciting. There wiae, too, a general air of the picnic gathering which, though excellent from the social standpoint, is far from satisfactory where 'the racing is the first consideration. There were one or two performances that left room for fault-finding, and one race in particular gave rise to more comment than I have heard for a long time. This was the B*?lfield Welter Handicap, on the first day. The beting market, to say the lea=t, was peculiar, and 60 was the race itself. Ib is a pity that, the stewards, for their own saigas. <iid not institute a few inquiries. Chief interest in the racing centred round the doings of the five New Zealand Cup ran-lkUrr* Fi^lrl Gun, Heonth-en, Cymbiform. and Boutade weio «e*»n out on th-e first <l.ij . am' Outlandor, C\ mbiform, and Bouiud-e on the second da}. Field Gun

always had a good position in the Geraldine Cup, and when he took charge at the home turn the race looked all over, but Boutade finished up with a great rattle, and only failed by half a Jength. Field Gun improved a lot on his display at Ashburton, but I am not convinced that his win was all dua to improvement. It may be found, later on, that Rose Noble, Prim, and Tikitere will always beat him. Boutade's fast run in the straight suggested 1 that she might have done better if she had been kept nearer the leaders in the early part, but in the Spring Handicap, on the second day, when ridden in front, she collapsed very quickly in the straight. I am not satisfied to accept this as her true form, but perhaps she is not ready for two races yet. At the same time I do not think she is a good one. Cymbiform cut up badly each day, and 1 his performances proved very disappointinjr to his coninection9. On last week's showing he must be written out, so far as the best races are concerned. Heorthen also shaped very moderately. She is not quite ready yet, 'buit ,she had come on a lot during the fortnight preceding the Geraldine meeting, and her effort was a long way short of a decent Cup trial. Outlander won the Spring Handicap on the 'second day very decisively, and it is hard tc see how Boutade or Cymbiform could have any chance with him during the nexifc faw weeks on anything like even terms. The sprinters seen at the G^ialdine meeting were not a high-class lot. Lady Orizo:n raced fairly each day, but did not run on. Silkweb showed the most attractive form, and was unlucky that he did not win the last event on the second day. Claymore showed plenty of diash in two of his races, but was disa-ppointimg in his first outing. Passion won. the Belfield Welter Handicap easily, after appearing to have no chance at the home turn. Luperln, who won on the second day, is a useful sont, but no more. Zetland was not seen to advantage on the first day, but shaped better, behind Luperin, in the Stewards' Stakes. Taken all round, however, the form was far from consistent, arid may be better forgotten. The competitors in the two hack races were numerous enough, but were of moderate quality. Brasenose and Mangrove are a useful pair, and Lady Eta is another that may be hoard of later on, but none of the others showed any form of special notp. Cardiff stood out as the best of^ the hurdlers, with Antony second best. Spraybird also attracted some attention by his consistent form. Oourat Martial, a goodslooking five-year-old by Calibre— Justice, failedl to Show up as might have been expected. Tiie trottimg events brought out good fields, and ©erved to introduce a '«w horses t that ar« likely to be heatrd of again, Van- ! loee- Lass, -who wen the Orari Handicap, i put up a good {wrfoririancs, but is not I likely to get beyond tho use-foil class. In ' the "Gexaldine Handicap, however, Eramelins tfiiowed a great turn of pace, and won j -with ridiculous ease. She is a three-year-old by Rothschild— lmperialism, and ! she therelore followed in the footsteps cf '■ her dam, who won tho same event as a thnee-year-okl six years ago. That Emme- ! line will take high honours I have no ' doubt. Harold Rothschild, who won. tho i Domain Handicap, is another descendant I of Rothschild that will yet win m better f company. He is a trifle tinceortam at tho post, but is a rare mover, with a great turn cf speed. Lucky Mount had the Electno Handicap -non at the end of half a mile, and it was a pity ther<=- was nothing in the rac& to push her, as she would have stepped a merry mile lhad' it been necessary. , , The following foalings are .^ported :— Messrs W. G. and G. L. Stead's Curette, by Hotchkiss— Edith Cureton, a fiHy to Bomiform; Meesrs Pyne and Boyle's Starshot, by Chainshot— Veno, a filly to Clanranald; and Mr C. G. Dalgety's Stepdance:-, by Stepniak— Pibroch, a nily to Martian. These three mares will bo mated with Martial? this season. j The Ohoka and Eyre-ton Jockey Clubs meeting will be held on Thursday. Quality ie not strongly represented, but the fa«'«s in all the races are good, and there should be some decent sport . 1 understand tihe third money in. the Ashburton County Handicap has been pan over to the owner of Tikitere. The objeot of this, of com-ee, is to evade the penalty which Rose Noble would incur in the New Zealand Cup if he had received the money through Tikitere not weighing in. How the club could settle the question in this otthand manner I cannot quite follow. A large number of Riccarlon tiorees are under orders for the touth, to take part in the Dunedin Jockey Club's fixture, and there will be a big exodus during the present week. Le Beau, who has been in Riocarton since th« Grand National meeting, left for Hastings during the- week to fulfil his engagements in. the Hurdle Races. Nautiform has gone north to take part in the Hawkes' Baj Guineas. H© iva' in fine buckle when ha left, but he is not a generous horee and ie t difficult animal to handle. Twenty-two Riccarton horses are booked to leave for Wingatui thw week to assist at the Dunedin Jockey's Club's meeting. Husbandman and Taskmaster, the two Chokebore- -andidates in the- N.Z. Cup, continue to %o on satisfactorily, and both horsee are looking well. Prim, Rose Noble, and Tikitere are galloping faeely since the Ashburton meeting, and their Cup preparations are such as to cause their admirers no uneasiness. Cronstadt, the three-year-old brother to All Red, bears a much-improved appearance, and he should be seen to advantage ', before long. ■ Sea King, who has been resting since the j Ashburton meeting, has resumed -work. J Pleasure Seeker (by Chainshot — Psyche) I has foaled a filly to Terrapin, and IJeonoro ! (by Seaton Delava! — Leocant), a filly to j Boniform. i Mr J. B. Reid's Shawnce (b) St. Am- { brose — Savanna) has been thrown out of | work and mated with Boniform. Dudu i (by Somnus— Fame) has been mated with I Glenculloch.