CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2929, 4 May 1910, Page 55

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Fritz.

We have been enjoying a very dry season, and the pa.st we&k has added to the record. As a result the tracks at Ricoarton are very hard, and several of the horses are beginning to show unmistakable evidence of the fact. Towards the end of last week the ploughed track was so hard and dusty that the caretaker decided to give it a liberal watering. To have to use the wateringcart at the end of April, is almost an unheard of thing in connection with the Rioca'rton tracks. On Saturday, at the Plurnpton course, the anfomn meeting of the Christ-church Racing Club will engage attention. The acceptances are mot available at time of writing, but there, is a .prospect of fair fields, even if quality may not he very strongly in evidence Thjs_club -3jveU jjiacod fox hold-

ing a good meeting, and if good stakes were offered it might attract our best horses, but as at present run it only ranks as a moderate country fixture, despite the fact that it is held within a stone's throw of Riccarton. I have always held the view that theve is far too much racing in New Zealand, and' if there was any definite move in the direction of cutting down the meetings, tne autumn fixture of the Chris-tchurch Racing Olub is one that might well be done without. Following on the Christchuroh Racing Club's meeting, we will have two days' sport at Ashburton next week. The fields look like bemg very large, and present indications point to a very successful fixture. This club has made a move, in the direction of better stakes, and if the policy is pursued, it should aot be long before the .Ashburton County Racing Club's meetings attract the best horses in Canterbury. After Ashburton owners will turn their attention to Oama-ru, and, judging by the nominations, which include the usual large percentage of Canterbury horses, there should be some rare sport at the North Otago fixture. Mr J. Grigg, the Ashburton f|portsman, has nominated very freely at the YVanganuj Jockey Club's winter meeting, and from what I can lea.rn it is probable that Antony, Bay Lupin. Out lander, and Dabchick may be taken nort'i. Antony and Bay Lupin are destined for steeplechase events this winter, while Out-lander will be given a chance to earn distinction over hurdles.

The Orari Snorts Club held a very successful meeting on Thursday. There was a large attendance, and as the bookmakers contributed £52 in license fees, the financial result must have been all right. Good fields were seen out in ail the events, and there was some interesting sport. The Riecarton mare Castilla. bv Stepniak—Castellina. by St. Angelo—Mutina, was beaten in the Japanese Handicap by Otakio, but she reversed the order in the Farewell Handicap. A few months ago Castilla. was being picked' out as a good one, but, though she shows plenty of pace on the tracks, she does not reproduce her best form in public. Her latest showing is far from attractive, as Otakio has no form to recommend him. Nightlii'ht, by Stepniak—Sta.rshot. was another Riccai'ton candidate that atoned for many failures bv winning the Orari Handicap, being followed home by Stepenfeidt and Bouncine - Bo r \ who were conceding her a lot of we% ;t. Later in the day NichfcligM was beaten in the Flying Handicap by Lady Dirk, by Dirk Hammerhand —The Gift, which miade Nightlight's form still look moderate. There were three trotting events on the programme. Majestic, a five-year-old by Imperious, won ti.f« Maidan Trot from Du.m Dum and Mi.-iS Lovett, but t'iie- time was slow. Pompom was successful in. the. G'°-raldine Trot, in which Destruction - and Bellona were his most daagarous- rivals. The Winchester Trot was won 'by Gladiator, a half-brother, by Wi'Vlwood, to Dan Patch, the places beino' filled by Gaberfeig and Glendalough. R. J. Ma-son, in charge of Lady Reina ■and Directoire, and IT. Cir'ts, in charge of Husbandman, Broadsword, and Countermine, have arrived home from Hastings. P. M'Grath has been busy during the past week with a yearling colt by Martian —Grand Opera, and therefore a full brother to Soldiers' Chorus. He is now being ridden daily, and seems a tractable sort. R. Frame will leave for Sydney on Thursday to bring back Sir George Clifford's latest purchase, the stallion San Francisco. King Try and North Pole arrived from the West "Coast during the week. North Pole lost a shoe on the trip and his foot was badly broken when he arrived, so that he will need a spell. King Try has been on the course daily, but has not been 6et any severe tasks so far. Sea Dog and Taimunga (the brother to Creusot) were schooled over hurdles on Saturday. Sea Dog fenced well and Taimunga also shaped decently for a novice, though he got into the last obstacle pretty hard. Manchester was given a schooling task on Saturday. He jumped the two flights of ponv hurdles in good style as well ae two of the big hurdles. At the next flight he tried to run off and fell heavily. It looked as if his rider (F. Douglas) had got -a bad spill, but he escaped with a shaking. The steepleohas'3 fences have been brushed in preparation for the schooling work that will take place during the next month or two. Northern Star and Ratepayer were given a turn over the big fences on Monday. Ratepayer baulked at the first of- the double, and Northern Star at the second, but they then continued tor a circuit, jumping well. This was Ratepaver's first . experience of steeplechase fences, and be created a favourable lmpiessuy Taggart> the we n.known Riccarton trainer, and son-in-law of H. Piper, died at Christehurch Hospital at 7 o clock last evening