CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2955, 2 November 1910, Page 56

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Fbitz. Saturday next will witness the opening of our spring racing carnival, and for seven days we will be in the thick of the sport. With four days at Riccarton and three at Addington there should be ample to satisfy the most ardent sportsman, whether galloping or trotting happens to be his favourite branch of racing. There are indications that the approaching meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club will be one of the best that has ever been held at Riccarton. Visiting horses have been arriving every day during the past week, and it is quite safe to predict that large fields will be the rule throughout the meeting. In other respects, too, the outlook is very promising, as the principal events all bear a particularly open appearance, so that it is reasonable to anticipate keen and exciting sport. So far the weather continues fine—too line, in fact. A heavyfall of rain would do a lot of good to the tracks and la.vns. Of the twenty horses which made the second payment for the New Zealand Cup, Polymorphic and Merrivonia have since been scratched; but there is still the final payment, so that there is another opportunity for owners to retire gracefully. I do not expect, however, that many of the eighteen now engaged will drop out. Oiyoi, who figures a.s top weight, has not done much since he arrived at. Riccarton, out he boars a thoroughly trained appearance. Judging him on his display in the last Great Autumn Handicap, when Outlander and Bridge boat him into third place, I am disposed to give him a big chance. After his defeat- at Dunedin and Oamaru there was a disposition to wipe him out, but the impression is growing that he i.s likely to confound his detractors when he tackles the two-mile journey. Husbandman has got through a sound preparation, but he has not been doing well during the last few days, and his prospects do not, grow brighter. He has shown signs of bleeding more than once after galloping. Diabolo, for a long time the favourite, owes his place to solid support, which is scarcely justified on any public form that can bo quoted, Saiulstroam has come into favour since ho arrived at Riccarton, consequent on good track work, and he is expected to run well. Taskmaster is another horse whose chance is being very freely discussed. He appears to be standing up to his work well, and hopes are entertained that he will land at the post all right, in which case he can be trusted to put up a good race. Bridge disappointed his friends by a moderate display on Saturday. His public form, however, reads well, and he is likely to hold his place as one of the favourites. Ingoda looks well, and is galloping in rare style. She has always been one of the fancied candidates, and her admirers have no reason to weaken in their allegiance. Los Angelos continues to plea.se the track watchers by his display; over a mile and a-quarter and a mile and a-half. His connections are very sanguine, but I still hold to my doubt as to his ability to see out the journey. On their form at Ashburton, I jxpoct Ingoda. at any rate, to beat him. Outlander has not arrived yet, but I hear from Ashburton that he is doing good work. Merriwa is bowling along in good style on the tracks, and I have a great respect for his -chance, as I consider him a likely horse to seo the race right outi. His stable mate. Cullman, does not take my eye at all as a Cup horse. Sir Antrim is somewhat of an unknown quantity over a distance, but his form at Masterton last week suggests that he is well off for condition. Martist has boon coming into favour since he raced in the south, and his chance cannot be treated lightly. It is not certain, however, that he will prove equal to again finishing in front of Oiyoi, the altered scale of weights and (he chancre of horsemen beiner greatly in favour of the Oamaru. horse. Kopu looks a good

sort, and as he is galloping wall, I 51m disposed to fancy him. Birkdale, on the other hand, does not commend himself to me, as form points to him being only moderate. Master Laddo's chance is even more remote. Cronstadt is coming- on nicely, and he may be expected to run a good race. Lawn Rose, the last on the list, has no form to commend her to notice at all, though I hear that her connections expect her to*"i'un well. I must a<lmit that the winner seems still to be well concealed, and I expect to see a very close contest. Turning to the Stewards' Handicap, the outlook i* also promising. Polymorphous may not bo a starter, but Penates, Maori King, and Boanerires represent good sprinting form, and they should keep the opposition very busy. Enuitas has done well since her return from Sydney, and is fast coming into favour, while Wauehope is another northern visitor, whose praises are being loudly sung. Formby's track form suergests that he retains his two-year-old brilliancy, and the followers of the Karamu stable are reported to be very confident. Bliss has been responsible for some brilliant track work, and as she also has recent form to recommend her, her chance is held in high esteem. My Lawyer has many admirers but riding will count j for a lot in such a. big field, and in this respect he may suffer somewhat. Perle d'Or is boing "quietly talked about, and from what I can hear she is likely to play a prominent part, in the race. Formless is galloping attractively, and with her ! great pace she is pretty sure to be well placed in the earlv stages, if she can only see out the last little bit. War Song and I Tvohincor are a pair of smart three-year-olds, either of whom may require to be reckoned with, while lower down there are j same sneedy sprinters. - Altogether, it looks I as if there would be a record field, and a I great race. The Welcome Stakes has never looked more open than it does this" year. Peirene's penalty should give Miscount, a chance of avenging the two defeats he has already suffered from the Achilles fillv, and if Bootle is better than Miscount, the Hon. J. D. Ormond must be hard to beat. It is no certainty, however, that all three I named will not go down before Culprit I and Masterpiece, both of whom are gallon- ! ing well at present; and Orton, a stable mate of Peirene, is also smart. Interest in the chief two-year-old race is likely to be keener this year than usual. In view of Danube's recent doings, the Derby is generally voted a good thing for him. There is no doubt that the Martian colt appears to stand out from his rivals. He has already beaten Tribulation. Bnk\lale, and Countermine, who look like the next best, so there is not much prospect of an exciting Derby contest. ' A. Oliver has been retained to ride Taskmaster in the New Zealand Cup, and it is now reported that James Pine will pilot Oiyoi. , Polvmoa-phous and Memvonia for the New 'Zealand Cup, and Countermine and Tenterhook for the Stewards' Handicap, were last week's soratchings. The two-year-old Query (Royal Artillery or Stepniak—lrene) is shaping well on the tracks, and is a popular pick for a race during the Riccarton meeting. Colleen Mary is doing good work, and I will not be surprised if 6he improves <-n the form she showed at Wingatui before long. She looks like developing into a good mare. Madam Madcap is in work again, and the manner is which she reeled off a mile on Saturday suggests that the injury she met with recently was not as serious as was at first thought. Countermine has been shaping well in mile and a-quarter gallops lately. Her dam, Safeguard, has made her name through the speed of her progeny over short courses, but Countermine promises to do well as a stayer. She derives her stamina from her sire, Quarryman, who was a good horse. Rose Noble never looked better than he j does at present, and he is bowling along in I great stylo on the tracks. Coroniform is in cood heart, and his ! track form suggests that he may be worth watching. Price has Polymorphous and Boanerge-, looking well, and they can lx>th he trusted to run prominently in their engagements at the coming meeting 1 . Tribulation is not galloping well, and it i is apparent that we will not see the best of him at Rice-arrow. Martine has been moving along attractively, but I have an idea that she is going off Tf I were asked to name the races wruch will be below the general average at the meeting I would name the hurdle races, for quality, and tihe two-year-old handicaps for numbers. I fancy will lie smaller fields than usual in some of the two-year-old events. A start will he made on Tuesday of next week with, the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting. The course and grounds at Addington look well at present, and the meeting is likely to be a noteworthy one. The New Zealand Cup Handicap is exciting a lot of attention, and a great race is expected, but with as many starters there is a chance of a bad mix up in the early stages. If nothing goes wrong, however, fast time is certain, as I have already heard of half a dozen horses that are capable of getting a long way below the marks they are handicapped on. Mr Dan O'Brien returned to New Zealand last week on a holiday trip. He has disposed of his hotel property in Sydney, and has not yet made up his mind as to his future plans, but it is quite on the cards that he may settle again in New Zealand. (By Wire.) October 31. Master Laddo was scratched to-day for the New Zealaljf Cup, Wimmera for the Riccarton We ltd Handicap, and Hermia for all engagements at the meeting. The two-year-old Phobos lias been turned out for a spell. Passion is to be mated with Boniforrn, but will be given another chance to win a race before being finallv retired. Fleetfoot, by Clanranald —Safeguard, has foaled a colt to Bezonian ; Marguerite, by Stepniak—Huguenot, a filly to Achilles: and Cavatina, by Lochiel —Melissa, a colt to Stronghold. Trainers are experiencing some difficulty in securing gentlemen riders for the Ladies' Purse, and the field for that race is likely to be small in consequence. A howling gale has been blowing from the north-west all day, and there are r.o signs of rain, so that present indications point to the courca being very hard for tiie meeting.