CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3034, 8 May 1912, Page 49

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Feitz.

We have had a week of somewhat mixed weather. During the early part we had very heavy rain, amounting to a mild flood, •after which the sun shone out brightly for a few days, followed by further light rain throughout the greater part of Sunday. As a result of all this moisture the tracks at Ricoarton have not been in good order, fast work being out of the question for some days, except on the grass, which the caretaker opened for horses being prepared for the Ashburton Imeeting. Trainers would welcome a spell of fine weather for a few weeks, there being still three meetings in this island in which they have a special interest. The Ashburton County Raring Club's Autumn meeting will be held, on Thursday and Friday This club's fixtures are very popular with Christenurch sportsmen, who can be relied on to make.the trip in large numbers. Good acceptances have been received for mo«t of the events, and thera is a prospect of some very interesting sport. I understand tliat Blue Lalce, Ttvrna, Mount Victoria, and Ceylon are coming down from Wellington, and that they mil also b» Taced at the meetings at Camaru and Wingatui before they return home. Mr T. Sheenan lost one of his brood mares a few days, ago—Leonore, by Seaton Delaval -Lcoc.uit, dying as the result

#f some internal trouble. She was only |l years old, and she gave promise judging from a Bomform youngster I saw some time ago, of producing use "1 stock. H. Cutt*. in charge oi n r' Heatherbrae, and Brown Owl, and R. O'DonneU, in charge of Los Angelos, wu prit, Bandeira, Bon Ton, and Bon Son, ire back from the north, where f ey hav* been in attendance at a round of fixtures where their charges raced with £ good measure of success. lhe bteaa < , particular, had a welOf Los Angelos and Bon Ton being wel come, ae the present season has not been a brilliant one for this stable. I believe Sir George Clifford s winnings in stakes for the present season are ]U-* over £12,000. That, at any rate,- *""» result T arrived at after a recent search through the reason's records. I still one or two meetings at which he may be represented, but it is. not likely that She total will be greatly '^teated. Taskmaster is moving along nicely on the tracks at Riccarton, and there are hopes that he will survive a solid prepara tion. If he does, he should be a welcome addition to our handicap. P« r{or ™* S ' ** "f is a good horse when right- The son m Trealniill-Madowla ran his last ra^em thA New Zealand Cup of 1910, in nicn tno x\ew u t- , rrelded and he" broke down. He was men «%. . turned out for a long spell. of course, the regain his form after the ien i»" , > . •,, from the racecourse In any case it will be some time yet before he. "ready for a severe engagment, and he .may not be seen out till the spring. nrettv Canterbury trotting stables were pretty well represented a* the For bury Park Trotting Club's meeting last week, and thev inured a share of the pnzes. Considerable interest was shown here in the results, the performances of Emmehne giving rise to much discussion. I have long looked on her as a great raceme but it must now be freely admitted that she is the finest light harness P«I- f< > ever seem on a New Zealand track She is only five Years old, so we may not have seen the best of her yet, . I saw a letter a few days ago in which F. D. Jones, who has for a long tune, been the first horseman to the Hon. J. U. Ormond's Karamu stable, announced that he had resigned his rppomtment on account of increasing weight, and that he would probablv retire from riding altogether. He contemplates a trip to Australia, but has made no definite arrangements regarding his movements after that Ricoarton stables have provided a good share of the nominations for the- iVorth Otago Jockey Club's winter meeting, and I expect to 'find a strong team of horses taking part, and going on to Wingatui afterwards. Mr O. Hood Williams, secretary of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, and a prominent figure in local sporting circles, died last week at the age of 68 years. At a very early age Mr evinced a Strong interest in various sporting pastimes. and that interest continued till the end of his life. He was a keen supporter of nthletics, and for several years he was president of the Old Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club. It was. however, through his association with racing affairs that he was best known to the sporting section of the community. During the early sixties, while residing at. Pareora, he had the management of Mr W. H. Harris's stud, which included one of the greatest of all old New Zealand stud matrons, Spray. whose name figures in the pedigrees of many prominent winners in the Dominion. He was present, as a boy seven years old, at the first race meeting held at Hagloy Park, in 1851, and eight years later he witnessed the first meeting in the Timaru district, on the Orari course, now the headquarters of the Geraldine Racing Club. On that occasion he rode in four races, winning three of them. Among other notable sporting events at which he was present was a meeting at Dunedin in 1863. when the late Mr H. Redwood's Ladybird won the £IOOO Champion Race against the Victorian horse Mormon. During the eighties Mr Williams owned a number of horses, which he raced under the assumed name of "Mr H. Hammond." With Rocket he won many sprint races, but the best horse to carry his colours was Sultan, by Apremont—Miss Kate, whose successes included the Dunedin Cup and St. Andrew s Handicap and the Canterbury Jockey Club's Summer Cup. In 1882 Mr Williams was elected to the committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club, of which he remained a member up to the time of his death. He was one of the founders of the Christehurch Racing Club, and was its president till the curtailment of racing dates in the Dominion brought its career to a close last year. He "was also for many years a member of the New Zealand Racing Conference, acting as delegate at different periods for the West Coast Country Clubs and the Canterbury Jockev Club. He had made a thorough study of the Rules of Racing, and his advice was sought after and greatly valued, country clubs frequently consulting him when difficulties arose during progress of their meetings. His keen interest in country racing was manifested in many ways, "and he regularly assisted as honorary timekeener to a number of country clubs, his last appearance in that cnoacity being made at the Akaroa Counfcv Racing Club's meeting at Motukarara less than two months ago. He was a close student of form. both in galloping and trotting, and was always ready, when met on a racecourse. with copious notes in his race-book to demonstrate his views as to nrobable winners. Throughout his lengthy connection with racing Mr Williams was" verv hignlv respected as a straight-going sportsman, and by his death the sporting community of Cnnterb.irv has lost one of its most popuplpar and mo=t familiar fi<rures. A few days ago I paid a visit to ChoVebore to ha-vn a look at, the batch of yearlb'-gs now bein« got ready to repre. sent Sir George Clifford in two-year-old engagements next season. They number 12. and all but one were bred at Sfconv"mrst. Six sires are presented, four of lhe youngsters bcin<r by Treadmill, four by Gravitation, and one each bv Martian, Elevation. TWoriian, and GlencnNoeh. As these are first season's foals so fnr as Gravitation, Bczoninn. nnd are concerned, and Elevation has wlv had one or two representatives, rvresent is po'newna.t of an experimental dr.ift. Taken all round, however, the yearlings will stand a lot of looking over, and though they roav not, SsS a collection, come up to last rear's, they should include some good winners wlhen the time comes. Treadmill has worked iis way into public favour as a sire. The

son of Bill of Portland —Catherine Wheel was a high-class racehorse, and he is now entitled to rank as the champion sire of the Dominion. All his stock seem to gallop, and during the y.ast season he has been represented by the champion three-year-old (Counterfeit) and the champion two-yeai-o'd (Autumnus): The first of his yearlings to come under notice in the present batch was Xightwatch, from Glenowiet. lie is a brother to Brown Owl, and is particularly well grown and finished, looking, in fact, quite as well-developed as tne average three-year-old. He has a grand set of legs, and' in point of conformation is hard to fault. I should say he is sure to be good. Stevedore, the coit from Fairhaven, by Pilgrim's Progress —Elusive, is a brother to Quarantine, a promising two-year-old that went laune repeatedly, and was put aside for next year. His young brother takes very much in appearance after the Catherine Wheel family, there bjing a specially strong resemblance to the Clanranald —Catherine Wheel colt Gay Spark, who created a bit of a sensation by running a great race, after being badly lett at the start, in Noctuiform's Derby. In one respect Stevedore differs from the Catherine Wheel family, as he has a good set of legs. He may not come to hand early, but he should be a grand three-year-old. Politician, the colt from Elusive, is a fine-topped one, but looks as if ho might go out at any time. Briar Patch, the filly from Bonnie Brae, by Clanranald Golden Crest, is not so big or so robust as the colts, though still far from small. She is a sister to Heatherbrae. and is an improvement on that filly in appearance, even as Heatherbrae looked as a late two-year-old, when she arrived at Riccarton. The first of Gravitation's stock 1 looked at was Downstroke, the colt from Discipline, by Treadmill —Madowla. He is well grown, rather coarso in the head, with plenty of power, good' legs, and a general appearance suggestive of pace. He is very rich in Musket blood, of which he has three strains, through Nordenfeldt, Maxim, and Trenton. I pick him out to bo a good one. Icarus, the colt from Windwhistle, is e, raking big youngster—far too big, I should say, for early racing. If given time be may win races, but he would probably be best loft alone for a oouple of years yet. Parachute, the filly from Safeguard, is a half-sister to Brave Heart, Stronghold, Fleetfoot, and Broadsword She is small, but full of quality, and looks just the sort to win a half-mile race early in the season. Lady Graveairs, the filly from Lady Annie, by Soult—Miss Annie, is a trifle on the small side, but is a very attractive youngster. She is full of quality, a typical Soult in appearance, and greatly resembling her dam, who was a fine galloper. The only fault to be found with her is that she has a suspicious-looking knee; but if that stands, I should say she will turn out a brilliant galloper. Veritas, tho colt by Elevation —Brave Heart, by Clanranald —Safeguard, is smaJl but very neat, a ready-nu«de racehorse, who looks sure to gallop. He should be an early one, and anything might be within his compass next spring. Glencannich, by Gleneulloch —Cresset, by Treadmill —Golden Crest, is not quite sc. big as some of the other colts, but he looks a hardy, useful sort, who is pretty sure to win races, even if he misses being up to classic form. Judith, the filly by Martian —Hebrew Maid, by Orion— Jewish Maiden, is the biggest Martian yearling I have seen. She is a good-looking filly, and, being bred on the most approved staying lines, she may be capable of anything, while she should be worth a lot of money later as a brood mare. The last of the draft is Flagfall, by Bezonian —Fleetfoot, by Clanranald —Safeguard. He is a model, as fine a looking yearling as has been seen at Riccarton for years, but I am afraid he can be passed over, as the accident to his shouidor, the result, of colliding with a tramway pole while being taken to Riccarton on his arrival from Stony hurst, was so serious that he is never likelv to stand training. Taken all round, the "Gbokeborc yearlings are a promising lot, and the veteran, E. Cutts. who has been very much in evidence tnis season, should find one or two capable of holding their own in the class events of next season.