CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 42

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Fritz. The foot of co many looally-traincd horses being under orders for Wingatui, to assist at the autumn meeting of the Dunedin Olub, mado last week's training operations at Riocarton of considerable interest. In tho main, the weather was fine, ana there was plenty of good ground for the winding-up gallops. The Riocarton contingent which will be racing at Wingatui numbers about 25 horses. Taken all round 'they are a very useful lot, and I expect to see them capture a fair share of the prizo money. Sir George Clifford usually has a decent team for the Dunedin Cup meeting, and this yea;* he will have four representatives. Adjutant 'showed no form early in the season, but he has been improving a bit lately. He may race well in the south; but I confews that I do not specially fancy his chance. Brambletye is in fine trim, and I expert her to race well. The two-year-olds, Lionskin and Heathercote, are well off for condition, and they will be very hard to beat in the Champagne Stakes, in which the chief opposition may come from Mr J. B. Reid's Australian-bred filly Punka. Mr O. G." Dalgety has two very useful representatives at Wingatui. .His Dunedin Cup candidate, Wardancer, has been galloping particularly well lately, and he showed by his performance in the Midsummer Handicap that there was nothing wrong with him. He has an unsavoury reputation as a gelding who does not always show his best form in his races; but if he is caught in a ifenerous mood he will make matters very interesting for his opponents in the Dunedin Oup. His mate on the trip is Scornful, a two-year-old brother to Disdainful. He has shown decent form on the tracks, and is likely to be a good winner, though he may not show up till later on, as he looks the sort, who may require racing experience.

F. Christmas has taken a good team south. Fiery Cross has- only one engagement, hut from the style in which he has been galloping he will be hard to shake off in the Hazlett Memorial Plate. Partisan is a great galloper on the tracks, but her race record is poor. Glcndower, on the other hand, is coining on nicely, and I expect him to run well. Killjoy, the top weight in the Publicans' Handicap, is a speedy mare, though she has nothing great in the way of public form, and on that score looks over-rated. Jn any case I doubt if she is ready, as she has been on the easy list lately. Mr H. A. Knight's quartet have done a 100 of sound work during the past week or two. Majc-stikoff has recent winning form to recommend her, and I do not think the best has been seen of her. Post Hasto is a smart galloper; but as he has bled more than once lately he may be left alone. Harlequin is just a moderate, though he is in great fettle. The hurdler Bore has been off the scene for some time, and ho may not be quite ready, though he can be relied to win a good race shortly. He seems a better horse since his throat was operated on. T. H. Gjllett has three horses under His charge. I have no special fancy for Merton or Rosevear; but Achilledes has been going well, and I am prepared to see him win o raco_on the trip. R. Longley has a team of three, all of whom will have a good following in their southern engagements. Phil May is a strong fanoy in some quarters for the Publicans' Handicap; but I cannot say I am specially taken with his chance of success. He can go fast, one of his efforts last week being a brilliant sprint over five furlongs. Both times he has won, however, the opposition has been moderate, and he has failed badly each time he. has been tried at Riccarton. On figures x he' should be beaten by The White King, unless he has improved out of all knowledge since the pan- met here in November. Hylaus has been galloping particularly' well, and ho may pick ud a race, while the imported mare Love Token has also been showing better form on the tracks, suggestive of an early appearance as a winner. E. Scoullar has Ascalaphus in fine 'trim at present. He has been galloping like a gcod one, and I expect to see him racing prominently at Wingatui, though the Dunedin Cup may be beyond him. His stable companion, Briar Patch, has shown signs of lameness lately, and for that reason she can be discarded. R. Derrett has Margorine looking particularly well, and she has. been responsible for some good track work. Her performance in the Midsummer Handicap was too bad to be and with a little luck she ma/ be dangerous in the Dunedin Cup. It. Ellis has taken King Star south. Ho was stopping at the end of a mile arid three furlong 3 on Saturday; but over a shorter course he may have to be seriously reckoned with later in th<o season. P. M'Grath will rely on Battle Eve, who has been galloping very freely of late. I do „nofc fancy him in good company; but he may land a race soon, when tho opposition is not top selwfc. Riccarton btablva elr,/.,t five representatives in the Dunedin Cup—Adjutant, Margerino, Wardancer, Ascalaphus, and King Star.—and it is worth noting that they are all by Martian. W. H. Thomson, who has been training at Riccarton for several years, has retired from the raoing game, and will devote himself to farming. In his young days. Thomson was a good horseman, who was pTirticularly successful with two-year-olds. Later he had charge of Mr H. Friedlander'a stud, and since he has been back at Riccarton he has turned out some good winners, including Anna Carlovna, Flora Maodonald, Fasnakyle, Pilgrim's Way, and MaM Antony. Biplane has not done much work during the past week. There is a growing impresson that he will "ot make the trip to Wanganui this month. Consequent upon tho retirement of W. 11. Thomson, a new stable had to be found for the two-year-old filly Bondage. In the meantime F. D. Jones will superintend his training, but it is not known if this arrangement will continue after Easf-ev; na Jones has a full team. So far nothing; has been done regarding tho jumpers—Naunata and Kirkby. The yearling filly by Solforino— Hebrew Maid is expected at Riccarton shortly, and she will sro into F. D. Jones's stable. She was bred by Mr J. F. Buohanan, and was purchased at the Novembor sares by Mr .7. F. Reid. ohe has since been leased by Mr O. W. Reid. and sho will bo got ready to carry his colours next season. The filly is a haf-s:ster to Thrax and Lovelorn, the last-named being tho dam of Nones and Lovesick. Tho Hymefcfcm gelding Hylaus will bo raced on tho flat for some time yet, but

will bo got ready for jumping engagements at the winter meetings. The imported mare Winter Cherry, -who ia suffering from internal troubles, is mending slowly, but she is not likely to race again for some" time. The five-year-old gelding Bomb has been sent home, and it is unlikely that Mr H. A. Knight will bother further with him. F. Ellis had one of his feet cut on tho instep while bathing last week, but he has made a good recovery, and expects to be riding at Wingatui. The two-year-old colt Long Range is still on tho easy list, but he -will probably resume work in a few days. H. Ellis has just taken Lady 'Grafton in hand after a spell. His other charges have been enjoying a spell since thev raced at the summer meeting of tho Canterbury Jockey Club. Marsinah was taken out for a turn over the schooling hurdles one morning last week, but she showed a distinct objection to the jumping business. The pacer Promise, formerly trained in Otago, has joined E. 0. M'Dermott's stable. Mr K. H. Smith had the misfortune last week to lose a good-looking young pacer by Harold Dilon —Erect Form. Ho met with an accident on the road that caused his death.

The pacing mare Maud Tracey died suddenly of pneumonia a few days ago. She was a six-year-old, by King Tracey—Lady Maud, and, though speedy, she was not a good one. There is not much doing in the local trotting world at present. With no meetings close at hand„ most of the cracks are having an easy time, but they will be in work again shortly, in view of the Easter fixture at Addington.