CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3383, 15 January 1919, Page 42

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By Observes. ' With <a number of local trainers homo again, after assisting at holiday meetings in various parts of the Dominion, there is now more life about the Riccarton tracks than was the case for a few weeks previously. Some of the trainers are still absent, however. Most of those who/did the West Coast campaign will go" on ' to Eeefton, where racing will take place on two days this week. A few of the teams which raced at the Auckland Racing Club's meeting will be cyen later in their return, as they are due to fulfil engagements at the Wellington Racing Club's meeting before they fipish tho homeward journey. It will be about tho end of this month, therefore, by the time all the Riccarton horses are home again. . Horses from this quarter have had a good measure of success on the West Coast.- T. H. Gillett has done particularly well with his team of seven, having captured. 13 races, besides' being placed on 14 occasions. All the other Riccarton trainers who took horses over tho ranges have had wins on the trip, and the record should be improved still further during the two days' racing at Eeefton this week. * . A .notable_ event at the Westland Racing Cjhib's meeting last week was the winning of a race, by Kaminohe. He was successful at Reefton just over two years ago, and in the interval he had done a lot of racing, with nothing better than an odd bit of place money to reward the patience of his owner. R. J. Mason brought Gloaming, Afterglow, and Karo from Ellerslie, and went on to Trentham, where they will race next week. I understand they are all in firstclass order. Gloaming claims an engagement in tho Wellington Stakes, and he'will keep tho two-year-olds very busy over five furlongs, as I think sprinting is his forte, despite the reputation ho has gained as a stayer as a result of his three Derby successes Of the five horses H. Cutts had at Ellerslie, Heathercote, Onslaught, Lionskin, and MaoDufY were taken on to Trentham, and all of them should race well next week. Happy Captain, who went lame on the trip, .was brought home, Cutts returning north on Saturday night. It was expected that ho would take Sir Fanciful and Miss Mimio to race at the Wellington Racing Olub s meeting, but at the last minute it was decided to .leave them at home. F. Christmas is buck home with GJendower and Killjoy, after, an unsuccessful trip to Auckland. Killjoy raced creditably, though she did not win; but Glendower performed disappointingly on th« trip. They have had an easy time since they returned A. M'Aulay returned last week with Kilrush, who failed to realise expectations at Ellerslie. He has had a dose of physic, and 39 now enjoying a short spell. Tho Yaldhurst trainer, R. D. O'Donnell, broke his journey from Auckland at Awa-

puni, and on Saturday took Surveyor to Feilding, where the two-year-old won the Feilding Stakes. O'Donnell will remain at Awapuni for a few days yet, and will then take his team on to Trentham.

M. Hobbs has engaged four boxes at Trentham, whero he may have Punka, Winter Cherry, Tortrix, and Favourite racing- next week. Punka has been showing brilliant track form lately, and she looks like winning a good race before long. It is not quite certain, however, that she will go to Trentham,- as she has been nominated for the Sydney Cup and Doncaster Handicap, and it may be deemed advisable to keep her for the Australian trip in tho autumn. As for the other members of Hobbs's team, I have not seen anything in their recent track work to commend them strongly for early engagements. Winter Cherry gave promise at one stage of her career oK developing into a good porformer, but she has not been galloping up to her best form lately. It. Longley will take Koesian north .for the Wellington meeting. ~ He has got through a lot of useful work, and looks certain ta pay his way before the end of the season, but he may not be at his best until he has had a race or two. The South Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting, postppned from November on account of the influenza epidemic, will be held on Thursday. A special train has been arranged, enabling Christchurch people to do the trip in a day, so that the gathering should be well -patronised from this end. Some of the fields are a trifle disappointing, but I expect there will be some fair sport. •Jeannot has been galloping well lately, and he should be very hard to beat in the Jumpers' Flat Handicap at Timaru. Hylans has got through some useful work, but his reputation as a racehorse is not of the best. Stambol is another from this quarter in the same race, but.,l do not think he will be' ready for some time yet. Riccarton stables are well represented in the November Handicap at Timaru. I would look no further than Margerine if satisfied she was quite wound up, but she may be all the better for a little more work, when she will be worth keping in mind. Subterfuge is very well after her southern trip, and is certain to play a prominent part in this lace. Pyjama appears to have taken a new lease of life. He looks bright and fresh since his return from Invercargill, and as he is galloping as well as ever he did, I expect him to show up . in his engagement at Timar-i. Bombproof fell on the track one morning last week, but he suffered no serious effects, and he and Bandy should race well at the Timaru meeting. Braid continues to show plenty of clash in her work. I do not think she showed her true- form in the south, and I am prepared to see her a winner very soon. The Sapper, who figures in the Maiden Plate. at Timaru, is a smart galloper, and he will keep the opposition busy. Last season Bondage showed some promise, and hopes -were entertained that she would develop : nto a useful three-year-old. She has quite failed .to realise expectations, however, and her prospects do not look at all good now. There have not been many Boniform fillies who have taken high honours,, and I am afraid Bondage is not destined -to be. one of the exceptions. The two year-old filly Miss Mimic, by has , been responsible for some attractive work lately. She has not done any racing so far, but she looks like proving useful in the autumn. Euripos and Post Haste, who have been in work only a few weeks, are coming on nicely, and they should pay their way later in the season. R. Derrett's stable shelters a smart gal loper in the two-year old filly by Bonny Glen —Judith, She looks a sure winner when she is ready to race. G. Murray Aynsiey has Wardancer doing useful pacing. The brother to Warstep appears to be .pjuite sound, but he will not be at his best for some time yet. Biplane has got through some sprinting tasks lately, and moves with all his old clash. His stay at Riccarton has been prolonged by shipping troubles, but in the meantime M. Hobbs-is keeping him going, so that he will be well oh the way to racing condition by the time he is shipped to Australia, The Ihrce-year-old Wild Night, by Antagonist—Windwhistle, was railed south early last week. H. G. Coker will have charge of him in Southland, where he should soon pick up a race for Mr W. Stone. Moorabbe looks very well at present. She was responsible for a brilliant half-mile one morning last week, aad she may bo a winner very soon.

The three-year-old Bianor, by Demosthenes —Mistime, in R. J. Mason's stable, pulled up lame after a short sprint one morning lately. » Mr J. Grigg's imported horse, Gay Lad, is now an inmate of Mr Kobbs's stable. His tasks, so • far, have been light, and he will not be ready to rar:o for some time. He lias developed a temper, and on Saturday he showed a decided objection to going on the track. Varnish has_ been sent home to his owner's place in. North Canterbury, where he will have a spell. His place iii W. Hibfccrd's team has been taken by a wellgrown three year-old filly named Single Rose, by from Soberside, the dam of Killjoy. Maro Antony has made his reappearance at Riccarton. The son of Varco and Volodia has been gelded since the last time he raced, and he looks quite sound to start a preparation. Gamecock is beginning to shape well in sprinting tasks, and it may not be long before he wins a race for his new owner. Trcment has resumed work after a few weeks' spell. She moved freely over half a mile on Saturday, and she should be| worth following at the autumn meetings. The two-year-old filly Judasa, by Solferino —Hebrew Maid, has been leased from her breeder, Mr J. F. Reid, by F. D. Jones, who trained the filly earliei* in the season for the late Mr C. W. Reid. A couple of Boniform yearlings, from Madrid and Big Blast respectively, name down from Racecourse Hill last week, and have been turned out in a good paddock, where they will remain till the autumn. F. D. Jones will then get them ready to carry Mr H. A. Knight's colours next season. They are a pair of shapely youngsters. The "gelding Micky Free, by Advanco— Irish Girl, has joined J. M'Cbmbe's team.

Wrcstlei- has been gelded, and he will be spelled for some time yet beforer he is required to do much work on the track. Among draft of soldiers just arrived in the Dominion is Corporal H. E. Goggin, who for several years before going to tho war was office assistant to Mr A. I. Rat-

tray, secretary of the three local trotting clubs. Corporal Goggin saw considerable service in Franco with the artillery, and was fortunate to escape ..injury. He has a large of friends among the trotting fraternity, and they will be pleased to see him back again. From what I can learn, a very strong contingent of Canterbury horses will make tho trip to Duneclin for tho Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting next week. Most of the leading stables will bo represented. J. Bryce expects to have a big team, consisting of Sherwood, Tamarisk, In wood, Joan of Arc, Hectorata, Lord Roanchild, Bearman Bride, and Rothcliff. Cathedral Chimes is being kept in regular work by J.- Brs-ce, though he will not be racing before Easter. Matchlight, in the Game stable, has been on the easy list since his return from Auckland. I understand that H. Gaskill has resigned his position as private trainer to Mr H. W. Kitchingham. whose trotters and pacers he has handled for a number of years. From what can be learned, Canterbury stables will be well represented at the Wellington Trotting Club's meeting next week, -while I hear that a number of our trainers will also assist at the trotting fixtures at Blenheim and Nelson next month.