CANTERBURY DOINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 55

CANTERBURY DOINGS.

By

Observer.

After a very quiet experience during the Christmas and New Year holidays, while local horses were racing in other parts of the Dominion, the Riccarton tracks became livelier when the tourists reached home. The busy period did not last long, however, and once more there is very little excitement. The cause, on this occasion, is the summer meeting of the Wellington Racing Club, which has attracted nearly 30 horses from Riccarton stables. Until they return, at the end of this week, there will not be a great deal of interest in the work, although the horses remaining at home will be moving along steadily, with a view to other meetings to be held next month. Riccarton stables usually give strong patronage to the Dunedin Jockey Clubs .meetings, and there will be a useful contingent of horses available for next month’s fixture. Several smart two-year-olds will be included in the team to go south. The summer meeting of the Canterbury Jpckev Club- will be the next event here. It will be held on Saturday, February 18, a week after the Dunedin Cup meeting. and nominations will close on Friday. February 3. As a rule it attracts very little support from outside local stables, but there are indications already of some visiting horses being in evidence on this occasion. The Oaks winner, Wild Pigeon, is in preparation for the Midsummer Handicap, and possibly' Staghunter will accompany her, to contest the Middle Park Plate.

Starshooter, a two-year-old brother to Starflight, by Archery from Stardancer, has been getting through a lot of useful work lately. He may be a member of G. Murray Aynsley’s team for Wingatui, where he has an engagement in the Dunedin Champagne Stakes. Up till now the three-year-old Arikiwai has done all his racing over short courses, but F. D. Jones is very hopeful that he will develop into a stayer. In support of that idea he has put Arikiwai in the Dimedin Cup. Footfall’s Trentham engagements were cancelled a few days before the meeting opened. The Autuninus gelding has developed lameness, and he is on the easy list. It will bp unfortunate if the trouble proves serious, as he looked like winning a good race very soon. Limerick is bowling along very freely in sprinting tasks. He will have a race in the Hazlett Memorial Plate at the Dunedin meeting next month, by which time he should be at his best, and he will then be shipped to Sydney in search of more weight-for-age honours. It will be no surpr-ise if he is a better horse on this trip than at any previous stage of his career.

H. Nurse is keeping Rapier at steady tasks at present. He has no immediate engagements, so there is no need to bustle him, and he is in such good order as a result of the work he did earlier in the season that he can be at his best again with a few fast gallops. He may have his next race in the Trentham Gold Cup. Centrepiece has developed trouble which has necessitated veterinary attention, and he has been thrown out of work for the present. It is a form of paralysis, affecting one of his legs, and a good spell will be necessary even if it develops into nothing more serious. The two-year-old Island Fastness, by Redfern from Ulva’s Daughter, was gelded last week, and it is unlikely that F. D. Jones will put him in work again for some time.

With a number of trotting meetings near at hand, there is a good deal of work in progress on the local tracks, though none of it is of a sensational character. -

Concliff seems to be remaining fairly sound, and he is going along satisfac-

torily in his training. He is not so much in the boom, however, as when he first in;.de his appearance here. Bessie Logan looks well, but this fine mare has not raced at her best lately. It is quite possible that she requires more racing. R. Marshall is working the Americanbred pacer Direct Todd. He looks all right, but it is doubtful if he will improve.

Hie trotter Little Johnnie is doing plenty of useful work, and he may win a race before long. N. L. Price is making a good recovery troin his recent illness, and he is able to supervise the work of his team, though he horses” 8 * rOm tbe act,lal driving of his

i Chief paced a fast mile one day

C. lasker ha s Marlindo in work again this pacer showed a lot of early promise' but went sore. He is now standing up to his work and an early win looks probable Billy Whiz is racing very well for C. .Lasker, and it is possible the American stallion will reward the patience of his owner by winning a race shortly. Dalmeny is improving fast, and though, like his brother Dalnahine, he may require time to mature, there are indications that ,J, na y , race wed * n the near future. The West Coast owner-trainer V. Alborn has a large team in work and he has decided to keep several of them here. He has therefore sent Vesuvius Thorpie Cannonball, and Peter Fashion to Addington, where they have joined Golden Devon in A. Cox s stable. Later on he may send others of his horses here, and thus obviate continuous travelling from the West Coast. Alborn is at Addington at present,. superintending the training of his team prior to the Forbury Park meeting. In the meantime, it looks as if Cannonball has reachel his limit, but he may do still better after he has had a spell. Thorpie looks a useful sort, capable of a lot more improvement. The trotter Peter Fashion has not furnished much of late, and he may not come to his best until next season. Young Blake looks a picture, in spite of his heavy racing. He carries a lot of condition, and he gets through his work as if he liked it. Tomkinson deserves a lot of credit for the way in which he has got this fine trotter to race.

Elzear is trotting in fine style in her work. She looks none the worse for her hard racing, and she may show still further improvement before the end of the season. B. Jarden is busy with a big trotter by Nelson Bingen. He is only a beginner, but he looks as if ho would come to hand early.

Count Peter looks well, and he is moving along solidly in his work. This young trotter only requires some race experience to make him a useful horse.