TURF TOPICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 49, 3 April 1914, Page 8

TURF TOPICS.

RICCARTON TRAINING WORE. Training operations were, of an uninteresting character at Riccarton this morning, the majority of the hbrses being restricted to steady pace work. Cherubim and Canute stroke over a couple of rounds, both horses hitting out freely and appearing anxious to improve the pace. Emperador appears to have thrown pfT all signs of soreness, and- is bowling along in ffreat style in his work at present. . Autumnus covered a round at .half l pace, and should he keep sound will take a lot of beating in whatever race he may contest at the meeting. , Warstep's task was a light one, the filly 'doing trotting exercise on the lead. She has been responsible for some attractive gallops of late, and as she is possessed of a rare turn of speed she may be relied on to keep the opposition extremely busy in the Easter Handicap. Flora M'Donald did a round at halfspeed. The Boniform filly is looking a trifle on the big side at present, and should she start in the Easter Handicap the race will do her good, and make her prospects of annexing jhe mile and a half even all the brighter. Masterpiece was restricted to walking exercise, while Thrax and Tannhauser covered. a circle at half-pace, both horses striding out freely. Flower, of the West appeared anxious to improve the speed while going a round at three-quarter pace. Peg also did a circle, striding out freely. Silver Shield appears to be doing well, his tasks to date being of a satisfactory order, and he should be heard of to advantage before. the season closes. The Joker was popped over the pony hurdles a couple of times this morning., Although he jumped on the big side, for a beginner his display was satisfactory. Bercola has been scratched for the Kildare and. Peerswick Hurdles,* and Bee for the Russley Plate at the 0. J.C. Autumn Meeting. Geo. Price arrived at <Riccarton today with 1 ' Mr Highden's" team, consisting of Bronze, Expect, La Favourita, Bertrada, Pariform, and Marceline, all of whom look well. On the concluding day of the Southland meeting Pride of Clutha finished second in the President's Welter, not Icilma as mentidned in our stop-press column yesterday. After winning the Disposal Stakes at the Southland meeting yesterday Bock Ferry was submitted to auctoin, and changed hands at £4O. Recent advices received in Wellington show that. Sinapis has been further supported for the Sydney Cup, and she is now equal favourite with Wallalo. Over six hundred yearlings will be submitted to auction at the Randwick sales next month. Amongst the most recent addition to their ranks is Mr J. Buckley 's colt by All Red from Melita, who was sent over recently. Kooya's easy victory in the Masterton Cup yesterday has brought her into some favour for the Great Autumn Handicap, though it will entail a 71b penalty. From the manner in wfiich she has been racing lately, it is quite evident that the Signalman fiUy will not be troubled by the distance of the Riccarton race. Gold Coin showed to much greater advantage in the Awarua Handicap at Southland yesterday than in the Southland Cup, but unfortunately she was slightly lame on pulling up. At the present time two New Zea-land-bred horses in Rathlea and Sinapis promise to go out favourites for the Doncaster Handicap! and Sydney Cup. Rathlea was 1 bred % Mr T. H. Lowry in 1909, being by Royal Fusilier, from Lissadurn, consequently a full brother to Bellah. Judging by the manner in which he faded out of the Awarua Handicap at Southland yesterday, Soldier's Chorus has done little work, and there does not seem much chance of his ever returning to his best form. At the conclusion of the present racing season the son of Martian will probably be relegated to the stud. A scheme is on foot in Melbourne to hold a race meeting in aid of the Adam Lindsay Gordon Memorial Fund, formed for the purpose of erecting a fitting monument to the memory of Australia's great poet and sportsman. Evidently Bullawarra is to be given every chance to become acclimatised before being called on to compete in next year's Grand National. He is due to arrive in England towards the end of the present month, and after a short spell will be raced into form. Speculation was very spirited again yesterday at the Southland meeting, bringing the total for the two days up to £24,428, as against £20,746 last year. Some weeks before his victory in the Grq,nd National, Sunlock was amongst the horses that competed in a hunters' steeplechase at Warwick, for which he was sent out favourite. The event was won by Hesperus Magnus, with Saturn second, and Sunlock fourth. Then the unexpected happened, for Mr Bletsoc, whose representative, Melon, finished seventh, lodged an objection against the first six on the ground that every one of them had gone the wrong side of a post. After deliberation the stewards decided to declare the race The steeplechase decided at the Southland Raeing Club's meeting pioduced a chapter of accidents, none of ; which, fortunately, was of a serious nature. There were seven starters, oi whom Northern was the only one to I complete the course without mishap, j Several of the fallen horses were caught and mounted by onlookers, and two' of their number completed the course with their new jockeys. Both trotting events at the Southland meeting yesterday were annexed by Canterbury-bred horses. Meree, who showed to advantage in the New River Trot, is by Galindo from Authoress, the latter a full sister to Wildwood, jun., consequently, if lineage goes for much, she should be capable of attaining champion honours. Massey, winner of the Dash Trot, was bred by Frank "Vale, being by Rothschild out of the old Yaucleve mare Archangel. The famous Australian jockey, Frank

Wootton, left Sydney for England a few clays ago. The speedy two filly Traquette will not compete at the Australian Jockey Ciub's meeting, having been turned out for a spell at Bacchus Marsh. Her absence should leave most of the good two-year-old events at the mercy of Woorak. TEMPLAE.