FAR AND NEAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8618, 9 May 1906, Page 1

FAR AND NEAR.

(By THE POSSIBLE.) When I first saw the programme issued by the North Otago Jockey Club for ite winter meeting, I felt confident that its enterprise in the matter of increased stakes would be rewarded with a liberal response from -owners, and a study of the entry liet furnishes ample evidnce of the wisdom of the policy which has been adopted. In the old days, wheti there" were very ','few meetings, it was quite a usual thing to 6ee the best horses in the South Island, competing at country meetings, but during recent years thingp have changed, and the fields at the minor meetings are "usually mad© up of moderates. The meeting to be held at Oainaru this month, however, loots like attracting a class of competitors rarely seen on any but metropolitan courses. The entry for the Oamaru Cup numbers twentyone, and the quality is -of a high class. That there will be a big field admits of no reasonable doubt, and I look forward to seeing a particularly fine race. The sprint events have also filled well, quality being again in strong evidence. All the minor races have drawn good entries, and altogether tho prospects for the meeting are very bright. The I moet pleasing feature about the gather- , ing is that it has attracted our leading j ownersj in addition to those who usually patronise country meetings, and the fact that ther colours of Sir George Clifford, the Bon George M'Lean and Mr G. G. Stead will be seen out should add greatly to the interest in the racing.

The rain which fell on Friday made the outlook anything but promising for the Christchurch Racing Club's Autumn Meeting. " Saturday morning broke dull, but the weather gradually improved, and the afternoon proved gloriously fine. There was a good attendance, and the crowd was a speculative one, the result being a totalisator turnover of £4324 10s, as compared with £3679 a year ago. Taken all round, the epoyt was decidedly interesting. Proceedings opened with the High Weight Handicap, for which . Cann.'V CKiel was a good favourite. Graduate* Tax jumped off in front, and showeo the way into the back stretch, where Assegai moved up, and at the half-mile post she was well clear _ of the field. Turning for home Cannie Chiel, who had got off badly, put in a good run on the outside, but half way down the straight, when he looked like being dangerous, ho suddenly stopped, and Aeeegai won easily from Farley Grove, who was a length in front of Cannie Chiel. Just after entering the-straight Cannie Chiel's rider lost one of his stirrups, and this, no doubt, accounted for the horse stopping bo quickly. Aseegai, the winner, was bred by Mr J. F. Buchanan, and is !by Ben&oin — Corselet, co that she is closely related to Machine Gun, whose dam, Rubina, is also the dam of Corselet. Assegai is a well-grown filly, and if she remains sound 6he should win lots of races. The Maiden Handicap field wae limited to four, and the quality was decidedly moderate. Korea, the three-year-old sister to De "Witte, was in front all the way, none of her opponents being able to extend her. Korea has a failamount of pace, but in the meantime, a± any rate, she does not stay. The three she defeated probably represent as poor claas as ever met in a race at the Plumpton course. Fairboy was last all the way, and his performance makes one wonder what ©ort of animals he must have had behind- him when he won a treble at Oxford recently. Savoury was the only withdrawal froon the Christchurch Autumn Handicap, for which the field numbered ©ight. Alakaroff drew out after leaving the straight, and being for onoe caught in a galloping mood, he never let anything get near him, winning very comfortably from Beau Seaton, who was just in front of a bunch. Makaroff had not won a race since he scored oh the same course in December. He wae running his first race for Mr W. O. Rutherford, and Bridges had him looking well. lam not disposed, however, to take too much notice of the win, ac I have an idea he might have 6hut up if anything had tackled him down the back. Beau Seaton was in a good position all the way, but he had no chance with the winner at the finish. Tirole ran well, and he is likely to pick up a good .race before long. Czarevna should

nleo be- worth watching in the near «uture, as nothing was going better in :he closing stages of Saturday's race. Pas Seul surprised me by the way she 'aw the. journey out. She appeared to 3et knocked about a good deal during che raoe 7 and her display was, thereioto, very creditable. Teiteihar did not shape so well as I expected, and Terrapin, after running well for a mile, collapsed very suddenly at the home turn. Convoy was the disappointment of the race. He was pulling M'Combe out of the saddle in bhe early part of the race, and half a mile from home I thought he was going to win easily, but a little further on he shut up, and finished last. After this display I will have no more of Convoy. Five went to the post for the flying Handicap, Alexis being a deaided favourite, with the other four evenly backed. Alexis was the first to show out, and at the end of two furlongs he was joined by Chivalry, who left the mark slowly. The .pair raced in company to the straight, where Alexis was under punishment, the victory of Chivalry being loudly proclaimed. Alexis ? however, responded gamely, and Chivalry tiring badly in the last fifty yards, Alexis was enabled to draw out and win by a comfortable margin. Since going into M'Cracken's hands, Alexis has improved a lot, and he, is now a decidedly useful customer over a short course. Zetland finished up very strongly close behind Chivalry, and he should win soon. Matuku got off well, but was bumped on to the rails, losing a lot of ground, which she was making up rapidly at the finish. After the way Matuku shaped, I thought Mango was a pretty good thing for the Hack Handicap, but he cut up badly, being in difficulties before the straight was reached. The winner turned up in Good Sight, who had the race in hand a long way from home. So far, this mare has not fulfilled her early promise, but it is possible she may do better later on. There was, however, not a great deal of merit in her performance, the opposition being weak. The Welter Handicap provided a good race. Turning for home, Antigone, Count Gorton and Hilarity were Inosfc prominent, with Cannie Chiel putting in & fast run on the outside. At the distance I thought Cannie Chiel was going to win, but Ashbf stopped riding him, and though he set ,to work again a little further on, the best he could do was to finish second behind Hilarity, who won by a good margin. Ordnance showed some pace in the early part of the race, but failed to see the journey out. <

The English Stud Book Supplement for 1905 was issued in March, and shows that last year 1461 fillies were foaled, as against 1312 colts. The total of bothsexes (2773) shows a considerable fall-ing-off, for in 1904 there were 3107 foals born, 3193 in 1903, and 3448 in 1902. However, only 5109 marcs are accounted for in last year's return, a 6 against 5661 in 1904, and 6004 in 1902. Referring to the sale <5f > Machine Gun the "Sydney Mail" says :— Tht sales ot FitzGrafton and Machine Gun were two most interesting items of news to denizens of the sportrhg world, or, ratner, to men who look upon a, good horse with pleasure, and not as a means to an end — not unconnected with a betting-shop or a bookmaker. Both have earned reputations of the highest character on the 7 turf. "Machine Gun, especially, for having • secured greater sprinting honours than any racehorse Australia has known. Machine (jrun is a brown horse, standiuft slightly ever 16.3 hands high, and is proportionately lengthy, with very fine ends; but, despite his, bulk, he is as active as a fox-terrier, and he is qualtty from stem to stern. When a two-year-old a severe cold left throat troubles in its train, and though not a roarer in the strict sense of tJie term, his wind is touched, and, like the immortal Prince Charlie, the trouble bars him from successfully negotiating a long distance, which Ms action, style and breeding lead us to suppose he could have- done but for the trouble afore-mentioned, and which, needless to say, is not hereditary i.n his case, nor hare- we known it to be transmitted by roarers to their progeny in Australia. Judging from all 1 have read of Loohiel's sire, Prince Charlie, I am inclined to the belief that Machine Gnn is just such another horse, and pot^s'Jbly quite as speedy, which is not saying a little, for the name " Jtrince of the T.Y.C." is fit-ill venerated in England, and his deeds are still exalted by British spo-rtemen; Doubt-lees, when Australians a-re more familiar with Machine Gun's performances in New Zealand, they will be quite ss enth wsismti-c wii-en referring to this king among sprinters s<s the British are to-day in .respect to Prince Charlie-. Machine Gun started in twenty-eight races, fifteen of wine*!! he won, was second in six, a;?d third in two. ' In New. Ze.il <»nd lie met Advance, Gladsome, Achilks, Trend-roill. Melodiaii; Vladimir, and every other horse of note in his time, and defeated them over short courses ; and ac h-e had beaten Achilles twice at four fu-rlonjors and six furlongs, and Advance at six furlongs, hie r-enutation for speed wai? fully established before he came here. At Rand wick he won th-re-e- handicaps o-ver six furlongs, carrying lOfit 61b. IGst 131 b, and' lOt 12.1 b respoc i ively, which duly proves he is a weight-cir-ri&r of no ordinary calibre, and his New Zealand record was borre out. In New Zealand he is credited with carrying list 51b, and covering five fu-rlotvers in 58eec, and with having be^t^n Achilles over half a mile' in one-fifth more than 49sec. Mr Charles Baldwin is to be- congratulated^ upon securing such - fine* horse for his st-tid. and it- is to be hoped that the speculation tnrns out as good as the veteran breeder's enterprise deserves.