SPORTING NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8841, 30 January 1907, Page 1

SPORTING NEWS.

MR jilfl) NEAR. r (By THE POSSIBLE.) Canterbury stables were well -represented at the Wellington Racing Club's meeting last, week, but with, eleven -horses on the scene 'the result of the four day&V racing— four wins — was a trifle disappointing to followers of the local brigade- Munjeet registered a Ctod performance when she won the Telegraph Handicap on the opening day, and she is fairly entitled to be loo&ed upon as the* champion sprinter of the colony at the present time. Though she was always a speedy mare, MunJ'eet has made great improvement 6ince ast season.., I quite expected her to win the Stewards' Han4icap- at Riccartoii in November, but she failed 'badly. In view 01 her latest form, however, it- is now apparent that she must have been very unlucky to miss that race. The other Yaldhurst representative at Trentham, Eden, ran two good races, and in finishing third in the Wellington Cup and Racing Club Handicap she showed clearly that the high opinions expressed about her i more than once had some substantial That she could 'gallop in has been no secret for a long time, and now that she. has shown some form under silk she may not be long •before she wins a race. I will not be surprised to see her. hard to beat in the Midsummer Handicap nest week. ...Unlike most of Stepniak's stock, staying appears to be her game. ' The Riccarton contingent started well mt Wellington when Blythemaid won on the opening day. The "Clannanald mare has run some decent races this season, but till last week she had failed to score, so that her victory was quite due. Her trainer, M/Cracken, has always held a good opinion of Blythemaid, and, while I do not think she is quite" up to winning in the best company, she is a mare that is decidedly useful. Judiciously placed, she should be capable of winning again before long. Sea King, who won for Mr J. B. Reid on the second day, is a promising three-year-old by Sant Ilario — Seaahell, a mare bred by Mr E. Cutts at Ricoarton. ' Beasheli is by Chainshot — Nautilus, aud fe closely related to many of Sir George Clifford's horses, a large 1 , proportion of which are descended from ' Nautilus, through her daughters Galatea and Teredo. Sea King is endowed with a lot bf pace, but, like most of the Nau f ilus family, he has solar shown no partiality for a distance, and he may always be seen to most advantage over shoj-t courses. The Chokebore team, f»ix in number, did not do very well at the meeting, but the victory of Guidwife in., the Wellington Stakes doubllese compensated their popular owner for tho. Handicap failures. Guidwife, who is a lister to Stronghold, showed a lot of pace in the spring, but she went amiss »t a time when she looked like being dangerous in the early two-year-old races. Her failure in handicap company last week did not augur. well for her grospect6 in the Wellington Stakes, but i this race she showed her best form, tend won with a little to spare. Her ■table companion, Glenculloch, appears r i 7