TURF TALK FROM THE SOUTH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue XIV, 2 April 1904, Page 20

TURF TALK FROM THE SOUTH.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH. Vturday. Derrett has been engaged to ride A ladimir in the Groat Easter Handicap. Cruciform Is being hacked about. She is taking a long lime to recover. At Riccarton Lewis is breaking in a <x»lt by Obligado from a half - sister to Treadmill. t McGuinness has taken irp a yearling brother to Sychem and a yearling brother to Vladimir. Messrs. Ellis Bros.’ team for the meeting will consist of Red Gauntlet, Blackstone, nnd Brighton. At the Southland Racing Club's autumn meeting the totalisatcr turnover was £635 below the amount handled at the corresponding meeting last year. Canteen and Vladimir are expected at Riccarton on Monday to fulfil their respective engagements at the Canterbury Jockey Club's autumn meeting. Some of the Yaldhurst yearlings are now being put through their facings. Among them are a half-brother ly Multiform to Martian, and the Stepniak—Hermosa coif. The former is a big fine youngster, the latter a closely knit colt that is likely to come to hand early. The Canterbury Jockey Club has good reason to feel satisfied with the acceptances It has received for the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicaps. Eighteen horst's remain in the short race and 15 in the Autumn Haudicap, and of those the greater pre portion aie likely to see the post. Tn spite of the stories circulated concerning rhe wonderful abilities of some of those further down the list, I have still a strong liking for Red Gauntlet for bath races. He is an Improving horse, and when the progeny of Loi'hlel start to improve with ago, they often develop Into something very good indeed. Lady Lillian I have no fancy for. despite t’.m fact that Rhe keeps sorrel. lum Vladimir is evidently coming on. and his c-hnr.ce in the Farter Handicap may be worth considering. Pampero has only- <0 be at his best to run a great horse In the Kester Handicap, amt we understand here that be Is progressing satisfactorily. I have no fancy for Canteen in the Easter Ha.ndintp, but if in the humour he should run prominently in the Autumn Handicap. Welbeck is lighten!nig up, and beginning to exhibit some of hlo old brlllianry, but he will not be ready by Easter Monday, nnd, moreover, he was sore after exercise yesterday. Petrovna, who arrived nt Riccarton on Wednesday, is ia rare buckle, and a similar remark applies to Quarrymnn nnd Cannie Cbiel, although tho foi-nior dismayed his connections by showing signs of soreness after work on Thursday. 1 have good reports of Muwayo, nnd better of Grand Rapids nnd Martian. The hiat-naniert wtll probably be Mr. stead’s first string for the Easter Handicap, and the former for the Autumn Handicap, aHhough I should not bo aurprlaed to see Mart fan wtn both handicaps. He is fall ef quality, aud baa, 1 bee>

tried triply. Grand Rapids, as far as appearance i» concerned, is & much Improved tiorse since he wzs last seen lu public, and. all going well during the next ten days, he will not fail for want st condition. Some people profess to believe that Kremlin is not as sound as he might be, but 1 tbtnk It is early to assert anything definite in this direction. Certainly the sou of Stepniak is not doing a great deal of work, but then I understamd that he does not require much. Brave llea«rt is doing a capital preparation, and in the event of anything happening to her more fancied stable companion can be trusted to represent Sir George Clifford with credit.

Ix>lah is also dong well. Although Bagpipes has been left in the Great Autumn Handicap, she may be regarded as an Improbable starter. At the same time, I understand that she is very well. Delarey is doing fairly good work, and Stepdancei* has never gone better than at present. Some people here fancy old Blazer, on the ground that G. 7 will be a luxury to hinv but he has yet to show that he can gee a mile and a-ha If with even the lightest weight on his back.

Of the ten youngsters left in tiio Champagne Stakes Aeolus, Veldt, the Leocant colt Sir Gun, King Paul and Ouldafona may be started. Without comment, the race promises to result in a match between Mr Stead and Sir Geo. Clifford, and if Silkworm and Golden Lily are both well we need look no further for the winner. Golden Lily is said to have developed into a grand filly.

The weights for the minor events to be decided on the first day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting made their appearance yesterday. I shall have ample opportunity to make my final selections after the dosing of the acceptances. In the meantime I may say that I like Huku and Zealous best of those in the Kildare Hurdle Race. an<f that I think Bagpipes might have had a few pounds less in the Sockburn Handicap, in which I fancy Del-arey and ■Stepdancer. Ostiak. Blackstone and Count of Kolmar are well treated in the Epsom Welter Handicap, while, unless Signalman IS a good colt, the Yaldhurst two-year-olds might between them account for the Russley Plate. CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. The news of Moifaa’s victory in the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase caused great rejoicings in local sporting circles. Personally. I must confess to having been among those who thought Mr Gollan had made a bad bargain when he bought Natator’s son, who, I thought, had passed the age when he could be taught to jump in English style; but I was wrong, and nobody is better pleased at the fact than I aic. After three or four lovely days the weather broke on Sunday night, and training operations yesterday morning were conducted in rain. The rain will do no harm to the tracks, and unless a great deal more falls the course ought to be in grand order for the meeting. Most of the local candidates for the principal handicaps are doing well. Welbeck was lame after working on Friday morning, but he quickly threw off the soreness, and is now apparently sound. He has tightened up and is improving generally, but I cannot believe that he will be ready by Monday to meet seasoned horses on equal terms.

Quarryman was also lamp, but the soreness was only temporary. He is very well —probably better than he has been at any time in his life, and ho is bound to run a good horse in the Easter Handicap. Canute Chiel is also very well, and if the going should happen to be heavy on Monday there are more unlikely things than that he will win. One thing is certain, and that is that he will beat Brave Heart. Lolah is doing well, but I don’t fancy her chance; and Lady Lillian, like Welbeck, cannot be sufficiently forward to meet thoroughly trained horses with a prospect of beating them.

De la Rey is pretty well, and Stepdancer was never better in her life. This exhausts the list of Rlccarton horses engaged in both events.

Of the visiting division only Petrovna, Full Cry, and Kremlin have arrived at the time of writing. All three look well, and the last-named may win a race at the meeting, although it will not be the Easter Handicap, the distance of which is a little too far for him.

There is nothing frosh to record regarding the Yaldhnrst candidates. I have reason to believe that all going satisfactorily, that Martian and Grand Rapids will go very near winning the double. Nothing among ♦•ho local two year old division stands any chance of beating the Yaldhurst youngstois in the Champagne Stakes, but Signalman, n good looking brother to Cannie Chiel. may oppose them creditably in the Russley Plate and Autumn Nursery Handicap.

As regards the Challenge Slakes. Achilles, who has been suffering from a mild attack of strangles, will not fulfil his engagement. Mr Stead should have no difficulty in winning with his powerful lot, which comprise Machine Gun, Martian. Silkworm, and Golden Lily. Treadmill is keeping sound, however, and as sprinting is. I fancy, his strong point, he may give the Yaidhurst contingent a race.

Do la Rey. Muskburn, Pallas, Master Alix, Princfi Louis, n two-year old by Stepniak—Lady’s Maid, Sweet Nell, a two-year-old half sister to Pallas, and the hurdle racehorse Slow Tom. wilt be offered for sale In Christchurch on the Wednesday after the Canterbury J.C. autumn meeting.

The following lafealncsa has been done locally on the Great Easter and (heat Autumn Handicaps: GOO to 3 against Pampero nnd Stepdancer. 500 to 5 against Petrovna and Canfern. 506 tn 12 against Mart bin nnd Red Gauntlet, 500 to 4 agsln.it Welbeck and

Canale Ohiel. 400 to 2 against Kremlin and De la Rey. 44 to 2 against Lady Lillian *ud Blazer. 409 to 2 against Lady Lillian and Red Gauntlet. 400 to 2 against Lolah and Stepdancer, 400 to 2 against Red Gauntlet and De la Rey. 400 to 2 against Vladimir and Stepdancer, 250 to 1 against Lady Lillian and Field Battery. 250 to 2 ngalnst Grand Rapids and Canteen. 250 to 1 against Grand Rapids and De la Rey. 200 to 8 against Martian and Buluwayo, 200 to 3 against Grand Rapids and Buluwayo, 200 to 2 against Canute Chiel and Red Gauntlet, 200 to 10 against Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids, 200 to 18 against Martian and Gland Rapids. The Mauser horse. The Mohican, In Alnsley’s stable, has been amiss during the week.

A pony by Mauser from Moderation has joined the same stable. The hurdle racer, Scottish Minstrel, who in company with Sophistic, arrived from his owner’s station on Saturday, is sore. He has a leg like a bolster. W. Clarks is building stables and a residence at Rician ton. The Not th Islander Full Cry reached Rlccartoa on Saturday, lie looks in excellent condition. • • • ENGLISH RACING. (From Our London Correspondent.) LONDON. February 20. The death this week of Lord A'.ington at the age of 79 removes one of the most ardent patrons of the “Sport of Kings’’ in the Old Country. The event was not unexpected, since for months past the evidences of an early break-up were visible to all his lordship’s friends. At a very early period In life Lord Aliuzton showed his love for the sport with which he afterwards became so Intimately associated. As a mere boy he ran horses under an assumed name, and in his 24th year won the Champagne Stakes with Humphrey. This was his first notable success, and in the following year (1850) he was elected to the Jockey Club. His next “big event” was the capture of the Goodwood Stakes with Elcho, in 1861, and in the year ensuing Mr Sturt (as he then was) bought Catch ’Em Alive, which in 1803 won one of the most sensational Cambrldgcshires on record by a short head from Lord Westmoreland’s Merry Hart, with Summerside beaten a like distance into third place. After the race an objection was laid. When ’.he jockeys returned to scale it was found that Catch ’Em Alive’s jockey did not draw the proper weight. He first weighed without whip, and one was given him. This barely made him weight, and Lord Westmoreland objected to the jockey being weighed with anything given to him after he got into tlw scales, and the stewards upheld his objection. The rider of Merry Hart had been previously weighed and passed, and the stewards were on the point of giving the race in his favour when the rider of Summerside was also found short of weight. On this the scales wore examined. It was found that some lead had been fastened on to the bottom of the weight scale. When this was removed and the scales adjusted, the rider of Catch ’Em Alive drew his proper weight, and the stewards then declared Catch ’Em Alive the winner. The excitement that this race engendered can be better imagined than described, the crowd breaking into the weighing room. A reward was offered for the discovery of the scale manipulator, but he remains undiscovered. In 1869 Mr Sturt, who was then In partnership with Sir Frederic Johnstone (the combination came to be known as “the Old Firm"), won the Oaks with Brigantine, but it was not till 18S3 that he achieved the highest ambition of all horse owners, by winning the Derby with St. Blaise. It was a desperate race among tlVee, St. Blaise just getting the better of Highland Chief, with Gaillard close up third. Wood, indeed, who rode the winner, did not think he had quite got home, and when the inspector came to lead him back, told him curtly that “he had come for the wrong ’un.” Two years later was foaled that lemarkable horse Friar’s Balsam, who as a two-year-old carried all before him. As a three-year-old. however, he was a failure, following on dental trouble hut he managed to beat Minting in the Champion Stakes nt woight-for-age. Three years later the “Old Firm” carried off the “triple crown” with Common. The next winner of note was Matchbox. who was unlucky to have to run against such a horse ns Ladas In 1894. Since then Lord Alington had owned few good horses, and of late years the well known colours were seldom ‘seen on a racecourse. • • • A NEW ZEALAND HORSE WINS LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE. LONDON, Marcn m. LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE, 4 miles 856 yards. Mr. Spencer Gollnn’a br g Moifaa, by Nutator—Denbigh, 6 years 1 Kirkland, by Kirkham, dam by Perigonious, aged 2 The Gunner, by Torpedo—Lady Windermere, aged.... 3 Won by eight lengths. Moifaa started at 25 to 1. The King was present, ami his horse Ambush it., the favourite, fell at the second fence.