OUR CHRISTCHURCH LETTER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 56, 20 August 1891, Page 4

OUR CHRISTCHURCH LETTER.

[BY

WIRE.]

(from our own correspondent.)

Christchurch, Tuesday. The North Islanders got a “ downing ” in the Grand National after all. My impression is that the field was a bad one. Freeman was brought to the post in capital condition, but he is not a good “ National ” winner I fancy. I believe that Chemist, thoroughly well, could have carried Ahua’s weight and won on Thursday. Freeman certainly won a couple of races at Sockburn and a couple more last week, but had Ahua and Christmas stood up in the Open Steeplechase on Saturday, I doubt whether Freeman’s victory would have been attained anything like as easily as it was. It is now said that Freeman’s connections did not know how good he is, but he has been doing well for the last month, and his quality could have been easily gauged by his trainer prior to his winning the Grand National had Stewart had good enough horses to try him with or even good enough fences to school him over, so as to accurately test his ability to get over the National country. The Sockburn country was certainly a fairly good one, but it was not anything like as stiff as the National country in regard to the fences, and the great suspicion about Freeman has always rested in his jumping capabilities. He has proved his jumping ability now, and he has gained a very great reputation, but I don’t believe he really merits the great re- ■ putation he has got on the first flush of National .victory. I know that I'ommy Stewart thought he had a good chance of beating the horse he trained when riding Ahua, though perhaps he might not have accepted an engagement to ride Mr. Rutherford’s horse had he not done so before the Sockburn meeting. Tauraekaitai is of little good, if any, when he gets anything to extend him. Ido not believe he can stay, and I have never seen a horse of his conformation that was a real stayer in a strong run race. The stable people maintained that he could stay, but I have always been doubtful of his stamina since his arrival here. Another peculiarly-made horse is Oeo, but he is one that might upset calculations very effectively should he do his level best on some occasion. Christmas finished second for the National, and my opinion is that he is a really good horse and one that may “lamb-down” Freeman some time when they meet in the future. He fell in the Open Steeplechase on Saturday, but it strikes me that the spill was a mere accident. Christmas can undoubtedly jump well, and I fancy that his licking by Freeman was more a result of Freeman’s superb condition than of his quality. ' There is no doubt that Poole brought Waitangi to Riccarton in capital nick, but Waitangi is getting too old for fairly good company. He ran decently at Sockburn, and he ran decently last week under light weights, but he is not fast enough to cope with ordinarily fair horses over sticks or fences. Jack Poole is a good trainer, and he may yet get something good in the jumping line, but down Dunedin way they don’t believe in giving good prices as a rule, and a general judgment is becoming too acute to get cheep horses that are up to much beyond an exceptional fluke. Couranto ran a big horse in the Grand National Hurdle Race. It was thought at Riccarton, on the appearance of the weights, that Regina, Kulnine and The Idler were fairly pitchforked in, but Couranto was just as leniently treated, and doubtless his connections knew it. He is a beautiful jumper, that can run a good mile on the flat. There is no ddubt that the Chokebore Lodge people dropped a bit over Regina. She had been highly tried, but she could never foot it with Couranto in the big hurdle race on Thursday. All her jumping, and a good deal of her galloping, for the race was done privately, and I rarely see horses exercised on public courses that are up to much when great secrecy envelops their preparation. Sheenan had a slice of luck with Erin-go-bragh in the Welter, and I do not think there is any trainer here that can “ do ” Sheenan for winning with “ cronk ” horses. I was told to-day that even Folly is not done with yet, though he broke down badly on the Saturday preceding the Grand National.

Camera is not a bad sort of the hunter stamp, and some good horses of that class may yet come from the same station. Mr. Rutherford’s private trainer tells me that there is a mob of horses on the place. Leonie, who won the Ladies’ Bracelet on Thursday, is a fair kind of mare, but I do not think particularly brilliant. She stripped very fit.

The ’chaser Darnley, in the same stable, is evidently a duffer, and I do not know how he managed to get second in the Grand National last year. Some good racing was seen at the Hunt Club meeting on Saturday. Cheshunt who finished second in the opening event on Thursday, won the Hunter’s Hurdle Race on Saturday. He is in splendid condition, and that mainly brought him home in the race he won. He is not a really good hunter. In the Open Hurdle Race Couranto corroborated the trueness of his Thursday’s form, and their is no gainsaying his quality amongst hurdle racers, and sooner or later I shall not be surprised to see him performing over “ National ” country at Riccarton. Dan, the property of Mr. Gollan succeeded in winning the Hunt Club Cup Steeplechase after running unplaced in the Hunter Hurdle Race, and he seems to be a fair kind of hunter. He is evidently a favourite of Mr. Gollan’s, as that sportsman rode him at exercise at Riccarton on two or three occasions after his arrival.

Scamp, the winner of the Ladies Bracelet, was turned out in capital form, but Messis. Wynn-Williams and Olaridge experienced some indifferent luck with some other of their hunters but there are two or three forthcoming Hunt Club meetings within easy distance of Christchurch that may prove more profitable to the Riccarton trained horses than did the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting. Beyond the horses engaged, this seasons fixture was the best in the Club’s history, and there can be no doubt hunting is on the increase in Canterbury. Freemmwas sold yesterday (Monday) for over 300 guineas, and I think, sold dearly.