CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 353, 29 April 1897, Page 7

CANTERBURY.

Lord Rosslyn — Our fastest horses —Sale of thoroughbred stock—The Wellington meeting and, prospects of the horses —An opinion regarding best horses and, jockeys — Boulanger—A Thompson Handicap prediction—Sale of Apremont.

Christchurch, April 23. Lord Rosslyn finished absolutely last in the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicaps. Prior to the meeting the son of St. Clair did some really good work on the track, and many competent judges were of opinion that he had improved since the Dunedin meeting. His running at Riccarton is unaccountable, and was very disappointing to his connections, who had backed him to win the double. Gold Spur and Barshot are, I think, the two fastest four-year-old horses over distances up to six furlongs in the colony at the present time. A race over six furlongs between Barshot, Gold Spur, Gold Medallist, Multiform, Waiuku, and the best of the three-year-olds, whom I take to be Uniform, Daystar, and St. Paul, would be well worth seeing. Firefly, who showed promise last season of making a fast filly, seems to have lost all her pace. Her running in the Easter and Autumn Handicaps was anything but first-class. April 26. Pyne and Co. held a sale of thoroughbred stock on Easter Wednesday. There was very little competition for the lots offered. Mr V. Harris’ horses, which were sent in for absolute sal.*, were disposed of at the following prices : —Liberator, llgs, W. Kerr; Quiltiri, 74gs, A. Sefton; Belligerent, 65gs, R. Ray, junr. Rustic was passed in at 43gs. Ray re-sold Belligerent, who again goes into G. Murray-Aynsley’s stable. Barshot, Tire, Tally-Ho, Leda, St. Elmo, Daunt, and Gold Spur were shipped for fhe north on Thursday. All these horses have engagements at the Wellington Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting. Several Canterbury horses have engagements at Wellington—Mannlicher, Skirmisher, Marino, Arquebus, and Belligerent being in the Thompson Handicap. Both Mannlicher and Skirmisher are well treated. The former, if well on the day, should beat more than beat him. Waiuku, on his Canterbury running, must have a big say. If I were asked to name three to supply the winner I would go for Waiuku, Mannlicher, and Lord Rosslyn. Mr G. G. Stead was again the principal prizewinner at the Canterbury Autumn Meeting, his cheque amounting to £1,300. The other principal amounts were: —J. Loughlin, £552; S. McGuinness, £460; J. D. Ormond, £335; G. Clifford, £160; W. Rathbone, £150; S. McDonald, £120; W. O. Rutherford, £110; J. Reilly, £llO ; C. Klingenstein, £lOO. The total amount paid in stakes was £3,795. At a sporting resort in Christchurch the other day a number of men discussing the Canterbury and Auckland autumn race-meetings passed opinions about horses now in training, The general opinion seemed to be that Gold Spur was the fastest sprinter in the colony, that Gold Medallist, Multiform, and Bracelet were much superior to the other two-year-oids, that St. Simon was the best hurdler, and that White and Derrett were the best jockeys. Boulanger’s name appears among the nominations for the Ashburton Club’s Autumn Meeting. It would appear from this that the son of Grand Prix’s racing days are not yet over. Waiuku is the popular pick here for the Thompson Handicap at the Wellington Meeting. Waiuku and Boreas left Lyttelton for the north on Saturday night. H. A. Knight sold his well-known thoroughbred stallion Apremont to Mr W. Rathbone, the Hawke’s Bay sportsman. Apremont will be sent to his new owner’s head-quarters in charge of H. Thomson in about a fortnight. I hear Mr Rathbone mates only his own mares with Apromont. The price paid for Apremont has not transpired.