CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 752, 4 August 1904, Page 9

CANTERBURY.

Christchurch, August 2. Mr Stead’s valuable team of racehorses left for Sydney by Friday’s boat with a view to taking part in the Spring Meeting of the Australian Jockey Club, the team consisted of Cruciform, Grand Rapids, Martian, and Nightfall. All going well they should at least bring some Australian money back with them when they return to New Zealand about the end of September. . Cruciform will, of course, take part m some w eight-for-age races, the Spring Stakes, which she won last year defeating Wakeful, being probably her first appearance. Her other engagements will most likely be in the Craven and the Randwick Plate. Martian is in the Epsom Handicap, while he is also likely to take part in other handicaps and perhaps some weight-for-age events. Grand Rapids’ most important engagement is the Metropolitan Stakes, in which it is reported his owner thinks the horse is not badly treated. This in plainer language probably means that Grand Rapids has a good chance of winning that event, at least I think so. Nightfall will take part in the races for maiden three-year-olds and probably the races for three-year-olds only. The doings of the team will be watched with considerable interest bv New Zealand racegoers, who would delight to see Mr Stead’s enterprise in tackling Australians on their own ground two years in succession handsomely rewarded. Lady Lillian has been suffering from a severe attack of influenza, and it is not thought she will be able to do herself justice at the National Meeting. In consequence of his good work, more especially his jumping, Aka. Aka is now first favourite for the National Steeplechase. Slow Tom, Haydn, and Kaitere are more fancied than any of the others. The Hurdle Race is regarded still more open and more difficult to pick than the Steeplechase. Local Option was scratched for all engagements at the Grand National Meeting at 3.45 p.m. on Monday. Acceptances for the New Zealand Cup are due on Friday. It is expected that there will be a good weeding out. The scratching of Roseshoot for the Grand National Hurdle Race at 9.25 a.m. on July 27 came as a severe blow to a large number of backers, who had the Hawke’s Bay gelding coupled with more than one horse in the Steeplechase. It is stated that Regulation will not be a starter at the National Meeting, but will be reserved for the Cup Meeting in November. A week or two back I sorted out Zealous as a likely winner of the Grand National Hurdle Race. During the past week the daughter of Nelson has been doing some capital work, and as. she is jumping well her chance in the 1-ig, race is not to be despised. Mahutonga and Hippowai arrived frcm the North on Saturday.