INTER – PROVINCIAL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 852, 5 July 1906, Page 6

INTER - PROVINCIAL.

(From Our Own Correspondents.) CANTERBURY. Christchurch, July 4. Melodeon is the first horse to drop out of the New Zealand Cup. He was scratched at nine a.m. on Friday last. Applications for trainers’ and jockeys’ licenses for 1906-07 must be made to the Canterbury Jockey Club on Friday, July 20. Stronghold and Chryseis will probably go to Wellington for the flat handicaps. The former has received quite his full share of weight in the Stewards’ Handicap, but Chryseis reads well in the Parliamentary Handicap. Magnificent and Wi Waka will compete at Wellington. F. Holmes has the pair well forward, and under the light scale of weights they should run prominently in their engagements. I hear that Mr. J. Buckley has decided not to race Phaetonitis or lAbility at Wellington. The pair have done a lot of racing lately, and will undergo a special preparation for the National meeting. Slow Tom and Narcissus have been getting through some satisfactory work over steeplechase fences. On

Thursday Slow Tom was sent for a spin over a few jumps, but he only went at a medium pace. Narcissus went faster than Slow Tom, and gave a fair exhibition of jumping. This horse takes his jumps much quicker than he did a year ago, and is showing improvement all round. The Guesser, who has not done any racing for some time past, is now a regular attendant on the tracks. He was given some schooling work over hurdles one day last week, and jumped as well as ever. The Stepniak—lllusion filly Corea has been sold to Messrs. Dempsey Bros., of Victoria, and left for her new home this week; The fily realised about £2OO. On Monday morning Magnificent, Tirole, and Wi Waka galloped one round over hurdles. They kept a sound pace all the way, and jumped every hurdle in fine style. Wi Waka had the best of the gallop. Tirole lost some ground at the start, but jumped well for a beginner. He is just the sort of horse to make a good hurdler. Eurus is getting through some solid work, and he should be in his best form by National time. Shrapnel is being whispered about as a very likely winner of this year’s Grand National Hurdle Race. The Workman gelding has done nothing over sticks to warrant his position in the betting market, but from information gleaned from a reliable quarter, I am inclined to think the best has not been seen of this horse in public. The favourite Grand National double is Kiatere and Exmoor, but latterly Shrapnel has been eagerly inquired after. To-day he is quite as

good a favourite as the Grafton gelding. Rain has fallen almost every day during the past week. To-day it is simply teeming down, and very little work is being done at Riccarton. Most of the horses having engagements at the Grand National meeting are, however, getting plenty of walking exercise on roads. The property comprising thirteen acres occupied by G. Murray-Aynsley is for sale. This is one of the best properties round about Riccarton. Helios, Wissembourg and High Peak, three jumpers, have put in an appearance at Riccarton, and will be prepared for events at the National meeting. I hear that Slow Tom, Rongoa, and Tirole, and probably Eurus, will go to Wellington this week.