CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 894, 25 April 1907, Page 7

CANTERBURY.

CHRISTCHURCH, April 24. The Christchurch Racing Club has received excellent nominations for its autumn meeting. The best-known horses in training at Riccarton are entered for the principal handicaps. Seal Rock greatly disappointed his backers over his failure to win the St. Leger stakes at Trentham, and some heavy bettors fell in badly over the San Francisco horse’s defeat. Lady Annie, who was purchased by Sir Geo. Clifford at the Auckland Summer Meeting, and who was supposed to be untrainable, has suddenly developed into a high-class mare. To win three good races in succession for her new owner is a brilliant achievement, and now that the Soult mare has struck her very best form more stake money is in store for her. Probably no colt of recent years has shown more in and out of form than Glenculloch has this season. His most brilliant performance to my mind was in the Middle Park Plate, which he won against a strong cold east wind in lmin lsec., a performance good enough to stamp him as the best colt of years. His subsequent defeats at the Autumn Meet-

ing, when he was beaten by Eleva--~tion twice showed him up in a very bad light, but now he has regained some of his lost prestige by defeating Achilles and Downfall in the Wellington Stakes. Glenculloch’s meeting with Elevation and De Witte this week will be very interesting. De Witte has beaten Sir G. Clifford’s colt the only time they have met, while Elevation has beaten him on three occasions. Pas Seul’s form at the Wellington Meeting last week was really too bad to be true. This mare ran really well at Riccarton during the Easter Meeting, and gave promise of doing much better before the season closed. Her two defeats at Trentham are unexplainable. It is, however, worth recording that the Soult mare has won her races when ridden by Jenkins. There was a bundle of bullion in Christchurch on Saturday for Savoury in the Suburban Handicap run at Trentham. Backers towards the finish had to be content with a fiver limit, while some of the metallicians refused to operate on the Sumner horse. The good thing failed, as it has failed before to-day. Savoury has not won a race since the Timaru Spring Meeting. Gwendoline and Giovanni, two of Saint Hario’s progeny, ran well for beginners at the North Canterbury meeting last week, and they promised to do better later on. Hearthen, a three-year-old filly by Phoebus polio—Hilda, van in two races at Rangiora, getting second to Master Leslie in the Maiden Hack, and winning the Flying Hack from Silkweb. Hearthen bore a shaggylooking appearance, having only been taken up six weeks ago, but showed a lot of pace. Ruapehu, a four-year-old mare by Currassow —Culverin, was a double winner at Rangiora, securing the principal event to the Rangiora Welter. The mare came at the right end of both her races, and was well backed both on and off the course. Wild Cat and Farlev Grove, judging by recent displays, have lost all form. Worse starting than that witnessed at Rangiora last Thursday has rarely been seen on New Zealand racecourses. In the last event there were fully 30 false starts. Probable, who was recently purchased by Mr. G. J. Palmer, is now located at Riccarton. He has been nominated in the Christchurch Handicap and Welter Handicap to be run at the Autumn Meeting of the Christchurch Racing Club on May 4. Monkey Puzzle, the full sister to Ostiak, was started in the Hurdle race at Rangiora, and shaped well for a beginner. She is only three years old.

Munjeet, Submarine, Seal Rock, Savoury, Pas Seul, Probable, Leeside and Strathfillan came from Wellington on Sunday. The nature of the going was responsible for Munjeet’s withdrawal from the Thompson Handicap. Idasa has been tried over hurdles and Evenlode over steeplechase fences. Evidently Sir G. Clifford intends to exploit the autumn race meetings in the North, he scored well at Wellington, and his team have gone on to Manawatu, while Lady Annie and Clanchattan have been entered for Hawke’s Bay Cup, and De Witte is engaged in several handicap events. Terrapin, Awahuri and Somaroff being unsound have again been thrown out of training. It was not expected that Awahuri would stand another preparation, one of his legs having filled badlly.