CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 906, 18 July 1907, Page 7

CANTERBURY.

Harvest Scratched for Winter Cup— Pretty Maid Scratched for National Hurdles—Maui and Romany King 1 Scratched for All Engagements—The Mohican —Phaeton to be Sold—Cross Battery Doing Well—Pavourites for Hurdle Race and Winter Cup—Manjess and Others to be Sold —Id as a Fancied for Wellington Hurdles —De Witte and Clanchattan — Ivanoff Beats Pas Seul—Leeside Goes to Wellington—The Canterbury Contingent for Wellington—Lady Annie, Buccleugh, Lapland, Don Orsino, Czar Kolohol, Pas Seul, Ivanoff, Silkweb Doing Good Work—Praise for Evenlode—Wet Blanket, Jolly Roger and Deerslayer Jumping Well —Waitarere Reported Sore.

CHRISTCHURCH, July 16.

Harvest was scratched for the .Winter Cup at 11.25 a.m. on Thursday ; Maniapoto at 4 p.m. on Friday, for the same race.. Pretty Maid was scratched for the Grand. National Hurdles at 12.45 p.m. on .Thursday; Exmoor, Maui, and Romany King have been scratched; for all engagements at the National Meeting. . The Mohican, who is in the Natipnal Hurdles at 1 q. 10, has 'just■ done, a . season a): the stud; but it is safe to say he

will not be ready to start- in- the big race next month. Prior do-going to the 'stud The Mohican became ‘urisoiindj but; *it> is reported that he ■ is I likely, to stand : another preparation.: ■ -• • '*'

The Trenton Horse, Phaeton, s re' of Phaetontis and other well-known pierformers, will be sold by auction at Timaru on Saturday, next. ’ "

I hear that Cross Battery is .doing good work, and. qpke latply cut , out a fast five furlongs \at, Ashbqrton ; Jhe mare is very well, and' it is freely sta,ted -that the Winter Cup will be her next mission.

Phaetontis has been installed. favourite for the Grand National Steeplechase; Par.tutu, Kremlin, and Mahoe are popular fancies in the Hurdle Race; and Cross Battery, Kuku, and Lady Annie in the Winter Cup. E. J. Smith, of Timaru, has decided to sell his horses Manjess, Boscastle, Petard, Clemantjne, Quoiness, Kitty Z., and Polyphon by auction at Tattersails, Christchurch, on August 16. Idasa is greatly fancied at Riccarton for her Hurdle Race engagements at Wellington. De W tte and Clanchattan, who have both gone to Wellington, were sent for a strong gallop over a mile last Satur day; the former had most to say at the finish. On the same day Ivanoff was too good for Pas-Seul in a gallop over a similar distance. Hobbs has these two members of his .earn well forward, and both are regarded as starters at the National Meeting. Leeside, who I stated a week ago was doing good work over hurdles, will go up to Wellington for the second and third days’ racing.

I hear that Phaeton: is will not after all go to Wellington ; it was thought in many quarters that the horse would be given a run in one of the steeplechases at Trentham, especially as he had not been raced since last National Meeting. Those who are qualified to express an opinion are well satisfied with, the weight allotted to Phaetontis in this year’s Grand Na ional.

The Canterbury contingent for Wellington will include Evenlode, who will make his first appearance in public over steeplechase country; Idasa, who has yet to start in a hurdle race, De Witte, and Clanchattaq, two well-known performers ; Vale, Master Leslie, a couple of horses who so far have not done much even in second-class hack company; and Leslie, a well-known hurdle racer.

Lady Annie, Buccleugh, Lapland, Don Orsino, Czar Ko'shol, Pas-Seul, Ivanoff, and Silkweb, all Winter Cup candidates, are doing solid work at Riccarton. I think I can safely name th s bunch as almost certa : n starters at the National Meeting; while at least five of them are being trained for the Winter Cup.

Eveniode has been schooled over steeplechase fences since my last, and has given two highly creditable displays. This horse is a fine jumper, he is fast, and can stay any distance. A short while back he was not quite right, but if he stands up to his work I feel sure he will take a lot of beating in the Grand National Steeplechase. It will be interesting to note how he shapes at Trentham next week, when he will make his first appearance over country.

Wet Blanket and Deerslayer are jumping steeplechase fences really well; the latter, who is one of the finest jumpers at Riccarton, is giving some fine exhibitions.

Jo ly Roger is be ng kept at jumping business, and continues to show improvement.

Patty Pan, Canton, and Crespinot, are all jumping well for beginners. In the Parliamentary Handicap, Marguerite was set to give three pounds to Lady Annie • wh le in the Winter Cup there is a difference of eleven pounds between the two mares. Both races are run over a mile, and Lady Annie is greatly fanc.ed at Riccarton for the big winter flat handicap. The appearance of weights for the Grand National Steeplechase, Hurdle Race, and Winter Cup has livened up matters considerably in the racing world. Start ng with the Steeplechase, Mr Henrys has set Kiatere a severe task in asking him to carry 13.3, but on his form in the Great Northern Steeplechase the son of Castor could not very we’.l have got off with much less. The R’ccarton country i s stiffer than anything in New Zealand; and admitting that Kiatere is a great steeplechaser, I cannot say that I fancy his chance much. Phaetontis

stKkes :: rhe 'as Being- d' imticli-'bett!et'“in-vestment if he goes on in the right wayy Hilt I really’ cafinot ’pick'a'' horse 1 in the rabfe’ :o beat, H’rfi. He 1 is Jumping better than 1 evbr. lie will 'be.’the 'harijest'Hdrse tb beat: Waitarerd ’’is 1 Te’rioi-jfetiIdo 1 do be sore, but Evenlcde will ! hiave f 7o’ be 1 reckoned with., P heaF' good ; accounts df Needlework,, arid .. both' Rangitdtb s '. arid Hikairb'a mus't/be, g'yen,,a charice. try and select 'ijie winner .in ,11^6.,f shall name 'Phaetontis,. Irjsh'.' and,, 1' really ’ must f .ydryfess , tjiat ' 1,7 bb. •not/-flat-ter fnyself that I can name the winner..of the Grand National Hurdles, even in half-a-dozen picks,, so full of quality is the field. There will probably be. a big weeding out on acceptance day, when owners intentions will be more generally known. At present I like the chances of Cruesot, Kremlin, Mahoe, Black Reynard, Merriwai, and Le Beau. In the Winter Cup I shall expect to see Cross Battery, Lady Annie, Jolly Friar, and Te Aroha ( f started) run well.