CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 953, 11 June 1908, Page 7

CANTERBURY.

CHRISTCHURCH, June 10.

Cross Battery carried the confidence of her connections on both days at Otaki, her chance in the Raukawa Cup being highly assessed by her owner. In this race Cross Battery had her chance extinguished through a bad start, but on the second day she was fairly beaten by both Mystification and All Red.

Stronghold hias not been doing much jumping over hurdles this season, and is not worth much consideration for any hurdle race yet awhile. It will be remembered that he was tried over hurdles last season, but shaped so badly after two or three attempts that his owner decided to continue hacking him on the flat. Finland is beginning to make a name for himself as a sire. He has got a few winners this season. Bobrikoff, White Cockade and Chief Lochiel have been winning races lately, but Bobrikoff is undoubtedly the best of Finland’s stock seen out so far.

The Hororata Racing Club has wound up the year with a credit balance of £212. In its annual report reference was made to the death of President Sir John Hall, to the generous gift of a cup by Mr. H. A. Knight, of Lapland fame, for the winner of the principal race at the last meeting. Mr. Wilfred Hall was elected president. The club has a membership of 105.

Frisco, Master Delaval and Lapland, who finished first, second ,and third in the last New Zealand Cup, have been nominated for next season’s Cup. Zetland ran two good seconds at Dunedin, and is doing good service for Tattersail’s Hotel proprietor (Mr. W. J. Clay). It is only this season that Mr. Clay has joined the ranks of horse owners. He started off by buying St. Joe, who won a good race the first time he started the son of Handsome Jack. He then bought Zetland, and also won at the first time of asking for his new owner. The two horses have been nominated for the New Zealand Cup, a race in which St. Joe got third two years ago. What an unlucky horse is Medallist. He has ran four seconds during the past few months in good races, and always seems to have bad luck in bumping up against something fairly good. It is no disgrace in being beaten by a horse of the calibre of Cross Battery, Stratagem, Prim and Lapiand, but running seconds does not pay, and it is to be hoped the luck will soon chance. Medallist has. won his best races when the going has been heavy, and this should be borne in mind when he starts later on.

Cockleshell seems to have gone all to pieces, and cannot win in the poorest company. I should think this one and Clanchattan are about the most unprofitable horses in training in the Chokebore stable, and they will soon have to make room for some of the rising two-year-olds from Stonyhurst.

Mr. F. H. Pyne has been elected chairman of the Canterbury J.C. at the last meeting of the committee. The Dunedin J.C. wrote stating that the jockeys C. Hart and J. Carr had been fined for misbehaviour. It was decided to refuse Hart’s application for reinstatement of his license. It was decided to institute a race In memory of the late Mr. G. G. Stead, and endow it with a gold cup.

Seventy-seven horses have been nominated for next New Zealand Cup. Mr. J. C. N. Grigg heads the list with five nominations, the Hon. J. D. Ormond being secon dwith four, Messrs. G. L. Stead, G. P. Donnelly, and G. F. Moore have three each, while Messrs. G. J. Palmer, T. H. Lowry, F. Preston, R. Shove, J. Foreman, H. A. Knight, W. J. Clay, and Mrs. A. M. Coombe have each entered two. There are a lot of untried and second-rate horses in the long list, but in addition the best horses with credentials for getting the two-mile journey are to be found. Among those entered are three placed horses last year, Frisco, Master Delaval, Lapland and Truce, Moloch, Apa, Signor, The Lark, Stratagem, Uhlander, Tangimoana, Downfall, Mahuta, Burlesque, Maharanui, Prim, Bonny Glen, Zimmerman, The Rand, Multifled, Grand Slam, Seaman, Waipuna, St. Joe and Probable are

perhaps the best stayers nominated, but there ought to be some good ones among the three year-old division. Altogether the prospects look very promising for a big race in November next.

Canterbury horses were very successful at the Dunedin Winter Meeting. Stratagem and Probable carried off the two principal handicaps, while several minor events were captured by horses from Riccarton. The hurdle racers Grandstand, Slow Tom and Southern Cross were not among the stake winners, the South-ern-owned Stormont and Storm proving too much for the Riccarton trio. Slow Tom is backward in condition, but if he keeps sound should be fit to do his best at the National carnival. Mr. G. L. Stead has nominated Count Witte (Menschikoff—Problem), Nobel (Seaton Delaval —Problem), and Ringdove (Collar —Miss Chiffinch) for the New Zealand Cup. The trio will be offered for sale at Yaldhurst at the dispersal sale in National week.

Five and six-year-old horses are strongly represented in the New Zealand Cup. The three-year-olds are a good lot, not all classic race winners, but horses that should develop into good handicap performers.