CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1245, 26 February 1914, Page 16

CANTERBURY.

English-bred Fillies Being Imported -by Mr. J. B. Reid —Kilts Schooling Well —Gray’s Successes at Winga- - tuj—bister Radius Probably Visit Australia — The New Chokebore Lodge Stables —Splendidly Ventilated Building With Most Modern rippointments. (From Our Own Correspondent.) MONDAY, February 23. After racing on the first two days of the Dunedin J.C. meeting three of xt. O’Donnell’s team, in Sauci, Moulu, and Bon Ton, returned to Christchurch. They were shipped North on Saturday evening to fulfil their engagements at the Wanganu l meeting* Recently the Elderslie stud master, ivir. J. B. Reid, purchased in England a couple of well-bred fillies, and they are due to arrive in New Zealand in April. They are Christmas Rose, by Heliotrope from Evadne, by Sidus, and Bris Selette, by Picton from Marchpane, by Marcion. The Finland mare Grey Dass, in T. Shennan’s stable, has improved a lot of late, and by the time the Little River meeting comes to hand she should be ready to give a good account of. herself. Kilts, who only a couple of weeks back was given a few lessons over the pony hurdles at Ricarton, and jumped exceptionally well for a beginner, was tried over the schooling hurdles, on Friday morning, and the manner in which he acquitted himself was very pleasing to his connections. He is to be given a run in the hurdle race at the forthcoming Little River meeting. • Tiie mishap by which Icilma lost her rider soon after the start of the Publicans’ Handicap at Wingatui was responsible for the somewhat unusual signt of a riderless horse coming in first. ihe perfect state of the going at the Dunedin J.C. meeting was evidenced by Flora Macdonald establishing a fresh time record for the Dunedin Cup, while on the second day of the meeting, by getting to the end of seven furlongs in the Hazlett Memorial Plate in 1.28 1-5 Sister Radius clipped 4-ssec. off the previous uest, and Altcar put up six furlongs in 1.15 in the Domain Han:Lcap. The leg trouble that prevented Flora Macdonald from racing at Riccarton evidently returned after her success in the Dunedin Cup, and she was unable to fulfil further engagements. Sunbeam also was lame after racing so prominently in the Stewards’ Welter at Dunedin, while Masterpiece was sore. . The English-bred filly Mint is to be thrown out of training, and will be sent to Elderslie and put to the stud later on. This filly has a lot of ' pace, but has suffered a good deal from rheumatism, and it has in consequence been impossible to race her properly. ' Hector Gray put up a fine achievement at Wingatui by winning the Domain, City, and Suburban Handicaps, the last three events of the card on the first day of the Dunedin J.C.’s meeting. On each occasion his mount was either first or second favourite. Signorile, who has been running in the paddock, has rejoined A. McAuley’s' active brigade. The Signor filiy is looking bright and well after her short spell. All going well with her in the meantime, Sister Radius, winner of the Hazlett Memorial Plate, will be sent to Australia to compete in some of the autumn events. If this proposal is carried out she will be mated with one of the crack Australian sires before returning to the Dominion. Con the iShaughran, who was recently purchased by Mr’ E. H. Nurse, put in an appearance at headquarters on Thursday morning. He is bearing a light appearance. The Coronet gelding will be restricted to light work in the hope of building him up before going into hard training.

The veteran ' Mumura has been taken in hand again, the chief reason being that he will not behave himself in the paddock. His main occupation since being turned out consisted of trying to kick the fences down, and getting his legs knocked about. As a result he will now be restricted to trotting and cantering exercise for a time.

Despite his defeats at Dunedin, Sauci is sure to start a staunch favourite for the Flying Handicap at Wanganui. The gelding seems all the better for his racing, and at 7st. must be given a, great chance. On the 27th of last month the old-

established Chokebore Lodge stables, owned by Ted Cutts, were burned to the ground. To-day tneir place is taken by a structure that in the course of a fortnight will be completed, and' gives every promise of being the most commodious and up-to-aa.e single building of its kind m New Z.ealand. Already the structure presents a decidedly imposing appearance, ana does every credit to its architectural designer. The ground floor will be 130 ft. in length by 44ft. in breadth, while from base to ridge board the front of the building will be 26ft. at its highest part. As a matter of fact, less than half the inside space of this large structure will be taken up by the 20 boxes, for right down the centre will run a broad passage way 20ft. wide and extending as high as the roof. On to this splendid ventilator, which is open at each end, range the score of boxes, 10 on each side. Each of them is 12ft. by lift. 4in., and the top part will have free access to the passage way, for they are only to be boarded up to a height of some ,12ft. By this scheme each box will have a lot of open space to the passage way, also a window facing outward that, when opened, will bring in a current of air to the passage. They are all to be concreted, and each manger will be connected with the main feed-room. A better ventilated building could not be desired, for with the general scheme of a main current down the huge centre passage way and cross currents over the top of every box there will always be a splendid air circulation without the least chance of draught in the sleeping apartments. The boxes all open to the central passage, the floor of which will be composed of tarred clay. The general appointments of the stables include ample lighting arrangements, a harness room, general

feed-room, special steel-lined oatroom capable of holding 3000 bushels, and private room. At each end of the building will be a fancy gable, while the roof will be of iron. Altogether the stable will be the largest single building in New Zealand, affording, accommodation to 20 horses, while another four or five can be housed in an adjacent building that escaped the fire. LATER. The Riccarton contingent of horses that competed at the Dunedin J.C. meeting returned home by special train on Sunday- It is pleasing to be. able to record that there was a marked improvement in the condition of the horse boxes in which they were' asked to travel. teg got rather badly galloped on when racing at Wingatui, and her trainer intends indulging her in a short spell. On returning to the paddock after winning the Waihora Handicap at Wingatui on Saturday, Silver Shield was bleeding freely from wounds in the fore arm, the result of a severe kick sustained prior to the start. The day after the conclusion of the Dunedin meeting Hector Gray took steamer for Melbourne, where he has engagements to ride at the V.R.C. meeting which starts on Saturday next. Gray has been specially engaged to ride Wallaoo in the Australian Cup. Sister Radius is also booked to leave for Melbourne by next Sunday’s boot in charge of J. Olsen. After his first day’s success, Daylight Bill did not jump at all well at Wingatui, and is still lacking in confidence. He still requires a lot of schooling before being pronounced a proficient jumper.

It is . i ©ported that B. Deeley will have the mount on Bon Ton in the Wanganui Clip, for which the Boniform colt' has a lot of admirers, amongst those who saw him run second in. the Dunedin Cup.

During the past fortnight no less than four horsemen have been successful in doing the “hat trick,” namely R. Berry at Taranaki, W. Bell at Woodville, H. Gray at Dunedin, and J. O’Shea at South Auckland. Chudic ran three seconds at the Dunedin meeting, and had also run second in the last race at the Wellington meeting at Trentham. The veteran Stepniak gelding, Czar Kolohol, was produced on Saturday for the Abbortsford Welter, but he fell down while doing his preliminary, and had to return to the paddock. Surely it is time that such a faithful old slave was pensioned off.