CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1247, 12 March 1914, Page 15

CANTERBURY.

Silver Shield Recovered From Mishap —Stevedore and Nightwatch Amiss —Merry Lass Displaying Good Form Over the Battens —Con the Shaughran Schooling Well—Cherubini’s and Emperador’s Engage merits —Notes on Akaroa Meeting —The Peninsula Cup.

(By Telegraph.—Christchurch Correspondent.)

MONDAY, March 9

Silver Shield, who received a severe kick at the Dunedin meeting, has been recommissioned by G. Scobie, and the son of Menschikoff has quite thrown off the effects of the mishap. While do.ng a gallop at Riccarton a few mornings ago Stevedore, in Cutts’ stable, burst one of his feet and is unlikely to race again this season. Nightwatch, in the same stable, has

f one wrong in one of his forelegs. This is exceedingly bad luck for Sir Geo. Clifford, as the colt was galloping in rare style before the mishap. G. Scobie has just broken in the two-year-old gelding by Menschikoff from Savoga, and the three-year-old gelding by Delaware from Polly Prim, both of whom were bred in Australia.’ They are a promising pair, and should both be capable of winning races next reason.

The Elevation colt Veritas, in Cutts’ stable, is still confined to his box, not

having recovered from the injuries he received when racing at Dunedin. Mr. Rutherford’s jumper, Daylight Bill, has been getting through some satisfactory work at Riccarton since his return from Dunedin. The racing he had at Wingatui has evidentlysmartened his jumping up considerabl v.

The high-priced yearling filly by Signor from Oriaua, purchased for Mr. A. W. Rutherford at the Bushy Park sales, has arrived at Riccarton. She goes into McAulay’s stable to be broken in and trained.

Judith, the three-year-old sister to Thrax, showed a lot of pace in the Hawera Hack Handicap at Motukarara on Thursday, but she fizzled out badly at the finish. It has not been decided whether or not Thrax will go to Waimate. It is getting too close to the autumn meeting at Riccarton to be going away from home.

Since being recommissioned, Merry Lass has been jumped, and her displays over the battens have been of a highly satisfactory nature. The two yearlings in McAulay’s stable, one by Downham—Neva and the other by Treadmill—lngleneuk,

have been ridden, and have taken kindly to the work.

Con the Shaughran was given another trial over the pony hurdles on Saturday with White Cockade as schoolmaster, and gave a much better display than the latter, who stuck his two toes in at the second fence and refused to jump. Buster was then sent to give a lead, and Con the Shaughran jumped after him in much improved style.

Two of R. J. Mason’s team, Cherubini and Emperador, have been nominated at the Auckland Easter meeting. Emperador is also nominated for the Easter and Autumn Handicaps at Riccarton. Cherubini was not nominated for the two big races at our meeting, but he is engaged in the Challenge Stakes, of seven furlongs, the second day.

Mowbray and Salzburg, Mr. J. B. Reid’s pair of smart three-year-olds, are now being trained by J. Prosser. There was a lamentable lack of stand accommodation at the Akaroa meeting, and quite a number of the onlookers saw little of the actual racing. Next season it is proposed to make use of a hill just behind the grandstand for viewing the races. Gold Seeker, who won the hurdle race at Motukarara, is a full-brother to Autumnus, but lacks his younger relative’s brilliancy. The son of Treadmill was purchased by his present owner some years ago for lOgns., and is a most proficient jumper.

Ouite the outstanding performance witnessed at Motukarara was that of Valhalla, who is credited with running six furlongs in the Maiden Plate in the phenomenal time for that course of lmin. 13 3-ssec. If the time and distance can be accepted as correct, it looks as if a Great Easter or Stewards' Handicap should have been well within the gelding’s capabilities. Glen'finnan’s display in the Peninsula Cup stamps him as an arrant quitter, for turning into the straight his defeat looked almost impossible, but when tackled by Flower of the West and Thrax he compounded like a pricked balloon.

Only for mis Faking the position of the judge’s box L. Hegarty would probably have won the hurdle race on Sunbeam at Motukarara. He mistook a post nearly 100 yards up the course for the finish, and eased his mount up. When he realised his mistake it v» as too late to get Sunbeam going again, with the result that Gold Seeker won by a neck.

The race for the Peninsula Cup at the Akaroa Racing Club’s meeting proved an excellent one, and Flower of the West, served by her tight impost, just managed to defeat J?hrax, who had 331 b. the worst of the weight. Mr. Buchanan’s gelding, nicely handled by F. E. Jones, ran a really good race, but found the big weight just beyond his capabilities. Flower of the West was imported from England by her owner, Mr. A. Boyle, and Saturday’s race marked her first appearance in a race over a distance. She finished very nicely, and should win more races when the class is not too high.

R. -Berry is still leading for top place in the jockeys’ list, but Deeley, H. Gray, Bell, Olsen, Conquest, and others have good averages. Deeley stands the best chance of catching Berry, as he is closer on his track now than he has been since the New Year. Traill has a good lead or Julian as a rider of jumping races.

LATER. The English-bred stallion Varco died at Mr. Harvey Patterson’s stud farm on Saturday as the result of a rupture. Varco was by Marco from Vara, and had at least one smart representative in the two-year-old Balboa.

Gold Seeker, who won the Hurdle Handicap at Motukarara, has been placed under the care of the Riccarton trainer J. A. Bridges to prepare for future engagements.

Salathiel, the chestnut gelding by Coronet—Rutana, who recently arrived at Riccarton from the Taranaki district and joined W. Pine’s team, has improved considerably in looks since his arrival, and has also shown himself to possess a good turn of pace.

Thrax was on the track on Monday morning looking none the worse for the hard race he had in the Akaroa Cup last week. He is not going to contest the Waimate Cup, and will not race again until the local autumn meeting.

The Martian —Grand Opera gelding Tannhauser has resumed work after a spell, during which he was given a light blistering in front. He is very much on the - jolly side, but like most of the Martians does not take a great deal of work to get ready for racing. He will hardly be at his best by Easter time.