CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1291, 21 January 1915, Page 11

CANTERBURY.

Corrie to be Tried Over Big Country— Tannhauser on Easy List —Quarantine Again Amiss—Horseman’s Exciting Experience—Battle Eve Getting Back to Form —Bee Suffering From a Swollen Throat—C.J.C. Nominations for Summer Meeting— Death of English-bred Stallion Rokeby.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. Frequent rains are helping to keep the Riccarton tracks in splendid order, and except that they were debarred the use of the grass, trainers had excellent galloping ground to try out their charges before leaving for Wellington. At the time of writing all rhe horses intended for the Northern fixture have taken their departure, and the contingent should give a good account of itself. In the meantime, the local tracks are again depleted, and they are likely to remain so till after Trentham. C. Emmerson will do most of the riding for R. J. Mason’s stable at the Wellington meeting. He will also put up a few pounds overweight to take the mount on Peg in the Wellington Cup. That game mare Corrie is to be given a chance to earn distinction over big country next winter —a branch of the sport that such a great stayer and proficient jumper should do well at. Warstep is again in strong work at Riccarton, and from the way she puts it all over anything that is asked to gallop with her it is quite evident that

the Auckland Cup winner has lost nothing of her brilliancy. I hear there is little chance of her changing ownership, and Aynsley is now getting her ready for the Dunedin Cup. Mr. C. G. Daigety possesses a full-sister to his great mare Warstep who has not yet made an appearance on the Riccarton tracks. The Australian horseman, W. Scobie, has taken service with F. Smith, and in future will act as first jockey for that mentor. (Tannhauser has again gone wrong and has been thrown out of work. Martian’s son will be given a good rest, and it is probable that he will then be schooled over hurdles. Provided he takes to the jumping game he should make a big name in that department, as he is far ahead of the average hurdle class in the matter of galloping. A recent Sydney importation in Mulcum in Parvo, by Murillo from Pride, who recently became a member of r’. Longley s active brigade, has shown marked improvement since beingplaced under chat mentor’s care. She is not a big one, but is a nice mover, and may be given a run at the C.J.C* midsummer meeting. Old Coroniform is being daily exercised round the roads, and hopes are entertained of the son of Multiform standing another preparation. His forelegs still bear a decidedly enlarged appearance, and it will not be

surprising if he soon retires again permanently. Owhetoro is to be given a chance to make a name for himself as a hurdler, a branch of the sport that he seems well adapted for. That good but unlucky horse Quarantine has again gone amiss, and it has been decided to give him a lengthy spell. Athenic, the gigantic son of Charlemagne 11., who was operated on recently for throat trouble, still makes a noise when galloping. He has done a lot of work lately, but is too slow off the mark ever to do much good in short races. A few mornings ago J. Beale had a rather exciting experience at Riccarton while riding Killaloo out on to the track. The bridle broke, and the bit coming out of the horse’s mouth he galloped through the crossing out on to the road. On turning the corner into Epsom Road Beale, who was attempting to get hold of the horse’s nose, fell off. Fortunately he escaped with only a slight shaking, and was little the worse for the uncomfortable adventure. Killaloo, who galloped on down the road, made for Jones’ stables in Middle Park Road, where he was captured, also none the worse for the unusual incident. The Finland —Demurska gelding Findhorn has been galloping pleasingly of late, and it was unfortunate that a slightly ricked shoulder prevented him accompanying Fabrikoff and Flower of the West to the Wellington meeting. Battle Eve is coming into form again, and galloped freely over three furlongs in company with Adjutant twice last week. He should be an improved colt by the autumn. Carolus has been exhibiting symptoms of soreness since he raced at Timaru, and hi s trainer, H. Thomson, has decided to treat the son of Charlemagne 11. to a short respite. Flora McDonald, an inmate of the same stable, has been blistered, and is to be treated to a lengthy spell. Holiday, the smart two-year-old daughter of Varco and Flitaway, has been restricted to steady pacing during the past week, and continues to exhibit slight symptoms of lameness, the result of hitting one of her fore joints a short time back. Bee is suffering from a swollen throat and is causing her trainer, R. Longley, some little anxiety. The hurdler Kingsway, who burst both hind feet at Oamaru, has been sent home for a spell. Amongst the Chokebore team for the Wellington meeting is a very promising juvenile in Harlequin, a two-year-old colt full-brother to Miss Mischief and Counterfeit. Like his two sisters he is on the small side, but he shows more quality and has his share of the family pace. He ricked his off hind leg some little time back and is tender on it. This, coupled with greenness, may interfere With his chance of winning a race, but with a little racing experience be will be hard to beat. The summer meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club has never been a popular one with outside owners, and the entries received last Friday were no better nor worse than those usually forthcoming for this meeting. Most of the horses are sheltered in Canterbury stables, but as usual the names of the cracks are missing. Eleven including three fairly well-known outside performers in United Service, Ogier and Roumania, figure in the Midsummer Handicap. The Craven Plate has drawn a serviceable field, which contains the names of Banksia, Reval Mount victoria, Fabrikoff, Meltchickoff and Ogier, while the Trial Stakes bids fair to attract a record crowd Nine stables are represented by the 13 two and three-year-olds that stand their ground in the Middle Park Plate, this indicates a still further reduction m the size of the field, especially as some of these horses have evidently been left -in through inadvertence. Lven so, the field is likely to be quite as strong numerically as in previous years and none of the likely starters are ol outstanding merit. The death of the English-bred stalion Rokeby, which occurred at the Burnside Stud, Oamaru, on Friday, will be a distinct loss to the thoroughbred breeding industry of the Domin- • , The son Of Rock Sand and Aida was brought out from Home by Mr L t. Reid in 1912, and mci g,. no’ ’ of his progeny have as yet faced the starter it is quite evident that their good qualities have greatly impressed owners, as at the last November sales three of them made an average of 360 guineas apiece. Rokeby was by the same sire as Tracery, whose deeds on the English turf a few seasons

ago brought Rock Sand into extreme favour with breeders. The loss is a severe one, as his representative was only a young horse, having been foaled in 1907, and he seemed to have a particularly bright career before han at the Burnside Stud. Though Bee has been kept up to the collar of late, she is suffering from a bad throat, which is causing her trainer a good deal of trouble. There is little chance of her racing again till the autumn. For some time past Olga Carlovna has been giving her trainer a lot of trouble, the injury being in one of her front fetlock joints. At present she is being spelled to see if that will affect a remedy. The hurdler Salathiel has been showing symptoms of lameness in the shoulder lately, and his trainer will have a hard task to get him ready for autumn racing.

A promising two-year-cld ge'ding by Martian from Irish Girl has lately joined P. McGrath’s team. He will not be raced till next season, his owner having determined to give him plenty of time. Gnome is right off colour at present, and has been galloping without the least heart.

First Glance will probably make her next appearance in the Dunedin Cup, and it will be interesting to see how she will shape in a mile and a-half race.

The Riccarton Course Committee has at length decided to extend the water service to the scraping sheds, an innovation that will be greatly appreciated by trainers.

Since his return from the West Coast, Sea King has been turned out and will not be taken up again till the autumn.