CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1313, 24 June 1915, Page 11

CANTERBURY.

Matters Quiet at Riccarton —The ’Chaser Daylight Bill—Recruits to the Jumping Business — Xanthos Resumes Work —Teviotdale Rejoins Active Brigade—Mr. D. Rutherford’s Trio for the Wellington Meeting— Ngatiruanui Showing Splendid Form Over the Big Fences —Jumping at Riccarton—The Waimate Hunt Club’s Point-to-Point Meeting. (By Telegraph—Christchurch Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. Matters have been decidedly dull at Riccarton during the past week, as the tracks have been too heavy to permit of fast work, and during a lengthy experience I have never known Canterbury to be so badly off in the matter of jumpers as at the present . time. Daylight Bill is the only ’chaser with the least qualifications, and at present he is under a cloud. doing a schooling lesson last Saturday he knocked one of his knees, and has only done the lightest of tasks since. Fortunately he is in very forward condition, and as the injury is only a slight one it should not interfere with his Wellington or Riccarton prospects.

White Cockade and Cast Iron have both been schooled over the big fences, but so far there has been nothing to enthuse over in their displays.

Amongst tb Q locally trained hurdlers, Corrie scaiids out in a class by herself. On her return from Auckland she was slightly sore, and has been having an easy time in consequence. This determined Hobbs not to take her to Wellington, but she can be counted as an almost certain starter in the Grand National Hurdles.

Amongst the recruits to the jumping business are Troon, Ladrone and Moddite, but none of them give much promise unless it be the first-named. After being spelled for several weeks the two-year-old Xanthos has

rejoined R. J. Mason’s active brigade. The doubtfully bred son of Sunglow looks in nice ordei- to start work.

Bee and Multum in Parvo are to be shipped to Sydney shortly. A return to her best form would make the former a valuable proposition for pony racing.

After a lengthy spell the Achilles gelding Teviotdale has rejoined W. McDonald’s active brigade at Riccarton.

A large number of rising two-year-olds are at present receiving the rudiments of their education at Riccarton. Strange to say, several of them are already showing signs of lameness, though the tracks are by no means hard.

Mr. D. Rutherford intends sending Daylight Bill, Free and Snowraker north for the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting, and the firstnamed figures in both the chief steeplechase events.

Though the Chokebore stable shelters the biggest team of thoroughbreds of any training establishment in the Dominion, it has not a single representative for the Wellington meeting.

The Gienapp two-year-old Fiery Cross, who showed promising form at the . Ashburton meeting, has been taken up again. Floweret, the speedy two-year old daughter of San Francisco and Kirriemuir, has joined the active brigade at Chokebore Lodge.

Ngatiruanui, who is now owned by the Timaru sportsman, Mr. P. Elworthy, is reported to be showing splendid form over the big fences. He has been engaged in the Wellington Steeplechase, and will also contest the Grand National Steeplechase. Athenic showed to advantage with The Cornet in a gallop over six furlongs at Riccarton on Saturday morning, and with a strong horseman on his back the big son of Charlemagne 11. is sure to win a race during the winter months if rightly placed. Free got to the end of half a mile in 50 3-ssec, a really good gallop considering the state of the track.

Ladrone and Moddite were given a schooling task over six flights of hurdles on Saturday morning, but there was nothing very attractive about their displays.

Having been fortunate enough to secure a totalisator permit the Waimate District Hunt have decided to make use of it at a steeplechase meeting on July 29. The sum of £2OO will be distributed in stake money, besides which two ten-guinea cups will be attached to each of the leading events. Mr. J. E. Henrys will frame the handicaps, and Mr. A. G. Woods has been appointed starter. The Waimate Hunt Club held a most successful point-to-point meeting last Wednesday afternoon, the fixture attracting plenty of competitors and a good number of spectators. The chief event was the Heavyweight Steeplechase, which went to Mr. C. L. Orbell’s well-known ’chaser Laghmor, who was handled to great advantage by his owner. He was. followed home by Mr. E. Harrison’s Meliboeus, another well-known follower to hounds in the district, while third place went to Mr. H. Bennett’s Kauri. In the lightweight division Bay Lupin proved victorious, beingfollowed home by his stable mate, Toby. The latter was ridden by a Mr. Armstrong, and his handling of Toby was made the grounds of a protest. There was an interestingfinish in the Farmers’ Race, which ended in favour of Mr. J. M. Rattray’s Bawbee, with Platinum and Landashore filling the places.

LATER. Sauci’s V.R.C. Hurdles Engagement— Napier Steeplechase Candidates’ Prospects—Two-year-old Margarine Joins Active Brigade. The cause of First Flight’s sudden decease has not been made public, but shrewd judges at Riccarton attribute it to heart disease. Word has been received that Sauci is to be given a good preparation for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles. Before leaving Riccarton he did a fair amount of schooling, and quite satisfied his owner as to his jumpingability. Tim Doolan is on the improve, and should be at his best by the time the V.R.C. National meeting comes round.

Though Mr. Greenwood has made extensive entries for the Australian Jockey Club’s spring meeting his trainer, R. J. Mason, is not at all sanguine of taking any of his charges over to Sydney, as he considers they are not a good enough proposition.

Even so, it would some as no surprise to see the veteran make his usual winter exodus to the sunny clime of Sydney. Should he remain at home Mason will devote his energies to the early New Zealand meetings.

Taking a line through his two displays at Hastings The Diver seems well treated in the Napier Steeples, and on their form in the big crosscountry event he should be capable of turning the tables on Soporific, who will be without the services of his usual pilot, Thompson. Daylight Bill has a full share of weight at 11.12, and through Glenmcre is harshly treated. At Hastings there was only 51b between the pair, and Glenmore ran a fair third. Now for not starting the Canterbury representative is asked to concede Glenmore 101 b. There is no chance of the grey making the trip to Napier, but the treatment accorded him does not augur too well for his Trentham prospects, unless Mr. Coyle modifies his opinion of him in the interim. Though Moddite and Snowraker

have been engaged in the minor hurdle events at the Wellington meeting their work at Riccarton does not suggest either of them showing to advantage with the colours up. Another addition to W. McDonald’s team is the gelding Reveller, by Nautiform —Hilarity, who is now a regular attendant at headquarters. Margarine, the two-year old daughter of Marxian and Starshot, has joined R. Derrett s active brigade. After a lengthy retirement Martius (brother to Margarine), Findhorn and Fabrikoff are other members of Derrett’s team that are now in active commission. The Birkenhead filly Samisen has been put into work again by A. McAulay, and she will be got ready for spring racing. Slogan has been engaged in some of the minor flat races at the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting, and, judging by the satisfactory nature of his track work, he should be well worth following at Trentham.