CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1367, 6 July 1916, Page 13

CANTERBURY.

Sartosta’s Satisfactory Schooling Efforts —Charmilia to be Retired to Stud—Mr. G. L. Stead’s Trio of Yearlings—Bee’s Harsh Treatment in Australian Spring Handicaps— The C.J.C. Grand National Nominations—Art and Banian Leave This Week for Trentham —Daylight Bill Amiss. (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. A lot of rain has fallen during the past week and the tracks at Riccarton are decidedly on the heavy side for galloping. This has resulted in little work outside jumping tasks being indulged in. Sartosta continues to get through satisfactory schooling tasks at Riccarton, and she should play her part well in some of the minor jumping events at the C.J.C. meeting. On Thursday morning she went much better than Trireme in a task over four flights of hurdles, the latter spoiling his effort by getting too close to the obstacles. Trainer J. McCombe has recently broken in a promising Australianbred yearling by Cakewalk. The attempt to get Charmilia ready to race again has not been successful, and she will be retired to Mr. J. B. Reid’s stud, near Oamaru.

R. O’Donnell is busy with a trio of rising two-year-olds the property of Mr. G. L. Stead. They are: Ample, by Rokeby—Miss Dalrymple; Perform, by Boniform —Pedometer; and Red Rock, by Rokeby — Red Rose. Mr. Stead has given up all idea of sending Wishful over to the Australian J.C. spring meeting. Chortle and Nones are not badly treated in the A.J.C. Epsom Handicap, but Bee has been altogether too highly assessed. It is reported that her connections are very dissatisfied with the weight allotted her in all the Australian big spring events. The omission of El Gallo and Te Onga from - the Grand National Steeplechase is to be deplored, and will detract from the interest of the race. All things considered, the entries received for the Grand National meeting must be regarded as satisfactory, though, they show a falling off in the aggregate of 21 compared with last year’s figures. As usual, North Island stables are the biggest contributors, and it would come as no surprise to see their representatives again get away with the leading events. The only Riccarton representatives in the big cross-country races are Daylight Bill and Oratonu —a testimony to the weakness of the local stables in jumpers. Neither are by any means high-class, and Daylight Bill has done little work since getting knocked out at the Wanganui winter meeting.

Included in the entrants for the three cross-country events at the C.J.C. National meeting is an Australian representative in El Progresso, one of the most proficient ’chasers at present racing in the Commonwealth. Twelve months ago

two Australian representatives in Clontaft and Plymouth were nominated for the Riccarton events, but neither competed. Despite the reports of her recent breakdown, Immensity has been engaged in the chief cross-country events at the Grand National meeting. Rorke’s Drift, Awahou, Arlington, Kooya, and Vladian all claim engagements in the Grand National Hurdle Race and Winter Cup. So far no pronouncement has been made as to which race Rorke’s Drift will take part in, but opinion prevails that the Winter Cup will be his special mis sion. Black Lupin, who effected a surprise victory in the Final Handicap at Hastings on Saturday, claims an engagement in the Winter Cup at Riccarton. Art and Banian, both of whom claim engagements in hurdle events at the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting, are to be sent North on Thursday next. They will be followed by Comely, Bomb, Battle Eve, and Flying Start. After doing easy work at Riccarton on Saturday morning, Daylight Bill was decidedly lame, and there is little chance of him being able to fulfil his engagement in the Grand National Steeplechase. This will leave Oratonu as the only local candidate in the big cross-country event.