CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1572, 10 June 1920, Page 13

CANTERBURY.

Riccarton Tracks Deserted — Local Candidates do Well at Dunedin Meeting — Form of Steeplechasers at Wingatui — Racing Dates Difficulty. (Telegraph—Christchurch Correspondent) During the past week the Riccarton tracks have been ciuite deserted. They have been altogether too heavy for fast work, while a number of trainers have been away at the Dunedin meeting. R. J. Mason is keeping Gloaming. Karo, and the juvenile members of his proposed Australian team going, but has not been able to gallop them

for over a week. They are all well forward, and should be about ready to race when landed in Sydney. Just as to when they will be able to take their departure is problematical. The embargo on transhipping horses from the South to the North Island may interfere with Mason’s arrangements, but he may be able to catch the Melbourne boat direct from Lyttelton. Cutts Brothers have done little with their team of late, but when the tracks become firmer the juvenile members will be hurried along. Amythas and Arrowsmith are at present on the easy list, but both will be recommissioned as soon as the tracks are in galloping order. Riccarton-trained horses did fairly well at the Dunedin meeting, and most of them are back again at headquarters. Gaylight and Hylans fought out an interesting finish in the Otago Hurdles. The latter was kept too far back in the early stages of the race, otherwise he may have reversed positions with Gaylight. The latter is a smart jumper, and is very fast on the flat, but though he is to be nominated for the Grand National Hurdle Race, the journey is sure to trouble him. Merrie Lad did not jump with his accustomed cleverness in his races at Wingatui, and it was only Hegarty’s clever riding that got him round the course.

Master Strowan will return to

Riccarton and remain there till after the Grand National meeting. Crib showed a return to his very best form by winning the principal steeplechase events on the second and third days of the Dunedin meeting. His jumping was just as smart as ever, and it would appear that his respiratory troubles have been cured. In the Dunedin Steeplechase he and his stablemate, San Sebastian, promised to fight out a great finish till the latter toppled over at the post and rails. Both are to be nominated for the Grand National Steeplechase, and on recent form Crib is sure to play his part well. With the exception of Master Strowan, none of the North Island horses at the Dunedin meeting raced up to expectations. All Talk was well beaten a long way from home in the Otago Hurdles, and his running suggests that he is not so good as claimed by his many admirers. Diavo.lo showed plenty of pace in his cross-country engagements, but, like Gang Awa’, proved to be deficient in stamina. Master Strowan came down at the very first fence in the Dunedin Steeplechase on Saturday, while Diavolo was very tired at the end of a mile and a-half. At, the annual meeting of the Geraldine Racing Club it was stated by the secretary (Mr. Kennedy) that he had applied for Sentember 30 and October 1 as the dates for the annual meeting, but the Dunedin Club wanted the Kurow meetin °- fixed for Sentember 30 instead of October 7, and he had strongly protested to the Dunedin Club. Another difficulty was that Amberley wanted September 27 for its meeting. It was resolved to adhere to September 30 and October 1 for. the Geraldine meeting, and that a protest be sent to the Racing Conference against Amberley racing on September 27.