THE CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB HANDICAP OF 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1978, 26 June 1880, Page 3

THE CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB HANDICAP OF 1880.

Br Sikbad.

{Concluded.)

Sylvanus, by Goldsborough, is one of the three colts imported last year from Sydney by Mr Prince. But for his going amiss I fancy he would ere this have proved himself quite as speedy as his shipmates, Hilarious and Sir Garnet. Indeed, when I saw him shortly after his arrival, he struok me as looking more likely to make a stayer than the other two. He is in at 6st 121 b, as is also Morpheus, the colt by Castaway out of Somnambula. This colt, unless my memory deceives me, is the sole progeny of old Somnambula. He has, like all Opera stock, a beautiful forehand, and a chest and shoulders that look like racing, but on the other hand he has the fatal prime legacy of rather mean gaskins and quarters. That he will make a racehorse I have little doubt, but he strikes me as being a big overgrown youngster, and as likely to appear to more advantage as a five than as a three-year-old. His present owners are quite clever enough to arrive before the meeting at a fair conclusion as to his merits, the more so as they have several ancient tutors in their school capable of examining candidates over any range, long or short. (Holderness (by Daniel O'Bourke out of Skybird) and Badsworth (by Daniel O'Bourke out of Fair Agnes) are both at present tenanting boxes at the Bush Inn stable. Of the two, so far as appearances go, I infinitely prefer Holderness, and as Badsworth is a Derby candidate, which the other one is not, it is most probable that Holderness will represent his owner in the raoa under notice He will, I should imagine, make his first appearance in this event, and as Mr Webb has all the winter in front of him, it is only to be presumed that, if he stand his work, he will come very fit to the post. He is a grandly shaped colt, and will, I am pretty sure, make a racehorse. The Fancy colt, who is also in at 6at 121 b, is by Anteros, and is the property of Mr Donne. By the time these lines go to press he will, I think, have commenced his preparation under the tutorship of Diok Mason at Taldhurst. Never having seen him, I can but say that if his appearance should turn out in accordance with his breeding he should be a goodish colt. Zulu (6st 121bs) is not a very prepossessing looking colt, but he is nicely bred, being by Daniel O'Bourke out of Wainui. He has, I presume, from leg considerations, never appeared in public, but from the fact that he has been kept on in work and nominated for this event by an owner who makes very few mistakes about his cattle, I presume he must be a useful horse. We now come to the three Auckland representatives—Beanstalk, Moonstone, and Prince Charlie. Beanstalk (6at 121bs) is by the imported horse F6ve, out of Atalanta, who must not be confounded with Mr Delamain's old mare (the dam of Punga.) The Atalanta under notice was bred by Captain Walmsley in Auckland, and is by the well-known Dainty Ariel out of the imported mare Moonshine, who, Traducer excepted, is, so far as I am aware, the only descendant of The Libel in these colonies. The performances of this colt will be eagerly watched by breeders, as not only will it be interesting to note the performances of a descendant of The Libel, but in Beanstalk as well as Moonstone we shall see for the first time the progeny of F<3ve performing on a public course. Almost the same remarks apply to Moonstone (6st 121 b), as he is also by F6ve out of Moonbeam, another daughter of The Libel mare Moonshine, by Pacific Moonstone made his debut in the Ellerslie Plate at the reosnt Auckland Autumn Meeting, but was never formidable during the race. Prince Charlie (6at 121 b) is the property of Mr Buckland, and is by Papapa (the Canterbury Derby winner of 1873) out of Una, the dam of Ariel (the Canterbury Cup winner of 1877). He, like several of his contemporaries in the race under notice, is also a candidate for Derby honors, but in any event his only appearance on the turf so far, namely, at the Auckland Autumn Meeting, where he was unplaced in the EllersJie Plate above-mentioned, was not of a character to induoe the belief that he will emulate the deeds of either his sire Papapa or his halE-brother Ariel. Saunterer has run on one or two occasions with a fair amount of success, and probably will again where the company is not too good. On this occasion I can only saj- I think he will bo out-olassed. Of Sir Garnei (6at lOlbB), further than to say that he has

nothing to complain of the weight allotted to him, it is hard to know what to think. His breeding, being by Yattendon out of Petrel, is exceptionally good. He showed a capital turn of foot in the last Weloome Stakes (won by his stable companion, Hilarious), but was unplaced in the .Railway Plate and Selling Raoe at the same meeting. His trial form orevious to these performances was, I am given to understand, excellent, and as he looked to me at the time a very likely one to furnish into a stayer, I Bhould oonsider Mr Prince's second string to be equally, if not more formidable than Hilarious,.who, I may say, seems to be rather fancied by the stable. Lure(6st lOlbs) is a filly not to be despised. Her relatives, Lurline and Castaway, could both get long courses, and so could Malice when in the humor. Whether Le Loup can or not is a problem yet to be solved, but Lure showed a great turn of foot as a two-year old, and seems to be a rapidly improving mare, and though the season will scarcely be in her favor, her claims for support in a race of this description cannot be overlooked by those sportsmen who fancy a good two-year old performer bred from a sire and dam whose union bo far has proved exceptionally successful. Luna (6st 91bs) is nicely in. A six-year old who has secured in her time more than one winning bracket should surely cry content with such an impost, but so far as I oan recollect this big daughter of tho handsome little Flying Fish has never yet got to the end of two miles, with the exception tho Redcastle Handicap at the Oamaru meeting. Her opponents on that occasion (Chancellor and Titania) are both of the fickle order, and her performance can scarcely be considered a very fair criterion of her staying abilities. Thus it is that I shall continue to prefer this raare for short courses, over which she has continually proved herself to be well suited. Of Sir George (6st 91bs) it is, like many more of the youngsters engaged, impossible as the present time to speak at all positively. That he ran a really good calt for I the last Welcome Stakes thoße who were there will readily allow. His victory in the Blenheim Sapling Stakes does not put much to his oredit, as his only opponent appears to have been an invalid, but he seems to have run a good second to Balmoral in the Forced Handicap. As the winner is known, when in the humour, to be a very fast horse over the distance, which by the way is a little far for a two-year-old, I cannot but think that this son of little Daniel O'Rourke will be likely to make a very useful colt during the coming season. Whether he is quite class enough to meot the more highly bred ones opposed to him or not remains to be seen; but it must be recollected that as a two-year-old, coming as he did just off a sea voyage, he proved himself nearly as good as the best, and if well brought out, I should never bo surprised to see him make it very merry for some of his contemporaries at the forthcoming meeting. As he is not engaged in the Derby, it is to be presumed that should he put in an appearance, he will be a sure starter for the race under notice. Vampire (6st 71b), has little to complain of on the score of weight; but though possessed of plenty of pace, I think this game little son of The Barb is far better suited over a short course, which remark also applies in a far greater degree to the other Australian, Laertes, who is in at the same weight. With regard to the latter, one might almost quote—- " 'Tis the voice of the trainer, I heard him complain, We don't know his form—we must try him again." But " The Frog," as ho has been christened, has been tried so many times since his arrival here over all sorts of courses, that it now seems as if there were little chance of his going back to his Australian form. He was perhaps in better nick at Auckland than on any other occasion during his Maori career; but even there he died right away in the last hundred yards. Maligner (6st 7U>b) must show very different form to that hitherto exhibited by him to have any chance of scoring many honors. He is, however, a horse I know but little of. The Governor (Set 71bs) would, I should imagine, be more likely to try his chance in the race for the " Blue Ribbon " than in this. ShouH his owner decide on sending him for the longer course and the bigger money, I consider his show would be a very good one. He proved himself possessed of fair pace at the Autumn Meeting, totably in the Nursery Handicap, where he ran second to Lure, and he has now every appearance of furnishing into a big powerful colt. Unless I am greatly mistaken he should stay well. The high priced Traducer—Waimea colt, Leveller, is another of the 6at 71bs division. He is a grand looking colt, and in good hands. If one were to judge from two-year-old performances alone, there are other of his contemporaries whose chances I should prefer, but I think that he, as well as his old opponent The Governor, will appear to more advantage in the- coming season than in the past. It is to be hoped that this will prove to be the oase, and I am sure that no victory will be more popular than that of the gentleman who has recently elected to raoe under the name of " Mr T. George." Of tho filly by Castaway, out of Sweetbriar (6st 71bs), it is impossible to say much. It must, however, be recollected that Chancellor, a very close relative of this filly, has won this event on one occasion, and on the year previous only lost it by a head. The filly by Daniel O'Rourke, out of Malvina (6st 71bs), will be tho first of the game old mare's stock to appear in public. She is at present quartered at the Bush Inn stables, and is a very promising youngster. At Spring Creek is Amy (6st 71bs), by Daniel O'Rourke out of old Toi Toi, the well known dam of Kakapo and Hornby. Whether the Daniel O'Rourke cross will niok as well as that of Diomedes and Songster remains to be seen, but her owner is very sanguine that such will be the oase. The filly by Castaway out of Amohia (6st 71bs) also tenants a box at the Spring Creek stables. As a youngster she was particularly promising, and if anything like her half sister by Totara at Russley, she ought to bo a grand filly. Prunella (6st 71bs) is one of the yearlings imported to Auokland from Sydney by Mr Perkins and is by Goldsborough out of Titania by New'Warrior —Io by Sir Heroules—Flora Molvor. If breeding goes for anything she should be a right good 'un, but, as far as I am aware, she has never yet appeared in public. Hippona (6st 71bs) is by Traitor out of the aristocratic Gilda, who, in her turn, iB _ by Ravensworth out of old Mermaid. Gilda herself was not a success on the turf, and her first foal, Dione, would not from her performances, up to the present, induce the belief that her younger sister, who owns Traitor instead of Traducer as a sire, will turn out anything extraordinary; but for her owner's sake I hope it may be otherwise. Nautilus (6st 71bo) is the property of the same owner, and is by Traduoer out of Waterwitch, thus being own sißter to Natator, to whom, it struck mo at the time of her Bale, she boro a close resemblance. She, as well as Leveller, is engaged in the Derby, and the whole trio are undergoing their preparation under the care of Ohaffe, at Mr Kitohing's station, at Moa flat. Nautilus' only public performance, so far, was at tho Dnnedin Birthday meeting, where in the Maiden Hate of li miles, in very heavy ground, she ran a very respectable second to the Außtralian-bred Playboy. This must be considered a most satisfactory debut, and well brought out as Bhe undoubtedly will be by Ohaffe, Natator's sister will, I should say, be well worth watching during the season so shortly to commence. Mischief, who is the last of the 6st 71bs contingent, is by Albany out of Malice. Malice's two other foals, Merlin and Midge, have not, bo far, proved themselves of the first order. They were both, however, by Blue Boy, and Albany, who, when he has a chance, seems able to get racehorses, may perhaps, produce a better result, _ the more so as, so far as looks go, Mischief is a really well shaped filly. Virginia Water (6it 21b) showed at ;the last Autumn meeting a good turn of foot, and it is only natural to suppose that this daughter of Traducer and Wave will improve very materially by November. Still I cannot but think that she will be better suited over short courses, in which style of event I fancy she would always he bad to beat. The above remarks apply also more or less to the Miss Flat filly (6it). With tho exception of the Welcome Stakes, on which occasion she was left at the post, this young lady has not yet made her entree into the racing world, but there is no question that in her private work she over and over again showed great pace. Her dam, Mibb Fiat, was perhaps one of the 'speediest sprint mares that ever performed en a New Zealand raoecourse. She was one of the nervous sort, however, and will be long remembered by thoße gentlemen who had tho pleasure of starting her. Her daughter, while inheriting her pace, appears also to have her dam's fidgetty temperament, and even if this be overcome I should ever question her being a stayer. The Sludge filly is now owned by a gentleman who I should be indeed glad to congratulate on winning a

good stake, either with this or any other ' animal, but I fear me that this descendant of Gitana is utterly oat of place in a race of this description. Borneo (6»t), who closes the list, can on public performance have no chance in this event, and I fancy that before long he will be relegated to the croBS country business, for which from his conformation he is admirably adapted. So far, on the supposition of course that they come to the post fit and well, I fancy Mata, Fißhhook, Foul Ploy, Maritana, Betrayer, and Piniire amongst the top division ; and Hilarious, Vampire, and Holderness among the light weights.