Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 196, 2 April 1904, Page 20

Turf Topics.

By the 'Old Un."

THE Christchurch Jockey Club's Easter meeting has hitherto drawn a number of North Island horses toßiccarton, but this year, from some cause or other, Northern owners are conspicuous by their absence. Convoy, Achilles, Exmoor, Ostiak. Starshoot, Ghoorka Rawiri, Float, Kaharoa, Melodeon, Levonaa, Full Cry, and Field Battery were handicapped, with the result that only the latter pair have accepted. Full Cry will probably be the only North Island representative at the G.J.C. Easter meeting, as Field Battery will be taken to Feilding. The Canterbury fixture is sure to suffer through the absence of Northern horses, their owners, and followers, and the club will probably take steps to see that better inducements m the way of avoirdupois are offered owners from this island in the future. The principal handicaps — the Great Easter and Great Autumn— have a number of fair horses engaged. Martian, a Yaldhurst-trained colt, is a strong favourite in certain well-informed quarters for both events. Bulawayo, who recently made a run-away race of the Dunedin Cv- has been backed by ms party to win the double, and is sure to run well. Red Gauntlet also, on hia Dunedin form, must be held in great respect. Kremlin, Grand Rapids, and Martian are likewise nicely handicapped. In the absence of public performances, there is nothing to guide one in calculating the chances of the Yaldharst representatives, and, althoughthev may start favourites, I am not going to recommend 1 them to my readers. Bulawayo, Kremlin and Red Gauntlet are a trio that, on recent form, should provide the winner of the Easter Handicap, and they may finish as follows : — Red Gauntlet, 1 Kremlin, 2 Bulawayo, 3. The Autumn Handicap, one and a-half miles, is run on the second day, and the winner of the Easter Handicap will

carry 141b penalty. Red Gauntlet, Bui a way o, Cannie Chiel. Canteen, and Sychem should include the winner, and my selections are . — Cannie Chiel, 1 Red Gatjntlet, 2 Canteen, 3. If Red Gauntlet incurs a, penalty by roason of his winning the Easter Handicap, I would substitute Bulawayo for th" Great Autumn. The Auckland Easter meeting should r>i oviie some interesting racing. The Century Stakes will, however, be robbed of much of its interest, through the absence of the Porirua champion, Achilles, who, unfoitunately, is suffering from a slight attack of strangles, and has not gone North. Mr. J. Prosser took Ghoorka and the two-year-old Boris to Auckland last week, and the former will run in the Easter Handicap, and, perhaps, the Century Stakes. Boris will represent the stable in the Northern Champagne Stakes. The Auckland Easter Handicap, one mile, includes Wamki lOst 21b, Romeo Bst 61b, Starshoot Bst 51b, and Uxioorka Bst 3lb, and I would take the quartette against the field. Starshoot has some excellent deeds to his credit and should be the hardest to beat. I place them : — Starshoot. 1 Ghoobka, 2 Romeo, 3. The Century Stakes looks a good thing for Wairiki, and the Northern Champagne Stakes should fall to the Porirua colt Boris. Gladstone, a brother to Gladsome, may be the hardest he has to beat. Silkworm was engaged, but Mr. Stead has decided that he will not be represented at Auckland on this occasion. For the Feildmg Jockey Club races, on Easter Monday, the following take my fancy in the under-mentioned events, and I shall expect them to run into places : — Ranftjrly Handicap. Lass o' Gowne Merope Ballarat. Feilding Cot. Fleka Convoy Asteroid. Welter Handicap. Dexterity Handsome Rose. For the Wairarapa Easter meeting my selections are as follows : — Hack Hurdles. Seaweed. Easter Handicap. Good Intent. Wairongomai Handicap. Levoma.

Welter Handicap. Sanfoin. Mahaki Handicap. Delight. The secretary of the Wellington Racm.[ Club has received capital nommations for the autumn meeting. With the Easter form to guide him, the club's handioapper ought to have no tiouble in satisfying owners and inducing record fields to face the starter. The North Island Challenge Stakes should produce a good contest this year. Amongst the horses engaged art Achilles, Treadmill, Quarryman, Golden Lily. Silkworm, Martian Chrvseis, and Red Gauntlet. The distance — seven furlongs — ought to suit most of those named. It is reported that Mr. W. Young, the owner of Convoy, intends appealing against the decision of the Wellington Racing Club in the Convoy-Gladsome case. The owner of Platypus (Mr. Knox) contemplates taking similar stews. Mr. C. A. Pownall, a Masterton solicitor, has been engaaed to act for both Messrs. Young and Knox. Mr. J. B. Reids filly, Gladsome, is reported as doing capital work on the Randwick training track. A few mornings aero she ran seven furlongs in 1 mm 30sec, which is a record for the tiack, and surpasses the gallop put up [jj Mr. Stead's mare, Cruciform, when tiaining on the same course last sprint. The rnetallicians complain that there is nothing doin^ over the C.J.C. Easter and Autumn double. A bit of a rush m as made when the weights came out to back the Yaldhurst pair, Martian and Giand Rapids but since then, although 100 to 1 is on offer, backers are very scarce.

Algie : Come on, Percy, old man ; let's have a closer look. Don't be frightened. Percy :No fear ! It's too danyerous. I'm not taking any risks with those explosives.

Percy ; Why, Algie, you said you weren't frightened. And yet when that last report went off you made the record high jump. Buck up, old fellow. Don't flounder there. It's all over. Algie: I — I — Tvm — not scared a — a — a bit, Percy. It was tJie concussion tliat bowled me over. Hang it all, don't stand laughing like a fool but give us a hand.