CANTERBURY AND NELSON RACES.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 197, 3 January 1866, Page 3

CANTERBURY AND NELSON RACES.

Ihe Lyttelton Times has the following notice of the horses espected to run for the Cup, at the Metropolitan Meeting at Christchurch, on tbe 16th of January next : — The representatives of Canterbury in the Cup are all in one stable (Webb's), and include the following four : — Stormbird, by Sledmere (by Daniel O'Eourke) out of Spray, 4 years old ; Belle of the Isle, by Malton (by Eifleman), out of the same mare, Spray, 3 yrs old ; Idle Boy, by Sledmere, out of Merry Lass, 4 yrs old ; and Master Eowe, by Towton, out of Miss Eowe, 3 yrs old. The first three are all the property of Mr. W. H. Harris, who imported both Sledmere and Malton their sires. Stormbird, who ran third for the Champion Eace last year, when anything but fit, must be a most formidable opponent this year, as be is sure to have justice done bim in the way of training. He is a remarkably dark chesnut coit, of great power and substance, though not a very big bne. His action is perfect, even and strong, and, barring being a trifle coarse, we have seldom seen a colt we coveted so much. ' Belle of the Isle, another of the samr family, is a very lengthy, nice-lookir filly, not so dark a chesnut as the c and perhaps a trifle lighter all over be is. She has never appeared h' but if she is the selected one on tl*' we should be sorry to stand • against her. Idle Boy is a g s 4-year-old gelding, but we fancY other work more suited to him, ing to win a champion race Eowe, the property of M" Walker^ is a great Blashin We think, however, that h*" 1 /Mxi!.?.t. he does not get toe make a better colt next yeto fill out and furnish. 7 be surprised to see him ar four, though we don't th; to turn up the actual wir sentative of Otago is tl Middleton, aged. He/ much work lately, anf Champion Eace we wij leeu &nd Tarndale a©*/

1 latter will show. Kathleen is a big . racing-looking mare, but has never done j anything to justify the beb'ef she will be - very prominent in the race. Tarndale, a - chestnut mare, by II Barbiere, we do not , like. Otto, who was to win last year, has 3 again arrived in Canterbury, and looks - better than when he was here before. He l looks big, however, and we think never L was really as good as Ladybird. ' LadyL bird and her stable companion, Julia, have not come at the time of writing tbis, but we can't help thinking the old mare must be getting slow, and hardly expect to see . her carry Mr. Stafford's colors to the L front this year. Julia we hear good ac- • counts of. Una was sold a cripple, and we don't fancy that Mr. Earmer can patch her up to win a three mile race on bard ground, against sound horses. Corsair is not coming. Blackboy (by Priam), a 4-year-old gelding, bought by Mr Henry ; Eedwood, is in too good hands for us to disregard him altogether, but his winning the Cup is, we think, an unlikely event. In conclusion, we must say that we think it is the most open race that we have ever bad in New Zealand, and at present we sball stand our own province to beat tbe rest of New Zealand, and as we are bound to take a good public performer before untried horses, we believe Stormbird will show the others the way home on the 16th of January, 1866. The Nelson Meeting, the Examiner says, will take place on the 20th and 21st of March, those days having been selected in order to suit the convenience of visitors, as persons wishing to be present at the meeting, either from Auckland or the South, may arrive on the 20fch, witness the races on both days, and leave tbe day following. The meeting is likely to be an unusually good one. .