CAP AND JACKET

Observer, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8, 2 November 1912, Page 15

CAP AND JACKET

[By the Early Bird |

EACING FIXTUEES.

November 2, 4, 6, and 9—C.J.C. Metropolitan. Novejmber 20 and 21—Marlborough R.C. Spring.

Both Mr Delatour's horses, Lady Alicia and Monorail, paid good dividends at the Poverty Bay Meeting.

Monorail, who only scored once (the Avondale Stakes) last season out of ten starts, is shaping much better now.

Waikehau accounted for both the First Welter and the Final HackRace at the Poverty Bay Spring Meeting on Thursday.

Bob Hall has had an addition to his string, a pony by Prophet from a Natator mare. The lilliputian is a five-year-old and a maiden.

' St. Lewis, under George Irwin's care at Ellerslie, is striding along freely, doing long medium pace work. The son of Lottie has plenty of pace.

Rumour says that Mr Tom Cunningham recently purchased a good sort of a pony by the hurdle horse Prophet, from a Natator mare, five years old.

The useful Tact is at present in great heart and will make the best of the sprinting division look to their laurels on the 6th and 9th November.

Waikehau won two races last season, the Hack Handicap at the Waipukurau J.C. Annual and the Otaki Hack Handicap at the Otaki winter gathering.

Mau Nina, while sprinting in company with Spalfish and Vestal on Thursday, came a cropper on the inside grass but was not apparently hurt.

Bonny Jean, a full sister to the National winner, Red McGregor, in the stable presided over by Frank Ross, is looking and going well at present.

Merrimax, who was a pronounced failure last season on the flat, has been put to the lepping game, but shaped very badly at the first attempt at Ellerslie.

The Wairiki horse, Master Wairiki, is striding along nicely at headquarters, and although not greatly fancied by the touts will be worth watching m November.

The painstaking young Ellerslie trainer, Sandy Morrow, is putting Durus into work next month. The Taranaki horse is at present being hacked, about.

On Saturday morning the hurdlers Sphinx and Lloyds put up a taking once round on the sand. Both these horses will be heard of during the A.R.C. Spring fixture. The former is right up to concert pitch, and the latter iust wants a couple more gallops to" be as fit as hands can make him.

The local trainer, Frank Loomb, was in good form the other day at the Poverty Bay Spring Meeting, running second with Sea Pink in the Spring Handicap and subsequently scoring in both the Scurry and Flying Handicaps with Lady Alicia and Monorail respectively.

Mr Appleyard, of Hawera, an oldtime Auckland sportsman, who has been away for 44 years, has returned to the old sport, having lately purchased a property at St. Heher s Bay. Mr Appleyard bred Prophet and many other good ones. He has at present a beautiful yearling colt by St. Paul from a Daystar mare.

On Saturday morning when the caretaker opened the racecourse gates at 5 a m., the weather had moderated and the course proper was thrown open, but later on severe squalls of ram and hail set in, and Mr Hill thought it advisable to close the track again. The early birds patted themselves on the back for their foresight in rising early.

The two N.Z. Cup candidates, Byron and Haskayne, ran second and third in the Wellington Handicap to Brown Trout.

Lucille is another equine that is keeping the " tell-tale" busy over short courses at Ellerslie in her early morning essays.

The Wellington Handicap was one ot the greatest surprises of the meeting, the winner, Brown Trout, paying a very big dividend.

Most of the light weights scored at the W.R.C. gathering on Saturday, the winner of the Handicap carried the minimum (6st 71bs) weight.

Apellon is striking out in great style at headquarters. The lop-eared son of Latona is sure to keep his opponents busy during the Ellerslie meeting.

Fank Ross is giving the mad-head-ed Surplus a careful bout of schooling, and once he settles down he will make a useful member of the jumping tribe.

Mr Tom Stewart's Wee Olga should, with ordinary luck, claim the attention of the man in the box before the conclusion of the A.R.C. Spring Meeting.

Mr Joe Thompson's little mare Monoline is being kept up to the collav by her mentor, but being on the small size will never carry much weight.

Captain Paul is looking in good condition, but the son of St. Paul-Joint-ess makes a noise when finishing. On Saturday he put in a couple of useful rounds, brushing home at top.

Both Mr Roulston's gee gees, Delegate and Soultoria, are on the robust side and will be at their best about next autumn. This useful pair would pay their way in the Commonwealth.

W. Mobberley has his filly Reno coming on nicely. The daughter of Blue Light and the defunct Corophee is undergoing a careful preparation, but has a habit of striking herself under the forearm.

The Otahuhu Trotting Club's Spring Meeting takes place on Wednesday and Saturday, November 20th and 23rd. Owners are reminded that all nominations close with the secretary, Mr F. D. Yonge, on Friday, November Ist, at 9 p.m., Vulcan Lane.

Among the City Handicap candidates at Ellerslie nothing is doing better work than Waimangu, Kakama, Antoinette and Goldsize. Kakama with 8.1 looks the pick of the handicap, if the ten furlongs does not trouble the brilliant daughter of Sonlt-Winsome.

On Saturday Cloudy Morn, Tangitua and Captain Jack were given a turn over the steeplechase country. Starting off at the sod wall the trio negotiated every jump in perfect style without a mistake, but the latter was outpaced. Julian, Decry and Percival were the respective riders of these useful hunters.

Mr Jack Lecky, the Auckland sportsman, has thrown down the gauntlet with Manderene at the Christchurch Trotting Club's gathering, where he will be coached by Charlie Herd, so that the colt will lose nothing in the handling by that expert at the game of mixed paces. May Auckland's hope materialise.

Last Saturday, Blue Mount, who never looked better, was out before breakfast and took charge of the boy, clearing out and jumping the fence round the two-year-old track and gefcing rid of his rider. He was brought back after the breakfast interval and jumped a round of the battens perfectly.

The Takapuna Jockey Club is out with its two days' Spring programme, scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday, November 27th and 30th. There are no races under a hundred sovereigns, while the St. Andrew's and Spring Handicaps are worth 250 and 200 soys. respectively. The nominations close on Friday, November Bth, with Mr Robert Wynyard, who is still at the helm at the new offices in Vulcan Lane.

Mr Harry H. Hayr, who kept the "bells " ringing merrily for a score of years in the A.R.C. totalisator house, has retired, and his well-known figure will be missed by the habitues of racing at Ellerslie, especially by the older generation of owners and race-goers who at one time, when Harry had a free hand, and there was no Totalisator Restriction Bill, had only to nod to get their "pony" on without as much as a ticket. It is to be regretted that Mr Hayr has severed his connection with the Metropolitan Club,