TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 248, 18 October 1924, Page 21

TURF NOTES.

(By V.TIALEBONE.)

The brothers, A. Smyth and Victor Smyth were concerned in a desperate j finish when riding Watford and Salmon I Trout in the Richemount Three-Year- ; Old Stakes at Huret Park recently. Both | jockeys were hard at it fully a furlong from home, and A. Smyth, on Captain Thistlethwayte's improved chestnut got first run from the distance and won by a head. The stallion Presto IT., stationprl in the South of Franco, hns been destroyed at the ago of 23. Presto 11. never sired anything of much value, and his sole j claim to fame was in having defeated | Pretty Polly ill the Prix dv Conseil Municipal in Paris in 1904. starting at 100 to 1. Thp Grand International Criterion at San Sebastian last month for two-year-olds, over five furlongs, nnd worth about £3000, was won by the Agn. Khan's Le Bijou, with the Due Decazes' War Legend second, a:id Senor Unzue's Chubnsoo third. Le Bijou won by a neck; half a length separating second and third The Aga Khan evidently meets with success in all countries. There can he no doulit about Diomedes being a very high class colt. He had won all his provi >'<■ races, and at Manchester on Sepi"■■!■ i fi, with top weight, carried off the Palatine Nursery in the snme easy manner. The general impression was that the handicapper had made a mistake, and was responsible for the fact that only five runners went to the post, and that odds had to l>e laid on him. It was a travesty of a race, for Diomedes jumped away in front, and nothing was capable of really extending him, though Maxim Gun, under his penalty, was running on gamely at the finish. Sir Charles Hyde, by way of celebratng his victory with Game Shot in the "Gimcrack" recently, has sent a cheque for 100 guineas to the York Citizens' Committee, to be expended in boots and clothing for the poor children of the rity. The gift is a very timely one, as the York Citizens' Committee have very little money in hand to begin their winter work of providing poor children with boots and clothing. Sir Charles Hyde's cheque will be gratefully received and appropriately used. It is, we believe (says the "York Herald") the first time the owner of a "Gimcrack" winner has signalised his pleasure in this happy way. Mr. B. J, Watt's English purchase, Royal Crescent (Royal Canopy—Marvel of Peru), arrived in Sydney recently, on the Port Pirie. Royal Crescent, who is a gTey, and four years old to Australian time, started in five races in England this seaeon, thirds resulting from each of her last two runs. With 7.8 she was third to Guardsman (7.12) and Xoipy Oyster (7.0) in the Waterbeach Handicap, cix furlongs, at Newmarket on July 4, and at the same track was similarly placed with 7.8 to Fairy Elf (8.2) and TRrpon(B.o) in the Bury Handicap, 5 furlongs, on July 17. P. Gilpin trained her at that '>mc. At the conclusion of the Ballarat Miners' races on Friday. September 26, Mr. T. J. Torpy, owner of Fortenee, which had won the Farewell Handicap comfortably by four lengths, was called before the etewards. Fortenee ran third on the first day in the Welter Handicap won by Monel. After having heard evidence in regard to the matter the stewards disqualified Torpy and Fortenee for 6ix months on a charge of inconsistent running. Fortence was ridden by a different jockey each day. The decision will not affect the result of the pvent Which Fortence won. An appeal has been lodged with the Ballarat District Racing Association. Priory Park, which earned such an enviable reputation when winning at Goodwood, will only make one more appearance during the present season, and then bo reserved for the Derby of next year (says "Sporting Life"). The son of Roekßavagc'e engagements are at Windsor, Gatwiek, nnd Newbury, and according to present intentions one of tbo last two mentioned meetings will be given the preference for the colt's reappearance. In all probability J. Thwaites, who was originally retained to ride the colt at Goodwood, will have the mount. The North Country jockey is also the probable jockey for the colt's classic engagement next year, this arrangement being due to the fact that F. Bullock will not be available for the Derby. The English trainer. F. Darling, is strong in two-year-olds this season. Margeritta has won £5127 and Black Friar £4987, but his best three-year-old of next season may be Manna, a bay j colt by Phalaris from Waffles, by Buckwheat from Lady Mischief, by St. Simon. I Manna, who cost 6300 guineas as a yearling, is owned by Mr. H. Morris, a i Shanghai merchant. Manna's first 1 public appearance was at Sandown in July, and, as it was rumoured he was , better than either Margeritta or Black ' Friar, he started at odds-on for the j National Breeders' Produce Stakes. He I was beaten by Garden of Allah and j Bucellas, but at Goodwood he made amends by easily winning the Richmond Stakes, for which he was a <$ to 4 favourite. Manna ia a shapely colt, ! possessing plenty of substance, and it is ' safe to bet that in England he will be : one of the winter fancies for the Derby. ! The fact that he is out of a Buckwheat mare is of interest to many breeders in j Australia. j Rock Sand, the sire of Tracery and I Toque 11., is dead, but Rochester and j Rock Flint have represented him very i worthily in this country, and last, but iby no means least, there is his son, Rock- ' pavago ,to whom I w-ish specially ■ direct attention, for he is the sire, in I his first season, of that remarkable two- ' year-old Priory Park, who gained such ; a startling victory at Goodwood (says an j English writer). Rocksavage is a very ; typical Rock Sand horse, and he wor ; many races. He was bred by Lady James ■ Douglas, and is out of Manuka, by Eager her dam Sempronia, by Carnelion. Th< family is a branch of No. 3. From his first years etook Rocksavage is credit.ee with two other winners 'besides Prior; Park, and four others placed, out oi eight runners. This is remarkable for £ first year and a small subscription list I The victory of Priory Park was fullj I expected, and it is well on the cards thai he may be the best of his year. Now thai Tracery is gone, the other sons of Rod Sand,, all of whom are good stallions musiip.be additionally valuable, and i^ 1 seems obvious that Bocksavage ia one o the beet. ■,

Ashley Reed, the crack New Zealand jockey, who won the Chemsford Stakes on Heroic, and rode Nigger Minstrel in the A..T.C. Derby, is likely to settle in Melbourne after the Cup meetings (says the "Australasian"). If he does, ho will be attached to C. T. Gadby's stable. Jlr. J. C. Galstaun, one of India's most prominent owners, continues to buy horses in England and Ireland. Last month he gave between £4500 and £5000 for Ireland's champion two-year-old, Pensacola (Spearmint—Clancare). A few days after being bought by Mr. Galstaun, Pensacola ran with 9.12 in the Phoenix Two-Year-Old Plate, of £1173, at Phoenix Park. Hβ -was in the betting, but missed a place. A Louisville message, says the London "Sportsman," states that Epinard's uncle —Hawthorne, somewhat broken in wind, is busy there drawing a pedlar's cart and, at odd times, dragging trm plough. The dam of old Hawthorne wa3 Whitethorne, who was also the grandam of Epinard. Twelve years n<ro Hawthorne defeated the cream of American two-year-olds, and won the famous Bashford Manor Stakes at GhurchUl Downs. In England few owners or trainee favour the employment of stipendiary stewards, this on the score that the supervision of such officials would be a reflection on racing honesty (says Pilot). They are quite content with honorary stewards, and evidently have no objection to age. One of the stew-, ards controlling the racing at the Redcar meeting in August was a few days short of 80 years of age. Bred as ho is, Humbug holds out every promise of being a sire of crack sprinters (remarks an Australian writer). He has also proved a sure foal-getter, and has stamped hie stock with his markings. A fine colt is a chestnut from Lone Gull, whose two-year-old son by Quantock is one of the best youngsters at Rosehill just now. Pretty Nell, the dam of Cetigne, has also a nice-looking chestnut colt by the Abeurd horse, and the Holbroc'.i mare Selbrook has a shapely filly by him. Mr. W. L. P. Richardson, of P-sreen, Barraba, has Buffered a severe loss in the death of his stallion Salitros, whirli died from tetanus recently. A higliclase performer on the turf, he won, among other races, the A.J.C. and V.E.C. Derbies and A.J.C. St. Leger. Salitros made a great start at the etnd as a sure foal-getter. Mr. Richardson put 16 of his own mares to him last season, and all proved to be in foal, and the eamo result was obtained with visiting mares. Salitroe was by imported Limelight from imported Suffer by Rightaway, and was bred by Messrs. H. and G. Main, ef Illabo, N.S.W. How salonsly the V.A.T.C. Spring Meeting is- effected by the opening day clashing with the last day of the A.J.C Spring Meeting is reflected by the large falling off in the general entries for the meeting this year compared with last year, when the two meetings did not clash. For the 14 races for which entries were taken on September 22, an aggregate of 505 nominations was received, compared with a total of 617 a year ago, and 605 in 1922. The 1923 figures were, however, the highest, with one exception, ever - received for the V.A.T.C. Spring Meeting, the record being 642 in 1917. The Cypher has not been a lucky ; horse for Mr. E. Eccles. He narrowly missed a big win with him in the 1923 Melbourne Cup. and thie year a troublesome tendon has disposed of the Martian horße's chance of atoning for that failure, cays an Australian writer. In addition to going so close to winning 1 the Melbourne Cup. The Cypher was placed in four weight-for-age races at three yeare. In one of these, the A.J.C. j Plate, he ran a gTeat race to David and Rivoli, and, despite his failures of last season, he was particularly well treated in the coming Melbourne Cup with 5.4 —151b less than weight-for-age. Hia recent win at Randwick emphasised ins chance, but though he did not actually I break down after that run, the tendon !of his near foreleg was sufficiently i bowed to make it doubtful whether it would be wise to persevere with him. His trainer, G. Price, was against it, and hie opinion, backed up by that of the well-known vet., Mr. W. J. Miller, decided Mr. Eccles upon taking him out 'of all his spring engagements. He is to be blistered and spelled, and it is hoped that next autumn will ccc him ready to add to his winning account, which in Mr. Ecclos' ownership includes the V.R.C. Handicap, £899; Aspendale Park Handicap, £160; Tocal Handicap, £956; and Warwick Farm September Handicap, £661.