TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 138, 12 June 1926, Page 27

TURF NOTES.

(By WHALEBONE.)

Commencing to move along on the Randwick tracks is Bicolor, the brother to Windbag (says the "Globe"). The youngster shows galloping attributes of high order. Rising three years old, he has purposely been, given time to mature, an experiment which shows beneficial results in his appearance. Bicolor is the property of Messrs. Baillieu and "Constable," and is trained by Jerry Carey. He can be safely regarded as a likely Derby and Cup candidate. He had two unsuccessful outings as a two-year-old. There was a record entry for the Grand National Hurdle Race and Steeplechase, to be run at Flemington on July 3 and 10 (says an Australian writer). The entries for both events totalled 105, as against 135 last year. The previous record was established in 1920, when the nominations for both events totalled 160, figures which this year have been eclipsed by five. Ninety-three horses were nominated recently for the Grand National Hurdle Race, as against 83 last year. The most notable advance, however, was iriade in the Steeplechase, which attracted 72 entries, or 20 more than the number received twelve months ago. . Besides losing his cap, the miniature rider of Aberfeldy lost his head in the Moorefield Handicap, and, had the gelding been more patiently handled, Aberfeldy would have been decidedly hard to account for (says the "Sydney Sportsman"). As it was, Aberfeldy was only just beaten out of a place after covering about half a furlong more than anything else in the race. The youngster hopped the gelding away well, but, instead of restricting his mount, and allowing him to get properly balanced, he got down and rode the eon of Quin Abbey for' all he was worth. Aberfeldy .took complete control of the rider, and was off the course nearly, all the way. He will do much better with a different rider aboard. The entries for the A.J.C. meetings are as follows: Breeders' Plate, 162; Gimcrack Stakes, 160; December Stakes, 336; Sires' Produce Stakes, 536; Champagne Stakes, 577; Derby, 616; St. Leger, 577;-Adrian Knox Stakes, 153; Hobartville # Stakes, 333; Kirkham Stakes, 319; Epsom Handicap, 219; and the Metropolitan, 226. New Zealand entries for the A.J.C. meeting are large, especially in the classic races. Fifty-five yearlings were nominated for the Derby two years hence, and 41 for the St Leger. For the Champagne Stakes nexi season 31 were entered, and 30 for th< Sires' Produce Stakes. Included in th< entries for' the Metropolitan are Sta: Stranger, Rapine, Muscari, Bon Avis Beau Geste, Bachelor, Te Monanui Count Cavour. Fo the Epsom, King Merv. Muscari, Boi Avis, Beau Geste, Bachelor, Sun TJp, an, Kahuman__,ave been nominated. • The injuries .sustained ;by W. Watkii son when his mount, (Silcrux, came dowi in the Montgomerie Steeplechase at Bog side on Saturday, April 17 (says i London writer), unfortunately had fata results. After the accident Watkinsoi was removed to the Ayr County Hos pital, where he died .next morning Watkinson, who was born in Tas mania, served his aprenticeship with W P. Cullen at The Curragh. It was at the result of riding Drifter into seconc ' place in the Grand National of 1922 thai ;he first came into, prominence in thin ' country, and it was on the same horse he completed the Grand National coursi in 1923 and 1925. Watkinson accom plished the great ambition of everj cross-country jockey when he rode Jaci Homer to victory in the most recenl "National" for Mr. Schwartz, who haci purchased the -horse two weeks pre viously for four thousand pounds. Sc pleased was Mr. Schwartz with his sue cess that he made Watkinson a presenl of a thousand pounds. The deceased had been associated with J. McGuigan'-s establishment at Ayr for the lasl thirteen years, and as a mark of respect Mr. J. McLean, the principal patron oi the stable, withdrew all his horses from their engagements at the Edinburgh meeting. The remarkable run Mr. P. H. Os borne has enjoyed with Valicare calls attention to the fact that all the mosi notable successes achieved on the turl by the various members of that gentle man's family have been with mares (re marks an Australian exchange). Ovei fifty years ago, 1573, to be exact, the late Mr. George Osborne won the Sydney Cup with Vixen, and the gold trophy given in connection with the victory is still in possession of the family. More recently his brother, the late Mr. P. H. Osborne, father of the owner of Valicare, had Acmena. and with her he won the Champagne Stakes beating a large field at Randwick in 1894. Acmena was afterwards taken to England by Mr. Osborne, and was successful there also. And now Valicare, with whose career we are all so familiar (says a writer). Note the long periods of time that have elapsed since the dates that these mares {rained theii chief turf successes. And although they flourished at such wide intervals, al three, Vixen. Acmena and Valicare. in herit a strain of blood of a noted Aus-tralian-bred race mare of more earlier times. This was the famous old Cam den Park-bred casandra, which was winning races during the 'forties of last century. The Northern stipendiary steward] caused a sensation on May 25 (says i Sydney writer) when they disqualifiee Prince Orient and his owner for tw< years, and suspended a jockey for li months. Prince Orient started equa favourite with Cyron for. the Railway Handicap at Boolaroo on Saturday, bu failed to do better than, finish a poo fifth. The officials opened an inquir into the gelding's running, but adjournei it until to-day. Considerable evidenc was heard at to-day's sitting, at th conclusion of which the following r< port was issued:—"From our observe tion of the running of Prince Orient i the Railway Handicap at Boolaroo o Saturday, we are satisfied that th horse was not allowed to run on it merits, and that Frank Davis (owner and G. Stephens (rider) were guilty c improper practices in connection wit the said running. We therefore dis qualify F. Davis (owner) for two years and suspend G. Stephens (rider) for 11 months, under rule 171, clause A. Wi also disqualify the brown horse, Prim? Orient, for two years under clause I of the same rule."

Stanley Wootton, the Australian; trainer who has Deen so successful in j England, has purchased for £35,000 the ; freehold rights for training gallops at ! Six Mile Hill on the Epsom Downs. He is also leasing the rights for gallops at Middle Hill. These two transactions give him control of all the galloping ground on Epsom Downs. Mr- "Bob" Jaffrey, who is well known to habitues of Tattersall's, has a horse that should go a long way, that is, if something untoward does not happen to him in the meanwhile (says "London Sporting Life"). He is half-brother to Dinkie, and has had bestowed upon,him the name of Acrobatic. The other'day Higgs, his trainer, put two rugs on him, fastened them with numerous buckles, put a "roller" on top, and finally muzzled the animal. This did not, however, worry Acrobatic, who in next to no time freed himself and got rid of his encumbrances. This is not Acrobatics only "turn." Recently he ate a couple of rugs in the space of a couple of hours. There is no accounting for taste. i Bought for a "fiver" at an auction' sale, Fortence has proved a fine investment for Mr. T. J. Torpy, whose spare time, after cultivating the soil at Bungaree, is devoted to superintending the gelding's training (says the "Globe"). Fortence is a great galloper. After proving himself a champion among the picnic cup winners of the district, he was tried against a better class of gallopers at the Ballarat Miners', Burrumbeet and Bungaree meetings, and it now takes' severe hanlicapping to keep him out of a place. He has a great winning the last event of the day. At the Miners', meetings Fortence has won the ilast three Flying Handicaps.' It is said to be the intention of the Prince of Wales to put a few steeple- , chasers into training next season (re« marks London "Sporting Life"). Th« Prince will not himself ride the horses in their races, but may have the mount on them in some of their schooling gallops. It would surprise no one if the report proves true that the Prince will run horses under National Hunt rules, if 'Mr. H. A. Brown were given the sharge of them at Atherstone, as his Royal Highness -has recently more than once paid a visit to the training establishment there. King Edward, .of course, used to own jumpers, and won the Grand National with Ambush H. There is a little story to be told of Gold Streak and the man who rode him to victory in the Hurdle Race at Bendigo recently. Gold Streak was found wandering about the streets of Sale, and was impounded. He was purchased cheaply by somebody who did not value him, and was afterwards resold for a few pounds to Mr. T. Harris, a former Melbourne trainer. Harris won a hurdle race with the gelding at Aspendale, and he still has him (says a writer). W. J. Mclnnes, the amateur rider, who rode the gelding to victory, was the unlucky individual who losi' him. * "A man at sale bought three thoroughbreds, Gold _ Streak among them," • said Mclnnes iii recounting the circumstances. "One was a pony named Chester, and the, other a gelding. He •reckoned the pony and the other gelding were ,good sorts, but he did not think much of Gold Streak, and asked mc if I would buy him for hacking about the farm. He did not want much, so I took him. I used to ride the chestnut to dances. Many a night he was tied up to a fence outside a country school hall until 3 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the morning. I kept him for some months, riding him round Sale, and then came the time when I had to go to Yarram with a mob of cattle for my father. I left the hack (Gold Streak) in a paddock at home, thinking he would he all right there, and stayed at Yarram for six months. When I returned the horse had gone, and I heard afterwards that he had been impounded and was then in Mr. Harris' possession." Later, when Mr. Harris heard the circumstances under which the young farmer and the chestnut gelding became parted, he promised the former owner that he would let him ride him in a race. The: promise was fulfilled, and Mclnnes had the satisfaction of riding Gold Streak to victory in his home town. His success was his fourth on the gelding. A notable figure on the Australian turf, Mr. Joe Burton, a veteran Randwick trainer, died at Sydney on May 21. Mr. Burton,-who passed away at his home in Cowper Street. Randwick, had been ill for some time. He has left a widow and three sons. Few trainers had such a wide and varied experience as Mr. Burton. A native of the western districts, he entered the Australian turf in 1801. He was then a youth on his father's farm at Blayney. With age he did not put on weight. He was a promising young rider, and shortly afterwards went into the employ of another capable trainerowner, Mr. De J. De Clouet, whose head man was the popular Tommy Toy. In the spring of 1803, Mr. De Clouet brought a team to Randwick, and won the Cumberland Handicap with Pasha, who had 8.2, and, ridden by A. Battye, beat the famous old Tarragon (0.6) by a neck. The well-backed Pasha (8.9) ran unplaced in the Metropolitan Cup, won by, Regno. Mr. Charles Tindall was a notable racing man in those days, and, entering his employ, young Burton proved such a good youth that he became head of the establishment, - and from that time he held the reputation of being a. most capable man with a horse. Later he was trainer for Mr. Thomas Lee, and with Javelin, practically the first horse he prepared, he won the A.J.C. Derby of 1871. The prize money was insignificant compared -with stakes attaching to Derbies won by Mr. Burton in the present century. It was in 1895 that Mr. Burton moved to the metropolis. The late Mr. James Monaghan had vacated his old quarters at Wentworth Lodge, in Redfern, near Cleveland Street, and Mr. Burton went into them. When the spacious stables in Prince Street, Randwick, became vacant he took them, and one of his first winners from the new quarters was Belah, who won the A.J.C. Derby of 1903. Then came Mountain King. Lady Wallace, Murillo. Old do. Air Motor, Parthian, and those good stayers Tartan, Westeourt. and BitalH. Maltine was another of his, also Cremona and Oban. Among important races won by Air. Burton, when he was training, werei he Melbourne Cup (Westeourt, the Champion Stakes (Parthian and Tartan, the Victoria Derby (Mountain King), the Oaks Stakes Wallace, the Australian r„n /Tartan), the Y.K.C. St. hegcr SunfinKing), the A.J.C Derby Tavelin Belah. and Mountain King), the Epsom Handicap (Dare Devil), the Metropolitan Stakes (Marine). the AJC St. Leger (Lady Wallace and Mountain King), the Sydney Cup (Tartan), and the Carrington Stakes (_tive)_,