RACING NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 108, 10 May 1927, Page 15

RACING NEWS.

STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

(By WHALEBONE.)

FIXTURES FOE THE SEASON. May 12, 14 —Egmont R.C. May 19, 21— Wanganui J.C. June 1, 3, 4— Dunedin J.C. June 3, 4—Otaki Maori B.C. June 3, 4, B—Auckland K.C. June 18— Napier Park K.C. June 22—Hawke's Bay Hunt Club. June 24 25—Hawke's Bay J.C. June 25 —Oamaru J.G. Juiy 2—Ashburton County B.C.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

WAGER (Royal Oak).—(1) Sea De'il is rising fourteen; (2), £3 14/.

Road Hog was very unlucky on Saturday. With a good run, he would have been very troublesome to Queen's Choice.

Archeen should not be discarded because of his failure at Hastings. He lost his winning prospects at the start.

H. Hastedt has taken over Golden Krist, and the gelding wias brought from Tβ Aroha to Ellerslie yesterday.

Huikai raced well at the last winter meeting in Hawke's Bay, and lie shaped last week as if he might do so again next month.

Mr. L. Dunn, late of Wauku, has just put into work a half-brother to King Pot, by Prince Merriwee. He is in J. Anderton'e stable.

Sir Archie is being worked by his owner, Mr. J. Poland, at Matamata, and will be brought to Ellerslie for the A.R.C. winter meeting.

H. Wiggins will be riding at the Egmont meeting this week, Ad his mounts include Orazone, Baby Bun, Archeen and Mister Gamp.

Lady Spalpeen and Peter Rosa, were railed from Tβ Aroha to Hawera yesterday to fulfil engagements at the Egmont meeting this week.

Polydectes has improved a lot since earlier in the season. He gave Doree trouble on the first day at Hastings, and won very easily on the second day.

Tanagra, a four-year-old half-brother to Gazique, was hardly ready to do his best at Hastings, but he ran well, and is worth remembering.

Mandarine ran well at Hastings, and will now be given a spell. He should be a useful sort when next taken up, especially in heavy-weight events.

T. Lloyd, private trainer to Mr. R. A. McKenzie, caught a chill on the Hastings trip, and was confined to his bed during the currency of the meeting.

A. McDonald was a spectator on each day at Hastings, and was congratulated by a host of friends on his recovery, which has been really remarkable..

Joy Ride is again located at J. Buchanan's stable, but nothing has definitely been decided concerning his future.

The English colt Koyal Picture, who was recently sent to Sydney by Mr. J A. Taylor, returned last week to Wellington and was taken over by D McCauley. *

Town Bird lost on Saturday through dwelling slightly at the start and losing a sufficient margin on Coot to make all the difference at the finish. Town Bird's luck should soon change. ■

A two-year-old named Keen showed exceptional speed in the handicap each day at Hastings, but failed to run on. He is by King Mark from Venetian, the latter a half-sister by Hymettua to Haskayne.

Queen's Choice ehowed a return to form .at Hastings. When right he is a useful galloper, and while he has not been consistent, he paid a good deal more on Saturday than his first day's running warranted.

Royal Divorce is coming back to form. He ran an excellent race in the Ormond Gold Cup. Hβ missed the jump-out, and while it did not affect the result in the slightest it added to the merit of Mb performance.

Bennanee is half-brother to a good horse, Kick Off, and he looks like turning out a useful handicap performer next year. Hβ won well each time at Hastings, although he was assisted on Saturday in getting the jump-out.

Matmga was friendless at Hastings, and was never dangerous. On the second day he got badly left, but was running on very etrongly at the finish. They say he jumps country well, and he should be a possibility for an early steeplechase.

Welkne was a well-backed failure at Hastings on Saturday. Hβ is credited with some good galloping in private. He was not to well drawn at the post, and soon after the start it could be seen that Coot was going to be extremely hard to catch.

A couple of yearlings belonging to Mr. J. Poland, Matamata, and Mr. M. H. Tims, Tβ Awanmtu, are due to arrive from Sydney by the at Auckland this evening. They are by Redfern, and both were purchased at the recent Sydney sales.

Mr. Geo. Ebbett, the president of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, in referring to Saturday's race for the Ormond Gold Cup, said that, while the field was regrettably email, he considered they were justified in retaining a race on the programme which kept green the memory of a man who did so much for the Turf in Hawke's Bay and New Zealand.

T. F. Quinliven is getting a team together again. In addition to Hathor, he has the steeplechaser Red Cent in preparation, a rising three-year-old, half-brother to Kilboy and Comical,' and a rising two-year-old half-sister to Raukura. ComicaFs half-brother is owned .by. Mr. Leslie Rutherford, of North Canterbury. Sir Kay is apparently all that hat been claimed for him, and hie next appearance- will be awaited with interest. He should develop into something much above the ordinary.

On Saturday it was only Mr. G. F. Moore's desire to have Reremoana fulfil Ms Ormond Cup engagement that caused his appearance at Hastings. 0. Cox knew at Awapuni that he had trained off, but as Reremoana had won the cup twelve months ago Mr. Moore, like the sportsman he is, kept faith with the club and the public. The connections of Royal Divorce also deserve commendation for running their horse jn - the weight-for-age race, when on form he appeared to posaew a firet-dae» chance in the TmTiflfpyiff> "*,■- ■ — ■ ■■-— -*

When Lady Passenger was taken down to the Wellington wharf last -week to be shipped to Pioton, ehe refused to go into the box, and in consequence was returned to Trentham.

Preposterer, a member of the Melbourne team of H. Wolters, has been purchased privately in Sydney by A. J. Matthews, a member of the paddock ring, who is also owner of Fujisan. Poison wil ltrain the Absurd horse, who in the colours of Mr. A. G. Barlow started nineteen times for one win—a victory in the second division of the V.R.C. Gooparle Welter, of seven furlongs. His share of the stake on that occasion was £222 10/. As a three-year-old Preposterer won a Plate at Sandown Park and the Gellibrand Handicap at Williamstown.

The three Valais yearlings purchased at the recent Sydney Easter sales by patrons of James Scobie's stable represent over 10,000 guineas (remarks a Melbourne writer). The Glittering Gold colt, for •which Mr. A. T. Craig gave 5000 guineas, is a beautiful chestnut, with a white stripe on the face and two small white marks on the fetlocks. He is strongly built, with powerful loins and quarters, and ia hard to fault. The Valais-Aerobelle colt, who will carry the colours of Mr. Peter Dewar, is a lighter chestnut in colour, with conspicuous white markings. This juvenile is not framed on quite such a generous scale as Mr. Craig's colt, but he gives the impression of being a ready-made galloper. Mr. C. B. Kellow'a purchase is a handsome chestnut filly from Petronet, with very little white about her. She is of good size and length, with nice quarters, and the straight hind legs so much looked for nowadays when selecting youngsters. It would be difficult to find three more promising looking yearlings.

With Heroic about to run Iris last race, and Windbag and Spearfelt finished, the champions of the vintage year of 1921 will leave a great gap in the ranks of weight-for-age horses next season (says "Poseidon.") Possibly it were well to look for the bright eide of things, as good horses are likely to crop up. Some good ones are left for the spring, but hardly enough to imbue those races with any great public enthusiasm. Manfred is definitely booked for the etud next season, and it remains to be seen whether Rampion will stand another preparation, while as far as the sprinters are concerned, it is unlikely that Top Gallant will race again, and nothing definite has yet been decided about Valicare. So the spring may again find Limerick picking the plums for his New Zealand owner and trainer, and, all going well, Pantheon will again be in the field, with the chance of winning a race or two. If Rampion survives a preparation, a meeting between him and Limerick would be a great attraction, as although the Sydney colt outstayed the New Zealander in the Derbies, • F. D. Jones wae not satisfied that he was the better horse. We may again expect to eee Amounis and Fujisan, who are geldings, and apparently sound, and poseibly Commendation's owner may be tempted to bring that gelding across the Tasman since he defeated the old horses at w.f.a. recently. By the way, only last week a Dominion writer bemoaned the fact that most of New Zealand's best horses were geldings, and therefore useless after their racing days were over.

It is stated that after the Century Hurdle Race at Wanganui Ardath will be given a spell.

Ther was a bit of money at Hastings on Saturday for Tom Bryne, a four-year-old brother to Huikai, Tribulation and Carlatour. Tom Bryne, who is raced by Mr. Taranaki Tβ Ua, showed a fine turn of speed for five furlongs, and then faded out. Hβ should not be neglected.

It is reported from Sydney that Mr. J. Higgins, chairman of the A.J.C. stipendiary stewards at headquarters, will shortly retire from the position named, chieflly because of impaired health. Mr. Higgins yesterday said he would take a thorough holiday before deciding on plans for the future. He succeeded Mr. Abel Hyde as chairman of the stewards three years ago, and has earned the name of bing a capable, keen and conscientious official.

Eeremoana looks as if he has. had enough racing, as he did not show any dash at all in the Orntond Memorial Gold Cup on Saturday, being beaten by both Joy King and Royal Divorce (says the "Dominion"). This is not his true form, because he allowed Joy King two stone in the Thompson Handicap and gave him a beating, but on Saturday failed with only a difference of 101b. Joy King no doubt would have improved in the meantime, but hardly to the extent of receiving only 101b over one mile.

As Magpie's stud fee is 200gns., it was rather surprising that there was not more competition on for the Absurd mare, Absurdie (says an Australian writer). She has a filly foal at foot by Magpie and is stinted to same sire, yet Magpie's owner, Mr. Percy Miller, was able to secure her for 200gns. Mr. Miller, however, did not keep her long. He passed her on to Mr. C. B. Kellow at the price he gave for her, and next stud season she probably will be mated with Heroic. Under the conditions of Heroic's lease, Mr. Kellow is entitled to send a number of mares to him each season, and, judging by his purchase of Thorn Tree and Absurdia, he is on the look-out for fashionably bred matrons for that purpose.

A warm Sydney admirer of Mr. Craig's fine colt Royal Feast, seeing him tower over the other two-year-olds, wondered what was his exact height. The question was put to Sinclair, the colt's trainer, who said, "When I broke him in he measured 16.2, but he has grown a little since and is now 16.21." At that he is exceptionally tall for his age, even in days when horses average at least three inches or so taller than This rather striking difference is due to the evolution of speed at the expense of stamina. Horses are not so stocky and 6olid as they used to be, but are longer as well as taller, and they have been developed behind to give them greater propelling power. Nevertheless Royal Feast is an unusually fine type, long, yet with a strong symmetrical body, and not the slightest though Royal Feast is, there is suggestion of being on the leg. Tall a taller two-year-old in Sydney. This is Three Gulls, a gelding by Trillion from Lone Gull, which R. Egerton has just put into work at Kensington. Alongside his stablemate Kaiwarra, Three Gulls is a giant, and his trainer says he measures over 17* hands. Truly there are occasional giants among horses as well as men.

The Melbourne system of a walk-up start, which was put into practice in the All Aged Stakes at Sandwiclc, met with general approval. As one trainer said, "The walk-up is fair to all, even if it is in favour of the fractious horses." One effect of the wolk-up start will be to assist in making of new time records for Randwick, and it will not be surprising to see 1.36 broken for the mile.

Following the usual practice, the committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club will frame the programme for next season in two sections. The result of the committee's deliberations has been announced, so far as the Grand National meeting is concerned, leaving the decision regarding the other three meetings over until the August racing has been disposed of. With a falling totalisator revenue, states a Christchurch writer a substantial reduction in prize money was to be expected, and the saving effected on the Grand National meeting amounts to £1650. This is a substantial cut on last year's total of £11,250. The sum to be distributed this year is £9600, but under the circumstances no other course was open. The committee must be complimented on the manner in which it has gone about an unpleasant duty. It appears to have been realised that the principal events must bear the brunt of the cut in stakes. The Grand National Steeplechase has been reduced fro in £2000 to £1600, Grand National Hurdle Handicap from £1500 to £1200, Winter Cup from £1000 to £750, Beaufort Steeplechase from £600 to £500, and the Lincoln Steeplechase from £700 to £500, so that the five leading races have provided £1250 of the savings. The remaining £400 has been provided by a drop of £50 each in eight races.