RACING NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 174, 25 July 1928, Page 14

RACING NEWS.

STABLE AND TRACK NOTES

(Cv WHALEBONE.)

FIXTURES. July 26, -S —Gisborne Kacinz Club. August 4—Cbrlstctiureli Hunt Club. August 4— I'uverty Bay Huiit Club. August 14, 10, lb—Canterbury Jockey Club. August -s—Hawke's5 —Hawke's Bay Hunt Club. August -'■>—batinevii-ke Racing Club. August Damu'virke Hunt Club. September I—Utugu Hunt Club. September I—Taraue.ki Hunt Club. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. INQt'IRER. —Re Hector Gray, "B" wins. The conditions are that he is granted permission to work for Mr. W. C. Ring, and he is not to alter his employer without special permission. He is not to enter a jockeys' room if leading hor-e to a course, or other pretext, and he must not attend any race meeting, or be in any place where a race meeting is in progress, unless attending Mr. King's horses in training. Pink Note won at the Waimate Hunt Club meeting, and on the strength of t hat he was heavily supported for the Hunters' Plate at the South Canterbury meeting on Saturday, but he was beaten into second place.

T. Green has definitely accepted a retainer from Mr. E. L. Ridditord for the ensuing season, and will do the first riding for the stable at the Grand National meeting. One of his mounts will be Royal Damon in tho Winter Cup.

Lochson made his reappearance on the New Plymouth track last week. The old fellow looks well and his doubtful leg appears quite If he were only back to his old form what a job he would make ot' some of the hurdlers in commission at present.

Narrative, who was placed at the Waimate and South Canterbury Hunt meetings, is a three-year-old fillv by Solferino from Parable, by Merriwee from Palaver. She is reported to have a good turn of speed, and probably will be seen to better advantage next season. Narrative is engaged at the Grand National meeting.

Dishonoured, one of .T. H. Jefferd'a team, is expected to run well at the Gisborne meetinsr. This three-vear-old' has only started on three occasions for three seconds, and he is enjrajred in a division of the Maiden Race to-morrow. He will be ridden by R. Reed and is sure to be well supported.

Goldtown was sold to Mr. F. J. Conn, of Dunedin, after winning at the Waimate Hunt Club meeting and raced in hi 3 new owner's interests at the South Canterbury Hunt meeting last Saturday, when he ran unplaced in the Hadlow Hurdles.

W. Rayner will bring Lysander in at the beginning of next month. The son of Absurd—Pennon put on a lot •if condition during his spell, but he has been hacked alwut the station during the last week or so. and this will have hardened him considerably. All going well, Lysander will probably be forward enough to be given a race at the Wanganui spring meeting.

Faloose, who started in the Paeroa Steeplechase at the South Canterbury meeting, is evidently a promising sort and one likely to be seen to further advantage over big country. He had the race well in hand when he fell two fences from home. Faloose is engaged in minor jumping events at the Grand National meeting.

Royal Lineage, the three-year-old by Limond, was raced at the laat Grand National meeting, and after winning the Cashmere Plate was beaten by Hoylake and Kaloa in the Longbeach Handicap. He was not started again till the recent winter meeting of the Napier Park Racing Club, when he ran unplaced. However, at the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club meeting subsequently he finished third in the Kidnappers Handicap, six furlongs and a-halff Royal Lineage again figures among the entries for the .Grand National meeting.

Though the three juveniles from the Koatunui stud under the care of Walter Rayner at Wanganui will not, perhaps, be ready for the early spring meetings, there is no doubt that Mask and Episode will not want anything when the Wanganui spring meeting comes round, even though that is only seven weeks ahead. Last week the pair slipped along at a steady clip over four furlongs, jogging along nicely in 54a for the half-mile. Mask appears to have grown bigger still, •s has also Episode, and the pair will claim a fair proportion of next season's stakes for Mr. G. if. Currie.

Matu is fancied in some quarters for the Grand National Steeplechase, and those who are inclined to his chances I have a good record in their favour. Since I being put to steeplechasing this horse has not run a bad race. He was third in the Woodlands Steeples at Hawke's Bay, which was his first start over bi°country, and on the following day won the June Steeplechase. Going un to Wellington, he won the Hack Steeplechase on t.he first day and ran a great race in the July Steeplechase on the concluding day. finishing' a really good third to Kawini and Tuki. On the lastnamed performance it looks as though Matu will stav on. Even if he is not successful in the big event at Riccarton he should make hia presence felt in some of the other big cross-country events.

Very possibly the extraordinarily mild winter has been a contributing factor, but it is certain that collectively the juveniles at Trentham are just as forward as those trained in other centres (says a Southern writer). Naturally one or two are more precocious than the others, but the average development is also good. Probably Sapient (Kilbroney —Merit), Imperial Guard (Valkyrian— Whitianga) and C'ourtlike (Grand Court —Table Talk) are the most forward. Those who remember that imported quality mare Merit, trained by S. Reid at Trentham a year or two ago, will not fail to recognise her daughter from the same stable. Sapient has a decidedly extravagant foreleg action, but this has been a peculiarity of some good horses. She has speed and is a good mover apart from this. Imperial Guard is very forward, and if two-year-old races were run this month he would have an army of followers. Courtlike is a neat filly with the galloping gift. There are a number of others, but these appear the moat forWhether they will be the best as y ~lj, W* season progresses is a matter remains to be seen. ' '• < & x .

Message Boy ran good races at the Waimate and South Canterbury Hunt Club meetings last week, and he may be seen to advantage in hunters' events at the Grand National meeting next month.

Greenstone, who remains in the Grand National Steeplechase, is reported to have given a very poor display at South Canterbury on Saturday, and on that show-' ing he will have to improve considerably to have a chance at Riecarton.

The Viscount, a full-brother to Count Cavour, is among those nominated for minor flat events at the Grand National meeting. He is a rising three-year-old, but has failed to get into the money in his three starts this season.

Panther, who finished second to Taboo in the Stewards' Handicap at the recent Wellington meeting, only a head dividing the pair, is expected to run well at the Grand National meeting. He is in the \\ inter Cup with 9.(5, and finished on nicely in his only start at Trentliam. Panther is one of S. J. Reid's team.

Mainspring won well at the Trentham meeting and finished a good third in the South Canterbury Hunt Club Steeplechase on Saturday. He is engaged in the Homebv Steeplechase at the Christchurch Hunt meeting on Saturday week, but is not included in the Grand National nominations.

Keen interest is being taken by members in the annual meeting of the Dargaville Racing Club to be held to-mor-row night, chief of which is centred in the annual election of officers, says our correspondent. In two instances there will be contests. For the office of president two onominations, Messrs. G. N. Hayes (the retiring president) and F. •T. Dargaville (chairman of stewards) have been received, and for the office of stewards, for which three are required. Messrs. H. Massey, B. Coleman and C. S. Rush (retiring stewards) and A. Anderson and F. Watters have been nominated.

Town Bank, who finished second to his stablemate. Fairy Herald, in the Claremont Handicap at the South Canterbury Hunt Club meeting-, is amonjr those accepted for in the Winter Cup, while he is nominated for several other events at the Grand National "meeting. Previous to Mr. J. M, Samson acquiring him last June Town Bank had shown sufficient to say that he was likely to return to his best form shortly, for he had been placed twice at the Auckland autumn meeting, also at Avondale, Waikato and Egmont. However, his best effort since then was his performance on Saturday, and if he can only be made to reproduce his best form he should be hard to beat in forthcoming engagements.