RACING NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 279, 24 November 1928, Page 13

RACING NEWS.

STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

(By WHALEBONE.)

The filly by Surveyor from Pellet, owned by Mr. J. Paterson, has been named Pellette.

Although she has always shown pace on the track, Diamond Queen has yet to win a race. The chestnut mare is building up in condition and will have her next race at the Takapuna meeting, where she will contest maiden events.

The Fordell-trained Metellus ran into a place in both his races at the Otaki meeting and should soon pick up _ a stake. He is engaged at the Feilding Meeting, and if the recent racing has do«je him no harm, better results may atteivl his efforts at that fixture.

Aussie has been accepted for in the Cheltenham Handicap at the spring meet in" of the Takapuna Racing Club. He has lOst to carry, but after Ms sterling performance at Avondale with 10 3 he will be entitled to respect. He finished third in his last effort on this course. 4fter her recent success on the Avondale course Flying Juliet will command a -ood following in any event she contests at the approaching Takapuna meeting. She begins well and has previously raced successfully on the suburban course, which counts somewhat in Icr favour.

• Good reports are to hand from the south concerning Te Atiawa. This three-year-old has been galoping well in his work and he is expected to perform well on his northern trip. This season he has contested five races and. won three. He is a good beginner and las plenty of pace.

Corinas has been accepted for in the Alison Cup. This horse won the Waikato Cup, one mile and a-quarter, _ m -rood style, and as he has been going alontr all right in his work since he should "ive a good account oi luinselt. He stays on well, and the extra distance should not trouble him.

Xew Moon has been accepted for at the Takapuna meeting. This horse is not very big, but he has run some good races on. this course, and according to reports, has been galloping well at le Papa recently. He is engaged at the Te Kuiti meeting to-day and that may give a line as to his form.

First Sight scored at the South Canterbury meeting yesterday, making his fifth success this season.' He only commenced racing last season and won three events, while he was only once out ot a place in ten starts. This season he has only twice been out of the money in ei<rht races. First Sight is nominated for the Auckland summer meeting, and if he is brought north he will have some friends in his engagements. *

Awamutu is included among the field j in the Cambria Handicap at Takapuna next week, and on his running this season he will have to bo respected. He finished second on the first day of the Waikato meeting in October last and was just beaten by his stable companion Flying Prince, on the second day. At the recent Dargaville meeting he was badly left the first day, but on the second hopped out very smartly and won well,

Mac-room is due to race at the Te Kuiti meeting to-day, and a good line as to her prospects at the Takapuna meetinn- -will probably be gleaned from her efforts. Macroom has been accepted for at Takapuna and it should not be long before she is on the winning list. Last year she dead-heated with Ti-treo in the Takapuna Plate and since then has won several sprint events, while she annexed the Shaw Memorial Handicap, one mile and 110 yards, at the last Olunemuri annual meeting.

Among those accepted for in the Takapuna Plate is British King, an English bred colt, whom Mr. E. W. Alison, Jan., secured in Sydney for Mr. W. n. Evans, of Houhora. Last season he showed a great burst of speed when he won the Trial Stakes at Whangarei easily by six lengths. He was raised a good deal in poundage for his engagement later in the day in the Settlers' Handicap, seven furlongs, and was beaten into third place. He has only started on a couple of occasions since then, but good reports are to hand from the north concerning the colt.

A good deal of the trouble concerning the division of Gelds would probably be overcome if the Rules of Pacing were amended so that the draw for the positions at the post could be made before the acceptance. One is sure that the Takapuna Plate, which will probably have to be run in divisions, could be reduced to suit the safety number of the course at the seven-furlong post if owners knew the positions of their horses at the post beforehand. At present the Rules of Racing stipulate that the draw shall take place at the time of weighing out, but surely it would not make any difference if the draw was made a week before. The positions of horses at the post for the Melbourne Cup and other big races in Australia are known days before the event is run, and one wonders why it could not be done in New Zealand.

In the conditions of hack races at the A.R.C. meetings, a hack must be a hack at the time of starting, not at time of nomination. Entries closed yesterday afternoon with the Auckland Racing Club for the summer meeting, and with the Takapuna meeting intervening, it is not unlikely that a horse that has been nominated'for hack events at Ellerslie may be out of that class by the time the fixture at the Shore is concluded. In consequence such horses would not be eligible for the hack races at the Auckland summer meeting at Ellerßlie, but in the event of such happening the Auckland Racing Club will not refund the amount paid to them for nominations at their meeting. This does not seem to be altogether' fair. The horse cannot start in the hack races in which he is nominated and his owner should certainly be entitled to a refund. The sporting rule is that one must have a chance of winning before he can lose, but under the present system the fees are accepted for nomination and the horse by winning a certain amount in hack events at Takapuna automatically puts himself out of hack races at the Auckland summer meeting, but the club still retains the nomination fees. The Rules of Racing need to be altered to meet this contingency.

A. E. Ellis is leading in the winning jockeys' list with nineteen wins to his credit. Last season Ellis was third on the list with sixty-nine successes.

Envoy will not do much racing until the holiday meetings take place, although he'may be giver, a. run at the Waipa meeting next month. He did not do well on the trip to Whangarei and is to be given plenty of time to recuperate.

The two-year-old Catoina has been given several easy sprinting tasks at Ellerslie during the last few weeks and shapes well. He has done nicely since he first commenced work although he is still growing, and on that account is not being hurried.

Knight Town, the Mountain Knight gelding trained at Ellerslie by T. J. Carmont, has been, showing improved form in his recent track work. Although ho has not, had a race in public, Knight Town has been displaying speed on the track and may turn out useful.

The Kilbroney—Vicereine filly Aggressive will have her first race this season in the Melrose Stakes at Takapuna on Friday next. Aggressive only started once last season as a two-year-old, running unplaced, but she comes front a successful racing family and should improve with age.

Without being unduly hurried in her preparation Eager Rose is getting plenty of solid work at headquarters and is carrying a lot of condition at the present time. She ran a fair race at the Dargaville meeting and has done well since then, therefore her prospects at the Takapuna meeting appear good.

Richfield, the winner of the Trial Stakes at Otaki on Thursday, is a three-year-old gelding by Acre from Pergola. He showed promise earlier _in the present season by running third to Lady Quex and Argue in the Jackson Stakes at the Waverley meeting, on Labour Day. His easy win at Otaki stamps him as being a promising hack.

Desert Glow's showing at the Whangarei meeting proved the Day Comet gelding to be at the top of his form again and he should put up a good race in the Alison Cup next week. He is nicely placed with 7.11, and can be relied on to run out the journey in good style. Desert Glow has had the required amount of racing to fit him for the coming contest, while the lefthanded going may also be a factor in his favour.

The Dargaville Cup winner Royal Doulton will have her first real test over a journey when she goes to the post in the Alison Cup next week. This marc finished on particularly well over ten furlongs on the Avondale course and there is reason to surmise that the extra distance attached to the Alison Cup will not seriously trouble her. Royal Doulton is an improving sort and if she repeats her Dargaville Cup performance she will be a tough proposition at the Takapuna meeting next.weck_. . .