STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 224, 21 September 1929, Page 17

STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

SEASON'S FIXTURES. -'. (By WHALEBONE.) <3 P ntember 26, 27—Geraldine R.C. leptemblr 28-Hawke'ss Bay J.C. October 2—Manawatu Hunt Ciub. October 2—Bircliwood Hunt. October 3 —Napier Park K.C. October s—Kurow J.C. fwober o, <—Aucklu.ii(l R.C. October 10, 12-Dunedin J.C. Ortober 17, 19—South Canterbury J.C. October 2sUvaverley R.C. October 28—Waikato Hunt Club. October 2S—Waipawa County R C. X tober 28—North Canterbury R.C. October 19—Masterton R.C. _ October 24, 26— Poverty Bay Turf Club. October 26 2S-Wellington R.C. October 25'30-Gore R.C Xovember 2—Canerton R C. Xnvember 2—Banks Peninsula R.C. Xoveitiber 7, 9—Whangarei R-C. November 9, 11, 13. 16—Canterbury J.C. \ovember 16, IS—Waikato R.C. November 20, 21—Winton J.C. November 20,.21—Otaki Maori R.C. November 23 —Levin R.C. November 23, 25—Te Kuiti R.C. November 30,' December 2—Takapuna J.C. November 30, December 2—Feikling J.C.

Thet New • Zealand-bred Mystic Park, by Romeo , from Refinement, bred by the Ron. E_ TV. Alison, won the Whittier Handicap, six furlongs, at Caulfield on September 7. Last year's Auckland Cup winner, Corinax, "is getting through a steady preparation at Ellerslie and will be having his first race this season at the Auckland spring meeting. The Magpie gelding is looking in great condition to undergo a solid preparation. Glenotus has been doing plenty of useful work on the flat, and the aged jumper is looking bright and healthy. He is due to make his next appearance over hurdles at Avondale on Monday in the Grey Lynn Hurdle Race. He ran third in this event twelve months ago, but the field promises to be much harder to beat at this meeting. Several Ellerslie-trained hacks -who were not engaged, at Avondale to-day ctre likely to be seen out at that meeting on ( Monday. Included among them are Roman Pearl, Gay Cockade, Myola, Diamond Queen, Bombarder, Currajong, Kawainga and Onewhero. They have all been showing up in their recent track ■work, and several of them are worth keeping in mind for future engagements. When schooled over the big fences on the fiat at Ellerslie during the present .week Tin Whistle gave a good ; display and jumped his fences quidker and more confidently, .than on previous occasions. He las been entered for a couple of steeplechase events at ' the Auckland spring meeting, and if started the racing should benefit him considerably. Mr. H. Brown's Limond —Intrigue gelding' has developed into a fine horse. When put up at # the yearling sales a twisted foot made buyers fight shy, and Mr. Brown secured him very cheaply. Now that the horse has grown the disability is much less pronounced, and there is every indication that it is not going to cause any trouble or hinder him in his galloping. The Avondale Guineas will be run on Monday and 17 remain in the event after final payments were made. Plying Prince will have a lot of friends after his success in the Dunedin Handicap at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting and also if he runj at all prominently to-day. Tahoma won over five furlongs. at Dannevirke, while Eaglet has accounted for the only two, races she has started in this season, her-last success being in the Wanganui Guineas. Refresher, who comes from the same stable, won the Sylvia Handicap, seven furlongs, at the Pakuranga fixture, while Hunting Cry was successful over a similar distance at Wanganui. Of the others False Scent and Imperial Prince may have most friends. The public will probably give most support to Eaglet and Plying Prince.

When aa a yearling last year Dominant was given a few short sprints, he showed such a nice turn of pace that early in the season it was thought that he would return some of his purchase price—67so guineas, a record for a yearling in Australia (says a Melbourne writer). .However, Dominant was growing, and it was decided not to persevere with him early in the season. When brought into work later he was too gross, and it was decided to add him to the list of geldings. Though that is unusual with such: high-priced colts, it evidently has been beneficial to Dominant's racing prospects. The Saltash gelding had his first run in public in the Doona Trial at Caulfield on September 7. He displayed exceptional pace and led the field for the greater part of the journey. It was only lack of condition that told against him in the end. Even when, apparently, he was well beaten, Dominant stuck to his work, and Standard Bearer beat him only by a neck. It was a highly promising display, as Dominant will be greatly improved by the outing. C. T. Godby, his trainer, expected the gelding to run well, but he was afraid that the distance would be just a little too far for him. It turned out that way. Dominant raced in the nomination of .Mr. "Ernest Farquhar," which ia the pen name used by the members of the syndicate that owns him— Messrs. F. F. Fobinson, J. Fell, E. M. Pearce and P. E. H. Hope.

A big commission which had the ring of stable authenticity was launched in Sydney on September 9 for the New Zealand horse Nightmarch in the Metropolitan. He was backed straight out for the best part of £10,000 and was also substantially coupled in' doubles with Hamulus, Paquito, Gilt Edge and Loquacious. The move was sufficiently determined to reveal that Nightmarch's connections have great confidence in his chance in the mile and five furlong race (says a Sydney writer). In New Zealand last year he was a classic winner. But better than his Derby win was his success in the Dunedin Cup, one mile and a-half, with 8.0, and his victory in the Canterbury Great Autumn Handicap, one mile and a-half, with 8.5, beating Seatown, to whom he conceded 111b. Since he came here Nightmarch has had but one run, in the Three-and-four-vear-old at Rosehill, in which he finished strongly. He has done well in the meantime, and the fact that he has made such good progress moved his connections to make the wagers mentioned. And those who believe that the Metropolitan field is a poor one this year did not hesitate to follow it, although Nightmarch at 9.2. has over weight-for-age. Any good horse, they believe, may win the Metropolitan in this year's poor company, no matter what his weight. The backing of Nightmarch was so solid that books reduced his price by more than half, and he is now favourite for the Metropolitan. (Nightmarch has won since the abovet was permed.)

The Grand National Hurdle winner Mangani is due at Avondale to-day to fulfif his engagement in the Grey Lynn Hurdle Race next Monday. He is reported to have trained on satisfactorily since racing at Riccarton and will get good support in Monday's contest. Spring Song, the shapely-looking two-year-old filly by Nigger Minstrel from Kitty Barlowe, has been showing plenty of pace over sprint distances at headquarters. She may be given a run in the Nursery Handicap at Avondale next Monday. Every effort is being made to popularise the totalisator in England, and the various clubs that are installing machines are doing everything possible to attract the public. At Newbury and Bath, for instance,- the managements reduced the admission charges to celebrate.the advent of the tote. Newbury even went one better by supplying patrons with free racecards. The railway companies are also reducing their rates, and generally it appears that the idea is to cheapen racing, thereby getting bigger attendances, and, consequently, bigger totalisator turnovers. Some aristocratic two-year-olds have been nominated for the Nursery Handicap in connection with the spring meeting of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. They include Simba (Psychology —Tressita), half-brother to Runnymede, Raasay, Ganymede and My Own; Chrysology bv Psychology —Desert Gold; Rapalla, bv Grandcourt—Parley, the latter mare being by All Black out of Pourparler (full sister to Bobrikoff); Alliance .(Arausio —Adelicia), half-brother to Warplane; Henry of Navarre (Arausio — Matty), half-brother to Miliars; Wedded (Leighton—Lady Ball), half-sister to Gay Ballerina); and Ruby's Step,, full sister to High Court. Statistics point to the four-year-old division as most likely to provide the winnei of the New Zealand Cup. Going back for 30 years, in which period there were two dead-heats, we find that aged horses have won four times, six-year- : olds four and a-half times, five-year-olds seven and a-half times, four-year-olds eleven and a-half times, and three-year-olds two and a-half times. In justice to the three-year-old brigade it should be noted that nowadays it is not often that good ones are entered, and it is safe to say that if owners gave horses of this age more the Derby candidates would have established a better Cup record. But to return to the four-year-olds. In this year's Cup they make a fair showing with Nightmarch, Prince Humphrey, Concentrate, Prodice, Cashier, Pride and Chide as their best representatives. Great surprise has been expressed over the fait that Honour has not been entered for a race in Sydney prior to the A.J.C. Derby, and some good judges believe that lack of racing might militate against his chance of success (Bays a Sydney writer). But it is no impossible task to win the A.J.C. Derby on track work alone. Trivalve did it in 1927, and what he accomplished New Zealandera are convinced Honour can equal. It is a plucky plan that has been mapped out for the colt, for there are very fewj trainers who are really capable of getting | a horse ready for a big race without one or two preparatory runs. Honour is in the hands of a young trainer, Percy Mason, but he has profited from the knowledge and long experience of his illustrious father, and Honour's owner, Mr. G. D. Greenwood, is evidently con-, vinced. that Mason can bring the horse along sufficiently to win the Derby at'his ,first run for six months. Honour was not entered for the Rosehill Guineas,- but most racegoers., thought he would consequently tackle the Hill Stakes.- That would have meant a severe race against Mollison and Winalot, however, and the possibility of its doing the colt more harm than good might have decided the connections against it. Honour retains his position as favourite for the A.J.C. Derby, and his lack of a race is likely to have the effect of making the race a comparatively wide betting one.

Latest files to hand contain details of the trouble that occurred at Canterbury Park on September 7, when Paganelli was beaten by Amounis. The public thought the New Zealand sprinter had w&n and made a hostile demonstration against the judge. Paganelli was generally considered to be next door to a certainty for the race and although his price eased toward the close of betting, consequent on the support for Margarethal and Reonui, backers did not hesitate to accept the short odds offered against him. When Paganelli passed the pacemaker, Margarethal, and momentarily appeared to have stalled off Amounis' challenge a few strides from the post, his backers were confident of success, but in a flash the complexion of the race underwent a change, Paganelli seemed to tire .right on the post and Amounis, responding in wonderful style to J. Munro's vigorous riding, raised a final effort and the two horses passed the judge's bos almost in line, 'with Amounis on the outside. Most occupants of the official stand who were looking at the race from an agle that would favour Paganelli, thought that Amounis had just got up in time, while others said that it might be a deadheat/ but many backers on the grandstand side of the winning-post thought otherwise and the loots began as soon as the judge hoisted Amounis' number. It was as df a thunderbolt had hit the course. Disappointed backers of. Paganelli hooted lustily, and the uproar increased when the judge left his bos. He was counted out a couple of times, and yells of "robber" were still being flung at him about a-quarter of an hour later. The most remarkable feature of the disturbance was the fact that the demonstrators' view of the race would favour, the outside horse, Amounis, for whom the judge declared by half a head.