STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 98, 28 April 1933, Page 10

STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

RETRACT AT WOODVILLE. That good but unsound winter performer Retract has joined up with J. Sullivan's team at Woodville and is looking well after an enforced spell. Under the easier track conditions at this centre there is every possibility of this gelding standing up to a preparation when he should be a good winner this winter. BROTHER TO GOLD TINGE. Rereatu tailed the_ field for a long way in the Oakley Handicap on the first day of the Avondale meeting, but finished on to get third. On Monday he was with the leaders in the Nursery Handicap entering the straight and went on to score nicely. If he had been closer in the early stages on Saturday he would have been much harder to beat. Rereatu is a full-brother to Gold Tinge, who won the Breeders' Plate at Randwick, and he looks like turning out a very useful three-year-old. UNLUCKY TO BE BEATEN. Master Norval won the Chevalier Handicap very narrowly on the first day of the Avondale meeting. He came into the picture just before entering the straight, and finishing very strongly beat United by a head. On Monday he was very unlucky not to have won the Mount Roskill Handicap. At the start he was chopped back and lost several lengths, but was with the leaders when the straight was fairly entered, staying on to deadheat with Holly Lu. With an even breakaway Master Norval looked as though he would have won easily. WELL MERITED WINB. It was very pleasing to see the Messrs. Stonex Bros, get a win with Grand Spirit in the Hqbsonville High-weight Handicap on Saturday at Avondale, for their luck has not been of the best for a long time, and they are really good supporters of the turf. Grand Spirit ran to the front before the back stretch was reached, and stayed there, to score nicely. This is her first success since ahe won as a two-year-old three seasons ago at Rotorua. On the second day, with a change of riders, she did not show up nearly so prominently in the running and finished fourth. An inquiry was held into the handling of Grand bpirit m this instance and the stewards decided to take no action. It looked as though she was kept too far back in tho early stages, for she finished on all right. A GOOD RECORD. Three highly-bred yearlings—one by David, another by Friarsdale, and the third by Doric —arrived in Auckland from Sydney on Wednesday, and it may ba remarked that the knowledge of breeding which is possessed by Mr. E. W. Alison, jun„ was instrumental in the owners of these youngsters bringing them to the Dominion. Mr. Alison, who is a keen student of racing and breeding, has enriched the turf in New Zealand in past years by tho thoroughbred stock he himself has imported and raced or got others to purchase and bring to New Zealand. Among them are The Spanner, Royal Present, Geoffrey, Namutere, Cawnpore, British King, Arumavis, Aerofortis, Florent (dam of Bronze Tray), Dancing Doll (dam of La Poupee), Tarporley, Puriri Park, Hampton Park, British Columbia, Eldora, Courthaven, Ornamental, Some Boy 11. (who afterwards proved himself a good sire), Taiamai, Khubiai_ Khan, and Hineamaru—all winners. This is n fine record, and the turf owes not a little to Mr. Alison's judgment. It is to be hoped that the three new arrivals turn out as well as their predecessors. DEATH OF SINGLETON. Singleton, an aged horse by Autumn — Bobella, was destroyed at Takanini yesterday afternoon, following a breakdown during his race at Avondale on Monday. Recently he was taken over by Miss K. R. Smith, in wliose colours he raced at Whangarei and Avondale. Two seasons ago he was brought to Takanini, by Mr. A. Harris, of Gisborne, who prepared him for the Great Northern Hurdles, and he ran a great race until he fell at the second to last fence when in second position behind Prince Lu,_ the winner. He was then taken to Wellington, where he was successful in winning the Trentham Hurdles. On being taken to Riccarton for the Grand National Hurdles he developed a recurrence of the unsoundness he had previously suffered in tho near foreleg. This weakness kept him off the scene for a long, time, and on being tried again the trouble again reappeared, and it was deemed advisable to destroy him. Singleton was a successful handicap horse when owned by the Gisborne sportsman Mr. D. J. Barry, and trained by H. Goscomb, among his many victories being the Marton Cup and the Gisborne Gold Cup in the 1929-3 C season.