STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 158, 6 July 1935, Page 20

STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

HAS NEVER RACED. A maiden that has improved in [ since the autumn is Mountain a Bruce, a' , five-y'ear-olcl gelding by Mountain .Knight , from Lady .Bruce, by Robert the Bruce i from Miss Ethel, a descendant of the well- , known Necklace family. This novice has , never raced) but he is a powerfully-built gelding, who may eventually develop int9 a good cross-country performer. RESUMED WORK. ! Cricket Bat' is back-in his'old box-at the stables of Cutts Brothers at Riccarton, w£o will start him soon on a preparation , for spring racing. He went sore while | racing at the Auckland summer meeting, , and he has been spelling since then. The Winning Hit horse has had a lot of hard | work in his career, and it is far from certain that .he will make a comeback. MAY BEAT RECORD. _ If A. Fullarton, the Australian steeplechase rider, H wins the Victoria Grand National 011 Redditch next week he will 1 equal the record of the late Tom Corrigan, who piloted three winners, Great Western, Game and Wymlet. As Fullarton is still in his early twenties it is likely that he will not only equal but will beat Corri--1 gan's record as the years go on. , WON AT TRENTHAM LAST WINTER. At the last Wellington meeting Mercian Prince won two hack- races, the Petone Handicap on the secdnd day and the Kia Ora,Handicap on the last day. Both races were run over a mile, and Mercian Prince won each event in easy style. So far this season the Hastings-trained gelding has not done as well as expected, and it will be interesting to see how he fares at Trentham next week. RELATED TO MASTER BRIERLY. A rising two-year-old filly by King Lu from Lady Brierly. has recently joined E. S. Groat's stable. She is a haf-sister to that good performer Master Brierly and is a particularly well-balanced youngster, . showing any amount of quality. The newcomer has only been visiting Ellerslie during the laSt few days, but has settled down nicely to her new surroundings and is a good-mannered filly. PREPARING FOR THE SPRING. Valmint, by Vaals from Lomint, was s given a work-out over six furlongs in com-' pany with Catoma 011 Thursday morning and got through his task very creditably. He is a stylish-looking chestnut gelding, who has improved a good deal since last summer, but so far he has never raced. Valmint has been in steady work for quite a while and should be in good order for the spring meetings. , A LIKELY IMPROVER. The hunter Gascelle, who was given an easy time after racing at EHerslie last month, is now doing strong work again at headquarters. Although he failed to win a race at the Great Northern meeting, his third in the Hunt Club Hurdles was a pleasing performance for a novice, and he is likely to improve with experience. Gascelle will have his hex-t outing in hunters' events at_Jhe Pakuranga ..meeting next month. ;■■■■' NOT ENGAGED FIRST DAY. Although not engaged on the first day of the Wellington meeting, Gold Cure figures in the entries for the High-weight Han-, dicap on the second day, also the Winter Oats on the final day. His latest form has has been good, and at his last start lie accounted for several smart gallopers in a seven-furlong event at Levin, among them being Orapai, Pladie and Cottesmore. If he runs up to that form at Trentham more motley should be in store for him. , JUST MISSED A DOUBLE. The, Foxton' owner Mr. F. S. Easton went close to winning two successive races at Levin last Saturday, for, although Manawatu failed by a head to win the Grand Hack Cup, he scored with Lord Moutoa in the Ihakara Hack Handicap— the .succeeding event. The jumping experience which lias been accorded Manawatu has i'been beneficialj although he has to be kept up to his work all the time, while Lord Moutoajs form has also improved appreciably. He is by Acre from Moutoa Ivanova, a sister to Sasanof. SHOULD BE IN THE MONEY. , Dunmure, a Wellington Steeplechase candidate, - won a couple of cross-country races earlier in the season and is expected to show up in the big event at Trjptham next week. He is a six-year-clo" gelding, by Panmure from Kiltess, and is statckl to be a proficient ju 111 p'er. His best effort to date was registered in the Great Western Steeplechase, which he won at the Riverton meeting -in April, getting the verdict by four lengths from Royal Limond. The ' fact that Dunmure carried 201b more than Royal Limond made the win move impressive, and if he repeats that form next week : he should be in -the,, money y . '

HURDLER IN FORM. Tho Hastings-trained lxnrdler High Grader was schooled over six flights of hurdles on that course recently, and is stated to have given an attractive jumping display. Ho has won three of the last four races that he contested, among his victories being the Century Hurdles at Wanganui. High Grader figures 'in the Trentham Hurdle Race, to be run on that course next Tuesday, and will be one of the hardest 'to beat in the event. RELISHES HEAVY GROUND. Landlubber, who is engaged in hack events at the' Wellington meeting, has arrived at Trentham and will make his first appearance in the Wobnrn Handicap. As this race is run over six furlongs the distance will suit the Lucullus gelding admirably, and he is likely to beat more than beats him. Landlubber is a proved galloper in heavy ground, and if those conditions are in evidence at Trentham next week it will enhance his prospects. He showed up at Ellerslie. • "CRADLE OF RACING." While Marlborough and the Wairarapa are each claiming the distinction of being the cradle of racing in New Zealand, an old Greytown resident states that neither of these districts is entitled to the honour! The. first race meetings in the Dominion were, he says, held on the Te Aro Flat, in Wellington, in the early 'forties, the military horses being the principal competitors. It is qn record that the late Mr. James Nicol. of 4 Masterton, rode a mare named Bella in 4 race in Wellington in 1845.