STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 113, 14 May 1936, Page 22

STABLE AND TRACK NOTES.

RATHER UNLUCKY. The hurdler Brigadore was a shade unlucky when beaten by Contact on the first day of the Eginont meeting and was not produced again at the fixture. However, he is to contest the hurdles at Marton on Saturday, where he is opposed by only two others and is sure to be favourite. The Polazel gelding will later come on to Te Rapa to fulfil engagements at the j Waikato meeting. LIKES SOFT GOING. Slippery is suited by winter conditions and finished very fast in the open sprint I at Egmont last Thursday to be right up j fourth. He was started again in the Davidson Handicap, one mile and a distance, on Saturday, and after being near the front all the way won nicely. Slippery is at his best again and he is due to make his next appearance in the Winter Stakes at Marton next Saturday, in which he should run well.

FOURTH SUCCESSIVE SECOND. Forest Glow must be accounted an unlucky horse. His second to Rasouli at Hawera last Thursday was the fourth successive occasion on which he was runnerup. Moreover, a fresh horse has beaten him each time. No fault could be found with his fencing on Thursday and he was always in the picture. He ran a fine race, but was unluckv in meeting one of Rasouli's calibre. He beat the remainder of the field very easily. IN THE NORTHERNS. Manawatu lias been entered for the Great Northern Hurdles, Steeplechase and Winter Steeplechase at the forthcoming meeting at Ellerslie. This horse is good on the flat and over hurdles, while he has yet to win a steeplechase. However, he had two races at the last Wellington winter meeting over country and finished j fourth in the Matai Steeplechase. Mana- j watu is engaged in the Hack Steeplechase , at Marton on Saturday. | I ENGAGED AT MARTON. I Hunting Queen won the Champion Hack | Cup, nine furlongs, in good style at j Hawera last Saturday. She joined the leader, Orae, two furlongs from home, and I was first round the home turn, drawing! away to win by three lengths. Hunting Queen showed to advantage over, hurdles j at the Feikling spring meeting, running ■ third on the first day and winning on the second day, while at the r.ecent Feilding I meeting Donegal beat her over a mile and j a distance. Both she and "Donegal are i engaged at Marton on Saturday and -they , i will be in request in the Crofton Hack | i Cup. ' i

FOURTH AT EGMONT. The New Plymouth-trained Sporting Song is reported to be a good jumper and by now should have gained .the necessary experience to make him a prospect in the Hack Hurdles at Waipa (says our Woodville correspondent). His best effort was in running fourth on the first day of the Egmont meeting, when the field contained ' some pretty smart hurdlers. ; A PROMISING SORT. The Ranger has joined T. George's team at Trenthaui after qualifying with ' the Manawatu Hunt. He was given a run | over four steeplechase fences at Trentliam | last Tuesday morning and gave a clean display of jumping, though he was blowing ; a bit afterwards. The Ranger last season . • showed excellent promise as a jumper, runj ning second in the Dannevirke Hunt Cup : Steeplechase and third in the Hawke's [ Bay Hunt Cup Steeplechase. TO ARRIVE EARLY. ; According to southern reports it is the intention of L. G. Morris to reach Ellerslie early with his Great Northern Hurdle can- • didate Clarion Call, and he plans to leave ■■ for Auckland a day or two after the . Marton meeting, which will be held next . Saturday. Clarion Call is engaged at that fixture and he is staled to have been j going along very satisfactorily since he : raced at ieilding, where he fell in the . hurdles 011 the first day, but won 011 the second day. ADDITIONS TO TEAM. When T. George returned from Blenheim to Trentliam 011 Monday he brought back with him Rose Val, winner of the 1 two principal events at Marlborough, Maypay, who was purchased by Captain ■ Crawford 011 behalf of the British Blood Stock Agency, London, at the Corry sale, and who will remain at Trentliam till shipped to America or England, and I Marcus Cicero, owned by Mr. R. J. Murphy. Marcus Cicero is stated to be I looking well, but there is a doubt as to i whether the son of Hunting Song and I Oratrix will stand another preparation.

AN ATTRACTIVE START. Making his first appearance in a hurdle race, Silk Sox appeared to be decidedly unlucky to suiter defeat in the Manawapou Hurdles at Haweru 011 Saturday. Jumping cleanly, though carefully, his pace ou the llat soon enabled him to run up into a handy position, and lie took charge at the live furlongs. Contact ran up to him at the last fence, but Silk Sox was doing better than his rival when he hit the hurdle rather hard and lost two or more lengths. Once Dulieu had him balanced again Silk Sox finished in good style, almost snatching victory 011 the post. It was certainly a most encouraging display for a horse making his debut us a jumper. He has the puce 011 the flat and his style of jumping should suit the solid hurdles at Ellerslie. ANOTHER MISTAKE. When Diamond fell at the second fence on the hill the last time round in the Mangere Steeplechase at Ellerslie last month he injured himself, and he had his first school since then at Trentliam 011 Tuesday, but had the misfortune to make another mistake. Ridden by R. Smith, he was sent out to jump the country, and after failing to negotiate three fences as well us he usually docs, he struck a hurdle, which was the next obstacle, and catapulted Smith from the saddle. Smith received a sprained thumb and ankle, his skull cup saying him from more serious injury. Diamond seemed all right when captured and led away. He has engagements at the Great Northern meeting, but can hardly be ready.

A POPULAR VICTORY,

It is not often that a rank outsider receives the rousing reception accorded Beau Star when he returned to scale after winning the Adainson Steeplechase at Hawera on Saturday. It is safe to say, however, that the plaudits were' mainly for his popular rider-trainer, W. Grindlay, who lias been out of luck lately. Beau Star has always been a proficient fencer, but has usually failed to stay the distance. When Petrarch moved up to him at the far turn and the two arrived at the last fence together there were few who did not expect i'etrarch to outstay his rival over the last furlong. But for once Beau Star did nor stop or show signs of tiring. ' i-m----ishing full of running, lie soon took the measure of I'etrarch to , score in a comfortable fashion. His performance reflected credit on Grindlay, who has evidently worked an improvement in the condition of this horse. "IN VAIN." A rather amusing story was told Jby Maurice McGrath, the prominent Victorian trainer, during his visit to New Plymouth last week-end. A patron of McGrath's stable, a well-known business man, liked a tenner on a long chance now and again. One of his horses in McGrath s | stable was having its first run for some | time at a Melbourne suburban meeting, ' and, being ridden by an unknown appreni tice, was at long odds. McGrath, though ' not at all sanguine of success, told his j patron that his horse might bring off a I surprise and the owner was advised to invest £10. The bookmakers also knew of this man's weakness towards a long shot, and when he proceeded to invest his £10 they all desired some and offered him good odds. In a spirit of joviality he gave them all some, with the result that lie won about £900 when his horse rolled home. But then the joke started. He had a big circle of friends, and he was always free with his information. When his horse won at long odds and it was learned that he had won £900, these friends were very peeved because they had not been "let in on the good thing." The most annoyed man was the owner's own brother. This greatly worried him and for weeks afterwards lie was going around attempting to explain, usually in vain, how the whole tiling happened.