STABLE AND TRACK NOTES

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 181, 1 August 1936, Page 20

STABLE AND TRACK NOTES

QUITE SATISFIED. I T. George is well satisfied with the way Diamond has progressed since the Wellington meeting, although, owing to the wet weather, the gelding has not had quite the amount of schooling that he would have wished. RELATED TO MAHMOUD. Ma hin cud's hall-brother, Pherozshan, made his first appearance under colours in the Coventry Stakes recently at Ascot, and he did well to finish fourth. A greyson of Pharos, he is said to be a bigger colt than Malimoud. BEST OF THE YEAR. Early School, who won the Coventry Stakes for Lord Astor at the recent Ascot meeting, is regarded as one of the best juveniles of the present year. He is also said to be the finest yet of the stock of the Derby winner Eelstead. GREEK SHEPHERD'S PROGRESS.According to southern reports, Greek Sliepneru looks tne picture 01 health just now and is ready ac any time to resume active tasks. He has nad a comparatively easy career to date and iuis been given every chance to make une of the Dominion's best four-year-olds. JUMPER SHOWS ABILITY. As the result of frequent schooling lessons over hurdles marked' improvement has been made by King Ara. On Thursday morning at Jiillerslie he was sent over four Hights in the centre and his display was the best he has given to date. King Ara has plenty of size and also possesses the right contormation to make good as a jumper.

SHOULD PAY HIS WAY. Since resuming work at Ellerslie nothing of a strenuous nature Has been requireu of .bady Diana- .However, she is making good progress and is thriving on the work allotted ner. llns mure invariably runs her best races wlieu tne sting is out of the ground and should pay her way on the country circuit when tne company is not too select. DOING PLENTY OF WORK. Knight of Australia is getting through a sound preparation at iMlerslie and has freshened up a good deal of late. As this horse is partial to soft going he should win some more money during the next month or two. Later on he will be prepared for hurdle events, but in the meantime success on the flat should not be beyond the son of Windbag. RACE SHOULD BENEFIT HIM. By finishing third in the Flaxbourne Hurdle Jttace at the Manawatu meeting last week, Valpai was responsible for a promising effort, it was his first outing for some considerable time and the race is likely to benefit him a good deal. Valpai is a good jumper, who can handle any going, and it would not surprise to see him on the winning list early in the new season. MAY SPRING A SURPRISE. One of the eight horses on the minimum in the Winter (Jup that is capable. of a surprise is Metal Bird (says a southern writer). This horse was not started at Trentham last month, nor is he engaged at the Christcliurch Hunt meeting to-day. Metal Bird is by Weathervane from that good mare Stardance. He is a very smart Deginner and can see out a stoutly run mile. MAKING GOOD HEADWAY.

The Hunting Song gelding Huntsman's ■ Chorus has made good headway during the last month and is now putting more dash into his work at headquarters. This maiden had a bit of racing experience as a two-year-old a couple of seasons ago and it should assist him when he starts off in the new season. Huntsman's Chorus is a soiid-ioolung gelding who should turn out well. SHOWED FORM AT WASHDYKE. The hunter Cock o' the North, who ran second to Royston. in the gentlemen riders' steeplechase at Washdyke lasj Saturday, is now attached to A. S. Ellis' team. He was not nominated for the Christchurch Hunt fixture, but will race at the Grand National meeting. Cock o' the North is an aged chestnut gelding by Koyal Mac from Dabcbick, and is owned by Mr. A. N. Grigg. TO GO TO RICCARTON. Forest Glow has accepted for the Grand National, and L. Knapp said at Awapuni that, all going well, he would be a runner. Forest Glow ran a long way below his form at the Wellington meeting, but he has had time to get over any temporary trouble he may have had. On his dam's side he comes from a successful jumping line and stays well, so that he should find no difficulty with the Riccarton country. IN FIRST-RATE CONDITION. Latest track work 'clearly indicates that Landlubber is an improved horse since he returned from the Wanganui meeting. The Lucullus gelding only requires to win another race to put him out of hack class, and he should accomplish the feat before the spring meetings are over. Landlubber's next appearance will be at the Pakuranga meeting, to be held on August 22, and it will not be for want of condition if he fails to run prominently at that fixture. IS WEARING WELL. Lordly Knight, winner of the Winter Oats, one mile and a quarter, at Gisborne, was a class sprinter a few seasons back. In the 1032-33 season the Paladin gelding won six races, including the AR.C. Bowen Handicap and the. W.R.C. City Handicap. The following season he won the Collingwood Handicap at Trentham and the following autumn dead-lieated for second with Cranford behind Copyist on that course.

AUSTRALIAN TRIP LIKELY. It seems probable that the strong South Island team that left this week in order to race in Australia in the spring will be reinforced later by Queen of Song. P. T. Hogan now has the trip in view, but not until after the Grand National meeting. Queen of Song (10.3) is top-wight m the Winter Cup. The race has been won only four times by a mare since 1899. The first mare to win was Banksia in 1915, when she won under 9.11 with a 9.0 minimum. Cherry Blossom won the following year with 9.1. The next on the list are Fast Passage, who won in 1932 with 9.2 at an 8.0 minimum, and in 1934 Princess Doreen won with 8.0. J. BARRY UNLUCKY. The New Zealand jockey J. Barry, who has been riding in Victoria for some time and was suspended for a month for not riding out a two-year-old at Werribee recently, seems to have been unlucky. The horse had not raced for about four months, and evidently was thoroughly exhausted in the straight. " Cardigan," once a stipendiary steward, wrote of the incident as follows:—" I thought the penalty of a month's suspension which the V.R.C. stewards imposed on J. Barry at Werribee last week for not riding Derring Do out was rather severe. The filly was so tired she simply staggered over the judge's line, and had Barry moved on her she would probably have walked. I saw the race from the lawn, and when the field passed me Oonah was in front of Derring Do, and was going better than thpjt ~!ly."

AN IMPROVED 'CHASER. It was not intended to start High Speed at Waslidyke on Saturday last, but Mr. A. S. Jones, a strong supporter of the club, decided to give him a run just to make a race for the club. lie was rewarded with a £70 stake for his sporting action. High Speed is a much improved horse this season and is a possibility in the Grand National Steeplechase. ROYAL BUCK'S WEAKNESS. Royal Buck would win more important races than hunters' steeplechases if he could be prevented from over-reaching (says a southern writer). After winning the Teschemaker Memorial Steeplechase on Saturday at Waslidyke he was very lame on returning to the entrance, having over-reached again during the race. HAS SETTLED DOWN. I Knockfin has settled down more than ! ever previously and does not now give any | trouble going out on to the tracks (says a ! southern writer). Her improvement can : be credited to J. Campbell, who has rid--1 den her on to the tracks for some weeks past and has gradually mastered her. Recently she was given a gallop over half a mile, taking 51s, without being ridden out. Knockfin will enter upon the new season much more solid in condition than before, and her prospects of making amends for past failures appear to be very favourable.