TOPICAL COMMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 208, 3 September 1942, Page 7

TOPICAL COMMENT

OUT FOR A SPELL Selwyn is to be turned out until next autumn as the result of going amiss in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup. It is not the first lime that this jumper has gone lame, and he may prove difficult to train in the future. TO BE SCHOOLED St. Cloud has not faced up to expectations for some time and is to be tried out as a hurdler. She won three races last season and had six minor platings in 21 other starts, while this season she failed in two races at Riccarton after running third in the Brabazon Handicap at the Christchurch Hunt meeting. JUSTIN A RECOMMISSIONED That capable galloper Justina has been taken up again after a spell of several months. This mare put up several sound performances over middle distances last season, and was decidedly unlucky in some of her races. J. J. Goodwin should have little difficulty in winning further successes with Justina during the present term. LITTLE "RACED When Water Hound won the Weraroa Stakes at Hawera he was having his first start since April, 1940. On that occasion he contested the Oakley Handicap at Avondale, running unplaced, but he then disappeared from the scene. His successful effort at Hawera on Saturday was his first outing since. His dam, Rippling Waters, was also little raced, but her three starts as a two-year-old included a meritorious win in the Welcome Stakes. She was off the scene for two seasons, but raced twice at five years for one win in an open sprint. Water Hound is trained at Te Rapa by F. Tutchen. IRISH CHAMPION As generally expected, the Irish Derby was won in runaway fashion by Windsor Slipper, a son of the English Derby winner, Windsor Lad (son of Blandford). Windsor Slipper was bought at the Newmarket sales as a yearling for his present owner, Mr. Joseph McGrath, by Captain Gerald McElligott. So far he has not been beaten, either as a two or three-year-old. Windsor Slipper is a half-brother to the English Oaks winner, Godtva, by Hyperion. Mr. McGrath, who is racing on a big scale in Ireland, won no fewer than five races in one afternoon at The Curragh recently. Since purchasing Windsor Slipper, Mr. McGrath has paid 14,000 guineas for his dam, Carpet Slipper, by Phalaris, in foal to Hyperion. SANCTION'S SUCCESS The success of Sanction in the Halcombe Memorial Handicap at Hawera on Saturday came as a minor surprise, but it was not out of its turn. This mare has passed through the hands of different trainers, and her owner, Mr. E. Sullivan, personally superintended her preparation for a time, working her on the beach at Petone and around the roads nearby. It was while she was owner-trained that Sanction won the Rangitikei Hack Cup at Marton on January 3 last, and shortly afterwards she was handed to P. Burgess at Trentham with a view to putting her to hurdling. In the new role she showed promise when she ran third at Feilding, but a fall at the Wanganui winter meeting put her out of commission for a time. Although not fully recovered, she was raced at the Wellington winter meeting, and ran third to those good ones, Authoress and Alienate, in the Corunna •Hurdles on the second day. PLEA FOR CLASS HORSES Despite Australian opinion of the owners' intention it is now definitely known that none of our class performers like Kindergarten, Battledress, etc., will compete in Australia this spring. These horses will therefore be a great attraction at our metropolitan meetings this season, providing suitable races are provided, says a Wellington writer. The suggestion is to provide ciuality invitation handicaps for these class horses, say. on the first day's programme, and a suitable w.f.a event on the final day. A handicap event restricted to such horses as Kindergarten, Battledress, Happy Ending, Rakanui, Bashful Lady, Gladynev, Sally Lunn, etc., and the season's best three-year-olds, would provide a great attraction and should be made of outstanding value as racing authorities should encourage the best performers who in the past have been forced into going overseas.