THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 314, 29 September 1908, Page 2

THE TURF

i*' ' i [Bv GIiEKCOB.J ; ; ' ' > RACING FIXTURES. ' j October I.—Ohoka and Eyreton J.O. ' i October I.—Kurow J.C. Spring Meeting. ; October 7 and B.—Hawke's Bay J.O. Spring. / October 14 and 15.—Dunedin'J. C. Sprite. October 14 and 15.—Napier Park R.O. Spring, j • October 14 and 15—Otaki-Maori R. 0, Spring. . October 2! and- 24.—Wellington R. 0. Spring; . . ... ;'• October 29 and 30. —Mas'terton R.C. Spring. , November 9.—Waverley-Waitotara R.O. ! Annual. . - . ; , November 30 and Deceraber I.—Feilding Jockey Club Spring. -v. '

NOCTUIFORM DEFEATED ACAIN. ;

Noctuiform, v.'ho won bis first race in England in July, niado bis second appear. anco of the season in an unimportant \v. f. a. event at the Windsor meeting on August 15., -- In a field of threo he was made a'firm fav- - ( ourite, but, after leading for the r greater part of. the journey, ho closod up and . was ; ' tho last of the three to finish. An English i writer thus discourses on his defeat' - i Whether there was any excuse fpr Noctuiform Ijm not at the momont aware. He had - : done so well since being put hi training ' again, this year,' and had; won a little race; in such convincing style that there seemed ' to be • reasonable grounds to hope he would even at the eleventh hour make Mr. Buchanan a good return for many disappointments ; but young Sam Darling seemed ■ a bit dubious when last" I saw him, and said ; he was afraid the horse was now rather an; "old man." It may bo so,'/thoiigh~~N6otiiiform was only just six-years old recently,. , and never ran but twice ;as a two-year-old,' and four times as a three-year-old iu Australasia. The greater probability is that,'" - being asked to race in , this--country , before he was acclimatised .01. .ready to do his best, lie found the experience so distressing that lie determined to abjure any serious effort iu future. Still, it did seem when ho ran right away'with bis race at ths.first time of asking this year that lie had taken a new lease of racing life, and even now I ain ndt \ entirely without hope that this- defeat : : may bo excused for some vand reason,- If it ; cannot, then the only other hope is- to put the horse to jumping and at that game ho . might very well gain distinction. It is very annoying to own a horse like Noctuiform, who, by the way,- did not. cost 7000-guineas,-asWe aro so often told, but a considerable less sum.' Had he remained iu New Zealand , he would probably never have been beaton, and his owner, the late Mr. Stead, did not. at all want.to sell him. Unfortunately, ho. was tempted to do so, with what resiut. wo ;; all know. However, Mr. Buchanan knows how to take the rough, with the .smooth"..in racing affairs as. in others, and I- do not' suppose he worries ' much ' about Noctuiform. ~. .L. :

. NOTES AND COMMENTS, ,

The "nominations received for the OLakj. meeting include a first-clasß. lot of -sprintors,; Joll.v Friar, who has been off the scene since Easter, is entered for several events at • tho Dunedin. Jockey Club's meeting." - /... Loclibuie started three times at the Avon? dale' meeting,' being placed first twice and second once. -■ - . ■ ■ - :■ ' . Frisco, who finished second to Taitoko in the Marangai' Handicap'/at W'anganui - on " Saturday, won that event; at the same meet». ing last year. - ' • Cross Battery, .who iwas credited with, a- , first-class, gallop at Randwick yesterday morning, \v'i}l most likely be given a run in the : Spring Stakes at., the , Australian Jockey ? Club's meeting!■onvSa.turday. t In the list,.bf„wi.nnmg>pj*:nersrat,the:Wa> nganui Jocke^'Club's meeting, published yes« terday morning,, the item, . Mr.' , J» .& M'Donald £185,. was; omitted.' ' " v ■Waihuku's:win at Avondale was long'over- 1 • due, as the San Fran gelding had not won, a race since the Otaki meeting last, October. .. .. ... •- ; • • -- • Kiltie Lass is the name bestowed on Mr.* J. Cress's bay. €Uy by Kilcheran—Eketerina. Passeropoulo. :On the first day of,the Wanganui meeting Martyrium and Rangipapa met at level . weights (Bst. 31b.) in the Flying'.Handicap,: and Rangipapa finished in front - of the Birkenhead marc. On the second day Mar- ; tyriuin was not a starter iu the Owen Handicap, .which Rangipapa. won with Bst. 41b. In framing, tho weights for the Hawka'sJ3ay .. Jockey Club's, spring meeting, Air. Henrys- • has set Martyrium to concede Rangipapa lib. in the Flying Handicap." On Wanganui form . this looks all in favour of Rangipapa, but, taking • Martyrium's last winning' .performance into consideration, the matter is placed . . in a different light. Martyrium gave "Abo: riginal 61bs. and a beating at Trentham, and '■ Aboriginal later gave Rangipapa 161bs:_anq a. beating, and though the latter has shown ■ great improvement.duriuc the last .couple of, . months, Mr. Henrys evidently, does,not feel • justified in handicapping Rangipapa.' above ~ Martyrium as yet. ; ■• ■ . The Trenthdm-tramed Wailethe returned homo last night after _ an. unsuccessful trip ' - to the Avondale meeting. Higeot-t s mare, started on the three days of the, meeting .but failed to'gain a place. ' Weights for the Canterbury Jockey Club'# , i ..Stewards': Handicap are due oh the' day foU ' lowing tho Hawke's.Bay Spring meeting. > <In discussing the chances' of Zimmerman for the New Zealand Cup two arguments are almost invariably introduced against him, viz., that he has 110 chance with 9st. 91b, >•: and that he does not'stay too well. Though at first glance; tho chances of ono br two of tho horses down tho list'certainly seem preferable to. those of Zimmerman, , the top. \ weight should not be written off too hastily, ■ : Take it any way the son of Birkenhead.is one.. ■ of the best-treated horses in the handicap, . and ho is a fine, big, powerful,, weit-bred-anii mal that should he able to carry big." weights . as well as any horse in New Zealand.-" Hotover, he demonstrated this in .Auckland. whsn. ■■ lie won the Racing Club Handicap. with, Ost. 31b. in the saddle. There^till-soonis, to be ■ grave doubts as to whether he is a thorough : .stayer or not. As a three-year-old'lie won both the C.J.C. Derby and the Great Nor- • them Derby, but failed in the .Canterbury:' y Cup. Last season ho won tho Auckland Cup, two miles, but failed in the New Zealand Cup run over a similar distance. The' fact that the Auckland Cup took 7scc. longer ' than the New Zealand Cup gives rise to the . argument that it'was not a-true test of hfa staying powers. There are, however, some reasons for believing that he does stay when- • thoroughly well, and though , the Karamu stable has a couple of promising thrge-year--. • olds iii the Cup it- will not surprise me in'., •. November if Zimmerman is sent to the post '■ to clo battle with his 9st. 91b. -. 1.

RANDWICK TRAINING, .

(IIY TELEGRAI'II—WESS ASSOCIATION —COI'TRIGHT.) Sydney, Soptombor 27, Tho Now Zealand, string of- horses did good ■ sound work at. Randwick. Cross Battery, with a light weight up, cut out a mi)e in ' lmin. 46scc.- Mjiranui did a useful gal> log. , I• ■' ; (