WINTER PROSPECTS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 188, 8 May 1934, Page 13

WINTER PROSPECTS

Makeup to Start Again NOTES AND COMMENTS Thurina Reported Well (By "lhe Watcher.”) i Makeup will race at Wanganui and probably Te Kuiti as a preliminary to his third Great Northern meeting, at which he has a great record. Two years ago he ran second to his stablemate, Ban mark in the Great Northern Hurdles while he was the winner last year. He also wound up the meeting With a second to Callamart in the Winter Steeplechase. Home Again. . •. .„ Mr W. T. Hazlett, who has his team racing in Victoria, is due back in Mw Zealand by the Wanganella to-day. He has sent back by the Wainui, direct, the three v year-old Chief R “ ler h ®’ 1 t y ' l “he ]v Light? who was recently hurt on tne tracks at Mentone. She will.be spelled here before being, trained again. Thurina. , Thurina, the winner of the l.» st Gj a ”“ National, is being worked privately by hh part owner, Mr. W.'. J. Doyle,'and good reports are circulating concerning his progress. Thurina was very sore after bis two falls on the secondl and third days of the National meeting, but he has apparently made a good, recovery. Mi. Doyle does a Jot of preliminary work with h|m so that by the time Thurina joins up with Mrs. J. Campbells team at Kiccarton he will be well forward. A Winter Prospect. Protomint is a horse that has always been on the verge of big things, but bis record as a whole is disappointing. It is doubtful if the best has ever been got out of this son of Catmint, but he is a good winter horse, and is worth more than a passing thought from now on. To Malte Him Solid. Tout le Monde, has been so long. showing the form anticipated of hint that his trainer, T. Lloyd, is considering a new line of treatment. Tout le Monde is beiu„ given a lot of jumping on the lead, and it is possible that he will be schooled oyer hurdles, in the hope that this will brin» improved form for future racing on-the flat. No Government Can Stop Gambling. In the House of Lords' last month, while moving the second reading of the Government’s Betting and Lotteries Bui, the Secretary for Air. the . Marquis of Londonderry, said that, human nature being what it was. no Government could put an end to gambling, and would be foolish to attempt it. But the regulation and control of gambling by clear legislaHon was a responsibility which no Government, least of all a National Government. had a right to evade. D. J. Price Appeals. , The Melbourne trainer D. J. Price, and the jockey S. Tomison. recently cusquanHed for two years for alleged improper practices, have appealed. A Derby Hope. The purchase by Lord Woolavington of the JTrench tbree-ytiar-old colt Easton, who ran second in the Two Thousand Guineas to Colombo, is a fair, indication that he has loomed up as a dangerous rival to the unbeaten Derby favourite. Lord Woolavington had three entries ot his own in the Derby, but .apparently none of them is looked upon as a possibility. Easton must have shown ex- ' ceotional form, for he is not mentioned among the best of France’s two-year-olds last year. He has only the two classic engagements in England, the Two Thousand and the Derby. He is a brown colt by the English-bred Dark Legend, a son of Dark Ronald. He was formerly owned by Mr. R. B. Strassburger. Great Northern Chance. . Northern reports credit Thespis with getting through a solid preparation for the Great Northern meeting. He has been entered for a couple of hurdle events at the Te Kuiti meeting, and the racing at that fixture should provide a reliable guide for his Great Northern Hurdle engagement. Last season a’ similar programme was followed with Thespis, who started one of the favourites in the I’io Pio Hurdles on the second day of the Te ■ Kuiti meeting. On that oceasion.he was going well until crossing the tod. where he hit a fence bard and dropped ■ back, eventually finishing some distance behind the placed horses. His next appearance was in the Great Northern Hurdles, and when out in front with Prince ot Orange about seven furlongs from home both horses came.to grief. Thespis was going well at the time. According to the Book. Classic form in England this season is working out well in accord with last, season's two-year-old showings. Colombo, the best of the colls, blip won the Criivtti Stakes and the Two Thousand Guineas, and Campanula, the best of the. fillies, has won the One Thousand Guineas. In the Free Handicap nt the end of the season, this pair headed the list. Colombo at 9.7 being placed 71b. above the filly. Likes tiie Mud. The good winter performer Foreign Queen is now reported as getting through useful tasks at Woodville and as looking a much more solid mare than formerly. Foreign Queen is a brilliant galloper when the tracks are on the easy side, and she should be prominent this winter. Should Improve. The two races The Tiger had at Wawern should sec him strip a better horse for Wanganui, a course which has suited him in the past. A year ago he won the Winter Oats. Accepted. Gay Court was very sore at Hawera, but as he paid up at Wanganui it is evident be is still standing. Au improvement in his form last week should see him’run prominently though it may not bo possible in the interval to give him the necessary work. / Good Prospect. Don Erma's recent performances over hurdles indicate that he should run well in the steeplechases at Wanganui. May Run On. Tea Garden returns to flat racing again at Wanganui. The racing at Wawern should enable him to run on better, especially on the Wanganui course. An Improver. Trcs Sec is an improving hack, and as ho appears to handle soft going well his winter prospects look good. He is engaged at Wanganui. Unlucky. Prince Ueno was one of the unlucky runners at Egmont.

Showed No Dash. Amyril failed to show any dash in her race at Hawerakon Wednesday. Last winter she was a- prominent performei and won a double at Irentham in July. In the meantime she has been off the scene with bad knees, and maybe it will take a bit of racing to bring her back to form. Why He Failed at Easter. Takakua will be an interesting runner at Wanganui. He failed at Auckland at Easter, just when his previous form gav him good prospects, but he went right off his feed, and* his failure did not surprise his connections. Winter Going. The recent heavy rain throughout the Dominion will ensure tracks being soft to heavy from now on. Son of Gold Light. The five-year-old gelding Shining Gold (Arausio —Gold Light), who recenuy won a race for his breeder. Mr. W. 1. Hazlett, at Pakenham (Melbourne)..won again nt Woodend on April 26, but this time for a new owner. Mr. Hazlett having in the meantime disposed of him. Shining Gold is now owned by his gainer, h. Fort, who soon got some return of ms purchase money. Shining Gold led ail the way. and won comfortably. Insurance Against Falls. On French courses at Enghien and at Maisons Laffiitte tote backers can insure against falls by paying 50 centimes, or a franc more, for a five-franc ticket, according to whether the event is, a hurdle race or a steeplechase. Should the horse fall, the backer receives back his, bet; and at the meeting at Enghien the cierks, were kept very busy returning money invested on horses that fell. Kentucky Derby. The cabled result of . the Kentucky Derbv makes no mention of Mata Hari, who was the ante-post favourite a few weeks ago, as the result of her excellent two-vear-old form. However, as only one filly has ever won this race, and that a long time ago, it is not surprising that Mata Hari missed. Tragic Accident.

Lincolnshire Handicap day—March 21—commenced with a tragic road accident. The motor horse-box in which the Hon. George Lambton’s filly Versicle was travelling to Lincoln from Newmarket, collided with an ambulance at crossroads near Huntingdon just before 7 a.m. A nurse travelling in the ambulance was killed, while an attendant and the driver were seriously injured. George Woodman. travelling head lad to Mr. Lambton, was seriously injured, and an apprentice was hurt, but not seriously. ' Versicle was not much hurt, but she was scratched for the Lincolnshire, for which she tad been heavily backed. i

Breeders’ Premiums. In England the Jockey Club does not consider that the breeders of the winners of the One Thousand and Two Thousand Guineas deserve any recompense. In fact there are few races at Newmarket in which the breeders of the winners receive premiums. The breeder of the Derby winner gets £5OO, and the breeder of the Oaks £460. At present one of the few races in which the owner of the fourth horse gets an allocation is the Eclipse Stakes, in which he receives a prize of £200., It is interesting to note that the breeder of the Eclipse winner, receives' £5OO, the breeder of the second £2OO, and the breeder of the third £lOO. Leads in Derby Winner.

Bubbles, the police horse which for the last seven years has led the Derby winner from the course to the paddock after the race, will have a new rider next Derby Day. Inspector Norfolk, who rode him oh those occasions, retired from service in March. “It is rather a wrench parting from him after all this- time,” he said, “but I am comforted by the thought that he will be in good hands.” Wanganui’s Prospects.

There is a total of 96 acceptors for the seven events to be decided on the opening day of the Wanganui Jockey Club’s winter meeting on Thursday. So far as horses and prospects of keen racing are concerned, the club has never been in such a good position for several years. Otaki Nominations.

Nominations for the winter meeting of the Qtaki-Maori Racing Club will close on Friday at 8/p.m.

Answers to Correspondents.

“Snow,” Lower Hutt: £l/13/-.-“Doubt,” Hobson Street: £2/6/-. “Wager,” Hastings: Vonia Park's record is 17 starts, four wins, three seconds and three thirds. WELLINGTON TROTS Entries for Special Meeting Owners and trainers are reminded that nominations for all events at the special meeting of the Wellington Trotting Clti.i. to be held on May 19. clow to-night at 8 p.m. The secretary's address is Box 4, I’etoue. PROSPECTS FOR FORBURY Track Certain to be Heavy By Telegraph.-j-Prcss Association. r Dunedin, May 7. The weather now shows signs of clearing, but heavy rain fell yesterday and lust night, giving the track at Forbury no chance of drying. The caretaker. with a system of draining, hopes to have it in order for to-morrow, but it is sure to be heavy for the international match race. FIXTURES. Mar 10, 12—Wanganui J.C. May 11, 12—'Soil t Ulan 11 R.C. May I!)—llangitikei R.C. May 19—Ashburton C.R.U. May 19, 21—Te Kuiti R.C. May 'HI--Soutli Canterbury J.C. June 2, -G-Otaki Maori R.C. June 2, 4, 3—'Dunedin J.C. June 2,4, o—Auckland R.C. June 9 —Greymoutb J.C. Julie 9—Foxton lt.C. June 14, JU—Hawke's Ray J.C. June lll—South Canterbury J.C. June Hi—Waipa R.C. June 21, 23—Napier Park R.C. June 23—Ashburton C.R.C. June 30—Oa-maru J.C. July 4—Dnnnevlrke Hunt Club. July 10, 12, 14—Wellington lt.C. July 21 —Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club. July 25—Rangitikel Hunt Club. July 29—Walmate District 11. C. July 211, 2t» —Poverty Bay T.C. July 28—South Canterbury H.C. July 23— Manawatu R.C.