EGMONT STEEPLES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 192, 11 May 1937, Page 15

EGMONT STEEPLES

Form of Bonnie Rollox NOTES AND COMMENTS Padishah’s Cup Win (By The Watcher.) The opening of the steeplechasing season is always interesting, and although only eight of the 15 handicapped in the Egmont Steeplechase have accepted, they include the Australian importation, Bouie Rollox, and three Riccarton candidates, Monastic, Sky Pilot, and Pahu. Bonnie Rollox is Well in. Tudor and Manawatu having dropped out. Bonnie Rollox will have the honour of No. 1 saddlecloth in his first appearance in New Zealand. He is a chestnut gelding by St. Rollox from Bonnie Charis, a mare who does not.appear in the Australian Stud Book. He has good form to his credit this season in Australia, winning the V.A.T.C. Oberon Steeplechase, two miles and three furlongs, under 10.4, the V.R.C. January .Steeplechase, two miles and half a furlong, under 11.0, and the V.R.O. March Steeplechase, under 11.11. In this third success he was asked to concede the Grand National winner Santa Casa 81b. and the report of the race is ‘‘won easing up.” On the Australian Cup day Bonnie Rollox. then sold to Mr. R. J. Murphy, was given 12.3. and Santa Casa 11.3, and they started equal second favourites for the A»’umn Steeplechase, about two miles and a half. Bonnie Rollox fell at the fourth fence, and Santa Casa ran third to Seven Hills, 9.11, and Wakerife, 10.0, Wakerife having also run second in the previous start to Bonnie Rollox. In the handicap for the Great Easter Steeplechase at Onkaparinga on Easter Monday, Santa Casa was the top with 11.7. Tudor had 11.2 and Cynical Kid 10.1. It will thus be seen that at 10.7 to-morrow at Egmont Bonnie Rollox is handsomely treated. It remains to be seen whether he will handle heavy going, but most jumpers do, though he may possibly be not quite forward. His form will be watched with interest. Second Last Year. Forest Glow had 10.5 last May when he ran second to Rasouli. He is forward with racing, and has made good showings recently in hurdle events, while he beat all but Tudor over three miles in the Autumn Steeplechase at Ellerslie at Easter. Forest Glow is not brilliant, but he is a sound stayer and a good jumper with prospects better than the average for early steeplechases on account of bis condition.

A Veteran. Pahu once or twice last season looked likely to win a good race, but his form was only average. He may improve this season, and he has had a couple of recent races, but he lacks the dash he once possessed.

A Prospect. Don Erma has recent good form among the hurdlers, and he ran third to Irish Comet and Mangu King at Ohinemnri and won the Hauraki Plains Steeplechase, three miles, on the second day from Valpeen and Irish Comet. He is really an experienced ’chaser, and three years back won the Grandstand Steeplechase at Wanganui.

Good at His Bbst. Cynical Kid is undoubtedly a ’chaser out of the ordinary, but he has had his career badly affected by unsonndness. He schooled well over the country on Saturday morning, and provided he remains sound he will be hard to beat. Southern Pair.

Monastic has won over country, and both he and Sky Pilot have been schooling well at Riccarton. Monastic gave the impression last year that, ho did not like the game very much, but Sky Pilot is a promising novice. Invictus has been placed in steeplechases, but he has not improved much as a really good crosscountry prospect. Australian’s Class.

Considerations of weight and class put Bonnie Rollox by himself, and his only handicap may be his condition, in which Forest Glow, Don Erma, and Cynical Kid may obtain a levelling advantage, but they will need all of it. For Sydney.

The unnamed chestnut colt by Lord Warden—Knoeklynn, bought by J. T. Jamieson for 350 guineas at the last National Sales, is being shipped to Jamieson by the Awatea from Auckland this week. The colt is n half-brother to Knockfin. H. E. Russell leaves with his team from Wellington by the Wanganella on Thursday.

No Youngster. Buster Brown, winner of the maiden race at Hastings on Saturday, is no chicken, for he was foaled in 1928 and is by Weathervane from Zia. He is held oil lease by L. D. Berry, who trains him, and J. Berrigan. Ruaforin Not Dead.

The Hawera report that Mr. W. K. S. Brewer's good hurdler Ruaform had been destroyed following injuries received when ho became frightened by a thunderstorm, is incorrect. Ruaforra was badly frightened by the storm, but was not injured. He will not run at the Egmont meeting to-morrow.

Polydora. Polydora hap been nominated for the chief jumping events at the Auckland Racing Club’s Great Northern meeting, to be held earlj’ next month, but the position is complicated by an ownership problem, which makes It uncertain if the

trip will be gone on with Polydora’s owner, Mr. G. Hall, has been nbe-ent on a visit to England, and before he left, he leased the mare to Messrs. H. A. Rhind and N. Rutherford, by whom she has been ' raced all through the season. The lease has run out, and the absence of Mr. Hall has prevented any. discussion concerning Polydora’s future programme. Mr. Hall j j was due to arrive in Sydney last week, ’ i and if he so desired he could be home j this week, but no information is availi able as to his plans in this respect. If he I is prepared to renew the lease, it is probable that Messrs. Rhind and Rutherford are ready to go on racing the mare, but nothing can be decided until Mr. Hall returns home. In the meantime her trainer, H. Nurse, has nominated Polydora for the Auckland meeting on behalf of Mr. Hall. The preliminaries are thus in order for the mare to race next month, ‘ either for her owner or, if another lease ■ is agreed on, for Messrs. Rhind and Rutherford. Unless Mr. Hall arrives home, however, there seems little pros- ’ pect of Polydora making the northern trip, as time would not be available to do the Waikato meeting, where she also has engagements, as a preliminary to Ellerslie. Padishah’s Win. It is probable that the win of Padishah in the Hawke’s Bay Jubilee Cup on Saturday was not so much of a surprise to his party as it was to the general run of racegoers, as his astute owner-trainer, Mr. J. Hennah, generally knows to within a pound or two how his horses should run. He had high hopes of Padishah in Australia last spring, following upon his winning a double at the 1935 New Zealand Cup meeting, but the Chief Ruler gelding badly disappointed. He was freshened up for the Manawatu Cup on Boxing Day, but after getting right back in tue rear early he was never prominent, though Mr. Hennah was again confident that his horse was near his best. Since then Padishah has had an easy time, and was given only one recent race, in the Flying Handicap at Waipukurau on Easter Monday. Padishah is a halfbrother to Cuddle, being the next foal. L. J. Ellis. L. J. Ellis .was a spectator at the Amberley meeting on Saturday. He has arranged to consult a specialist in Wellington this week, and if the report is favourable he hopes to resume riding in about a month. Ashburton Rehandicaps. Rehandicaps ns follows have been made by Mr. .1. E. Henrys for the Ashburton meeting on Wednesday: Eiffelton Hack Handicap. Jed Forest from 7.7 to 7.10. Flying Handicap, Rebel Chief from 9.7 to 9.10, Fiord from 7.7 to 7.10.

t Betting Systems. e The Canterbury Trotting Owners’ and ,t Trainers’ Association has arranged for a t newspaper poll to be taken this week on r the betting system question. The public e will be asked to vote on: (1) The win s and place system; (2) the single pool system, the pool being- divided in the proportion of 75 per cent, to the winner and 25 per cent, to the second horse; (3) the 1 single pool system, where nine or more :i horses start, the pool being divided in the s proportions either of 70 per cent, to the - winner, 20 per cent, to the second horse ■ e and 10 per cent, to the third horse, or 05 per cent., 20 per cent, and 15 per cent. The objection to a poll of this description is that an enthusiast with a bias j against any particular system has un--1 limited voting power, and supporters of I that system may not bother to vote. How- , ever, the results should be interesting. - One thing they cannot change, and that . is tlie losers lose under any system, a fact 1 c which is too often lost sight of in argu-

. mente pro and con. and it is the losers, of course, who make most noise. The system which gives the winners the best odds is without doubt the win and place, though its application in New Zealand i seems limited by financial considerations , to the main centres. A Difference. In the hack steeplechai-ie at Te Awamutu, Don Erma is asked to concede Sporting Song 91b.; at Hawera over the same distance Sporting Song has to give I Don Erma 21b. Hurdling Prospect. Travenna, one of Otago’s best performers on the flat, is a surprise entry for the hurdle races at Washdyke. He has not yet, run over obstacles, but most of Tractor’s stock take naturally to jumping, and as Travenna can carry weight and is partial to soft going the seems to have possibilities for the game. Stud Dispersal. The successful Macquarie Stud, Wellington, New South Wales, the property of Mr. H. A. Taylor, is to be dispersed in June. The catalogue will include the three stallions Melfort, whose yearlings sold well at the Easter eales in Sydney, Rampion and Koomeela. Northern ’Chaser. Pennyplain is in regular work at Tirau under the guidance of his owner, Mr. Sefton Banks. Pennyplain is a very safe conveyance and will have his first race this season in the Huck Steeplechase af Te Rapa, where he will be ridden by L. Dulieu. Answers to Correspondents. “N.,” Waverley: You apparently mean IVaimate, not Timaru. (1) £l/6/-. (2) £O/3/-. In the case of Timaru No" (1) is £2/1/6, “E. 8. Otaki: £3/7/6. “Inquirer,” 'Wellington: (1) £2/5/2) £l/12/-. (3) £2/1/-. (4) Card not m yet. (5) £2/5/-.