TUTOR RECOVERED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 256, 27 July 1939, Page 15

TUTOR RECOVERED

Pleasing Gallop At Ellerslie

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Excellent Fields For Manawatu Hunt

■Unrter adverse conditions at Isllersiie on Tuesday, the Riccarton entrant Tutor wag responsible for a pleasing gallop over six furlongs. The No. 3 grass track was available for fast work, but the going was very heavy, and the majority of horses were restricted to steady pacing on the sand. On the grass. Bonnybelle (Tremain) wag moving short while covering half a mile at a little better than lasec. to the furlong. The last three furlongs took 43 4-5. Tutor (Gilchrist) came away from High Quality (Markwick) over the concluding stages of six furlongs, run in 1.21 3-5. He ran the lar’t three furlongs in 41 4-5, and was finishing well. He appeared to be quite sound afterward, and there is now every prospect of his making the trip to the Grand National meeting. Tooley Street Well.

Tooley Street (Kearns) infused plenty of dash ’nto his task of strong pace work over two rounds. No fault can be found with his condition, and he will probably make hiw departure for Riccarton in company with Tutor on Monday.

Shipped South. Disturbed and Silk Sox were shipped to Riccarton last night.

Good Acceptances. Satisfactory acceptances have been received for the Manawntu Hunt Club's meeting on Saturday, and with 14 horses in the open seven, 11 in the steeplechase, and 17 and 21 in the two hack races, keen finishes should be the order of the day. The first race is timed to start at noon, and the last at 4 p.m. Promoted Hack.

An interesting runner in the Open Handicap, seven furlongs, will be El Meynell. who raced prominently under big weights at Trentham. He will appreciate the drop in poundage, and with 7.12 has a chance to make the grade in open company. The topweight, Gay Chou, is a class horse when properly wound up, and Lady Montana, with 8.12. will not lack friends. Old Surrey’s recent track work will bring him into favour, and. he is one who will appreciate the soft going.

Winter Cup Candidates. Nightealm. who is handicapped at 9.4 in the Winter Cup. has raced consistently this season in sprint events, winning on five occasions over six furlongs. He has also shown ability up to a mile, running Trench Fight to a head over tha' distance in the Jockey Club- Handicap at Riccarton last November. The last win recorded by Nightealm was at din meeting in June, when he carried 9.7 and beat a good field, including Fleet Street, to whom ho was conceding 181 b., by a narrow margin. On that showing nlone Nightealm will have to be considered in the Winter Cup. and the subsequent siicceps of Fleet Street at Trentham makes his form read all the better.

Cross-country Jockey’s Death. Edward Moon, one of the best-known cross-country jockeys of his time, died this month at bis residence. Bradley Street, Randwick. Moon . retired from active participation in racing ab6ut ten years ago because of ill-health. He had remarkable success in hurdle races and steeplechases in Sydney and Melbourne till 1926. but he missed winning several of the more important races, his best wins being in the Grand National Steeplechase on Sir Prim in 1919. and on Qian Robert in the same race in 1926. Consistent.

The southern galloper Strip, by Valkyrian from Dismantle, was freely discussed as a likely winner at the recent Wellington meeting, but hie trip to Trentham was abandoned a few days, before that meeting opened. As this gelding has only 31b. above the minimum in the Brabazon Handicap, to be run over seven furlongs at the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting next Saturday, it will be. interesting to see how be performs. In eight starts this reason. Strip has notched four wins and a third, bis first success being in the Avohhead Handicap, seven furlongs, at the Grand National meeting last August. His final outing was in the Emnire Handicap, six furlongs, at the Dunedin meeting in June, when he finished third to Fleet Street and Rebel Mate after being plow away. Strip will also contest sprint events at the Grand National meeting next month, and is worth keeping in mind. Yet to Win.

This year’s Grand National Hurdle Race will be the fiftieth contest, the rnee having been established in 1890, when Ixion won. During that long period no mare has ever succeeded in winning. In this year’s race Charade, a chestnut mare by Lord Quex from Charlady, heads the handicap, and her record this season stands at four wins, including the Great Northern Hurdles, two seconds, and a third, out of eight starts. Charlady was bred by Mr. W. G. Stead, and. is by Absurd from Lady D., by St. Denis from Lady C., by Ladas.

Percy Johnson. Aussie Ra, who won over hurdles at the recent Rangitikei Hunt meeting, is trained by Percy Johnson, New Plymouth. Johnson is well-known as a famous steeplechase rider of bygone days. With a horse called Jenny, he won the Great Northern Steeplechase 39 years ago, later successes in the same race being on Muscatel, Dummy, and Kaitere. He rode Mutiny and Cavalier to viclory in the Great Northern Hurdle Race. The Grand National Hurdle Race of 43 years ago, and the Grand National Steeplechase two years later, he won on Dummy.

Interest In Ajax. It is strongly rumoured in America that a wealthy racing syndicate is eager to buy Ajax. At least two syndicates in California are said to be interested in acquiring the horse in spite of the almost prohibitive price of £50,000 (231,000 dollars). Eddie Thornton, agent for a well-known syndicate, who recently returned from Australia, is telling racing folk that Ajax is worth every penny of £50.000. Thornton stated that ho believed Ajax could give Senbiscuit. America’s best horse today. 101 b. and heat him. But he wouldn’t say that Ajax was better than I'lmr Imp. though he thinks there is not a horse in America able to measure strides with Ajax now. Santa Anita race ollicials would like to see some syndicate bring Ajax over for the next meeting, beginning on December 30. because they know how the public would flock to see another Australian horse in action. Bing Crosby is very interested in the horse —perhaps _ even interested enough to buy him, which is not unlikely because lately Bing has been going as far afield as Argentine to build up hisstables. Answers to CoiTespondents. “A.8.C..” Wellington : Have written twice but so far no reply. “Sasnnof.” Wellington: (1) £3/13/0. (2) £4. (3) £l/19/6. (4) £l/4/-. SITUATIONS VACANT WANTED, 2 Light Boys for racipg VV stable, capable of riding work; one with licence if possible. G. Neich. Clareville, Carterton.