NATIONAL FIELDS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 264, 5 August 1939, Page 17

NATIONAL FIELDS

Good Meeting In View NOTES AND COMMENTS Twenty-five Horses Go South (By The Watcher.) There were no surprises in connexion with the final National payments, though it was expected that Peter Beckford would remain in the Hurdles. The three who fell out of the Steeplechase were Black Banner, Burwood and Pandine, who all went wrong, so while the fieid is small it is at full strength. Five dropped out of the Winter Cup, Ned Cuttie, Meamea, Yours Truly, Wagner and The AV recker. In the ease of Ned Cuttie the stable is relying upon Majority, and while Meamea was expected to run, Ruling Spi, in the same stable, has paid up. xours Truly has gone sore, and the chances or the other pair were remote Non-accep-tors in the Hurdles were Silver Sight, Cottingham, Peter Beckford, Vantoon, Tutor and Bit o’ Blue. In the Double.

Padishah, Erination and Survey are the only horses now left in both Nationals.

Ready Without Race. Aussie Ba dropped out of both tnt Jumpers’ Flat and the Trial Hurdles, so his trainer is apparently satisfied with ins Grand National chance without further racing.

Slayer has lately been coming into favour in the south for the Grand National Steeplechase.

Manawatu. , , . , There appears to be a fairly strong body of opinion that Manawatu will run well in the Grand National Steeplechase despite bis failure in the Homeby.

The Aucklander, Tooley Street, who has gone to the National meeting, suffered a lapse of form after winning attractively at Whangarei in the late autumn, and ran very disappointingly at Hawera and Ellerslie. In the meantime he has freshened up splendidly and his latest work on his home track, suggests that he has excellent prospects of winning before returnturning home.

Tutor Fit. . , Since running third in the Highweight Handicap and the Talavera Hurdles at Wellington, Tutor has trained on satisfactorily. He should strip one of the fittest horses in the field for the Jumpers Flat Race on Tuesday, and. is likely to be prominent at the right end.

Horses for Riccarton. Twenty-five horses were shipped south to Riccarton last night. The list is as follows : Le Toquet. Hunting Mint. 11 indsor Chief, Little Robin, Etzel, Jewelled Girdle. Ellanui, Dungarvan, Lord Cavendish, Might, Lustral, Royal Show, Gay Hunting, Majority, Ned Cuttie, Lowenberg, Chat, Kaiwaka, Glenvane, Ruling Spi, Lady Montana, Gay Chou. Tidewaiter and Aurora’s Star.

Lnck of Fast Work. Trentham trainers have had a very interrupted period since the Wellington meeting because of bad weather and there is the possibility that the horses taken south for the National fixture will be a little backward except Gay Hunting, who has since had a race. Jumpers, however, have been able to school.

Bad Luek. ' Meamea’s withdrawal from the Winter Cup was due to ricking a shoulder.

Sydney Trip for A. E. Ellis. A. E. Ellis has arranged to leave 'Wellington for Sydney on August 17. He has been engaged to ride Defaulter in his Sydney engagements, and will no doubt secure mounts on other New Zealand horses going over for the spring racing. Ellis originally intended to return for the Wellington spring meeting, but should circumstances be favourable he may go on to Melbourne, specially if Defaulter makes the trip.

English Importations. ■With the horse Chatsworth there arrived by the Port Hunter at Auckland this week a two-year-old colt by’ Papyrus from Tan-Belle and the four-year-old mare Gala Night, by Prince Galahad from Mystic Star.

The Papyrus colt is owned by Mr. T. Coltman of Wellington and will go in the stable of H. Telford, at Trantham, His dam is by Tangiers from Deas Minima, by Desmond from Combine, by Carbine. Combine produced seven winners of £lO, 225, including Comparison, dam of Felkington, dam of Felstead, who won the Derby, and is the sire of the champion filly, Bockfel. Gala Night is sister to Mystic Peak, a good winner in Australia. Their dam. Mystic Star, is by The Tetrarch or Stefan the Great from Mons Star, by Sunstar. Stefan the Great is sire of Fancy Free, dam of this year’s champion, Blue Peter.

Retired to Stud. The seven-year-old mare Sergia, >y Lord Quex from Sunny Honrs, has finished her racing career, and she will be mated with either Bulandshar or Dang Binn. Sergia is owned by the Hawke’s Bay breeder, Mr. F. Ormond, but she was raced on lease by Sir, A. Glading, for whom she won £2500 in stakes. Her most important successes were the Taranaki Cup and the Egmont Cup. •

Obstacles on the Way. A Cockney sportsman once started out from London to see the Derby. He would have reached Epsom had it not been for the hotels in between the start and finish of the journey. Obstacles of various kinds may call serious halts in a journey and some good winners on the flat find it difficult to get across the hurdles and fences in the way to the winning post, but when they become proficient they also become very formidable members of a field. Honour for J. Holt.

The Sydney trainer, J. Holt, lias been selected to train the Duke of Kent’s horse. Dhoti, who will arrive in Melbourne on August 22. Holt has received a letter from the Duke’s secretary, in which he states Ilift Royal Highness intends to race one or two horses while in Australia.

Amateurs and the National. Tn the Grand National Steeplechase of ]BO4 Norton won with W. Clarke up. and the following year Ins owner. Mr. Gollan, took the mount, and finished third to Mutiny and Roscius. Norton had 13.0 and finished in front of Liberator, who carried 12.7. Tn 1901 Mr. R. E. Harley on Long Tom finished second to Haydn in the Grand National Hurdles.

Another Attempt. Though Might would seem out of place among the sprinters in the Paparua Handicap at Riccarton next Tuesday, he finished third in this same race five years ago, and was unlucky not to be second.

A Smart Gelding. Strip, who is also engaged in the Pnparua Handicap, is a horse with a reputation in the south. He won the Avonhead Handicap at the meeting Inst year, and in his last four starts he has been three times first and once third.

Manawatu Hunt. The Manawatu Hunt Club will hold its annual point-to-point steeplechase meeting on' the Levin racecourse and adjoining’ properties on Saturday, August 12. A comprehensive programme of seven events has been drawn up and. entries will close

with Mr. J. Blenkhorn, Levin, on Monday at 7 p.m. Mr. F. Nicholson, secretary of the Levin Racing Club, will also take entries. Correction.

In connection with the story of the life of the late F. Tilley, published this week, an error crept into the statement regarding how Tilley overcame early adversity. The amount won by him in his first, year on the turf was stated' to be £-100. This should have been £4O.

Cup Prospect. F. D. .Tones, who is a good judge, thinks Nightcalm will be the hardest to beat in the Winter Cup. Survoy.

Survey's jumping in the Wellington •Steeplechase was very poor, bad in fact, although he won, and it is not surprising that he has so far failed to jump the National country with any confidence. A. E. Ellis cannot be looking forward to this year’s National ride with the same easy mind as on previous occasions.

Three Starts: Three Wins. Bridegroom has won three races over country in three starts, two at Ellerslie and one at 'Wellington: The style in which he has been jumping the Riccarton fences further emphasises the opinion that he is one of the finds of the jumping season.

Hanover a Good Jumper. Hanover has never shown signs of slaying particularly well, but be is a good jumper, and judged mi the way lie has schooled at Riccarton he has taken well to the fences there, and is also likely to run on better on top of the ground. Not In.

According to the Christchurch papers King Gustavo, who appeared as an acceptor in the telegraphed list in the Paparua Handicap, did not accept. Birthday Boy Resumes.

Toward flic end of last year hopes wore entertained that Birthday Boy would prove an Auckland Cup horse, but unfortunately fie went amiss and had to be thrown out of work. Birthday Boy is now being trained again and the manner in which ho is getting through his work has been very encouraging. There is no doubt that he is a good galloper, and, if he remains sound, he should win middle distance handicaps for Mr. O. Nicholson ami the Hon. E. R. Davis, whose horses are now being prepared at Takanini by T. Verner. Philcourt.

Though Philcourt failed to gain a place in his last winter engagements he gave the impression that lie was likely to make an early return to form. Philcourt displayed good form last spring and as he staya fairly well he should be a possibility for one of the early spring handicaps. He may make his next appearance at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting at Ellerslie on August 19.

Ready Early. The filly by Pink Coat from Helen Gold is the most forward of the two-year-olds in work at Ellerslie and she will be ready for early spring racing. When sprinted on Thursday morning over two furlongs she showed a clean pair of heels to several companions in 27 1-5 on a dead track She is trained by W. J. McLean, who was successful with Scotland and the lumpers Miss Lu, Lucullent and Lucess.

Answers to Correspondents. “Hope,” Napier: Recollection wtw scratched for flic Trentham Hurdles at 1.10 p.m. on the day. Have written for the other information.