THE TURF.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 109, 10 May 1909, Page 2

THE TURF.

racing fixtures.' Reason 1909. May 12 and 13— Egmont R.C. Winter. May 12 and 13 — Ashburton County R.C. Autumn. May 22 and 24— North Otago J.C. Winter. May 22 and 24— Takapuna J.C. Winter. May 22 and 24 — Wanganui J.C. Winter. June 3 and 4 — Dunedin J.C. Winter. June 3 and 4 — Otaki-Maori R.C. Winter. June 3, 5, and 9 — A. R.C. Groat Northern Steeplechase. June 16 and 17 — Hawkes Bay J.C Winter. June 23 and 24 — Napier Park R.C. Winter Meeting. When Gold Dust came down at the hurdle six furlongs from home, the first day at Hastings, his rider had a good hold of him. With 161bs the best of matters on the concluding day, Gold Dust's party thought they had good reasons in anticipating a return of an ounce to the ton. Gold Dust ran well, but Master Douglas is far too speedy on the flat for the old Gold Reef gelding to ■have any chance over a mile and threequarters. Master E(mglas has not .got rid of his habit of scrtVing his hurdles, if he is left in the lead. J. Hall found that as long as there was any other horse in front of him, Master Douglas flew his jumps as straight as an arrow. VVnen the last hurdle had to be cleared Hall decided not to drive Master Douglas into it, preferring to let the gelding jump it in his own way, and trust to his pace on the flat to make up for the length or so lost. This course proved to be the wiser, for there was the risk that, punched along, Master Douglas may ,have come down, as he did at Ellershe in the spring.A. Shearsby would have been greatly pleased had Celoena won the Juvenile Handicap at Hastings, for she was the Oast or "Mr. Highden's" horses that the Levm trainer will saddle up. Highlystrung and unreliable Celoena ran a duffer, and is one that will not show to advantage until with age she becomes more solid and sedate. In Palmerston r heard_ from a trustworthy source that Mr. Highden's team will in future be trained at Awapuni. Shearsby, however, could not see his way to leave Levin, and it is rumoured that a well-known Taranaki trainer has been offered and has accepted the position vacated by the Levin mentor. Since Shearsby has decided to resume as a public trainer at v Levin he has received several promises of support, and it should not be lon<* before he has the nucleus of a useful team. The result of the Kempton Park Great Jubilee Handicap was a triumph for the stable presided over by Captain Dewhurst at Newmarket, where both Ebor and Succour are trained. Both these horses claim Lady Gough as their dam, and were bred in Ireland. Lady Gough is bred on somewhat the same lines as Tragedy, Birkenhead's dam. The Jubilee is a great betting race, and in its comparatively short history — it was first run in 1887 — has been won by several horses that have occupied a prominent place -in the affections of race-goers in the Old • Country. Bendigo, Minting, and Victor Wild were a trio of winners that were prime racecourse favourites. Old "Benny," however, was the idol of the mob. Bendigo was a black, not unlike Bobrikoff in general conformation, but showing rather more quality, and he' had a wonderfully docile temper. After carrying top weight in. the F.irst Great Jubilee, and beating eighteen others, old "Benny," despite' the severity of the struggle, after being off-saddled started to contentedly munch an apple. The Joels have for the third time this season just failed to land an important handicap, and the money tho South African diamond magnate must have lost over the Lincolnshire, City and Suburban, and Jubilee will take some successful "bulling" and "bearing" of Kaffirs to square the account. In wiring my Hastings notes I criticised W. H. M'Kay for taking Waitapu to the outside' of his field in the Burke Memorial Stakes. In chatting about the race with Messena afterwards he told me that he always directed M'Kay to take the outside berth on Waitapu, the Gipsy King gelding being a slow beginner, and likely to get boxed in if he was on or near the rails. To avoid this contingency, Messena preferred Waitapu to covering the additional ground. In his race the second day the Foxton trained gglding never showed dash at any stage, and his form was a big disappointment to his owner, who considered him fitter than he had been on any previous occasion. Perhaps the sustained run he made in the cup may have taxed even Waitapu's great vitality, for he was under pressure from the moment the field jumped off until the judge was reached. At Hastings there was some mild wagering as to which tw.o-year-old in recent years had won the most money. Most backers favoured Provocation, but they did not collect, as when the figures were cast up it was found he was £176 behind Multiform's winnings, the respective amounts being £2761 and £2585. It was a bitter disappointment to J. Cameron Moral's breakdown just on the eve of the Hawkes Bay Cup, a trophy which W. F. Douglas was very keen upon winning. The previous Saturday Moral showed his trainer a great gallop with the colours up, running clean away from four others, and he finished so strongly that the big race looked at his mercy. When he broke down, Moral was just going at a nice half-pace, and the accident, which has cut short the racing career of The Possible's best son, happened on the best biU)f turf at Greenmeadows. Moral is ahorse of superb proportions, and his deeds on the turf, achieved nearly always under disabilities and with big weights in the saddle, should ensure his getting a fair chance at tho stud. In the opinion of most trainers the absolutely fittest horse 'competing at Hastings was Tangimoana. The San Fran mare's bad luck in missing the Dominion Cup was a blessing in disguise, because the penalty her success would have entailed would have been an effectual bar to a victory at Hast- ' ings. Mr. Buick was a proud man when be received the handsome stoup, drinking vessel, or "Coop" from Sir William Russell, who has a rare felicity of language "on such occasions. Trainer Neale has made an auspicious start, and it is very encouraging to see the youth of the profession displaying such aptitude and ability when responsibility is thrust upon them. Another example of the successful younger school of trainers is J. Farmer, whose record since he was ''appointed private trainer to Mr. W. E. Bidwill will take some beating 1 . Mention of Farmer reminds me that it is the intention of Mr.~ Bidwill to send Provocation and Tribulation across to Bandwiek about a month before the A. J.C. Spring Meeting opens. Provocation is .'. remarkably even-tempered colt, for one of his classy appearance, and this trait he has inherited from Birkenhead, nearly all of whose stock are endeared with good dispositions. Provocation is a good doer and a willin & worker, and if he makes even tho

usual improvement expected from, a trwo-year-old in the next few months, he can be depended upon to worthily uphold the reputation of the land as a nursery of thoroughbred racing stock. Tribulation has not yet been spurted, but Farmer will make a start to initiate the younger brother of Provocation into this branch of his studies next week. At Hastings, several of the rising two-year-olds are so precocious that theirtrainers have already sprinted them, and report" tells of several "swallowcatchers," names and particulars to follow later. The Trentham trainer, J. W. Lowe, is rapidly getting together a team of horsesthat promises to be one of tlie most powerful in either island. On Saturday he ! brought Gold Lace with him from ' Hastings, and, in addition, I understand / the hurdler Aroha will join the Endeavour Lodge team. It will not come as any' surprise if within the next few days another fairly useful horse will be handed to Lowe to train, and it looks as if the popular Trentham equine schoolmaster will have to seriously consider increasing the ten or twelve boxes which, is the present capacity of Endeavour I/odge. As one who has consistently sung the praise of Trentham as a racing centre, I feel a good deal of satisfaction at the growing importance of the local course as a training ground. At the Hutt that capable trainer, C. Britchard — whose stable has, equally with> Lowe's, turned out an exceptionally high proportion of winners during this season, and the last — has got a numerous string together, and it is quite on the cards that his team will be strengthened before the winter jumping season begins. Pritchard was rather disappointed with Mon Ami's running at Hastings ; it was too bad to be true, and he attributes it to a bump which the black mare got in the first furlong of the Porangahau Handicap. Sir George Clifford did. not accept with Flitaway in the Farewell, and, as Master Soult also came out, it iompletely spoilt Mr. Coyle's handicap. Flitaway was allotted 8.13, and Master Soult 9.9. H. Cutts thinks handicappers have formed rather an exalted idea of the chestnut filly's capacity, and he points to her brace of defeats at Manawatu as an evidence Of her inability to carry heavy weights successfully when the company ' is above the average. Now that handicapping is in the hands of experienced men, would it not be an improvement if the conference amended the rlile which compels the weight-adjuster to commence his handicap at 9st? This mandatory rule often operates harshly upon horses of second ', and third rate ability, who, possibly a little superior to their fellows, become in some sort chopping blocks. It often goes against the handicapper's grain that he has to load a comparatively moderate horse with 9sfc ; but what can he do ?—? — some horse must occupy the post of honour. Surely, in these days, when the sporting press is always on hand to supply fair criticism — a little more scope could very reasonably be granted our handicappers. In writing about the Hawkes Bay Cup winner I should have mentioned how kindly she runs for Arthur Oliver. Wednesday's victory marked the seventh success Tangimoana has scored in Oliver's hands. Twice she won for Syd. Reid, and once for George Price, whilst W. Young on several occasions has just lost an important handicap on the San Fran j mare by the narrowest of margins. Also, j I hear that Oliver, keen, alert, active, has been engaged for Provocation's Randwick campaign. Brilliancy's dam, Golden Shines, is by St. Leger from. Young Polish, by Feve. As a yearling. rßrillianc'yr Brilliancy realised 100 guineas at the Auckland sales. When being shiped at Onehunga, he cut himself so badly that yrhen his owner got to Palmerston he despaired •of the youngster, and parted with him for twenty pounds. Brilliancy's new' owner turned him out on the Wanganui Hills, and the youngster's constitution being one of the soundest, he made a wonderful recovery. It is very noticeable that nearly all the progeny of St. Leger mares have the gift of both galloping fast and staying well. North Head goes at his hurdles in the same fearless way that Audax tackles big country. In fact, bar St. Simon in New Zealand, and Betrayer in,.. •Australia, I never saw a horse fly hist" hurdles with such determination and\ confidence. Of course, he has a lot to \ learn before he becomes a finished exponent of the hurdling game, and the way he charges the first twb obstacles makes one mentally lay even money against'his standing up, but J. Delaney is a tremendously good horseman,* and just lets the big fellow "gang his own j gait." After a few races North Head ' will understand better what is required { of him. At present, even in his raw i state, I think he would beat any horse in the country over a mile and a half, covering six hurdles en route. • THE BLADE. j