NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 31, 7 February 1927, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(£" "VEDETTE.")

RACING FIXTURES.

February 10, 12—Taranakl J.C. February 10, 12—Dunedin J.C. February 10, 12—Poverty Bay Turf Glub. February 12, 14—Rotorua R.C. February 16—Clifden R.C. . February 17—Tologa Bay J.C. February 17, 19—Wanganui J.C. February 19—Canterbury J.C. F*fcruary 23, 24—Gore R.C. February 23, 24, 26 —Nelson J.C. February 24—Waiapu R.C. February 25, 26—Woodville District J.C. February 26, 28—Te Aroha J.C.

Nominations" for the Woodville Meeting clos)s, on Friday. at 9 p.m. Last year Miss Vera won the Te Kiiiti Cup, but on Saturday she had to strike her colours to the useful Day Guard, who was equal to winning the Christmas-Han-dicap" at .Ellerslie on Auckland Cup day. Gay Guard is a hard-worked galloper, but he stands up to his toil in good style. Last yearvhe: started.34 times for two wins.

Valicare's • greatgallop last week at Randwick denotes that all is well with her, and she should give ■ a taste of her quality in the autumn. The All: Aged Stakes of a mile,"to-be decided at Hand-' wick in April, should see her at; her best. King Merv ■; is ■ said to have had every chance at Takapuna,, and apparently lie is'on the! down graded At the same time a bigger track; would suit' him better. ; Pouri, whose'; three starts this season have yielded a win arid two seconds, is freely engaged in. the'next few weeks. To date he has ,done his racing' on the flat, but hurdling may claim his; attention at the .'coming meetings, and he may even do better in that department. 1 Pouri is aqualified hunter, and is reported to be aproficient jumper.- He is engaged at the Wanganui Meeting. "'■ ■

Automne, who has been trained at El: lerslie only since the Auckland Cup Meeting, last week ran, a record seven, furlongs for the outside of tlie course proper. At a recent meeting of the committee of; the -Ashburton';''Racing ■ Clug, A. MAuley, the,-;owner, of Sir. Roy, wfote ■protesting-against En. Route's owner receiving first prize money for the Moreton Hack Handicap. The grounds were that En Route was not eligible to contest the race. It.-was .decided to write and ask En-Route's owner why the horse was entered in'the race. So .'the matter rests .at' present. ;.. ' ■ '■

The Anniversary Meeting at Randwick was spoiled heavy rain,, two rank outsiders the double in Don Moon and Solomon. When the-latter rolled hoiuß the bookmakers cheered even more loudly than usual. There is a lot in a name, especially when it graces a rank outside);. K. Baillie trained the pair. •" Ashley. Reed was ,in good . form at Moonee Valley early in January, riding two winners'and one second! He scored on Byron; and-Reputed King, and handled both horses in excellent style, says the "Referee/ Reed has now ridden sixteen winners in the metropolitan area this season, and is W. Duncan's most serious rival for premier position -on the winning jockeys' list. '.'■'-.-

A little -while ago it was suggested to the committee of. the Australian. Jockey ■ Club ;,that apprentice riders should receive allowances in hurdle races until they had ridden a certain number of winners. As nothing has_ been heard of since concerning it, the idea could not have commend ed itself to that body. In England a riderunder National Hunt Rules can claim 51b until he has ridden 10 winners, even i!.' they are ; in flat races, and it -is certainly rough on the regular jumping race riders in England that jockeys of the calibre'of S. _ Donoghue and M. Beary, who havo this season taken on the jumping business, should meet them at an advantage of 51b, writes 'T?il6t." -An allowance .to an apprentice would, ■'. in my "opinion, be a good idea in Sjdneyj.as it-would! give a chance to lads whey.while stiUjn'theiriapprenticeship, get few opportunities 'on.'the flat; owing'to their weight. It might be argued that it would result in lads who ■ were lather too youthful being included in our jumping riders. "Well, youth is not a bad fault, and only those with the necessary pluck-would be anxious for their employers to give them a trial. Besides, the stewards could, decide as to jumping permits, in the same rmanner as those for flat racing. ."' >■ :

Pink Note and Pink Terrace are reported'to have done plenty of! work at Wingatuni. Pink Note walked rather short before working last Thursday, but was free enough, afterwards. . The steeplechaser Tuki is reported to be improving in .condition, and is doing steady work at Wingatui..' The three-year-old Chamour lightened up with his racing during the holidays, but he has had a comparatively easy time in the past few weeks; and appears to be doing nicely again. It'is unlikely that ha will race again until th eautumn, and he should be in caiptal trim.by that time.

A newcomer to Ellerslie is Star Boy, a three-year-old chestnut gelding by Some Boy IL—Lady Gowan. He is being trained by Ms owner, Mr. A. B. Ormrod, who will also have the jumper Kendal in work again shortly. • ' White Bird, who had to be eased in her work about a month, ago, is commencing to'move along again; and sprinted usefully last, week.' The imported mare has been unlucky in contracting minor troubles, and has never been seen at her best here yet. She has lots of bill. ncy,'and it is to be hoped that T..George will have better fortune with her in the future.

Abbey Day is on the improve and a hack event may come her way on the country circuit. As a result o£ a creditable fourth in her previous outing, she was expected to run well at her last start, but she got badly left and had her chance ruined. Abbey Day is a full-sister to Boomerday, Gala Day, and Abbey Bell, who have all proved decent performers. Among the good class sprinters at the summer carnival at Ellerslie Dave finished c;ose behind the place-getters in two of the leading sprint events. Dave is hitting out with treedom in his work, and promises to return to the winning list very shortly His_next public appearance is likely to be at Rotorua.

Haiera is coming on nicely, and will be on hand for the country circuit. At Ellerslie on IViday he hit out freely in a fiv°furlong sprint with Dave, and finished on terms with his companion. Hitherto Hai«F* has done his racing in Sydney, and obtained several successes at minor meetings on the other side, so that he should prove capable here when the class is not too strong. • '

Bopmerday is getting through useful taßks and has brightened up a good deal lately. He is now without the guard over the eye he had injured a couple of months ago, but the sight has not returned, and it would appear that it will be permanently impaired.. .

At the Baje of the Shipley stud some years ago, Mr. T. Pearee, the well-known owner, purchased the New Zealand-bred mare, Battler, in foal to Comedy King. The mare died in the last few months, at the age o£ 28 years. She proved a bargain to Mr. Pearce, as she gave him Comedy Star, a dual Ballarat Cup winner and other horses. Thoughts of Eattler are revived by the appearance at Flemington of two of her later progeny—one a gelding by Gold Brew, named Golden Buckle, and the other a chestnut mare by Calais that will race as Lady Calais. Both are being trained for Mr. Pearce by H. Turner, and they are useful sorts. Rattler, who was a sister to Seahorse (Nelson —Moonga), had made q, reputation at the stud in New Zealand before coming to Victoria, says the "Globe," through her well-pev-formed representatives, Vice-Admiral and Nautiform. 'At Shipley she produced to Positano, Rathfarnham, winner of the Grand National Hurdle Race, and her last alliance with Comedy King was responsible for Comedy Star. Rattler continued to add to her family until over 20 year.? old, so that she may well be said to have had a long and useful career. She was of famous old Victorian blood, for her sire was by King Cole, from My Idea, by Yattendon, from Ladybird, by Borardo, while her dam was by Goldsborough from Kecnel, by Angler (son of fisherman), from Cocoanut (dam of Navigator and Trident). Nelson, the sire of Rattler, was a highclass racehorse. In New Zealand he won .three Auckland Cups in succession and a Dunedin Cup, besides other races. At the height of his fame he visited Australia, but the trip was not a successful one. His

best race was in the Australian Cup, in which he was narrowly beaten by the then three-year-old Trident, carrying the allconquering James White colours.