THE AUCKLAND MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 130, 6 June 1927, Page 11

THE AUCKLAND MEETING

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "Vedette.")

The ljig treble event at Ellerslie this year fell to Auckland horses in Wedding March, Lomint, and Beau Cavalier. The last two are trained at Ellerslie, but Wedding March is prepared at Cambridge. Usually visitors pick the Auckland Club's plums, but so far as this meeting has progressed the only outside winner is Just John, from Taranaki. Beau Cavalier, winner of the Great Northern Steeplechase, is owned by Mr. A. G. Quartley, an officer of the 3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rides, the band o£ which regiment played a programme of music on the lawn on Saturday. Beau Cavalier's owner agreed .to send a donation to the bandsmen if his horse won the big steeplechase, always providing the band played "John Peel" when the horses came back to weigh-in. This explained the hasty rendering of the old hunting refrain by a number of breathless bandsmen without any great regard for tempo, and drowned almost by the cheering of the : multitude as S. Henderson brought the winner back to the birdcage. To add to the general anticipation item 20 .on the band programme appeared: "March, 'Beau Cavalier,' Quartley." One wonders how many noticed this very potential tip. • A very great deal of credit is due to the trainers of both Beau Cavalier and Wedding March, S. Toomau and T. N. Morriss, for the condition in which their charges were turned out. Horses cannot win big jumping races without thorough preparations, and both the veteran trainers named deserve every credit. There always appears a rather regrettable tendency to invest riders of big winners with glory out of all proportion. Certainly in jumping races they, take risks, but their task is infinitesimal compared with that of the trainer who has weeks and months of worry, often to see the result of his work thrown away by carelessness or poor judgment on the part of some rider. Both Wedding March and Beau Cavalier required careful training, for the former is a difficult horse to get into condition and not a robußt horse, while Beau Cavalier had to be got right after a fall which appeared to affect liis shoulder adversely for a long time. . .: Comical sullied his reputation at Ellerslie, and ho doubt his' owner, Mr. H. M.: -Campbell, will decide not to persevere with him this season. Never a proficient jumper, Comical will require a good deal of making as a 'chaser, and it is doubtful now if it was wise to race him at Ellerslie. It is certain that he will require a good deal of experience of the hill to be ever proficient over it. He has lightened up very considerably in condition, and the manner in which he stopped a very tired horse after covering just over two miles in the Great Northern, only to blunder over a few more fences, showed that he was not himself. A. H. Burt got off him to ride Passin' Through, and the stableboy C. Taggart rode Comical on Saturday. An effort is being made to obtain the' services of J. Barry for Bennanee on the last day at Ellerslie. Barry and Bennanee have been a good combination in the past. Benuanee is of no use unless he is very close to the front, for he seems unable to go with any confidence or freedom in a field. This was particularly noticeable in the Cornwall Handicap. One of the greatest disappointments at Ellerslie on the first day was the showing of Degage. Certainly Lomint and Llandudno set a fast pace, but the Trentham mare did not show any dash 1. R. Reed made a dive for the rails before the field had gone 50 yards, and the Kilbroney mare made the turn out of the straight without an inch to spare. Reed was niggling at her to hold her position with five furlongs to go, and she was in the place in the field for every beaten horse to come back on her. She was not knocked about in the run-in when her prospects were hopeless, and it is possible that later on she will make amends. ■-„ Before leaving home Degage, Indian Sage, Nadarino, and Black Mint looked sure to get some of the stake-money at Ellerslie. With only one day to go they still have it to get. The Auckland jockey S. Henderson does well at Ellerslie, and is quite a good allrounder, winning on the fiat and over hurdles and country. His record in the big treble was particularly good, for he scored on Beau Cavalier and Lomint in the Steeplechase and Cornwall Handicap and finished second on Archibald in the Great Northern Hurdles. In addition to this he won on Town Guard on the first day and on Golden Krist on Saturday, also steering Archibald into second place ' in the Remuera Hurdles. His earnings at the meeting should be sufficient to prevent him from worrying during the next few months. When Mr. B. Goldwater lost his promising three-year-old Chamour a few weeks ago the clouds were lowering, but the silver lining appeared on Cornwall Handicap day when Lomint scored. Racing is a game of upß and downs, and Ellerslie this year has supplied its share of examples of the changes of fortune. Lomint U an elder sister to Chamour, and it is to be regretted that,she is not a sound mare. All is not well with the big 'chaser Llewellyn. It is understood that the leg trouble is serious, and not mifch more if anything will be seen of him this season. Black Cruiser should be in great order for the jumping races at Trentham and Riccarton. He was given a run on the flat on the first day at Ellerslie, and then made his appearance in the Remuera Hurdles on Saturday. He is sufficiently forward to make his presence felt on the last day of the Ellerslie fixture. S. Reid has had no luck with his pair at Ellerslie. Nadarino lost all chance by dwelling at the start on the first day, and on Saturday B. H. Morris and Indian Sage got into a hopeless position. As races are ran at Ellerslie, the Southern jockeys appear to be all at Bea. The Ellerslie way if a race is run at any distance from five furlongs to a mile and a quarter is to get out in front and go hammer and tongs. When one horse fails there js always another to come along and keep up the pace. Accordingly, waiting in behind at Ellerslie is more or less impossible. To win races it is a case of being out in front with the leaders. When m Rome do as the Romans do. A. Hobson's term of suspension expires to-dny, and the* Trentham jockey will probably be on Black Mint on the last day at Ellerslie. Neither D. Watts nor N. P. Johnston appeared to understand the big geldm*. Memsahib, an obscure hunter who has become famous as the instrument of Mr. Mervyn Wells's disqualification, is a five-year-old mare by Quin Abbey from Iridescence. She'has shown a little form in pubhe, and at the last Pakuranga Hunt Meeting at Ellerslie occupied a minor place. She is an excellent jumper, but it is understood is not too sound. _ Tuki is going to be a very fit horse by the time the Grand National.Steeplechase comes round. The pace set by Beau Cavalier was too much for him in the Great Northern Steeplechase, but when the real steeplechase country has to be jumped at Riccarton in August there should be a different tale to tell. He looked as well as any horse in the field in the Great Northern Steeplechase, and he and Peter Maxwell stood out from the rest as Riccarton horses. _S"n .Up has been an unlucky horse at JMlershe He was beaten by Reremoana in the Easter Handicap last year, and at the present meeting he lias run twice for a second and a third. No excuse could be made for his fa.ilure on Saturday, for he had every chance. Rahepoto is an acnuiistion to the ranks of hack hurdlers. He claims Maniapoto as his sire, a horse who has got several good jumpers and a really great one in Ngata.