ANSWERS TO CORESPONDENTS.

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 9, 11 January 1929, Page 5

ANSWERS TO CORESPONDENTS.

f*Bod and Blue."—Rapine's last public appearance prior to the New .Year Meeting at Hastings was in the Hawhcs Bay Cup in May 1027, when he wop with 10.7 from, Cohesion, 7.2, and. Merry Day, i... He - will be ten years old this foaling

Reminders. '. ' i .'. .' Nominations for .the Egnioiit Racing Club's Meeting are due on Monday at 8.30 rim' TheEgmout Cup carries the good ■stake.of £700 and the Flying Handicap is worth £300. The Nolan Gold Cup, winch is the Douro Cup of Taranaki, is of the value-of £350, including a gold cup valued at £50. Tlie rest of tile card is very attractive,- and a good list of entries appears assured. The Pahiatua Racing Club will tul^ nominations' for its meeting 1 ' up to 9 o'clock this evening. This fixture provides a good opportunity for the second-class horses to pick up a stake; and following closely after the" Wellington-Meeting; it sliould not ISe overlooked. .. ■■ y ' Acceptances for the Wellington Cup ami other firstclay events at Trentham are due on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Entries for the Doncaster Handicap and Sydney Cup, to be decided at the A.J.C Easter Meeting, close next Tuesday at 4 p.m. .'■■.;■

Thames Prospects. As most .of . tho horses engaged at the Thames Meeting to-morrow raced either at Ellers.lie. or- immediately before tho holiday fixtures,, backers should have a good-line to goon. The class engaged is reasonably high, and some of the horses raced really well amongst the best 'at.'the Auckland Cup Meeting. The principal event is the GOLDFIELDS CUP, ot 350 soys; one "mile and a quarter. ' ' St. Ib . st. II). Le Choucas .. 7 13 Ivius Hniock .. 7 2 Flying 1 Juliet . 712 Serang ..... 7 0 Ohlnemuri. ... 7-7 Eh Tlml .... 7 0 Wenday- ...'.",' -7 .0 To'Koroke ... 7 0 . The first half of the handicap all have something to be said in their favour, but j Ohinemuri really did better than either La- Choucas or Flying Juliet at Ellerslie. Wenday was taken to the Taranaki Meetings, and raced most consistently. . She should trouble Ohinemuri most. , The sprint event is the . PLYING HANDICAP, of 200 suvs. six : furlongs. : : ■'. ■-■ st. Ib.' ' st. lb. BilUkins 711 TaKii Tamil .. 7 1 Highrinanco . 7 I) Master O'ltorfcc 7 1 Town Bird .. 7 C Katama 7 0 Liaison ' 7 5 Appellant '.70

High Finance, who no~ doubt will be ridden by H. Goldfinch, looks the likely investment of the day. Billikins is speedy, and her second to Nancy. Lee in the Electric Handicap at Ellerslie was creditable. This pair should dominate the posi-. ,tion. • '.•■■■■- ■ ,> „--. ■ - -.-.■:. ■ . ■ Owing to the number of acceptors,.the Tapu Handicap will be run in divisions. Those Well placed in the first include Footpad, while Good Boy and The Lover should provide a good tussle in the second. War Officer on his best form' is nicely placed in the Highweight, and Patere and Roman Pearl ; in the Puriri Handicap. Although Hakanoa'disappointed at' EUerslie, ho should make amends in the Waitakaruru Hack Handicap. If reserved, • Ohinemuri.may be'troubled most by Modest Boy in the Hauraki Plains Handicap.

Highweiglitsat Trentham. The highweight handicap events at I'reutham in the past have been in the nature of graduation classes forl really good gallopers, to name Mask and First Sight as the most recent. A run .through the list at present does not suggest anything but the' imported Tidal. Royal Lineage, Zeuxis, and Cobham may be possible improv«. Tidal was not himself at Ellerslie,' aj lie; was suffering from a. minor ailment', and if -he_ has recovered by the time the local meeting comes'round ho may bo a likely one of the party. A careful consideration of the candidates in these events on the day is usually well repaid. ■''■-. ; .

Foxton Acceptances. Although- the- acceptances received by the Foxton Club have reduced the lists ;i little, the class engaged is quite good tor. a country, fixture. Night March has j been left in the Foxton Cup, together with Toxeuma, whose form at Ellerslie was very good, and Teri, a winner at.Tauherenikau. Kilmiss and Discourse are likely lightweights, and Lady Limond may show something ■of her real form on her home track. The local second-class) sprinting section comprises the Anniversary Handicap, 1 and the seven left in should provide a tussle. Callanmore and Millais may trouble those weighted above them. The minor events should provide plenty to interest patrons of the club.

Still Quiet at Trentham. Few horses trained at Treiithaiii have been asked to gallop during the past few days, and it will be towards tlieeend of next week before matters brighten up at all. In point of fact track work at Trentham prior to the Cup Meeting is always of- negligible quantity,' for as practically all .the horses have been well-raced over the holidays, they require only a few sprints, and many horses have them at homo before arriving right on the eve of the meeting. The geographica I position of the Wellington Club's course lends itsdf to late arrival. ...,'■ : Childsplay.' ■ ' • .Southerners aj)pear to bo confident that Childsplay will play a very prominent part in the result of the Wellington Stakes.' The filly has escaped a penalty, ,and will carry 8.3, Honour, 7.8, including his 101b penalty, and Ceremony 6.12. Childsplay last seasomshowed herself one of the most brilliant gallopers seen out for ajong, time, and she should certainly test the juveniles of this year. She appears to be working very nicely at .Riccarton, and galloped well yesterday morning. It is considered in the South that she will boat Honour at the weights, but taken all in. she may find Ceremcaiy hard to beat at five furlongs with only 6.12 on him. He is a brilliant fellow, and will make her go every inch of the way. '

Mn W. R. Komball's Team. Hynanna is reported to be working well now and evidently, the races he had during the holidays have improved , him. Ho iiiay not be quite tuned up even for the Wellington Cup, but he should be soon getting, into the limelight again. Miss Gowrje lias been turned out for a lengthy spell. .-V.Courageous' is striding along in I splendid . style, and is expected to obtain si share, of the stake money at Trentham. Miss Hansom is well forward, and has been doing good work on the track. She .should be in good form' for the Wellington. Meeting. Thiirnbell has put up some fast times recently on the training track, imd has only, to repeat them to be among Hie stake money, at Trentham. Mr. Kern ball has brought into his stables at Maaferton, from the stud farm, a dozen two-year-olds. W. Hawthorne is to. take theni in hand., Some-of the youngsters are said to look above the average.' ■„'.' ."

Another Sign of the Times. The Eeefton Jockey Club's Meeting was surprisingly well patronised by the public, in spile-of it being held at the tail end of a long drawn out circuit. The question of holding so much racing during the holidays is likely to engage the attention

i will piubauly be made before next Christinas, says the "Press." It is probable i that ..(be Grey mouth Club will transfer one day of its three-day Summer Meeting to the Easter fixture, and the Westland and lieeftou Clubs will do the same, while the liiangahua Trotting Club's date may also be put back until Easter. This will mean less racing at Christmas and the circuit'can be completed in a much shorter period. On the other hand, the extra days will make the Easter Meetings more attractive to visitors. Still Going Strong. The IJinlaud—d'Oro gelding Moorland was one of the star performers at the AVest Coast Meetings, and his performance at Reef ton on Tuesday in winning the concluding eye.nt after having a hard race in the President's Handicap indicated f that lie retains his galloping ability to a marked degree. Moorland is now in his tenth year, and, according to a Southern critic, is not-i yet finished 'with. A Fast Gallop. Silver Paper and his two-year-old hallsister" Aspiring were sprinted four turlongs yesterday morning at Riccarton in 4S 4-asee, the best of the morning. There is no doubt that Silver Paper is good, and he should play his part well,in the sprint events af Trentham. Aspiring,, who could not be started at A.wapuni, must be right again, and even if the class of the Wellington Stakes is beyond her even with 6.9. she should do weir in handicap events. She is to be ridden in the classic event by L. J. Ellis. . " " A. E.Ellis and Hoylakc. \ E Ellis is to be tried on the imported Hoylake in the Wellington Cup. Hoylake at present is something of a study, and it will be interesting to see kow Ellis manages him. The Southerner,' although not be any means a polished horseman, has a good deal more.natural ability, in the saddle than he is credited, with, and' is strong and determined. , He, should be just the right man for a peculiar animal like the grey. . ' Cutts's Team. '

At Riccarton yesterday much surprise was evinced when Sudden Storm hung on to Childsplay and finished alongside her sister at the end of their six furlongs sprint, which was traversed in Imin 16 ,2-ssee. It was a smart gallop by both performers, especially on the part of Sudden Storm, who has not raced for some time. Sudden Storm has always shown speed on the tracks, and it should not be long before elm regains her very best form; ■ ' ■, Swoopalong and Quarterdeck ?ot to the cud of a mile in Imin 45 3-ssec. Full Feather was ranged with Prickles tor his seven furlongs gallop, and he cleaved out from his companion at the end. 1 he time for his last sis furlongs was Imin 17 2-ssee, and he may play his part well at Trentham, where.he opened his winning iccount last year. . Hypocrisy or More;. «,'■-■.■ •Writing, in the "Australasian" recently, "Snowden" remarked: "Personally I detest large sweepstakes or consultations (to use euphemism), held in connection with horso races. In many instances they, have given rise to cases scarcely distinguishable from blackmail. In connection with ■an affair—it is most improper and illegal to mention its well-known ■ name—conducted in another State the Commonwealth • Government acts with arrant ■ hypocrisy. ■ The delivery "of letters to addresses known to be,used-in connection with the Tasmanian business is prohibited, yet to meet the demand for postal notes to cover the cost of a ticket the Postal Department has had postal notes'struck to cover the exact price, and until recently the Federal Taxation Department took its i'cut' out of tho pool. Could any official action be more contemptible atidVUVo-fa'cecl''"".''' ,'.. , „". .

A Costly Error; „- - , • : An extraordinary blunder.led to a race beiug declared void at the Manchester November, Meeting. The conditions of the race over which the trouble arose set out that the lowest weight should not be less than 6.7. In casting the weights the handiI capper, overlooked the condition and ten horses were, weighted below the minimum fixed by the conditions. The stewards therefore declared the race void. That did. not, however, end the matter. A fine of £50 was inflicted on< the haudicapper responsible for the error, and the clerk of the course was called upon to face a fine of £30, apparently for not'discovering the handicapper's-oversight. ' ■'■. " ■';

Mollison in Work Again. ■ Advices to hand from Melbourne state that the sensational two-year-old performer Mollison has resumed training at Caulfield. Haying led off at three years with victories .in ..the vHqbartville■ Stakes and Rosehill Guineas, matters; looked bright for' Mollison' again .having, an attractive record, but be had to strike his colours to Prince Humphrey in the A.J.C. Derby, arid he was subseqnently beaten out of a place in the decision of the Cauln'eld Guineas. It was then, recognised that Mollison was in need of a rest, and he has not been- raced in. the interval. It is generally held, that Mollison is'better at a mile i than beyond that distance,- and, .with a. high-class opponent and stayer in tho shape of Strephon likely to-be in the field, Mollison's prospects of taking a place with classic race winners in the autumn do not appear to bo very hopeful.

Odds and Ends. Lomint has been retired to the stud. The Catmint mare went amiss on the eve of the Auckland-Summer Meeting, and it has beeu decided not to persevere with her. ■ : All going well in the meantime, Papatii will be brought to Trentham ,to contest tho Wellington Cup, in which he-will probably be ridden by H. Wiggins. Papatu has disappointed frequently, but G. Paul still has hopes of the Roinco gelding winning an important handicap. . . Mr. C. M. Emanuel intends sending vis two-year-old filly Pure *Tea (Tea Tray—j Duchess Eudorus) ti> Sydney to be.trained at.Bandwiek by 6. Price, and she will be shipped away by the Ulimaroa on 25th Jauuary. . Pure Tea has not raced yet, but.she has shown pace on the tracks and ran a couple of smart half-miles on the outside of the course proper, at Ellerslie before the recent meeting. , " ' ft is unlikely that Partial Eclipse will race again for some time, as she was badly galloped on while racing at Stratford, anil wjll require a long spell. It is more than likely Mandane will not race again as a result of having bled badly in the Mannwntu Cup race. The Panmure mare was in great form.