HAAKON'S BREAKDOWN

Evening Post, Issue 20, 23 July 1935, Page 6

HAAKON'S BREAKDOWN

NOT SO BAD AS THOUGHT

(Special from "Early Bird.") AUCKLAND, July 21. The pleasing news is to hand from Matamata that Haakon's injuries arc not so bad as previously thought and his trainer anticipates that the jumper will see out another preparation. Of course the Grand National Steeplechase is'out of the question, this year at any rate. Rereatu is spelling in the Waikato district after a fairly strenuous season, during which he was blistered. This fine sprinter did not maintain his form throughout the term, but he may be more solid when he is next asked to contest sprint and middle-distance events. ' Master Musk returned home after the Wellington fixture and is being kept going in view of his engagement in the Grand National Hurdles and smaller events at Riccarton next month. He ran a good race in the Winter Hurdles and it disappointed his northern supporters, after seeing him up with the field at the last obstacle, when he failed to come on. PALARDO HAS SPEED. In' her first outing at Ellerslie in the spring, the two-year-old Palardo displayed a lot of speed in the middle stages and then careered off the course at the home turn. She has since been allowed to take things very easily, but is now being sent along and it looks. as if she will come .to hand early. There is no doubt about her pace, and she should also be a better performer by reason of the fact that she has been given plenty of time. Palardo may be a winner early in . the season. One of the disappointments of the present season has been the two-year-old filly Armacourt, for in some of her earlier races she displayed a good burst of speed, only to weaken quickly. Since her last race this filly has .developed and it is possible that she will stick on better with age. However, in view of her disappointing efforts this term when given a winning chance in^a race or two it may be as well to see the Gainscourt filly in action before committing oneself. King March is being given easy tasks at Ellerslie, in company with Gay Marigold and Sir Abb, so that this stable promises to be strong in handicap performers tHis coming season. King March and Gay Marigold are in the same ownership and so it is possible that King March will be sent across to Sydney for the later meetings. He is not engaged in the spring handicaps, for which he would not be ready in any case. In several of his races over the jumps during the past twelve months En Tour has performed in promising fashion,, although he has regularly failed when there was every reason to hope that he would be a possibility. Of late he has been qualifying with the hounds and it is expected that he will be one of the field for next month's Pakuranga H^unt Cup. He went a very fair race in the Sussex Steeplechase at Ellerslie on January 2 last, finishing seventh, and quite a number of good 'chasers were behind him, so he must be given a chance in his engagements at Ellerslie next month. For the first time for very many years, the Matamata owner-trainer H. Clothier missed having a horse at the Trentham Winter Meeting. But this sportsman has a' good little team in work again, and Royal Dance and Spearmarcri are ready to race at any time, while another, Strong Spear, will get his chance later on. The lastnamed is the rising three-year-old half-brother to Te Monanui, a brilliant performer of a few years ago and the sire of Monanui. ROYAL DANCE'S BROTHER. \ A present tvvo-year-old who is doing well at Ellerslie is the Waikato-owned Valspear. who races in the interests of Mr. J. Pohlen. This youngster is a brother to the speedy Royal Dance (of whom the best has not yet been seen), and while he has had only one race and displayed marked greenness he should do well next season. He is in the stable of F. Stenning, a ■trainer who'has not had a great many

horses through his hands of recent years, Sir Archie being his last good one.

It is a long time since Charsong raced, but he is striding along freely and when the new season is entered upon he may be capable of reproducing the promising form he displayed eighteen months arid more ago. He will probably have his first race in the new season in the hack event at the Pakuranga fixture next month. The same stable shelters Hunting Maid, who was also off the scene for a long period prior tc the last Te Kuiti Meeting, She is very fast, but a setback recently in her preparation may find her a bit backward if produced next month.

Lord Val returned from his annual visit to Trentham none the worse for his exertions there, which netted a second, a third, and a fourth, once again revealing his partiality for that track. He is now being kept going with a view to contesting the Jellicoe Handicap at Ellerslie next month, and he will be one of the fittest horses in the field. Another Ellerslie candidate for this event will probably be Tybalt, who" was raced over shorter distances at Trentham.

A big upstanding sort of hack who has yet to reveal form is the Ellerslie maiden Vera Acre. She is a sister to Sunny Downs, and like him she may do best over middle distances. She is in E. Groat's stable and she is well advanced in her preparation for the spring campaign, which may be started off with a run at the Pakuranga fixture next month.