TURF NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 56, 7 March 1944, Page 8

TURF NOTES

(BY "BINOCULAR.")

surprising!^ firm

; THE TRENTJHAM TRACKS It was apparent*-,atvTrentham this morning that comparatively-little rain had .been experienced in'the Valley during'the: weekend, and the tracks were firm: and fast., JTq ,visitors are to hand yet, so the .morning's; operations were restricted to "the home*contingent, some 30. of .whom are. down to compete on Saturday. En Route.— There is a bright prospect of the majority"of the: visitors from the'»north -.making the -trip to the Wellington Meeting, and it was reported that Neenah Isi ; en route from Ma'tamata, the Foxbridge' gelding travelling by trailer hitched on to a gas-producer car. The Manawatu representatives will come by regional transport, and the majority of the Hawke's Bay brigade will employ a fleet of trailers. The only Taranaki trainers who were in r doubt, at the weekend wereß. Brough (Corday and Alderman) ■■ and O. Cox insurmountable. —The two Southland representatives, Inscrutable and Aurora Australis, will not be on hand for the Wellington Meeting on Saturday, transport difficulties preventing their presence. They were withdrawn at 11.23 a.m. yesterday. Other: defections are Novocaine for the Himu Highweight (11.20 yesterday) and Merry May for the Autumn Handicap (at 11.30 a.m. on March 2). : " .'■,•. : * ..■;■''■■?. Remarkable.— lronical luck has been experienced by the Tfentham trainer W. H,.Hume'in respect to compulsory ballot? at local meetings.-.-In four instances he has had a candidate in a race that was over the safety limit, and the luck of the draw went against him. Great March was balloted out twice, Cramond Bay once, and Bonnieve once. At the coming meeting he will not now have a single representative racing. Riding Engagements. —Where Trentham horsemen and horses are involved, the following riding engagements have been announced for Saturday:—S. Green, Farcical; W. J. Sellars, Lord Darnley; H. J. Lunn, Daljarrock; P. Burgess, Tara King;.J. Garth, Mcutoa Bond, Latin Bay, Maharajah (if he runs in the hack race), and. possibly Barrage; K. Vaughah, Moutba- Lad, Martarma Rose;, R. Hawes, Home Rule; A. G. Waddell, Silvio; '<R. J. Auckram, ■Hine Rei and 'probably The Whipper. No rider has been engaged for Bridge Acre, but' overtures; have been made for H. N. Wiggins to ride the filly in the North Island Challenge Stakes. Been Gelded.— The two juveniles' by Defaulter, the,one being out of Homedale and the other from' Privet, in W. Hawthorn's stable have" been gelded. A rising two-year-old by Nightmarch from Stfathalbyn, who js owned in Sydney, has also beerf operated on, and has been turned out. for a year. Looking Well.— Although it was intended not to proceed with First Round further, the". Nightly; mare was returned to P. Burgess; at and has made excellent progress. At the moment, she is looking a picture. The Musketoon gelding Flahuluk is again in work under the same trainer. Both horses handle winter going.particulafly well. • :'!: , '■•:'■. Team of Four. —N. Vaughan, who recently secured a trainer's licence, has a team of four three-year-olds under his care. The quartet are. Martarma Rose, Court Judge (Croupier—Conviction), Jacardine (by Kincardine), and Timo (by St. Boswells). Macedoine.— Messrs. Wright, Stphenson, and Co., Ltd., report that the Salmagundi mare ,Macedoine was bought on behalf of-the Bombay trainer A. Higgins. M^cedbine was nominated for the Autumn Handicap at Trentham on Saturday by her former owner, and it was intended to allow'her to go through with her engagement. Unfortunately, transport difficulties prevent her arriving at the scene in time for Saturday. Australian System. — lt is the opinion of local trainers that the Wellington Racing Club might well have adopted the Australian system of, declaring reserve runners in events which were over the safety number on acceptance night. The prospects are that several of the horses that survived the ballot will not be", on hand, in which case the reserves would have had the opportunity of racing. v