TURF NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 116, 18 May 1944, Page 8

TURF NOTES

(BY "BINOCULAR.")

ON HIGHER SCALE

WOODVILLE CUP WEIGHTS With Moutoa Bond, who headed the weights in the Raukawa Handicap at Otaki, an absentee, the handicapper has made Nighean topweight for the Wo'odville Cup on Saturday. Prior to Easter Nighean won the Te Mahanga Handicap at Hawke's Bay with 8.2, and then ran fourth each day at Feilding, carrying .7,11 in the Cup race, which was run over 1| miles, and filling a like placing in the Goodbehere Memorial, 1£ miles. Although she will not be opposing horses of the calibre of Rink and Corday on this occasion, 9.0 is a substantial poundage for one of her inches. She is a game mare, however, and stays well. Penalised.—As a result "of her success in the Raukawa Handicap at Otaki Lady Spiral has been raised 81b, to 8.6, for the Woodville Cup, and Te Kawiti, who was the runner-up, has been advanced 31b to 8.8. Surprisingly enough, Langue dOr, who was prevented from fulfilling his engagement at Otaki owing to dental trouble, has been given' an additional 41b. To keappear.—Four of the candidates for the open sprint at Woodville will be having their first outings for some consideraole time. Whackie (9.0), who has not figured since running second to Sir Bradbury at Trentham in January, has been placed at the head of the handicap. Wings of Song, who was a failure last term and has not started this season, resumes at 8.5, 21b less than he had in the open sprint at Awapuni at his last start. Then comes Duncannon (8.1), whose six starts this term have been productive of one fourth, and then follow at 7.10 Siglow, whose last outing was in the Foxton Cup in October, and Duality, whose only race of the term was at Otaki in the same month. There is thus a lot of unknown form engaged. Preliminary.—Several visitors from afield for the Great Northern Meeting next month will be racing at Te Rapa on Saturday. Chat and Dozie Boy figure in the Te Rapa Steeples, Hasten is engaged in the Hamilton Hurdles, Royal Greek in the Stewards' Handicap, and the South Islanders, Dividend and Edward, in the Te Rapa and Melville Steeples respectively. Their form will be followed with interest. Bight Breeding.—Arctic Dawn is again being educated for jumping. Being by Defoe from that grand little mare Aurora Borealis, who won fame as a. hurdler and also 'chaser, Arctic Dawn is bred on the right lines for the role. Being Educated.—Now approaching his ninth year, Boloyna, whose flat form has been poor for some time, is being educated as a jumper. Two halfbrothers, Travenna and Ventrac, both of whom were by Tractor, did well in the role. , First Success.—Spring Day, winner of the hurdle event at the Poverty Bay Meeting, is a four-year-old gelding by Hazrat from Spring Acre, by Acre—Purple Heather, by Heather Mixture from the Soult mare Sweet Alice. Hazrat is a son of Craig an Eran (winner of the Two Thousand Guineas, Eclipse Stakes, etc.) from a half-sister to Night Patrol, and thus belongs to the same family as Heroic, Magpie, Night Raid, and Rossendale. He was imported after doing stud duty in Australia. It was Spring Day's first win on the Turf. Still Hope.—For one of his breeding Ring Scarf has proved himself something of a "poor relative." Now owned and trained at Otaki by Mr. G. S. Walton, he came home sufficiently well in the hack seven at his home meeting to suggest that he may yet make good. He is a four-year-old by Ringmaster from Scarf Dance, the dam

being a younger sister to Veilmond, who did well in Australia and is now represented by winners across the Tasman. Doubly Engaged.—There are five acceptors in the President's Handicap at Waikato on Saturday who also .figure in the Stewards' Handicap, the open seven-iurlong event. Betterman and Constitution, who ran first and second respectively in the big handicap at Te Aroha last Saturday, are two of the number, and the others are Skydonna, Abbey Fox, and Prince Baffles. Successful Debut.—The Australianbred Malik Kafur, who had been off the scene for a considerable time, returned to racing at Otaki in the role of 'chaser, and signalled it by winning the cross-country event. He drifted in the early stages, but jumped splendidly as he progressed. By Fox-Earth from Delhi Queen, he comes from a well-performed family across the Tasman, and might well go further in the game. Early "Lives." —At the first of the brush doubles in the Tararua Hack and Hunters' Steeples at Otaki, First Role had a life, but scrambled over the second to retain his lead. Coaster, who followed him, screwed badly, but the pair carried on in good style until Malik Kafur put in his claim. Coaster has settled down considerably and has only to improve in his jumping to make good. Highly Strung.—Vera Lynn has developed into a very nervy type, which frequently prevents her doing justice to herself, for she has undoubted ability. At Feilding at Easter she failed both days, but J. Jenkins, who was having his first ride, landed her a winner in the apprentices' event at Otaki. Overdue.—The success of Betterman in the big handicap at Te Aroha, even though it came as something of a surprise, was long overdue. The Bambury gelding has raced on this circuit on occasion, and his last win was over seven furlongs at Awapuni in July. Saturday's was his twenty-fourth outing this term and his first win, although he had been placed 11 times. He is the first of the progeny of the Catmint mare Betterment, the dam being a daughter of imported Lady Bede. Betterman is thus related to Galilee, Beau Leon, etc. Fair Showing.—Having her first outing for 21 months, First Round looked a trifle burly when she went out to contest the open seven at Otaki. She ran quite a sound race. In the 1941-42 term First Round won a double in the hack ranks at Trentharri and added the President's Handicap, 7 furlongs, at her next start, at Awapuni. She figured under silk on two occasions only in the early stage of last term, having to be then put aside owing to shoulder trouble. Jumping Blood. —Nanook, who was given a run in the Kuku Maiden No. 2 at Otaki, was one of those who suffered at the jump-out. A four-year-old by Foxlight from the Catmint mare Katrina, the dam a daughter of Warstar (by Maniapoto), Katrina failed in her limited racing, but as she traces to the N.Z. Cup winner Lady Lucy, she comes from a good family. Nanook is destined for the jumping game. First Start.—There was a goodly measure of support for Mysterious Melody in the Kuku Maiden No. 2 at Otaki. Trained at Trentham by J. McCauley, he is a two-year-old gelding by Baffles from Kentucky Song, a Hunting Song mare who was only a fair .performer. Mysterious Melody was having his first outing, but it was whispered that he had shown a lot of pace in private. However, lack of condition and racing experience naturally counted against him. An older half-sister, Baffles Song, has not yet sported silk.