THE TURF

Evening Star, Issue 17155, 23 September 1919, Page 4

THE TURF

[Gossip bx Old Identity.]

Owners evidently have faith in the Dunedin Jockey Club and a liking for the October srreeting that opens the racing season, for, though at the time of closing the entries there was no positive assurance of railway transit for the horses, the total entered up by Mr Harry James came to 265, or 58 more than last year, the Clarendon Handicap topping the list numerically with 40. A pleasing feature of the list" is the representative appearance of the M'Lcan Stakes and the Dunedin Guineas, 14 being left in each; and I also note with satisfaction that we have horses from Wellington and a really good lot from both Canterbury and * Southland. The meeting will be all right. Its success is fully assured by the promise that visitin? horses will be conveyed on the ra-il-wavs.

Elocution, one of the entries for the D.J.C October Meeting, is now the property of Mr F. T. Buchanan, of Mosgiel. Irish Guard (Kilbroney—Prank), a five-year-old brother to Kilrush, opened his winning account in New South Wales* recently. He in a Maiden Handicap and won the run-off. Southland items by '"Sir Modred "i During last week E-le'us accomplished his daily tasks in a satisfactory manner, having Glenshine for a companion on more than one occasion when the pace was on. Eleus is; a somewhat lazy toiler, and has to be stirred up when his trainer sets the wheels of his timepiece moving. There is jii3t a suspicion that Almoner betrays- a slight limp at times in front when walking round at exercise, but he gallops roundly enough when moving round on the grass or plough tracks. His trainer does not exhibit any noticeable concern as to the welfare of the Boniform Gelding in the direotion hinted at. Fieetham baa come on very fast during the past fortnight, and is now putting plenty of heart into his work and galloping soundly in the meantime: but it is hard to say what will happen when he is asked a serious question.

We had a joke about Balboa last week. Somebody asked who Balboa was, and somebody else gave an answer relative to the Balboa that is. By which I ain reminded* that our New Zealand Balboa, now owned by Mr J. Fitzgorald, of Balfour, was a great performer—winner of theT.J.C. Derby and Auckland Cup, and moro famous for his seconds to Warstep in the Trentham Gold Cup and to Chortle in the Awapuni Gold Cup, when the mile and a-quarter was run in 2min sisec. Artilleryman won the Memsio Stakes at Caulfie'ld on the 6th, but was lucky in getting a passage on the rails. He is by Comedy King from the New Zealand mare Cross Battery, daughter of Stepniak. The manner of Estland's death at Rosehill (N.S.W.) on the 10th is thus reported: He was galloping on the course proper when he fell, and heavily struck the inner fence. Death was instantaneous. He was insured for £3,500. The scratching of Gloaming and others of Mr Greenwood's homes for the Caulfield Cup may be taken as a hint that this owner's lot will come back to New Zealand as soon as possible after the. A.J.O. meeting. It is eaid that, Hector Gray, now m Sydney, is engaged to ride Vagabond in the New Zealand Cup. Gloaming's win at Randwick on Saturday is the incontrovertible proof that ho has fully recovered from w*e> effects of his fall at Wellington on May 1, at the start of the North Island Challenge Stakes, won by Warplane. We knew that the son of Light was doing well at exercise, but to the public a race is the one sure test. Marvelite' had made a good beginning as a steeplechaser. He ran round in the Hack Steeplechase at Birchwood on Monday, but won the Hunt Cup anyhow. They say that he is a sensational rusher at his fences. Adelina, winner of the Otautau Hack Handicap, ia the younger sister to Michaela, now trained m Southland. Bay Ronald was banished from England before his stock were properly tried. Imagine the annoyance of his owner at allowing him to go cheaply to the French when hla sons Bayardo and Dark Ronald proved themselves to be two of the best norsea in the world.

It is reported that the owner of Risingham is claiming the stakes in the Heathcote- Handicap, run at the Grand National Meeting;, on the ground that the winner. Gold Kap, was trained by an unlicensed trainer. A. E. Cox, whose name was given as the trainer of Gold Kip, doea not appear in the list licensed by the Auckland Racing Club. According to the Sydney 'Referee' of September 10, fee principal sensation of the previous week was the backing off Surveyor for the Oaulfield Cup. When ho arrived from New Zealand he looked quits poor, but he had not been In Sydney a Week before he picked up wonderfully. - British Arch, the half-brother by Marble Arch to Kauri King, scored his third successive victory on the fiat when he -won the Malfland Joekey dub Handicap on September 3. The finish of the chief flat event at Paknranga is thus described in the Auckland ' Star': Depredation ran up to Me\tchikoff in the etraight, and looked like coming away, but Meltcbikoff hung on to his task In fine style, and was disputing every inch of the ground with Depredation'when Waiutu and Fa briquette joined in, and a great finish saw the quartet cross the line in a bunch, Fabriq-uette getting the decision by a head from Wai*

iita, with Meltchikoff a neck away, a head in front of Depredation, while Killard, who finished well, was close up. It was on Wednesday Tauherenikau, that Form Up died. "Glencoe" reports that the horse was found early in the morning bleeding at the nostril and foaming at the mouth, and though a veterinary surgeon was quickly in attendance he died soon after. A post mortem revealed that the horse had twisted an intestine. He had sot cast in his box, and evidently injured himself in trying to get

The C.J.C. book of programmes for the season is, as usual, a handy work for reference purposes.