THE TURF

Evening Star, Issue 17924, 21 March 1922, Page 2

THE TURF

Gossip by OtD Identity | The very clever, those who think they 'possess exclusive information, and thc # oaiefreo who have money to burn are the sports who try to pick the Great Easter when the weights appear. Experienced students prefer to wait for a lead from owners. Tho list is too long, and,, there is always a possibility of some good thing being saved up and emerging from the relatively obscure or forgotten contingent. 1 for one dare not attempt any systematic sorting out at this stage. With some diffidence I suggest, Songbird (8.8), Silver Peak (8.4), Sunny Loch (8.3), and Miss Mimic (8.2) as a likely quartet. Thore I leave it for tho present. ,! The Groat Autumn is or appears to bo somewhat simpler. It is a race for stayers, and the number engaged is not so large. Therefore I venture to name a few that can be recommended. Gasbag (8,0) is one jbf these. lie seems to be doming on. , Foo Chow (8.6) is another. He won this ! race' last year with 8.1.* when Insurrection, then" carrying 6.10, was second. Radiant Light (8.2) is worth thinking about. So is Songbird (7.7). The common belief is .'hat this game colt cannot stay. If that is so, why enter him, and why propose to start "him in the Lcger ut Wellington? Bonnie Winkie (7.0) may also have a chance. He wins his races well, made a really good impression at Gore, and has a weight that surely must be somewhere near the owner's expectations. A sensation was created at Flemington when No. 6 (Wish Wynne) was hoisted as the winner of the Newmarket Handicap. Wish Wynne was not in the first ten. After a 'few seconds' delay No. 6 was taken down and replaced by that of tho winner, Rostrum.

Rosoworlhy, the sire of Rostrum, is a close relation to Bill of Portland, sire of Bobadil and Maltster, being by William the Third, son of St. Simson, the sire of Bill of Portland. Electric Light, fourth dam of Roseworthy, was the clam of Bill cf Portland. Roseworthy was a very fair performer in England. "Archer" writes-.—Excuses for beaten horses are unsatisfactory, but it is a fair claim 'to make on behalf of Eurythmic in the Newmarket that tho conditions were not in favor of a horse with lOst, 31b to carry. Four inches of rain was recorded last week at Flemington, which is not a course that recovers quickly from .such a soaking. The going was good in the circumstances, but there were some bad j patches. Experienced racing men who i watched the raco from the end of the lawn said afterwards that Eurythmic ; always appeared to be "floundering." iW-hiz. Bang dwelt at barrier rise and lost about a length and a-half. He was soon showing out, however, in the wake of Rostrum. Eurythmic appeared to bo well behind tho leaders. He gained ground at one stage, hut never really looked like having much chance in the last half of the journey. Rostrum, Elkin, Demetrius, Lisnavane, Drtnwil, and Braehead' were most prominent at the four-furlong post. Rostrum was in the lead with a furlong to go, then held his own with Whiz, Bang, and beat him to the judge by threequarters of a length. V. Sleigh, who is apprenticed- to Mr Connolly, rodo Rostrum, as P. Kelly could not make the weight. Kelly, however, was not forgotten by Mir Connolly. The same writer says that the connections of Furious were understood not to be over-confident about the V.R.C. Leger, as her preparation had had to be rather hurried. But she had a great asset in the services of R. Lewis. Nine furlongs from home Harvest King headed Heir Apparent, and 'the pace, which had been slow, improved. Harvest King drew out for a lead, but he could never get far ahead of Furious, who was handy to him entering tho straight. Soon afterwards she took the lead, and it was quickly evident that she had the race won.' Lewis was not harden her, and her winning margin of half a length could have been much greater. As the held came round the home turn in the Australian Cup Queen Comedy looked to bo almost on terms with Harvest King, but it was a. dying effort, and the colt led into the straight from Sister Olive, Earl of Seafield, Mufti (who had come again), and Purser, who was coming fast. The riderless Double Bezique was getting iu the road of the leader's pursuers, but at the distance he joined Harvest King, and threatened 'to give him trouble. Sister- Olive finished gamely, but she. could not get on terms with Harvest King, who won by three-quarters of a length, with Purser a similar margin away. The riderless Double Bezique actually passed the judge first. Those who saw Kick Off win at. Napier (says " Glencoo ") are enthusiastic about the performance, and it is said that the All Black three-year-old won like a reallygood stayer. It is expected that tho contest between him, Pluto, and Radiant Light in the St. Leger will be one of the star items of Wellington. Corn Rigs, who is evidently in form again, is a plain horse, as many good racers have been, notably Welcome Jack, but he has a rare pedigree, being by Markhope (son of Marcovie, by Marco) from Nadjeda, a sister to Persimmon arid Diamond Jubilee. The dam of Corn Rigs, Helianthes, is by Finland—Clytie, by Thaoton—Neroli, by Artillery—Nenuphar, by Apreniuiit—Watersprite, by Tradueor. Tho ex-New Zcalander L, H. Hewitt, who is riding in India, won a double recently on Archer and Bathurst. The. Hawke's Bay correspondent of the Chiristchurcli 'Star' has a good word to say for a, two-vear-old gelding that is owned by Mr W. T. Haalett, and was raced at "Napier Park: "A good sort of youngester that started at Napier Park is taid to be Bcmghlcen Dhoun, a brown gelding by Kilbrouoy from imported' Sprig of Erin. He is a. typical KiLbroney, and has a lot of pace, but he ran, very green. He ran wide at the home bend when leading, and then came again and finished fourth. He is not ready yet, but he should not be long in winning." The application of Mile -Fanny Heldy, the French opera singer, for a jockey's liconso has been refused'by the Societb d'Encouragcment. It may be recalled (says the Paris edition of the ' New York Herald ') that there have previously been similar applications, among others, tho sister of the well-known jockey, Percy Woodland, and a Russian lady, Mmo de Gouiebow, but hitherto the racing authorities, in view of tho obvious abjections, have consistently refused. A rider at Blenheim on Saturday (writes "Carbine") finished with his shirt hanging out about half a yard-. In the run up the straight it was floating on tho breeze like a flag. The girls shrieked with laughter, and all hands joined in, when tho horseman dismounted to weigh in, but as ho had steered a, good winner he could afford to take it all quite calmly.

Lnchella Ms nominated for Riverton as a preliminary, it is understood, to a tour of the North Island, with the Grand National to follow if all goes well.