THE TURF

Evening Star, Issue 19021, 17 August 1925, Page 12

THE TURF

[Gossip nr Old Identity.] Tuki lias given H. M : Sweeney his third winning mount in the Grand National. The others wore on Coalition in 1920 and 1921. He probably had a more difficult ride this year than in either of the other years mentioned. Coalition was a>. easy mount; its jockey could depend on the horse doing the right thing at the right moment. Tuki, on the other hand, no doubt had to he. instructed at every obstacle—watched at any rate. As a fact Tuki won only one race last season, this being tlic Egmont Steeplechase on May Id, when he was ridden by Bowden at 9.G, and heat Dick (9.11) a length. He certainly ran a good third in the Groat Northern Steeplechase in June, but that was not good enough to back him on, as the public evidently thought, for though .Sir Rosebery was put up 121 b on the Auckland running and Tuki remained at 9.4 the one was rushed and the other despised. Strange to say, Tuki was .believed to be a stayer, without speed, yet in the race he ran past Eerie, Tigerland, and Frenchman, and staved off a challenge by Fireblight. Some say that his light weight brought him home, but that can hardly be all the truth, since Fireblight had only 9.9. Frenchman was making a hold hid for it when he capsized. Fireblight was backed confidently by good judges. A feature of the result is that marcs finished second and third. Pretty close, but those who argue that mares cannot stay the National course still have the upper hand in the argument. The National this year was the fiftieth of the series. The time record for the National is Oaklcigh’s 6min 55 l-Sscc three years ago. Tula's 7min 2sec is the next best.

Is Tula one of tlie “ greats ”P Not proved yet. When wo think of the masterful winners the names of Oakleigh, Coalition, and Master Strowan come up amongst the recent, and Mutiny, Norton, Ahua, Chemist, Canard, Clarence, and Agent amongst the older lot. 1 hope that Tuki may make himself as worthy as the least of these. Congratulations to Mr B. S. Irwin on landing the first race at the National Meeting—the Hunters’ Hurdles—with Bachelor Gay. And there may be more to follow, since the win on Thursday in the Spreydon was distinctly meritorious. Mr Irwin has not been very long at the game, but his connection therewith has proved his right to be called a thorough sportsman, and they are the sort who should own horses. Kuhio, winner of the Winter Cup, was in the market not long before the race’. We know a lot about the game, don’t weP Riccarton is said to have been at its sloppiest on Thursday when the National Hurdle Race was run. How heavy the going was may bo guessed by the time that Penury Rose recorded —the slowest by far since the distance was increased to two miles and a-half. Lockson took 4min 56 l-ssec last year. Penury Rose’s time is sent as omin 13sec.

Penury Rose ran seventeen times last season, and no doubt his being thoroughly matured had a lot to do with his seeing it out. His win in the Trentham Hurdle Race last month caused him to he held in respect for tho National. Personally, I thought him not class enough to beat Nnkumai. In that I was wrong. But Nnkumai ran a great raco. A Dunedin rider (A. E. Ellis) had the mount on Penury Rose. Dunedin got a very fair look in, one way and another, on the first and second days of the meeting. Bachelor Gay’s two wins ami Ellis’s ride, and then Kilfane’s very fine struggle homo in the Islington Handicap, giving Mr Cambridge the stake and Charlie Xliesler the glory (plus a few bob, no doubt). Don’t have any doubts about the Forbury trots coming off on Tuesday and Wednesday. The northern horses that want to come can come by tho special train for passengers and horses that leaves Christchurch at 9 o’clock-to-night. The acceptances are really goodj and if the weather is at all fair the American sailors are pretty sure to be there.

Copies of the ‘New Zealand Turf Register ’ and the ‘ New Zealand Trotting Register ’ have been received from the publishers, the Christchurch 1 .Press ’ Company, Each volume contains the results of meetings in its own sport last season, completely indexed. In addition there are the usual tables of whiners, entries for future events, statistics, list of registered colors and statistics, while the rules are given hi full. 1 have said before, and repeat it, that those Now Zealand registers arc the best that I know of in the world. The publishers place us all under an obligation for getting them out in time for the National Meeting. Le Fort, the hurdler, fatally injured at Sydney a week ago, was an aged gelding by Cuianfortc —Country Picnic, tie raced thirteen times in New Zealand last season, and won only the Spring Hurdles at Dunedin, ridden at

10.() by Humphris, and beating 'Frisco Mail (10.7). La Heine Lnmierc, the winner of this year's Grand Prix, is the first fitly to prevail since 1902. She was a rank outsider. The accident which marred the race occurred very early, and at a subsequent inquiry the stewards ruled that the race had been won on its merits. La Reino Lumiere, who was ridden by Stanley Wootton’s apprentice, C. Smirke, entered the straight with two other outsiders in Terre Neuvien and Dark Diamond, the trio having the finish to themselves. The favorite, the French Derby winner Belfonde, was never sighted. The stake to the winner was 663,900 francs. The English Jockey Club has warned off a stable hand named Bramley, who was head lad at the stable of the Australian, Norman Scobie. Bramley’s offence lay in having arranged, without the knowledge of Scolno, a trial cs some of the horses owned by Sir diaries Hyde, chief patron of Scobic, with horses trained by Halt. The owner of this year’s French Derby winner is an Argentine enthusiast named Martines de Hoz. He is the gentleman who purchased Craganour for 30,000 gs after the colt had been disqualified in the Derby which he won. At his station in Buenos Ayres ho breeds Shorthorns and runs about 100,000 sheep, in addition to breeding thoroughbreds. Richard Marsh, trainer to Edward VH. and George V., tells the ‘Sunday Chronicle ’ about Diamond Jubilee’s tricks. After a gallop preliminary to the Two Thousand the jockey (Moray Cannon) jumped off, and led the colt by the bridle rein. Instantly the colt seized him, and rolled him over. Happily, he was rescued immediately, for help was at hand. I do not suppose Cannon cared very much about him from that moment, and I am certainly not blaming him. Indeed, ho brought matters to a crisis not long before the Two Thousand Guineas. Again he had come down to ride the colt in a gallop, and I thought I had never seen Jiirn go so well. Moray, however, had other ideas. When he dismounted, this time with rather more caution and watchfulness, he suggested to me that the horse had not gone well, and clearly would not go for him. Would I therefore see about getting another jockey for him? The requesji placed us in a serious dilemma. Other leading jockeys were engaged, and wo were very near to the Two Thousand. The colt could not bo better, and T honestly felt that he had a big chance. For the next day or two I was struck with the quiet way the colt went with Herbert Jones on his back. I recommended Lord Marcus Beresford and His Royal Highness to put him up. The accejitance of my suggestion came at once, and onr reward came with the win of the Two Thousand in a field of ten. Horse and jockey made no mistake about it, as they won by four lengths. Do not imagine that the colt’s_ new jockey effected a transformation in him. There were times before the Derby came to he run when ho insisted on standing still or varying it by rearing. Some critics declared that he wanted a jolly good hiding. Well, I might have given him a good hiding, but if lie had got one to-day he would have wanted one to-morrow and still another the day after. Some horses may he no worse for such corrective medicine, but yon must never hide the high-class horse of high courage. It is courage which makes him high-class. Break that, and you destroy the whole fabric of the splendid racehorse.