SPORTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1928, Page 11

SPORTING

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By “Register.”) GALLOPING FIXTURES.

TROTTING FIXTURES. June 2, 4. —Canterbury Park T.C. June 9. —Ashburton T.C. GALLOPING. For Dunedin. .G. Salt has been engaged to pilot Heisler and Jovial in their engagements at Wingatui. Says a Southern paper:—There seems to be a small desife, if any, to create a market on the Birthday and Tradesmen’s. It was once a very good medium of business.

Bonatic should race well at the Dunedin Meeting He is reported to be in excellent fettle. At the South Canterbury Meeting. Bonatic scored in the Tekapo Hurdles on the first day. He has, 10.3 in the Otago Hurdles of 2 miles on the second day at .Wingatui. After jumping six flights of hurdles smartly, Scion continued for a round at a strong pace, says a Dunedin report. Scion is in his tenth year, and promises to shape well in the hurdle events at Dunedin next week. At the South Canterbury Meeting he ran second and fourth. Scion has 9.9 in the Jumpers’ Flat of I - miles, and considering the weak field and that he was once a New Zealand Cup winner, it is not .unlikely that he may lead the field home. Overhaul was in front of Puff over a mile clocked in 1.52.

A Riccarton trio at Dunedin, who look certain to collect stake money are Malmsey, Oriflamb and ; Gold Mint. On Amberley. form, Rotor looks -to have the Winter Handicap at his mercy with 8.7. Beau Cavalier.

Will Beau Cavalier .be America’s hope next year for the English Grand National? says a Christchurch paper. This question is prompted by the knowledge that sportsmen from the United States. are in negotiation with the owner of Beau Cavalier, and there is every prospect of the deal being completed, so it is reported. Beau Cavalier claims engagements at Ellerslie this week-end, the programme mapped out for him being the Great Northern Hurdles, the Great Northern Steeplechase, arid the AVinter Steeplechase, on the first, second and third days respectively. Apparently Americans ar© now paying mor© attention to the jumping brancli -of racing, for there is one steeplechase, to be run. a few months hence, thta. will be worth £ll,ooo—nearly six times the value of our own Great Northern Steeplechase. It is no doubt.with the idea- of winning this that Beau Cavalier is wanted, and if he performs up to expectations he may. be sent to England It is reported that even if the deal is completed Beau Cavalier will fill his Ellerslie engagements. Of course, the price necessary for American sportsmen to acquire Beaii Cavalier is certain to be pretty solid. Last year there were negotiations between the owner of the Chesterfield gelding and an Australian syndicate, and the price then was stated to be 4000 guineas, but this sum was not confirmed. Although -that is a lot of money for a steeplechaser, it is doubtful whether Beau Cavalier will change hands at much less than that price. Last year Beau Cavalier accomplished a remarkable feat'in winning the three biggest cross-country races the Dominion can offer—the Great Northern Steeplechase, the Wellington Steeplechase, and the Grand National Steeplechase. Incidentally, trainer Tooman now has Beau Cavalier even better than the aorse was 12 months ago. The Auckland Meeting.

A special message from Auckland states that the order of events on the first day of the Auckland Winter Meeting is,:—Jervois Handicap (first division). Greenlane Handicap, Jervois Handicap (second division), Penrose Handicap, Great Northern, Cornwall Handicap, Hunt Club Handicap and Members’ Handicap. Royal Tea has been indulged in short sprints of late, at Ellerslie, and without recording outstanding time it must be said that his efforts have pleased. The Tea Tray gelding is set down to contest the Members’ Handicap at the coming Auckland Meeting, and although his form at Avondale several weeks ago was good, he is rated within 21b of the consistent Nancy Lee, and there are few sprinters in commission at the present time who can beat the daughter of Lucullus and Flagship at anywhere near level weights. Still, Royal Tea has . performed with credit on a number of occasions, and perhaps he will be responsible for a good effort. He is working in great style recently. Red Fuchsia (Baker) and Peneus (A. M’Donald) set out over four hurdles at Ellerslie on Tuesday:. .The former got away in front, but Peneus took charge as they came across the top and was leading at the last hurdle, where he fell. Neither horse nor rider was injured. The time was lmin 18sec.

R. M’Tavish will have the mount on Te Kara, who is reported to be doing well, for his engagements at Auckland. According to latest reports from Ellerslje, Archibald has come right into the market for the Great Northern Hurdles, which will come up for decision on. Saturday Last week, in company, with Aberfeldy, he gave one of the best displays of hurdling seen for some time at Ellerslie. He had Riccarton’s representative in Saturday’s big race beaten from the start, and his dashing hurdling was reminiscent of his schooling 12 months ago, on the eve of the Great Northeim Hurdles, in which he was eventually beaten into second place by Wedding March. Archibald will be ridden by A. H. Burt on Saturday.

Brigadier Bill, winner of the Egmont and Wanganui Steeplechases, is an acceptor for the Greenlane Steeplechase, to be run at Ellerslie on Saturday. If he wins Saturday’s event the chances are that he will go to the post a good favourite for the Great Northern. But, although he will oppose only moderates in the Greenlane Steeplechase, he has a big weight to ‘lump in 12.3, and his connections may decide to start him instead in the big hurdle race, run on the same day, in which he has been nicely treated with 10.3. Town Bank has arrived at Ellerslie

from Waikato, and has been taken over by A. Trilford, who trains for Mr J. M. Samson. The Archiestown gelding is looking in nice condition to fulfil engagements at the coming meeting. Dick has been allowed to drop out of the Great Northern Steeplechase, from which it is apparent that the injury he suffered at Hawera has not yielded to treatment. The meeting will be without a very popular competitor through his mishap, as Dick has played a prominent part in crosscountry events at Ellerslie for several years. A study of the Great Northern Steeplechase field shows that it is not a particularly strong one. As a fencer, Beau Cavalier stands out head and shoulders above his opponents, and will take a power of beating The Auckland country is not difficult, and despite his weight, the “Beau” will be one of the early leaders and will make his opponents do their best. Last year Wedding March was looked upon to have a big chance, but was not allowed to start, out of which the “Memsahib” case arose. He must be given a big chance, as he is a fine jumper and has plenty of pace. Comical’s recent work brings his prospects more to the fore. He has the pace, but not the jumping ability, and although. improving in this respect, it is too much to expect so great an improvement after his recent displays. Brigadier Bill will have a- big following and he is., very well, but the distance may trouble him. Archibald’s prospects look better in the hurdles. Tuki and Maunga must have a good jumper’s chance. The former is in great heart. Both are reliable fencers, and are certain, barring accidents, to play a big. part in the race. Wiltshire and Glendowie are the pick of the remainder. The writer favours the prospects of Beau Cavalier, Wedding March and Tuki.

It does not look as though the field when the horses parade for the Great Northern Hurdles, will be particularly strong. The inclusion of Aberfeldy, Brigadier Bill, Perle de Leon and Mister Gamp should ensure it being better than last year’s field when Wedding March, Archibald and Day Bell filled the places. Perle de Leon met with an injury recently and the chances of the Polydamon gelding have decreased. Wedding March is 141bs worse off than when he beat Archibald last year. Although he is a brilliant jumper in a mediocre field, it has to be remembered that only twice has a horse carrying 'over list, won, and on both occasions the weight was 11.2. Wedding March has always been able to hold Archibald. This conies to Brigadier Bill. Three years ago Landbird, a safe jumper, won the Wanganui Steeples and went on to win the G.N. Hurdles. Brigadier Bill won the Wanganui Steeples and may repeat Landbird’s performance. Speedy jumping is essential in this race, and the majority of northern hurdlers are fast jumpers, a fact that may prejudice Aberfeldy’s chance. Brigadier Bill is more reliable than speedy. Pouri is next on the list, and an interesting factor connected with his chances is that when he finished third to Red Fuschia and Perle de Leon in the Century Hurdles at Wanganui, that race was run in one of the fastest times recorded for a similar race. Pouri has all the qualifications and should go a good race. For the same reason, Perle de Leon should take a power of beating if he goes to the post fit and well. Beau 'Cavalier will not be able to foot it with his speedier opponents, but Mister Gamp should prove a useful lightweight. Summed up the chances of Wedding Jdarch, Brigadier Bill and Pouri look good.

Canterbury Notes.

Scrambler, a cast-off from H. and A. Cutts’s stable, who performed well on the Coast Christmas circuit, showed a lot of speed in the Novice Stakes on Saturday, and was beaten only in the last few strides by Merivale, for third place. The three-year-old daughter of Panmure and Scrimmage has been placed on the easy list for a short time, but should not be long in crediting her owner-trainer R. Adamson with another stake.

The Thurnham gelding Wharnclifie, who will carry the colours of Mr J. S Barrett in the approaching important jumping events, has been at Riccarton since Thursday last. He has no immediate engagements, but it is the intention of Mr Barrett to give the promising ’chaser an outing at the Wellington Racing Club’s Winter Meeting in July, and, all going well in the meantime, the gelding will-be it competitor for the Wellington Steeplechase. It is more than likely Wharncliffe will be given a run over the big fences at Riccarton on Saturday. Notes from Hawera. A Hawera paper discussing Taranaki horses states :—lt will not take much to have Yoma at his best for winter racing. He is very forward. He is in the Cornwall Handicap. Nukumai is burly at present and will not be at his best before next month. He is the picture of health. Town Bank was a’ trifle on the pretty side at the Egmont Meeting, otherwise he looked well, but he was not good, enough, as he had every chance and finished third. Blimp should win a race during the winter, perhaps very soon. He had not raced for some time when he contested the chief flat races at Egmont, and he finished fourth on the first day and third on the second day. He was narrowly beaten at Wanganui by Horomea.' Melissa is due to win a sprint race at any time now. She is a smart filly, and with ordinary luck would have won one before now. Bisox gallops well in private and is the sort of mare that should win a. mile hack race before very long. None of the hacks about stay on better than Kawahakina, who is one of the Kilbroney tribe and has the family ability to see a job through. Freeze Out ran fair races at Egmont, but was not good enough for the company he met. It was much better than he defeated at Nelson. Te Monanui, who is in regular work again, is expected to race at the Wellington Winter Meeting He is a good horse in soft ground, but probably will be at his best by the time the Canterbury winter fixture comes on. Odds and Ends.

An Australian exchange throws some light on what “a certain consultation” means to “Tattsmania.” Last year the Tasmanian Government profited to the extent of £480,000. Over 300 clerks were employed continuously, and a countless army of agents. A select party of 20 postal officers did nothing else but handle the matter of the concern. Another 20 people werer employed continuously printing tickets and result slips. Moa Bird, who beat them all in con-

vincing fashion, may now go on to bigger things. She is not long out of hacks, and has had a very payable season, having won at. Dannevirke, Napier, Manawatu and Hastings, befoie scoring at Wanganui. She is a leggy iillv, but has great speed. Her great weakness is at the barrier, where she always loses ground. She has no idea of jumping out properly and stands ami looks at the tapes go up before she moves. In all probability she will be found among the nominations for the next. Stewards’ Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting.

June 2, 4. —Otaki R.C. June 2, 4, 6. —Dunedin J.C. June 2, 4, 6. —Auckland R.C.