GENERAL SPORTING

Grey River Argus, 3 September 1927, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL SPORTING

(Bjf “ Natator. ’*)

Count Cavour has been in strong work at Riccarton for some time past, and as he was given a few smart sprints prior to the Grand National meeting, he is now very forward in his preparations for spring racing. He is being got ready for the New Zealand Cup and other important events at Riccarton in November, but he is likely to do some racing befor then. He may go south for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting but a trip to Tientham may be preferred, with the Champion Plate as one of his engagements. An American yarn of the Turf. —An owner who particularly wished to win a certain event went to a drug store to ask if there was any preparation which would make a horse run faster. “.■Sure,” replied the druggist. “Here y ’are, five dollars a capsule.” The owner took t and departed, to return later in the day. “How’d it work?” asked the storekeeper. “Great,” panted the owner, 4 ‘ my horse went off like a rocket, and we ain’t seen him since. Gimme two more capsules, 1 gotta catch him.”

A survey of the nominations for the New Zealand Cup reveals that of the 59 entries 43 come under the category of geldings; nine mares and seven entires complete the list. Of these 12 are classed as aged, there are 10 six-year-olds, 22 five-year-olds, eight four-year-olds and seven three-year-olds.

The Absurd mare Parody, who was more or less a failure on Australian race tracks after she was sold by Mr. G. D. Greenwood, is to go to the stud this season, and has been booked to Windbag.

It is stated that ‘ Inferno can be counted out of the active division for some time. ‘The son of Absurd was in a bad way after racing at the Wellington meeting last month, and a rest will be necessary for him.

The name Complex was disallowed, for the two-year-old geiding by Phsychology from Amyrin, and Perception has been registered instead. Mr. F. Earl’s other juvenile, the Leighton — Spangle filly has been named Corusc-

The appearance and efforts of Shirley lead to the presumption that the bonny daughter of Absurd and Hoy will not be long ere she makes her turf re-appearance (comments a Hawke’s Bay writer), ami when she does it will be with favourable results. One of her stablemates, in Polydectes, is also making good in his rehearsals, as are the four two year-olds that are linger the tuition of S. Waddell at Greenmeadows.

A couple of two-year-olds in T. 11. Gillett’s stable, the brother to Count Cavour and the filly by Solferino from Dame Straitlace, are jogging along quietly. They will not be racing until late in the season, so there is no used to hurry them.

The Auckland jumper, Kawini, who suffered serious injuries while taking part in the Grand National Hurdle Handicap, has made a wonderful recovery. He has done some road exercise, on the lead, during the past fev days, and was to be shipped back to Auckland this week.

Kiosk is rapidly getting back to form and he shaped very well on a half-mile gallop at Wanganui last week in company with Lysander. The latter had all the worst of the weights and was going the better of the pair over the last bit, but Kiosk hit out freely and, if his wind is all right, he is sure to get among the winners in the near future.

Private advice has been received of the death in Victoria of Lady Isinglass (in foal to Royal Divorce), whewas recently sent to Australia on a visit to Top Gallant.

At a recent meeting at Cape Town, a wireless invention, the automatic timekeeper, was completely successful. It is worked by an invisible ray from a lamp in the judge’s box, focusing a point of light one-fifth of an inch in diameter on a selenium cell fixed in the winning post. Anything crossing the invisible ray extinguishes the point of light and the clock ceases. The human factor was proved threefifths of a second slow in a two miles race, and one-fifth of a second in a mile. This is an 'invention of the Capetown wireless expert, Mr. Street er. Naturally, there are safety devices to prevent the light being accidentally extinguished, and in cases of long races where the judge’s boz is pas sed twice. The official clock is a giant affair —nine feet high, but the actual timekeeper is a pocket chronometer atteched to a miniature wireless transmitter. The start of the race, etc., is controlled by a two-valve amp lifier.

I Australian papers to hand by this week’s mail show that Merry Mint started a red-hot favourite when be won at Moorefield on August 13. Some writers were inclined to take the view that he was, on the performance, likely to come into the picture for the A.J.C. Derby. “Pilot” however, while admitting the the victory, pointed out the weakness of the class and said: “The one that attracted most attention was the New Zealand gelding, Merry Mint, who is in the Hobartville Stakes and the A.J.C. Derby. His opponents could not make him gallop, but it might be as well for those who arc now inclined to regard tho New Zealander as something out of the ordinary to remember that later in the afternonn Bacagi, with 41b. more weight, comfortaoly won a imile race in two seconds faster time.”

Seeing that Merry Mint was beaten into third place la< Saturday in a three-year-old handicap at Rosehill, the above conclusion appears to have been a very sound one. The speedy Note is going well in her preparations for forthcoming Spring meetings. Goosestep is another who is striding out freely in its training. A mile and a quarter should find him hard to defeat in early Spring engagements. P. V. Mason has the three-year-old filly Eulalie looking in good order for early engagements. She showed exceptional brilliancy as a youngster, and she looks like training on into a good winner during this season. It is probable she will be at her best as a sprinter, but she may be tried out over a mile in the Dunedin Guineas, in which her great pace will help her a long way on the journey.

Rapier is going on well in his preparation for spring engagements. He put on some condition while he was resting for a few weeks after Easter, but he is gradually getting into racing trim again. To get him to his best form by November, however ,he will require a lot or racing, and it is probable he will be taken to most of the meetings on the southern spring circuit. Rapier is one of the horses with excellent prospects ih the New Zealand Cup. his Wellington Cup win being a good recommendation for the two-mil®

The committe of the Auckland Trotting Club has passed the programmes to be decided at its meetings this season. There has been a general tightening of the limits for the various events, and this was fully expected. The Auckland Trotting Cup is the principal event, and the conditions of this have been altered, although the stake will be the same, £2200 and a gold cup Whereas last yeai the event was for horses that had done 4.33 or better with a handicap limit of 4.30, the event this season will be for horses that have done 4.31 or better, with a handicap limit of 4.28.

Young houses by the Kilroney sire Songbird are making their appearance on the training tracks in the south. The oldest are now three years, and, according to their trainers, they are well satisfied with their prospects.

Footfall is going along smoothly in bis preparation for spring engage- . ments. He look? an improved and he should play a leading part IrT important events over a distance this season. His early programme has nc t been settled difinitely, but it is certai'a that G. Murray Aynsley will wish to give him some racing before he has to tackle the New Zealand Cup.

Mr Brinkman r s adjustments for the New Zealand Cup contain no surprises. The veteran handicapper is not one who goes far away from the regular order of things, and he forecasted his opinions of many of the Cup candidates when he issued his handicap for the National Cup, run on the last day of the August meeting, (says “The Lyttelton Times.”) Imprine won the National Cup, but it will be remembered that he got a wonderful run on the. rails, which carried him to victory. The Nelson horse has not been severely penalised for his success and he is the only horse in the New Zealand Cup whose handicap has been altered from the National Cup. Imprint was handicapped at 4min. 25sec. for the National Cup and is on 4min 24sec for the big November race. No exception can be taken to Mr Brinkman’s fine work. The only hope now is that the field will be considerably reduced before the race, as the field is likely to be too large to produce an ideal contest.

The Southland two-year-old Silver Paper (by Paper Money from Silver Peak) has been at Riccarton for a few weeks, and he will remain there to complete his preparation for the M'Lean Stakes at the Dunedin Jockey Club % spring meeting in October. He is a well-grown and quality-looking youngster, who shapes like making a useful galloper.

The absence of Limerick’s name from the nominations for the New Zealand Cup need not be construed into a suggestion that F. D. Jones contemplates a prolonged stay in Australia. Battlement, another member of the team he has in Sydney, has a Cup engagement, while the Canterbury Cup and the Stead Cup will provide ample racing for Limerick.