THE TURF

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 176, 11 July 1927, Page 2

THE TURF

RACING FIXTURES. June 12, 14, 16—Wellington R.C. July 21—VVannate District Hunt Club July 23—S. Canterbury Hunt Club July 28, 30 Gisborne R.C. Jul'v 30- Christchurch Hunt Club August 6—Poverty Bay Hunt Club August 9, 11, 16—Canterbury J.C. August 20—Pakuranga Hunt Club

AUSTRALIAN RACING. GRAND national steeples. Melbourne, July 10. The Grand National Steeplechase resulted: —Nyangay (9.11) 1. Clan Robert (12.6) 2, Nainerit (10.3) 3 Seventeen started. The «earner was fine, but tne course was heavy after recent rain and the race was a chapter of accidents. Glentronie, Mailman, and Anton tell, while Agricola and Derision lost their riders. Nyangay had the best of the start and soon established a clear lead, the nearest attendants being Glentronie and Clan Robert The former came to grief at the second fence and brought down Derision. Nyangay continimd to hold the advantage and a mile from nome no, with Clan Robert, was leading the field by 20 lengths without ever being headed. Nyangay cleared the last lump two lengths in front of Clan Robert and beat him home by three lengths. Namera finishing six lengths away. Time. 6.18}. Douttagalla Hurdles.—Ladyrooka (9 4) 1, Ttoybeau (10.7) 2. Blarwyn (9.2) 3, Eight started. Won by a length and a half. Time. 4.19}. ' MOOREFIELD MEETING. Sydney, July 10. For fhe Moorefield races the weather was fine and the going good. Moorefield Handicap.—The Thorn (9.0) 1. Saint Eaton (8.7) 2. Hinchinbrook (7.8) 3. Eleven started. Mon by a length. Time. 2.8.

DIVOTS. (Dug by "The Delver.”) Nominations for the Christchurch Hunt Club’s Meeting, which is to be held at Riccarton on Saturday, 30th July, and which ‘provides a curtainraiser for the Grand National fixture, close next Friday. Tile first race at Trentljam each day will be started at 11.25 a m. * * • A Wellington report states that the Bulls gliding Koauau is one of the latest to come into favour for the Trentham Hurdles. F. Voight will have the mount cn Arpent and Royal Head in their engagements at Wellington.

In addition to Rahepoto, E. Stanway will pilot Mount Marta at Trentham. while he will have the mount on Gold Rain in the High-Weight Handicap on the second day. It is said that old Nukumai is verv well, and the veteran may prove that he is still capable of running prominently both on the flat and over obstacles.

If Dega-ge starts in the Stewards’ Handicap she will be ridden by J. T. Young, her trainer. Young rode her when she scored at Hawera in May. Aro de Vai. the Trial Plate candidate in this stable, will also be ridden by Young.

The South Island has not been particularly successful in the Wellington Steeplechase. Crib, who won in 1917, and Vascular, who won in 1919. are the only two southerners who have won in the history of the race since the dark ages.

Comedy Prince will in future race in the joint nomination of H. E Connop and R. J. McDonald, bel tween whom a partnership in the Comedy King geldin • has been registered.

When the time comes, the rising two-year-olds, the gelding by Psychology—Am aryn. and the filly by Leighton—Spangle, will race in the joint names of Mr Fred Earl, K.C.. and Sir James Coates. * * ' •

Ihe English-bred colt Greengrocer who has so far failed in each of the races he has contested in New Zea. among thp entrants for the Trial Plate. Reports from Greenmeadows say Mrs Perry’s horse has recently been shaping in his work more like a prospective winner than ever before.

The Mamapoto gelding Rahepoto. who has been running prominently in hurdle races this winter, is bearing a very bright appearance, and as he is a good goer in soft ground the conditions at Trentham should be all in his favour.

i J' 1 J^’ 8, the South Island jockey has been engaged to ride Wochn in ns attempts at Trentham this iv i’ . 8 wns connected with «oden in his consistent performances of late when rhe gelding won twice and was second and third in Ins other placings out of four starts. * * *

The Te Awamutu trainer George Reid has Te Kawana at Trentham. At previous meetings he has had the consnstent Arehecn doing good servic lor hirn. mid Te Kmvmifi mnv not return penniless. Ho will j.p ridden hv fh« «+oi.u (’

There still seems to be a good deal of uncertainty as to who is to have the mount on Crown Coin in the Wellington Steeplechase tomorrow. The latest suggestion is from Wanganui that W. J. Bowden will be found in the saddle when the race comes to be started.

Last August at Riccarton Chickwheat (9.2) upset a hot favourite in Nippy (10.1) in the Islington Handi cap of a mile and a-quarter. with Rivalry third. This form was good, and as at Ashburton Chickwheat showed that he is in good fettle again, he should be worth keping in mind for Trentham events.

There are eight races on the programme for the opening day of ihe Wellington Meeting. The successful Auckland horseman. S. Henderson, has to date six riding engagements for that day so he i§ going to he kept busy. His mounts are Catkin. Santonio. Piperenzo. Beau Cavalier. Kamehameha and Master Doon. Bonny Rill has been on the course at Trentham. but she moves Tenderly, and her appearance suggests that she is very unlikely to be started in the Wellington Steeplechase She is handaged up. and shows distinct signs of the knocking about siie received at Napier Park. It would seem as if R. Hannon lias hopes of Lord Star making good as a hurdler, for. in addition to continuing his engagement in the Winter Hurdles at Trentham. he has also nominated him for the Grand National Hurdles. It would not occasion any surprise if Lord Star were to make a name for himself over fences, and no little interest will attach to his display when, in the Vittoria Hurdle Race to-morrow, he makes his first appearance in his new role.

Even the knowing ones admit that nearly every event at Trentham tomorrow provides something or a puzzle, and it is almost as hard to name prospective favourites as to pick ultimate winners. However, the public on the ground will no doubt seize on to rumoured good things, but at the same time machine investments should take a pretty wide range.

A good bold jumper of the small hurdles that is working at Trentham at present is Wailong. P. McBrcarty popped him over one of the hurdles in the middle of the course twice on Thursday morning, and he flew at it like a bird. Certainly be jumped rather high, but the effort was a most encouraging one, and will induce his owner to on with him as a hurdle proposition.

Royal Game, who is engaged in the Stewards’ Handicap at Trentham tomorrow. has won the last four races he has contested. He beat some useful sprinters when he registered his last two wins, which were at Otaki in June. Roval Game, who is a three-vear-old black colt by Royal Stag—Arihia, has won twelve races during the season, and is evidently a good colt.

Tresham appears to be in <*ood form at present. a n d he finished much better than Royal Game over half a mile at Trentham on Thursday. At the same time Royal Game was not particularly hard ridden, and possibly he could have done considerably better.

Mister Gamp, the four-year-old Australian-bred gelding by Bronzetti Brolly, is a useful performer engaged in the To Aro Handicap at U’ontham on the opening day. At Otaki last month the chestnut adding captured the Te Horo and Ohan Hack Handicaps, beating several very useful horses, and he should , a lusher taste of his galloping ability during the Wellington Meetmg.

Sun Up, who is a well-fancied candidate for the Whyte Memorial Handicap, put up a very pleasing performance over a mile, at Riccarton on Thursday, running the journey in J. 44. The Sunny Lake gelding carried a light-weight, but he pulled up well, suggesting that he is right at the top of his form. Sun Up looks well and the mile journey he is set to cover to-morrow now seems well within his compass.-

Ngata, says a Wellington correspondent, is a horse that is looking particularly well and he was watched very critically when ne went out on Thursday to school and later to gallop on the fiat. He schooled over several hurdles in company with Brigadier Bill, and he did ever so much better than his stable companion His jumping was bold and fast, and was a very pleasing piece of work, and it was evident afterwards that trainer Jim Morris was delighted with what the old horse had done.

Brigadier Bill, goes on the same writer, was disappointing. He bungled the first fence and only got over with a last moment effort, but probably he slipped into the obstacle. Even after that he did not jump as well as Ngatt did, and on this showing will not increase in favour for his engagement in the Trentham Hrudle Race, for which he threatened to start one of the favouritics. However, he might make amends in his next lesson.

The same authority says that Comical was schooled over four fences on the course proper. lie gave a mixed display, but made some friends for his coining engagements. He slowed down when approaching the first fence, but

him into it. He cleared it all right, and after that jumped better. He was in the company of Hokioi and Omahu, whom he easily gathered on the fiat, if he lost ground at the fences.

in the schooling just mentioned Hokioi jumped better than either of the others, and if he could only stay he would win a lot of money as a steeplechaser. He outjumped both his companions at the two first fences, but at the last two Comical did as well as he did. However, Hokioi’s was the most even and finished display, und it is safe to say that over short courses there are few better jumpers about.

“Vedette,” writing on Comical’s effort at Trentham on Tuhrsday says it provided some food for thought. The chestnut was handled quite differently by H. McSweeney, from the style adopted by other riders, and probably he will do better by the change. For all that, he is not a proficient fencer, and was ncr? *oo sure at more than one fence. Certainly he went with a fast clean jumper in Hokioi, even if the latter is only a hack steeplechaser. Cpmical gave the impression that McSweeney’s tactics may get him round safely, but it looks anything but a certainty that he will complete the course. If he does, he should be hard to beat.

Wedding March is a deceptive customer, being very lightly fleshed, and to a casual observer would never be taken as capable of the performances he has to his credit. It is likely that Wedding March may be allowed to forfeit the engagement in the Wellington Steeplechase to-morrow and start in the Trentham Hurdles. W. Renn is his ustial pilot, and he has stated that he will be riding Royal .Abbey. It is, of course, possible for another rider to be engaged for Wedding Marcn. Rennie also rides Lord Star, who is making his debut as a hurdler. . * • There is a tendency to befriend Omahu in the Wellington Steeplechase because of his light weight, says a Wellington exchange. He hud only 9.5 in the Winter Steeplechase at El lerslie, aud in the concluding stages ■if that race, or up to half a mile from home, he looked a possible winner. From then on he tired, and, although he finished third, he had no chance with Tuki and Kawini. At Ellerslie he received 61b from Tuki and 211 b Irom Kawini. To-morrow ho is set to receive 141 b from Tuki and 201 b from Kawini. He looks well, and goes very kindly for R. E. Miles, who has been schooling him at Trentham.

A Wellington report states that no horse at present at Trentham looks better thau King Lu. Twelve months ago he was a winner at the Wellington winter meeting, and it will plainly not be the fault of his condition if ho fails this time. It is the opinion of those who have seen his recent work that he might be all the better for a race. A. Tinker rides him in his engagements, also the other members of Mr J. B. Hines’s team.

H. McSweeney, who will have the ride on Comical in the Wellington Steeplechase, is a veritable veteran of the saddle so far as riding oyer country is concerned. He has lost nothing m dash aud daring since he won the Grand National Hurdles on Royal Arms in 1914, and his wins in the Grand National Steeples consist in a dual success on Coalition and another on Tuki. Te has won the Wellington Steeples on Frist Line and Coalition, and the Wanganui Steeplechase on Coalition and Foeman, in addition to riding other races over country when showing horsemanship which inclined the “bard heads” to be a bit with his mounts.

There are many possibilities among the hack hurdlers engaged at Trentham and the minor hurdle events may be hard to win. One of the candidates that should have prospects of getting a stake is Troilus, who has shown consiilerabl e promise for a beginner, and won nicely at Wanganui. Troilus is reported to have trained on satisfactorily in the meantime and is likely to command a solid following in his opening day’s engagement in the Vittoria Hrudles.

Gaze is said to have pleased the track-watchers at Trentham on Thursday by the manner in which he went over three hurdles with Perle de Leon. It looks as if this really good horse is coming back to his best. He was taken out of both the open hurdle races at Trentham, but no doubt ho will be given a run in the Highweight Handicap on the second day. He is in the big hurdle races at Riccarton, and by the time the Grand National meeting comes round he should be ready to give of his best. At Trentham his mate, Perle de Leon, should worthily uphold the honour of the stable in the jumping races.

When engaged in a sprint up the Wanganui straight, along with her stable compaion Cyrille, the rising two-year-old filly Bow (Archory-Kii-t.eel faltered and dragged her hind legs. After staggering she fell over on the track, the boy, J. Head, jumping clear. It was at once evident that she had gone across the Joins and that she would have to be destroyed. Bow was owned by Mr G. Glenn, aud it was exceedingly hard luck for her owner and for her trainer, F. Lind, to lose the filly for which Mr Glenn paid 460.

Horses are sometimes very deceiving in their appearances, says “The Watcher, ’ ’ u.nd a couple of good jokes were worked off at Trantham one morning. A diminutive gelding came on the track, and a well-known TrenIlium identity asked “What’s that horse?” “Oh, that’s a two-year-old,” replied the trainer, and the questioner retired satisfied. As a matter of fact the horse was the pocket edition steeplechaser Dick. A little later in the proceedings a very light, narrowlooking gelding was indulged in three rounds of pacing, and a Trow-

tham trainer remarked, “They’re giving that ‘scrub’ a dickens of a lot of work. You’ll be able to blow him over soon. I’ll go and find out what it is.” “ What’s that horse?” he inquired of the rider. “Wedding Afar h,’’ was the reply.