DIVOTS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 205, 13 August 1927, Page 2

DIVOTS.

(Dug by “The Delver.’’) There would appear to have been some little nUx-up in connection with the acceptance lists fur today’s racing at Riccarton. but what ever errors may have occurred were due to th© wires as received here yesterday. Sir George Clifford, who has been an inmate of Lewisham Hospital, Christchurch, for some time, is now making good progress towards recovery. Last week his condition was causing some anxiety. Mr. F. J. McManemin has been reappointed handicapper for the Auckland Racing Club, Mr. Charles O’Connor starter and Mr. R. B. Lusk judge.

The Wanganui Jockey Club has reappointed Messrs. W, P. Russell, H. Coyle, -jnd C. O’Connor as judge, handicapper and starter respectively for the present season.

L. Manson’s mounts at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting will include Desert Night, Cuilgie, Llandudno, and Bright Dawn.

H. Jury, who has been in charge ol 1 George's horses at Ellerslie during the latter’s absence in Australia, will .shortly commence training on his own account- again.

The southern horseman, A. E. Ellis, gave a further example of his versatility at Riccarton on Tuesday. He rode a particularly well-judged race on The Babe in the Hunters’ Hurdles, he was second on Peter Maxwell in the Grand National Steeplechase, and he won the Winter Cup on Solferite. There is every chance that Ellis will settle in Palmerston North, and he will- do the riding for G. Now’s stable.

Mr. R. A. McKenzie is said to have arianged for the shipment of Piuthair and Clarinda for Sydney by next Friday’s steamer from* Wellington.

Hokioi has attracted the attention of a number of jumping enthusiasts in the south, and it is most probable that he will be sold before the end of the Grand National meeting.

Reremoana is reported to be in good condition for early spring racing, and will be a runner in the Eclipse Stakes at Wanganui. Euphonium will be another member of O. Cox’s team for the river city.

San Forte pulled up decidedly lame after being schooled at Riccarton on Monday, and no doubt that explained his absence from the Grand National field on Tuesday. His absence probably saved the money of some daring souls who siipiwrt outsiders.

Laughing Prince, who raced well at two years old, is not engaged in the Wanganui Guineas, but he figures in both the Avondale Guineas and Great Northern Guineas, so that the Aus-tralian-bred colt will have an opportunity of earning distinction in classics at an early stage of his threo-year-old career.

The N.Z. Grand National Steeplechasa originated at Riccarton, but was not always run there, several contests being held at Oaniaru and at Timaru. In 1888 the Canterbury J.C. took over the race, since when it has always been run at Riccarton.

Bachelor, the four-year-old gelding by Absurd from Procrastinate, sold recently by Mr, E. S. Luttrell to Lady Fuller is to be shipped by the first available steamer to Australia. He goes into R. O’Donnell’s stable at Rand wick. The other horses included in the transaction, Beau Geste, Streamer and the Paper Money— Tortrix filly, may be raced in New Zealand for some time.

At the time of the race Kawini was reported as having pulled up very lame after running in the Grand National Hurdles. From newspaper accounts now to hand it would seem that the trouble was much more serious than thus indicated. It'is how said that his hip joint has been dislocated, and it looks as if the Formative gelding would never race again. Though horses have been known to win races after a similar mishap— Scot Free in bygone days, for instance—it can scarcely but settle a jumper’s chance of doing any further good. Kawini has not won a great many races, but he has made a great name for himself as a consistent place-getter, and his total stakeearnings run up dose to £3,500.

The New Zealanders Royal Blood. Merry Mint, True Blood, and Goshawk were entered for races to be decided at the Moorefield meeting to-day. # * *

H. Cairns, who has been engaged to ride Commendation in his Australian engagements, is well known in New Zealand, as he first com menced riding here, being apprenticed to the Otaki trainer, F. Hig-

gott. Cairns, however, has done most of his riding in Australia, and he is recognised as one of the lead ing horsemen of the Commonwealth. Weight limits his sphere of operations sfuuewliat, but he will he able without difficulty to make the weights that Commendation will carrv.

Some little time ago. says the Sydney ‘Sim.’’ when G. Young could do hardly anything wrong in the saddle, owners and trainers literally fell over themselves in an endeavour to secure Ins services, but

the lean time comes for almost every jockey, and when Young’ s winners became less frequent his opportunities became fewer. Little has been heard of him lately, but if the New Zealand three-year-old Agrion is as good as his admirers make him out to be, maybe Young will come into the limelight again. At any rate nt will pilot Agrion in the Derby and in any other race in which weight permits. Young has ridden innuniera,l|e winners for the colt’s owner, • i D- Greenwood, and it was as the rider of th© groat Gloaming that he wa s introduced to Sydney.

4i A r S yA ney . cable says Benu Geste, lull-brother to Scion, a New Zealand and Auckland Cup winner, has been scratched from the A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap. Though he ran a fair race at Riccarton in the 10furlong Islington Handicap on Thursday, finishing third to Taboo and Indian Sage, this form does not make i im u- Ut as a I’kely proposition’ for the big 13-furlong Randwick spring event.

Although the Cambridge ownertrainer Mr. R. Hannon decided not to he himself represented at the Grand National meeting, two former members of his team proved successful at it on 1 uosday. These were Aberfeldy and Hokioi, each of whom has a chance of winning again today.

In recent years Auckland-bred horses have played a big part in the settlement of the Grand National Steeplechase. Ngatoa (by Ngatitoa) won in!9ls; Waimai (by Spalpeen) in 1916; Oakleigh (by St, Amans) in 1922 and 1923; Tuki (by Quin Abbey) in 1925; Peter Maxwell (by Marble Arch) in 1926; and this year Beau Cavalier.

Constellation and Autumn Day. who according to a recent cable have arrived in Sydney, are both aged geldings and were bred by Mrs. J. Lennard, of “Falcon Lodge,’’ Te Arolia, Constellation, who is by Day Comet from Tangiwai, won two races as a funr year-old, but has no recent winning performances to his credit. Autumn Day is a brother to Master O’Rorke, and in seven races which he contested last season he failed to earn a winning bracket.

When Passin’ Through finished first m the Beaufort Steeplechase on Thursday he put to his credit the first leg of a double he pulled off three years ago and may complete again to-day by winning the Lincoln Steeplechase also. As in the earlier instance, A. H. Burt has acted as pilot to the old Gnianforte gelding, now in his lltli year.

What with Peneus and Kalos each running a second at the Christchurch Hunt meeting, Peneus another second, Calluna a second and Kalos a third on Tuesday last, and Kalos a second on Thursday, it is surely about time Mr. C. F. Vallance and his trainer, Miss G. Maher, scored a win at Riccarton to-day.

The Australian Sun gelding In the Shade will race this season in the colours of Mr. W. S. Glenn, who recently effected his purchase. In the Shade did very well last season, as in eight starts he notched three wins, a second and a third. Towards the end of the season he demonstrated that he was very little inferior to the best of his *ge by running a very close third in the Great Northern Champagne Stakes, after having all the worst of the luck. In the Shade will continue to be trained by J. T. Jamieson, in whose livery he formerly did his racing. • » • After the Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton on Tuesday, S. Henderson, rider of Beau Cavalier, was questioned in regard to interference with Charlatan at the sod wall the last time. It was established that the winner did interfere with Charlatan, causing the latter to bit very hard at the fence, but there was not sufficient evidence to show that th© happening was intentional. Charlatan at the time was going particularly well, and had run up and joined Beau Cavalier A number of astute judges who by force of circumstance were viewing the race from an inconspicuous position at the back of the course, and incidentally near the sod wall, state decidedly that Charlatan was going just as well as Beau Cavalier at the time, and the mishap cost the southerner a winning chance.

The Canterbury Jockey Club starter, Mr. P. D. McNab, was placed in an invidious position on Tuesday at Riccarton, writes “Vedette.” In Magna Charta he had a hot favourite and a horse whose antics upset the field and delayed the start. Eventually both Joy Bird and Magna Charta, who were offending, were placed behind the field. Magna Charta’s rider did not stay there, however, and he took his mount to the extreme outside. Joy Bird on the contrary was kept behind. Magna Charta, when th© barrier rose, was one of the first out, and was soon in the lead. Joy Bird, on the contrary, had to force her way through, and it was extraordinary performance on her part to finish sixth. No doubt Mr. McNab did the, right thing in placing both Joy Bird and Magna Charta out of their positions, but in justice both should have been allowed to go to the outside.

An incident of the Grand National Steeplechase of 1897 that is still talked about took place during the final stage of the journey. The Voltigeur mare Dromedary, who carried the colours of Mr W. Armstrong, was fighting it out with Mutiny, and she seemed to have the best of the favouite. Dromedary, however, had the misfortune to meet with a policeman in the run to (he post, and the collision that occurred caused her to fall. There are a lot of people to be found who to this dav contend chat with a stand up Dromedary would have brought off a surprise, and, as the total investments on her i hance only amounted to £'sl, it may he imagined that her partv wu'dtl have handled a big dividend had tin* mare got home first. There is a resident of Hawke’s Bay to whom a win for Dromedary would have made a difference of about £5OOO in cheap double-money.

Royal Lineage’s winning performance in the Cashmere Plate at Riccarton last Tuesday seems to have drawn a good deal of attention to him. The Christchurch “Sun’s” turf writer devotes pretty near a half-column article to him. In the course of it he says:—“Wreath of Myrtle was considered the best of good things. Quantum, who had come from Trentham with a good reputation. was also expected to show up. hut little was heard of the Limond colt, Royal Lineage, who had come from as far north as Taradale Evidently his connections were very confident that he would win. for the solid support that was accorded him was not the general public’s monev. Someone knew something, and the backing of Wreath of Myrtle made a good market for Royal Lineage. Early in the betting the latter was at a fair price, but towards the dose he was heavily supported and finished up a warm second favourite. . As soon as Roval Lineage had hit the front the race looked as much as over: and so it proved. The Limond three-year-old was never seriously troubled, and he won with a lot in hand, and returned his supporters a good dividend.”

The Auckland-owned Drawbridge went very near pulling off another win when he last week ran a deadheat with Laird o’ Cockpen for’second place in the Holiday Handicap at Canterbury Park (Sydney), both being beaten only a neck by Fondant,

The last of the Australian two-year-old events for the season iust closed was just missed bv Mr E. -I Watt, whose bay gelding Bikanir was just beaten by Rastus for ..he Juvenile Handicap at Rosehill (Sydney).