HASTINGS TRACK NOTES AND GOSSIP.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 47, 7 February 1928, Page 2

HASTINGS TRACK NOTES AND GOSSIP.

Coot returned from Pahiatua in a sorry plight, her near side, where she had been knocked against the rails, showing evidence of how hard she had been bumped agamst the fence. The injuries are yielding to veterinary treatment and it is considered probable the Crown Imperial—Tame Duck mare may race in the middle of next month. Merry Mint is now running out at Otatara and unfortunately his injured hock is showing but slight recovery and the Catmint-Merry Roe gelding may not race again this season. The treatment since returning from Auckland has hardly more than arrested the injury which is such that only a long process will have any material effect. This is indeed unfortunate for the three-year-old’s connections, as up to a mile and a-quarter lie was in the first flight in Australia so would surely have won some good handicaps here.

Curtsey (Limond—SahiteJ also in Jack Cameron’s stable, suffers from n similar mishap but as it is not so bad she may race in the autumn. When this mare and Goshawk were early three-vt<ar-olds she showed much more promise and pace than the Magpie gelding so should she come right soon may win good races

Lipsol has been having an easy time of it lately, but is now doing more work in view of Dannevirke and Napier Park meetings. The eight-year-old son of Kilbroney and Rouge looks remarkably well and should add further to his successes before the season closes, • • • Mr. Artv Holmes, for many years caretaker for the Napier Park R.C. at Greenmeadows, was the successful applicant for a similar position with the Waipukurau Club. The latter club is indeed fortunate in securing the services of such an efficient custodian. If a stranger was to walk on the Hastings tracks and be asked to select a likely Derby colt among our two-year-olds he would immediately nominate Clarendon. This colt, in his two races at ’Xmas, did not suggest to the casual observer that he was likely to win such an event. Trainer Tom Quinlivan has not bustled this colt at all, giving him hip own time to come to hand. As a Derby colt he really looks the part. As a more masculine handsome two-year-old »t would be difficult to find. On Saturday morning he showed a marked improvement on any previous track gallop. Going with the Absurd filly Dark Girl—who always in the past showed the more pace—he simply played with her the whole wav and run his five furlongs comfortably on the plough in 63 2-5. When in England the writer saw many of the Tracerys race and this colt (a grandson) resembles them greatly. Irish Court, in the early spring, gave promise of being one of our best two-year-olds. In his first few starts it was discovered he would not probably show his best as a colt so was gelded. Since the operation he has not done at all well and it would nnt be surprising if his party put him aside until next spring. Old Haurangi, although still on the big side, gives the impression of staging a successful come-hark. Working on the tracks the aged Feramorz gelding puts plenty of fife into his tasks and appears to have lost non© of his pace The knock which prevented Moa Bird from fulfilling her Pahiatua engagements is about right again. Tea Miss must have needed a race as after running nowhere the first day at Hawera won on Saturday. Her local supporters more than evened up * * * Atareria keeps on doing it and the manner in which he won the Gisborne Gold Cup on Saturday suggests him winning far more important events. Some few months hack it was generally accepted that the Rossendalo gelding was not honest, an opinion held also by his trainer. He is a further instance of what a horse will do with a little age. Five wins and a second in the last six attempts nuts aside any idea of dishonesty. With 7.3 ho is now being considered a possibility for the Wanganui Cup. 1] miles, a distance his breeding points to him seeing out. After her second the first dav it was surprising to sec Butterscotch paying such a good price in the. above race when she finished second. Joe Griffith’s mare, good though she is in her own class is not quite good enough when pitted against the good ones. As suggested here last week, Huikai. a high-strung animal went off just as quick as he came to hand. Two firsts and a dead-heat to trainer M. Mitchell on Saturday in as many starts. Since Mitchelj commenced training on his own account last pring he done remarkably well, but more particularly in the cas e of Dreamy. « » • With White Fang out of the way little Epistle, despite her 9st 41b, added to her long list by winning again on Saturday. King Wanga, First Prince and King Willonyx—all gets of Prince Willonyx, won on Saturday. On breeding and given the right mares the Gisborne-owned sire should be one of the most successful sires in New Zealand, while his fillies should prove invaluable as brood mares. In England to-dav breeders will not dispose of their Willonyx mares at any l >riee. Sandburr, Royal Time and Jen. all local horses, filled the places in the mile hack at Gisborne. The running second of Royal Time over a- mile does not say much of the opposition . * * Raasav .with 9.13 in the two-year-old handicap event at W’anganui. after his hollow victory and carrying 9.9 at Auckland in his last start, has not been over-weighted and is sure to Ik' a starter now at the river city meeting.

Comical, at Poukawa, is doing a fair amount of light exercise. If this horse gained at all by his last season’s jumping Hawke’s Bav should have two good ’chasers next winter in him and Maunga. Our two iocal star trotters. Raima and The Shrew, continue on the right way in their preparation for the Otahuhu meeting. Grand National has about recovered from his Wairoa mishap and joins up with the active members of Miss Maher’s team any day now, Clavers was taken to the Pnhiatua meeting, but missed the ’bus. A couple of seven-furlong races at this meeting would have been within her compass. * - * At the above meeting Hypnotic showed he knew a thing or two for had he failed to run prominently he was to have earned his living in some other capacity. There is no jockey in the Dominion with a higher percentage of wins than the local horseman, A. G. Dixon. Handicapped bv increasing weight “Gladdv” is unable to go to scale under about 8.5 or 8.6, so in consequence does not receive many mounts, but for the number he does receive steers a high percentage of winners. Being an honourable straight-going lad’ and a credit to his profession, his recent successes are in consequence most popular. Like the big majority of tracks in the North Island Hastings is badly in need of rain and in consequence there is not a great deal of galloping going on at present. Getting well on in the season most horses are fairly forward and before Woodville and other approaching meetings require only a few flick-ups a week before. Royal Damon, who has had a strenuous time this season, is now pottering about and will in all probability not race 'until the middle of next month at Napier. Although racing most consistently he has won hut two races—Dannevirke (September') and Woodville (November) this season, but had he not raced at the big meetings he might have done much better GENERAL NOTES. Reremoana put up a great gallop when he won the Flying Handicap at ilawera on Thursday, liie time, 1.12) is *1 nderlui lor me track, even allowing lor the fast condition in whicn it is at present. Reremoana is very well in himself again, and although his heels trouble him alter a gallop Irs will take a lot oi beating in his Taranaki and Jackson Stakes engagements. The feature of his Hawera win was that he began as brilliantly as ever he did in his career* * • • The three-year-old gelding Scoff, by Paladin from Disdainful, has been disposed of by G. Murray-Aynsley to a West Coast owner. Scoff has entered A. E. Wormaid’s stable at Riccarton and will probably be taken to th© Nelson and Marlborough meetings. J. McCombe has again taken in hand the Governor-General's three-year-old gelding, Despot, who has been treated to a lengthy spell. Mr. J. Frederic, the owner of Seatown, experienced a slice of very bad luck last week when Sea bridge, me two-year-old half-brother by Tonbridge to Seatown, staked himself while running in the paddock, and died oi his injuries, beabridge was regarded by his owner and trainer as a highly-promising colt, and his loss is severe apart from financial considerations, beatown is still enjoying his spell, Mr. Frederic desiring to give him every chance, but he is to be brought in next month. Lady Desmond is bright and well at present, and it is 0. Cox's intention to put her into work again m three weeks’ time. Lady Desmond is such a good doer that she even ate the weeds in her yard, and in or de: to keep her from getting gross, Cox has been giving her road woik. An addition to the stable is the young English-bred gelding by Junior from L’ompigris, purchased from Mr. G. M. Currie at the Trentham sales by Mr. H. Bailey, of Wanganui, for 700 guineas. This youngster is bred to English time, and will not be two years old till April. On the eve of the Egmont Cup, Mr. Rod McKenzie, owner of Piuthair, visited the track in company with his trainer, T. Lloyd, and as th© mare is still a bit sore; it was decided to let her forego her engagements rather than take the risk of breaking her down permanently. Piuthair therefore is not likely to start until some rain falls to take the sting out of the ground. ]t is a wise policy which might mean winning one of the big autumn handicaps. Piuthair is not the only sore horse x at Ilawera, and unless rain fails/ some of the handicaps luring the next three weeks will see some very thin fields.

The well-known trainer S. Waddell is at present on a brief visit to Dunedin, and still bears every appearance that the clock has been moving with a very sluggish pendulum since he first came to Dunedin (says the “Otago Daily Times”). Some indication ol how long ago that is may be gathered from the fact that in his young days he stayed at the Plough Inn Hotel, at Caversham Rise, m company with R. J. Mason. In those days they rode their horses from the old hotel almost straight across Forbury Park by way ol a bridle path which, if lost, meant immersion up to the chin in the swamp. The hand of time has changed the old scene from a busy place with long ranges of stables to a dilapidated building, but some of its old guests were obviously built of far more durable timber. Mr. Waddell is being met with the greatest pleasure by many of his old friends. He returned to Hawke’s Bay on Monday.