AUSSIE NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 64, 2 March 1929, Page 2

AUSSIE NOTES

Aussie’s Pedigree. A Sydney writer carries Aussie’s unregistered pedigree on the dam’s side back a generation or two further than we have been hitherto told. Fortune Betty is by Fortunatus — Palestine, bv Guignol—Judith, by The Tester. Palestine is said to have been a good winner both in Queensland and in Victoria, while Aussie’s half-brother Idingdale won several races for Mr. R. Baillie.

Mollison's Winnings.

Mollison’s winnings in prize-money received a substantial addition last Saturday by his victory in the Caulfield Futurity Stakes. The winner’s portion of the added money was £2600. and this would bring his total up to £23.775, to which must be added the substantial sum of Futurity sweep money. Should he justify his favouritism for the Newmarket Handicap to-day, that will mean a further increase of £2,595. "With this in his lead-bag, he will be creeping well up towards Gloaming’s record.

Maoriland Prospects.

A veteran racegoer, and no mean judge, says an exchange, does not anticipate a great deal of success for the New Zealand contingent in Sydney this autumn. He contends that it has been proved in the past almost without exception that the New Zealand horses do not do well when transported to Australia in this season. R. J Mason is quoted as an example, and it is pointed out that the veteran Canterbury trainer, who knows as much as there is to be known about the racing game, always favoured the spring visit, but generally side-stepped the autumn racing in Australia. A glance at the record shows that apart from Limerick’s win in the A.J.C. St Leger, New Zealand horses have not been conspicuously successful in the autumn. There is no doubt that the change of climate has a decided effect on some horses, even in the spring. As there are plenty of New Zealanders booked for Sydney just now, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the light of the theory advanced.

Long Treks.

Out in the central west, says a Sydney scribe, racehorses are not “nursed,” as a common practice is to walk them from 20 to 100 miles to fulfil engagements. Ted Foley, the Mendoorap veteran trainer. George Smellie and R. Evans recently tramped over long, dustv treks to Gilgandra tor the Cup races. This reminds us of the good old days when that “fine old Irish gentleman,’L Owen Curran Magee, colours “orange and green.” took his great mare Perfume to Wanganui for the Cup. shipping her from Onehunaa, swimming her ashore at New Plymouth, and walking her all the way to the convincing ground. One would like to add that, with the faithful Tommy Hodson aboard, she landed the stake. But she didn’t. That, 1 fancy, was iust half a century back, when Mr. R. Vallance’s Purfire was declared the winner. Or was it still further back, when Mr. T. Rowe’s Opawa won? A great piece of stuff was Perfume, and she was, 1 fancy, the first thoroughbred in. New Zealand to go on from winning on the flat to winning over hurdles and fences.

Odds and Ends.

More than 800 yearlings will be offered in Sydney at Easter, and a Sydney writer says that, judging by the appearance of those that have already arrived from the country, prospective buyers will again be in a quandary as to the pick of the consignments.

To-day the “ponies” are racing for the £lOOO Ascot (Sydney) Cup. 6f. 66y., and among those weighted were the Maorilanders Southern Cross (late Covent Garden), Bst. 101 b., and Nouveau Riche, 7st. 51b. The latter was also in the Ascot Handicap, 9f. 50y., at 7st. 61b.

According to the Christchurch “Sun” the Riccarton trainer R. W. King is contemplating a visit to Victoria with the hurdler Aberfeldy. his intention being to give the Quin Abbey gelding a chance to earn Grand National Hurdle honours. When Aberfeldy was last in Sydney he was affected by the reverse way of galloping, and thus failed to show his real form, but the left-handed going on the Melbourne tracks will suit him.

That “difficult” owner Mr. John Brown, the N.S.W. coal magnate racing under the name of “Mr. J. Baron,” who—not unlike a well known Hawke’s Bay owner of the past—is not able to place confidence in any trainer for very long, is giving a trial to the ex-New Zealander R. D. O’Donnell. So far, however, it is with only one horse, Adrian, a five-year-old half-brother to Wallace Isinglass, whose only success was in a maiden handicap at Warwick Farm.

“Mr. J. Baron,” bv the wav, would seem to have decided not to race as a two-year-eld Windbag's full brother Magnifico, for whom he gave 4.600 guineas as a yearling. Magnifico was a magnificently grown yearling, and it is not hard to understand his owner’s disposition to give his plenty of time to develop. Then, too. his preparation has been affected after he was taken, with the same owner’s other horses, from the stables of the Warwick Farm trainer I. H. Andrews.

According to at? Australian writer. Honour’s most serious opponent in tfie A.J.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes will be Pentheus, by Rossendale. who ridden hr M. McCxrten, ran a deadheat with Green Moth, bv Greenstead, in the Nursery Handicap at Warwick Farm on February 16th. In the Champagne Stakes. Honour will h;. opposed hy Holdfast, whose form mi to the present is superior to that of i’entbeus.