OVERSEA NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 83, 26 March 1929, Page 2

OVERSEA NOTES

Magpie on Top. Defunct Valais has been deposed from the head of the winning sires’ list, his total of £14.577 for the first half of the season falling so far short of Magpie’s £31,136. that his winners are not likely to bridge the difference before next August (says the Sydney “Suu”). If Magpie retains his lead to the end it will be his first time at the top of the tree. The Kio Ora champion has had a severe task against Valais, whose brilliant reign as premier stallion extended over five successive seasons from 1921 to 1928. a feat equalled only by the New Zealander Lochiel. This horse, who won the Newmarket ami Australian Cup. was top in 1898. 1900, 1901, 190.5, and 1906, a period when the competition wns not so hot as Valais had it. The ten leading sires for the first half of this season nre;—Magpie (36 winners). £32,136 in stakes; Rossendale (18). £23.256; Demosthenes (9) £16,506; Valais (20), £1 1,577: Seremond (20), £10,749; Highfield (18), £10,457;

Saltash (5), £8517; St. Anton (29), £8297; Duke Humphrey (3), £7930; Greenstead (12> £7203. Opportune Advertisement. The recently concluded V.R.C. Austumn Meeting served to show the stock of Mr Harry Taylor's imported Caravel in a most favourable light. Spanish Galleon, a filly by Caravel, followed up her V.A.T.C. Alma. Stakes victory by decisively taking the Ascot Vale Stakes—the previously unbeaten two-year-old of the spring, Parkwood, receding into third place—and Carradale. who ran a good race in the V.R.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes, benefiting by that run, came along to score in good style in the Grnson Carmichael Stakes. Carradale is out of Vicella. and attracted a good deal of attention at the last yearling sales. One judge who thought a good deal of him was J Scobie, who eventually purchased the colt on behalf of the V.R.C. chairman, Mr L. K. S. Mackinnon, for 2060 guineas. The success of Spanish Galleon and Carradale, coming ■at this time, is most opportune, because there will be a batch of Carave’s offered for sale at Easter. The latter, in his first season, has indicated his ability to turn out winners of good races. Liverpool Grand National.

Yesterday’s cable messages regarding me Liverpool Granu Nauonai Steeplechase indicate tiiat, in tiie neiu or 66 starters, tile winner, Gregaiach, was one ol the lank outsiders, oemg backable on tile Uay at lUU's. the day before our latest English mail leit he had carried list and gamed secund piace, but at an interval of ten lengths, m the Brook Steeplechase, tmee miles, at Gatwick. ’Hus performance did not, however, excite any favourable comment at the time, and apparently he had done nothing since to bring him into prominence. However, he seems to have had little difficulty at the finish of the lace in disposing of the American-owned, though Englishbred, Easter Hero, who would doubtless be well up in the betting list, if not actual favourite. It is something of a coincidence that in such a mob both winner and runner-up should be by the same sire My Prince Odds and Ends.

It appears that the five-year-old St. Alwyne—Poniard gelding Conjurer bought by Mr C. ,Boyle, is not to be brought over to the Dominion for some time. He has been a winner of hurdle races and is to remain in Melbourne in T. J. Hayes’s stable to carry out engagements in the important events of that nature to be decided at both Melbourne and Sydney during the winter season. .• • • The failure of Vertigern to stand up to the stress of training in Sydney has not been surprising, for report's suggested that all was not well with him had been received in New Zealand. It was said that he had not been working well at Randwick, for whereas in New Zealand be had been a free goer and a good worker he had become very sluggish over there: It was suggested that he had gone wrong in a hind leg. He had his full share at 8.13 in the Sydney Cup a>’~ way

Strephon’s win in the Chipping Norton Stakes on Saturday would bring his owner, Mr Sol Green, a cheque for £7OO of “added money, ’ along with the amount arising from a sweepstake of 8 sovs <1 sov.forfeit). As Strephon’s previous earnings ran up to £11.657. this would lift him well beyond the £12,000 mark. The Saltash colt's record reads; Eight wins, one second, twice unplaced.

The V.R.C. distributed £33.280 in stakes for the Autumn Meeting. Strephon was the principal winner with £4109. He won the St. Leser and two weight-for-age races. The New Zealand filly. Nedda, won only one race, the S'r°s’ Produce Stakes, which brought £3295.