GENERAL NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 221, 5 September 1929, Page 2

GENERAL NOTES

Acceptances for the first day’s events at the Wanganui meeting, to be held on Thursday and Saturday oi next week, are due on Friday next, the 6th hist. * * * The Auckland owner, Mr. F. Stonex, had the misfortune to lose his brood mare Soliloquy, wr.o died a few days ago after foaling a fine wily foal to Lucullus. The foal, a big. strong, healthy one, is being reared by hand. e * « Onewhero, who is engaged in minor events at Avondale, has been showing speed in her track efforts at Ellerslie. She ran a smart half-mile on the No. 1 grass track last Saturday morning, and when she becomes thoroughly seasoned should show up among the maiden performers around the sountry meetings.

Since racing at the Pakuranga meeting Catoma has done well and his track work in the interval has been very satisfactory. He is engaged in maiden events at the Avondale meeting next month and should be an improved galloper by the time that meeting eventuates. Catoma displayed pace during the early part of his race at Ellerslie last month, and when seasoned looks like turning out a payable proposition.

The Chief Ruler—Dovelet filly, Eaglet, who accounted for the Rail way Handicap at Marton yesterday, was a good two-year-old last season, for out of twelve races she was out of the money only once. She won four races, was second three times, and third on four occasions. Eaglet will probably compete at the Wanganui fixture next week, as she is engaged in the Guineas and the Eclipse Stakes.

In his last five starts Barometer, winner of yesterday's Marton Handiepa, has only one unplaced performance against him, and he started off well in the new season by capturing the Jellicoe Handicap. As a result of that victory, which he gained when thought so little of as to start tenth down the machine betting, he was yesterday installed first favourite. Barometer comes on the dam's side from the old unregistered Winnie line, which counts scores and scores of other winners.

Magna Charta, who redeemed his name to some degree by shaping in promising fashion as a hurdler only to meet with injury, has rejoined T. H. Gillett's active brigade at Riccarton. A Southern writer states that he is one of the most promising young hurdlers produced at Riccarton for a long time, and if he trains on satisfactorily he should do well in jumping events this season.

Ingenious and varied are the reasons advanced by many applicants for complimentary tickets to race meetings, and an hour or two in a secretary’s office on the eve of an important fixture sometimes provides a lot of amusement, says an exchange. The secretary of one wellknown club was nearly blown off his feet not long ago by the breeziness of one caller, who opened fire with, ‘‘Hullo, Mr. I suppose you

'■'•member me?” The reply being in the negative, the stranger proceeded: "Oh. my name is . I used to race Snapdragon and Camelia (the names are camouflaged), when you were at . I thought you would be able to fix me up with a ticket.’’ When the secretary suggested that he was in his cradle days about the time the horses mentioned were racing, the breezy one thought it nearly time to breeze out, but he did not forget to broach the subject of a loan, which of course was the object of his call. Another stranger on the same day put up an ingenious tale. Introducing himself as representative of an English horse, he stated that he was a member of the Jockey Club, which shortly would have to use the totalisator. His mission at the moment was to gain an insight into the working of the machine, as such information would be valuable to the officials in his home town. The secretary saw the force of the argument at once, but suggested that the visitor would be wasting valuable time in inquiring into the operation of a manual totalisator such as his club used. He advised the “Englishman” (who looked decidedly colonial) to hurry away ot Auckland, where the electric machine was in use. The caller, before departing, remarked: “I’d like to see your races, anyhow,” to which the secretary replied: “We’d like to have you there. Tickets can always be purchased at the gate.”