GENERAL NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 282, 13 November 1929, Page 2

GENERAL NOTES

Acceptances for the first day's events at the Otaki Meeting close on Thursday next, 14th inst., at 8 p.m.

Outside of Glentruin, White Fang is the only aged winner of the Stewards’ Handicap since the race was instituted in 1890.

In the 1928 “Bloodstock Breeders’ Review,” published in London, a New Zealand correspondent, in reviewing last year’s New Zealand Derby, won by Nightmarch, stated:—“Putting the best possible construction upon it, Nightmarch’s form did not amount to much, so one can only come to the conclusion that the Derby field was composed of extremely moderate horses.” Pangolin outpaced the field in the Spring Hurdles at Riccarton on Saturday, and won very decisively. The rise in weight on Monday stepped him, and lie had to go under to Kapuna. « • • Royal Parade drew a bad marble in the Linwood Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday, and he ran a very creditable race to get third. * * • Historic was cut about during the running of the New Zealand Cup, and may not race again at the C.J.C. Meeting. * « e There was a case at the recent Banks Peninsula Meeting of an owner being fined for not notifying the secretary when the nominations were tendered that two horses should be bracketed. A similar position ■arose at Riccarton on Saturday, when it was discovered that Master Clarence, recently owned by Mr A. Louisson, and Bay Queen, racing in Mr Louisson’s, colours, should have been bracketed owing to a contingency existing in regard to Master Clarence, This is a matter that owners so involved evidently overlook when making nominations, and the offence becomes costly when it is realised that a fine of £5 is provided for by the Rules of Racing. • • » Mr C. G. DaJgety received a telegram on Saturday announcing that his favourite, old Martian mare. Warstep, one of New Zealand’s great race mares, had foaled a. filly to Weathervane. It was a coincidence that the news should arrive on the day of the New Zealand Cup, a race in which Wnrstep ran a dend-lient with indigo in i'Jli. Siic wub tiuii.cd lot.

that and all her other engagements by G. Murray-Ay nsley, the ownertrainer of Chide, the latest Cup winner. Mr Dalgety has not had a great deal of luck lately with his own team, but he has had reason to be interested in the doings of two horses who have performed well this season. He bred Marsa, tho dam of the Melbourne Cup winner, Nightmarch, also Reproachful; the dam of the New Zealand Cup winner, Chide. This is a record of which any studmaster might be proud. * * *

The New Zealand Cup winner, Chide, has attracted a lot of attention ever since he went into work at Riccarton (says the Christchurch “Star”). From the first he showed speed, and though he failed to win a race as a two-year-old, it was evident, even at that early stage, that he was a good galloper. This was amply demonstrated as a three-year-old, when, after being beaten in his first race, he won four times on end, so that his three successes this season bring his record to seven wins in succession. Several offers have been made to his breeder for his purchase. Tho first serious proposal came at the end of his two-year-old season, when Mr A. .Louisson made overtures for his purchase. The sale would have taken place, at a substantial price, but for his failure to pass a veterinary examination, the alleged defect consisting of the fact that he had odd feet. That he is a sound horse has been demonstrated amply since then. He had a slight accident last autumn, but except for a short spell then he has never had the slightest thing wrong with him at any time. An interesting feature m connection with the prospective sale to Mr Louisson falling through was that it was only after that that Mr Louisson opened negotiations which resulted in the purchase of Nightmarch. There have been several other bidders for Chide since then, the latest as recently as last month, when an offer for 300 guineas was refused for him. His owner realised that it was a good price, but said he preferred to take the risk of keeping Chide, as he had always had an ambition to race a good horse of his own, and was confident that Chide filled the bill in that respect.

» * • King Midas pulled up in the Epsom Handicap at Riccarton on Monday, having had a recurrence of the side trouble which had previouslyovertaken him. He was never in a likely position.

Glengariff, who started favourite in the Hurdles at Riccarton on Monday, fell at the last fence. He had never looked dangerous.

The injuries suffered by T. Webster in his fall off Kiriana on Saturday at Riccarton proved upon expert examination to be more serious than was at first thought. He was discovered to be suffering from a burst kidney, and an operation was performed, resulting in the removal of the damaged organ. Webster is now reported to be making satisfactory progress.

The well-known North Island racing man, J. T. Butler, of Stratford, was taken ill over the week-end at Riccarton. Butler has Seatown and

Yoma in his charge. It was a very cold day oh Saturday and Butler caught a severe chill in the kidneys. He suffered great pain, but under doctor’s care he is now making good progress.

Two falls occurred in the Hurdle Race at Riccarton on Monday, but the jockeys concerned, L. Tilson and H. Burt, escaped with a shaking.

With In the Shade and Hoylake out of the Metropolitan, due to soreness, backers went for Rabbi and Prodice (says “The Watcher”). Rabbi was nicely placed throughout, ana making his run from the false rail won easily. Talisker set the pace from Amor and Piuthair, who were followed by Pride, Prodice and Rabbi, the field being whipped in by Vertigem and Seatown. There was little change in the order to tho home turn, where Yoma moved up fast alongside the leaders, and Black Mint also became prominent. Talisker led into the straight from Amor, Black Mint, Yoma, Prodice, and Pride, with Spearmiss and Concentrate coming. Rabbi shot through at the distance and come on to win by three lengths from Spearmiss, who beat Concentrate by two lengths. Pride was a length away fourth, followed by Prodice, Piuthair, Count Cavour, Seatown, Cashier, and Talisker.—The winner stood out, and Spearmiss and Concentrate both finished very solidly from the back. The former, who was underdone for the Cup, is improving. Prodice had every chance. Pride ran a good race and so did Count Cavour. Vertigem showed up coming into line and looked dangerous, but he suddenly collapsed and finished well back. Cashier let his supporters down. Piuthair ran a fair race, her best since Masterton.

As often is the case with classic races, the Derby was by no means a true test of stamina (says “The Watcher”). Honour went to the front in the first furlong and, slowing the field down, ran the first half in 53sec, five in Imin Bsec, six in lmin 20fsec, and the mile in lmin 47sec. From this out it was only a sprint home, and in this, of course, he stood out, coming home in 48 2-ssec. Behind him in the running were Stealth and Admiral Drake, then Semper Paratus and Jaleux, with Eaglet and Count Palatine next. There was no change to the turn, except that Admiral Drake lost second place. After passing the mile post on the turn Honour cracked on the pace, and he was clear entering the straight, the others hunched, except Semper Paratus, who had fallen back. Count Palatine threw out the strongest challenge, and later Jaleux and Eaglet camo along, but Honour held his own and won by a length and a-half from Count Palatine, who was a neck in front of Eaglet and Jaleux. who were practically on terms. Then camo Admiral Drake anil Stealth, with Semper Paratus several lengths away last.—Honour never looked like losing, though it is hard to say how ho would have fared with a sound pace all the way. He was doing hij best at the finish, but so were the others. Count Palatine will improve by Auckland. Eaglet came home well though naturally she would be suited by the slow early pace. Admiral Drake was well beaten, failing conspicuously to see out the journey, despite the fact, that S. Anderson was replaced by C. Emerson.

Seatown was badly kicked at the post in the New Zealand Cup, and on his return to scale his hock was much enlarged. This greatly altered him, and was responsible for his poor showing.

No doubt Cbido and Nightmarch will meet in the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie next month, hut if Chide js reasonably treated by the handicapper

he will again carry the confidence of southerners. There is no telling how far he will go on the Turf, and it is worth relating that his time for Saturday’s great race as nearly 3sec faster than that recorded by Nightmarch in the Melbourne Cup last Tuesday.

Glide’s success in the New Zealand Cup markd his seventh on end, and racegoers are now wondering when his amazing sequence of wins is going to come to an end (says the Christchurch “Sun” writer). From a comparative nonentity he has risen to great heights. When he finally asserted his superiority at the false rail he unwound one of the greatest bursts of speed southerners have been privileged to see at the end of a two-mile race and then finished full of running. As his rider said after the race, the horse became lazy once ho got to the front, and over the last furlong he was easing; but he won—and won easily—ana is now entitled to rank as New Zealand’s wonder horse. He won so easily on Saturday that even had Nightmarch been in the race he would not have been able to beat him. Nightmarch would have had to concede Glide, a horse of his own age, 341 b, and this would have been an impossible concession as things turned but, .

When the field left the straight the first time in the New Zealand Gip, Spearmiss was whippiug-in. She could not go with the leaders, apparently lacking early brilliance, but over the last four furlongs she passed horse after horse till a furlong from home she was a distinct possibility. On she came over the last hundred yards fighting a great batle with In the Shade for the minor placing, but Goldfinch, on In the Shade, was more virile than young W'ebster at the end of such a gruelling race, and he got his mount home barely by a neck. Spearmiss’s showing was the surprise of the race, and it reveals that, while the Greyspear mare is a failure over a middle-distance, she is a rare stayer, and in a two-mile race under a light weight will have to be considered in future,

Concentrate received a very rocky passage in the Cup. He met trouble on several occasions over the last mile, and after the race it was found he had been cut about. His injuries, however, were not serious, and he was able to run in the Metropolitan to gain third place.

In answer to a verbal enquiry: The correct official timing for last Saturday’s New Zealand Cup was 3m. 23 3-ss. Any other figures that may have appeared elsewhere were probably due to errors either in transmission or in printing. As previously stated, the Australasian record for a two-mile journey is that of 3m. 22js. put up by Star Stranger in the w.f.a. Trenthani Gold Cup run in March of last year, in which he carried 9st. 41b.

It is not often that we are favoured with cabled news of race results in Queensland, and probably the word sent us on Monday last of the placings in the Queensland Cup was due to a New Zealand horse, Star God, having finished second. We have not heard a great deal of Star Stranger’s full brother since he was sold last January for Australia. Although as a four-year-old he won two or three races in the Dominion last season, it was in very moderate company, and altogether he disappointed the expectations raised by his relationship to Mr. A. B. Williams’s recordbreaker. However, from the fact that he was carrying Bst. 91b. in Saturday’s race he must be held in some estimation by the handicappers in Bananaland, while it will have been noted that he was only a neck behind the winner, to whom he was conceding 261 b. in weight. « « •

According to an Auckland exchange it was reported there that a resident of Hunua, near Papakura, had been the lucky drawer of Nightmarch in one of the big Tasmanian “consultations” on the Melbourne Cup. This does not necessarily conflict with the Sydney report that the winner had fallen to a Melbourne barmaid, for there were more than one of these huge collections made, each with £20,000 for first prize. There has also been a rumour abroad that in one of the smaller ventures the winner came to a Clive resident. (Continued on Page 3)