AUSSIE NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 212, 21 August 1931, Page 2

AUSSIE NOTES

Phar Lap’s Next Rase. Unless his trainer’s intentions of last week are altered, writes a Sydney correspondent, Phar Lap will reappear in public at the Williamstown meeting on Saturday. At Randwick the other morning J. Pike stated he was going over to ride him, and added that H. Telford said the chestnut was doing well. The race for which Phar Lap is to compete is the Underwood Stakes, one mile, at standard weight-for-age. Last year it was won by Waterline, who beat Wise Force by three-quarters of a length. As both the last-mentioned horses have recently shown form, it is safe to assume they will be among Phar Lap’s opponents. Ou this occasion Waterline will meet the champion at level weights, against the difference of 211 b in his favour when he beat him in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes. If Phar Lap is nearly himself the race should be soft for him. Pike says that last season Phar Lap did uot commence with the same smartness as when racing at three years, but. thoroughly fresh, he should run a good mile. There is, of course, the possibility of his not having previously raced at Williamstown telling against him, but I do not think there is much fear on that score, seeing how well Phar Lap has adapted himself to other courses. A.J.C. Derby Candidates.

Although experience has taught that the strength and size of the A.J.C. Derby field cannot be gauged until a couple of weeks before the race, present indications are that this year’s field will be well up to the average in numbers and in quality (says an Australian writer). Representatives of the Dominion are likely to include Ammon Ra (Sires’ Produce Stakes), Movie Star (Breeders’ Plate), Cypress and Oratonan, a maiden performer by Hunting Song from Oratress. Victoria is said to have some very promising Derby material, and three names mentioned are Idle Banter (N.Z. bred). High Brae and Illustrious. The last-named is likely to be J, Scobie’s best candidate, Newcastle has a Derby hope of class known to Svdney racegoers as Johnnie Jason. He scored nt Randwick in the autumn and is considered to have improved a great deni since then. On practically every Sydney and suburban track there are three-year-olds with Derby aspirations, and the Hobartville Stakes and the Rosehill Guineas will likely have big fields in the trying-out process. Thus at Rosehill there are Bonnie Valerie and Intuition: at 'Warwick Farm,' Segovia; at Moorefield, Movie Star; nt

Canterbury Park. Burwood; at,Victoria Park, Pacifier; at Randwick, Golden Gate, Ranier, Flying Dave, Old Ming, Koomeela, Ranchero, Ammon Ra, Cypress, Chatham, Senator and other lesser lights who may become prominent iu the course of the next few weeks. Odds and Ends,

Owner-trainer H. R. Telford, of Phar Lap fame, scored his first success for the new season when one of his Caulfield nominations won a division of the Chatsworth Plate, one mile, for three-year-olds. This was not, however, one of his numerous Now Zealand purchases, but a filly, Ronaldinn, by Beau Fils — Donna Car aline. The only Maorilanders to run prominently on the day were Debenture and Pure Blend, who occupied the minor places, both very close up, in the St. Aubin’s Welter Handicap, 8) furlongs.

M. McCarten was one of the most successful riders in Sydney in the season just ended, and all the indications are that he will have a profitable innings at the approaching spring carnivals. Apart from having the ride on Veilmond in his coming engagements, McCarten has been retained for Ammon Ra in the important three-year-old classics.

• • • A. D. Webster, says a Melbourne writer, is one of the few New Zealand trainers who does not pamper his horses. Hunt the Slipper, who revealed good form in Melbourne last year, looked much in the rough at Canterbury recently, but that he was a fit horse was shown in the First Division ol the Three-year-old Handicap, which he won, with 3.9 on his back. The Leighton gelding has made a lot of advancement since the autumn, and while his form may not compare with other Sydney horses, he is almost certain to be a danger in his coming races, in the absence of the cracks.