GENERAL NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 280, 10 November 1931, Page 2

GENERAL NOTES

At the Waihou stock sale on Friday the Tonbridge gelding Antique was submitted for sale by auction. He was secured by the trustees for the original owner’s estate of 300 gs, and will remain in J. H. Wallace’s stable at Herriesville. Latest reports from Te Awamutu credit Pegaway with doing excellent track work at that centre and he is due to have his first race this season at the Waikato meeting this week. Pegaway has previously put up some good performances on the Te Rapa course and, as he usually races well fresh, it would not surprise to see him showing up at the country meeting. The Lucullus gelding has proved himself a great performer in thq, past, and as he was not overtaxed last season he should still be equal to holding his own among tho best. Spoon accounted for a good field in the Criterion Handicap at Riccarton yesterday. Her last success was in the Craven Plate, run at Riccarton last February, in which she beat several good handicap horses. « » * The Welcome Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday was a one-horse race, Lack giving nothing else a chance. Ho brings his sire Lackham into further prominence. Lack’s success was tho most easily achieved of the day. He stood right out from his opponents, and, although he was lucky at Trenthnm to lose the opposition of Tankard, he must rate as a first-class youngster. Protomint, after his showing in the Members’ Memorial at Cambridge on

Labour Day, was thought to have a great chance in the Whangarei Cup He was ‘‘pulling double” along the back and was lying in behind Sir Moud and Gay Cockade as they turned for home. His rider then urged him to the front, but Taneriri soon rushed past him, and from that time onward he commenced to drop back, finishing nearly last. His display was very disappointing and quite in contrast to his performance at Cambridge, where similar tactics were employed. On that occasion ho galloped over everything at the finish.

Neil has proved himself a great proposition since being put to hurdling, for he has never been out of the money since he was put to this department of the game. He won both hurdle events at the Dargaville meeting at Avondale, and his next appearance was at Whangarei on Thursday. He did not jump ttyo well in the early part, chancing some of his fences, but that was probably due to him being hemmed in and not getting a proper sight of his fences. When he did get clear he was never afterwards headed and won well.

Final payments for tho classic to be run on the first day of the Takapuna Jockey Club’s spring meeting (November 28 and 30) areTakapuna Plate, of oOOsovs. including Gold Cup valued at 80sovs., 7 furlongs.—Holly Holm, Lord Vai, Karangapai, To Money, Biddy’s Boy, Valmarie, Hit the Deck, Valueless, Jaeldy Karo 8.9, Peter Jackson, Persham, Limeen, United, Lady Vane, Chief Jewel, Princess Bede, Speedmint, Instalment 8.0, Monarch, Speedfast. Lady Musk, Knight of Australia, Bugle Call 7.7.

Cimabue’s win in the Stewards’ Handicap was not only a big surprise but it was a strikingly handsome effort, for he was nearer the rear than the front of tho field as they came on to the course proper (states “The Watcher”). He had begun well, but got badly chopped back Golden Wings showed brilliant speed out of the barrier and in the first half had Kozan, Palermo and Croupior all doing their best to keep near him, Red Heckle, Royal Saxon, Arrow Lad and Gustavo being within striking distance. There was a great race up the straight. Golden Wings was hotly pressed by Croupier and Red Heckle, but held his own until tho last half-furlong, when Cimabue came with a rush to snatch a narrow victory. In fact, a blanket would have covered the first four. Cricket Bat ran a very sound race into fifth place, and Arrow Lad was handy, but the others finished strung out. Gustavo flattered at the false rail, but he weakened at the finish. Autopay was beaten from the start, as he got badly away, and Charmeuse never flattered. Kozan also finished well back. As a Derby trial the effort of Cricket Bat was as good as any of the three-year-olds during the day."

Spearful scored a eolid and meritorious win in the New Zealand Cup (says the same writer). Broughton handled him in excellent style, having him handy throughout and not making his run until the right moment. Admiral Drake came at him solidly in the closing stages, but Spearful showed superior stamina to hold him off. It was a very fast-run race. They ran the first mile m 1.42 and the full journey in 3.24 ■ 4-5, which has only once been beaten, and that was by Chide, who ran 3.23 3-5. In such circumstances the topweights werq made to carry their weight all the way, and they all failed. So far as Gay Crest is concerned, he should have been harder to beat. Ellis went far too soon on him running up to the leaders six furlongs from home. Compris was ridden a fine race. He was on the rails in behind the leading bunch all the way. Reed made his run on the inner in the straight, but Compris was not equal to the task. He was just alongside Jaloux in fourth place at the finish. Kahikatoa pulled Gray out of the saddle for a mile and a half and failed to run on. Ephialtes ran into tho lead a mile from home and finished well back. None of the others ever threatened danger, though Mhrtian Chief and Red Racer were well in the picture for a mile and a half. There was some bumping in tho straight the first time, Jaloux and Latin suffering. At an inquiry, the blame was sheeted home to Wiggins on Mount Boa. The stewards found it unintentional, but careless, and suspended him till Wednesday. Little Doubt will be on hand from New Plymouth to contest the Waikato Cup. The Antagonist—Lady Pet gelding is not a stranger to Te Rapa. When on the course at his previous visit, for the meeting in June, he won the Winter Handicap (one mile and aquarter) and the Hillside Handicap (one mile). This season he was successful in the Avondale Cup, while he later ran second to Admiral Drake in the Wellington Handicap at Trenthnm. Little Doubt has only to parade in the right order to claim good support in the leading Waikato event next Saturday.

Spearful's winning of last Saturday’s New Zealand Cup cannot be regarded as one of the outstanding triumphs scored m that event. For a six-year-old gelding, carrying only 21b. over the minimum weight, to lead the way home by a narrow margin from an admittedly mediocre field is no very brilliant achievement. Still, his name goes down on the roll of winners of tho Dominion's chief distance handicap of the spring. Speafful, like so many useful and, occasionally, more than useful horses, traces back on tho dam’s side to the paddocks of the late "Hon. J. D. Ormond’s “Karamu” stud farm, but not to one of the best known lines of blood represented there. His dam, Markful, is by Hymettus (imp.) from Temperance, by Birkenhead (imp.)— Temeraire, by Dreadnought (A.) — Sister Mary, by Inguinal'—Sister Agnes (imp.), by Rosicrucian. His elder full brother Full Mark, running in the same ownership, has had some success as a hurdler and is among those weighted for to-morrow’s jumping event at Riccarton.

The A.J.C. Derby this year was won by a Dominion bred gelding. It is thus only tit-for-tat that one bred in N.S.W. should take the New Zealand Derby. Bronze Eagle, who runs in the colours of the well-known Auckland veterinarian Dr. W. C. Ring, is by the imported Phalaris horse Brazen from the Australian bred mare Torfreda. Up till yesterday his three-year-old perloimances had scarcely gone the way of fulfilling the high promise of his two-year-old career, and the held he heat was not one of very great excellence. However, he won and that very easily and in time only a tick or two over Runnymede’s record for the race. We may thus hope that, having again found his way to the front, Bronze Engle will go on to further successes. The two that followed him homo in the places, but at quite respectful intervals, are both by Desert Gold’s full brother

Nigger Minstrel, Fiji being from tho Hallowmas—Crucinella mare Isabel and Peter Jackson from the Martian—i , Lovelorn mare Left. ’ It is said that when Oretorian won the Maiden Handicap at Flemington on the opening day of the V.R.O. meeting, his connections risked but very little betting money on him, the race being regarded as a certainty for the Magpie gelding Picatus. His half-brother, Oratorious, by Diacquenod, would seem to have inspired more confidence at Riccarton yesterday, as he was made fourth favourite for the two-year-old event. • • • Yearlings sent to auction in Engird by Viscount Furness invariably sell well. At the September Doncaster sales twelve from his stud realised the satisfactory total of 18,700 guineas. Seven passed the 1000 guineas marie, the highest price being 4100 guinea* for a colt by the Gainsborough horse Solario from Quarterdeck. « • • We are often told that the horse* raring in Carbine’s day were tougher than those of the present, says a MeL bourne scribe That may be correct, but it' would seem as if latter-day owners are tougher, in one way, than those who flourished 40 years ago. When Carbine won his Melbourne Cup in a field of 39, there were 149 en> trants, and when Glenloth won from 34 opponents two years later, there were 135 entrants. Two years ago 14 remained in of 325 entrants, last year 15 of 306, and this year 16 out of quite as big an entry. Evidently trainer* now in the game find it much harder to tell owners a flattering tale thajp did some of those old-timers. “They’re tough, these days,” one of the old school of trainers regretfully remarked / a little while ago, and there certainly are very few owners who are dew iq> clined to throw away money eq trainers’ tales.

e•e ' > It is a curious fact, remarks a Sydne« writer, that, while the St. Elmon linl has gone down almost to the vanishing point in the British Isles, it stij flourishes more or less vigorously in Australia, New Zealand, America, and some other countries. Because of tM phenomenal success of the line in F.nfr land close inbreeding became the ords’ of the day for many years in the Old Country. Towards the end of the last century the St. Simon blood wee r& invigorated by the introduction o| Carbine. This was a cross, in facL that worked both ways satisfactorily Many breeders believe that the declin* and fall of the St. Simon line in Kn» land was due to too much inbreeding In other countries, they argue, the line has been saved by hardy outorosse% In view of the history of the wonderfuj line established by the sensational of Galopin and St. Angela, and th* fact that it shows no signs of declining in Australia, this would appear to be I feasible explanation.

The appeals lodged by the Jeckey* H. Goldfinch and F. Foster against dwl qualification in connection with th* Buckland Handicap at the Franklin Meeting on 7th March, will be hetrrj