GENERAL NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 192, 29 July 1932, Page 2

GENERAL NOTES

Luminary, says a Te Awamutu correspondent, has been given some workouts on the flat of late, in preparation for his trip to the Grand National meeting. The Day Comet gelding has not had any jumping since the Gt eat Northern fixture, but will be schooled before going South next week.

It has been decided, says the same writer, to race Royal Visitor at Riccarton, and P. Brady will take him South early to permit of his charge having plenty of schooling. Royal Visitor has been nominated for the minor cross-country races at the Grand National meeting, while he is also in the big steeplechase.

On several occasions in past years the Winter Cup has been won by horses eligible to race in hack class, and a number that come under that heading are engaged in the mile event next month. The list includes Beacon Fire, Merry Peel, Ringing Cheer, Consono, Gay Court, Normandy and Saltpot, and recent form warrants more than one of them being regarded as the possible winner. •. • •

The death occurred during the week of Mr Alex Murdoch, who owned Kilboyne when he won two handicaps at the 1913 New Zealand Cup meeting. All British was another horse that won a number of races for him, the last to carry his colours successfully being Some Acre. Deceased was a frequent buyer at the annual yearling sales, and las a partner, in the firm of Murdoch and Co , wholesale chemists.

Among those who figure in the Hunt Cup Steeplechase and Hunters’ Plate at the South Canterbury meeting tomorrow is the ten-year-old Royal Land, by Acre from a Vladimir mare. In his younger days Royal Land won, among other races, the Kia Ora Handicap at the Wellington winter meeting and tho Seafield Handicap at Wafiganui, while he was placed on numerous occasions over hurdles, lie has not done much

racing during the last three seasons, and his chances do not look very bright..

Sir Richard, who figures in the Hunt Cup Steeplechase at the same meeting, is spoken of as a promising juinpei, who should be hard to beat in much better company when he has had a little more racing experience. At tho South Canterbury meeting last May he finished second in tho Craigmore Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase to Valves, while at Ashburton he won the Diomore Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase, beating Valves, French Fleet and others.

Merry Peel, who is regarded as a lightweight possibility in the Winter Cup, is down to compete in the Levels Handicap, one mile and 35 yards, at to-morrow’s southern fixture. It will be his first attempt over a distance of ground and should also provide a reliable test regarding his prospects in the big mile race at Riccarton. Merry Peel’s form at Trentham proved him to be a brilliant galloper, and if he is capable of staying on over longer distances some good handicaps should come his way.

Denise, who figures in the same event is a three-year-old filly by Cistercian, and was purchased as a yearling in Australia. She is trained b> E. J. Ellis at Washdyke, aud at the Oamaru meeting last April won the Novice Stakes, five furlongs, while she was third in the Claremont Hack Handicap, six furlongs, to Fearsome and Brown Pearl at the South Canteibury meeting last May. Denise ma., not be quite solid enough to run out the distance on Saturday, but she is a pionusing sort.

Touching the breeding of the Parliamentary Handicap winner, Retract, as set out last week in a par reprinted from “Rangalira’s” notes in the Wellington “Post,” our local turf correspondent writes as follows:—‘‘The fun breeding of this Lord gelding was given in this column some two or three seasons back when the locally-bred one was purchased from Mr Jack McCormick, of Hastings, by Mr Hume, or Wairarapa, aud as that was correct I will have to put ‘ llangatira ’ riglr. Retract is by Lord Quex from Defection, by Signor from Blemish, by Vanguard (not Foul Shot) from Alabaculia, oy St. Leger from Glen Avy, by Traduce!—Sugar Plum (imp.), by Sweetmeat, and so comes from the No. 3 family. Defection, the dam, was at om> time trained, but not raced, at Hastings by Ken Quinlivau, who in turn dispo. ed of her to her present owner, Mr M< Cormick. At that time, she was, as far as either of the above two was con cerned, unnamed, but after Mr McCoimick commenced breeding from her ho got into touch with a Wanganui sporting writer who furnished her .pedigree, but mistakenly gave her name as Retraction. Later on, Mr Jack Hay, the well-known New Zealand stud groom, put.Mr McCormick on the right track, as at one time Blemish, the dam of Defection, was under his charge. It was through the ehorts of Mr McCormick and no one else that this mare’s pedigree wa 3 traced, although Mr Hay helped a great deal on to the right line. Retract’s second dam, Blemish—darn also of Mannish (by Maniapoto), who won a few hurdle races for Mr Riddi ford, including one at Hastings—was bred and owned by Mr Geo. Enderby, of Wanganui, while Defection, dam of Retract, when trained here was first owned by Mr Geo. Spriggins, of the other coast, who sold her to Ken Quinlivan. So far Defection’s name has not appeared in the New Zealand Stud Book, but in the volume now under construction she will. Mr McCormeik recently sold to Mr Hume a yearling halfbrother to Retract by Arausio, and a fine cut of a colt he is.”