DIVOTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 11, 23 December 1933, Page 2

DIVOTS

(Dug by

“The Delver.”

The Paper Money two-year-old Rerepai has done well at Takanini since racing at Takapuna, where he recorded a first and a second. He moved well over half a mile during the week and is expected to run prominently in the handicap events at Ellerslie.

The Hunting Song gelding Sporting Blood, who won the nursery event on the second day of the Avondale meeting, has arrived at Ellerslie from Gisborne to fulfil his engagements. Sporting Blood has shown distinct promise and should be even better in the autumn.

•* . * Lucidus is engaged in the second division of the Robinson Handicap at Ellerslie next Tuesday, and on his showing in the Hack Cup, seven furlongs, at the Waipa meeting last Saturday, he should be hard to beat. He is a quick beginner and now appears to be staying on much better than usual. T. Webster has been engaged to ride him in this event.

The Te Rapa-trained juvenile Sirona was responsible for an encouraging performance when she won the Musket Stakes at Ellerslie last month. She has started only once since then, running unplaced in the Ruakura Stakes at the Waikato meeting a couple of weeks later. By Gay Shield from Phaola, this filly is bred on sound galloping lines and may be seen to better advantage at the coming meeting at Ellerslie.

Only four of the Auckland Cup candidates, Rocket, Minerval, Speedmint and Gold Trail, have previously raced over two miles. The dearth of proved performers over the distance is emphasised by the fact that none of the horses engaged is weighted above 8.0, which is the lowest a topweight ’•unner has had to carry since 1884, when No. 1 carried only 7.2.

Auckland reports state that Wee Pat is doing everything required of her in good style at Ellerslie and her latest track work clearly shows that she is an improved mare She is a clever jumper, with more than average pace, and should be capable of running out the two-mile journey of the Grafton Hurdle Race. J Mcßae, who rode her when she won the Trial Hurdles at the Auckland spring meeting, will again have the mount.

Royal Appellant has made good progress since he raced at the Takapuna meeting, where he finished third in the Rakmo Handicap. This was his first outing and his effort was most encouraging. He is in the Nursery Handicap at Ellerslie on Tuesday and should have more than an outside chance. He is the first of Appellant’s stock to race, while his dam, Royal March, is by Lucullus from March, who produced Te Kara, Queen March and others.

Though no three-year-old has won the Auckland Cup since Nestor triumphed with 6.12 on his back in 1896, one of the same age, Reputation, made a bold bid in 1914. This son of Martian was asked to carry 8.1, representing 61b. over weight-for-age, and ridden by H. Gray suffered only a head defeat at the hands of that great mare Warstep, who was carrying 8.9. It was a fine performance on Reputation’s part. Strange to say, this was as close as Gray ever got to winning an Auckland Cup. This event always eluded him.

After the easy manner in which Tiger Gain beat a good field in the St. Andrew’s Handicap on the second day at Feilding it was generally anticipated the son of Grandcourt would be favourite for the Manawatu Cup. Nevertheless few expected him to get in with 7.4, and with this luxurious impost he has only to strip fit and well on the day to count an array of supporters. He has never tackled a mile and a half journey before but from the way ho was running on at the finish at Feilding the extra distance should not trouble him unduly.

Of this year’s Auckland Cup field who have previously attempted the distance, Rocket has the best performance m running second to Palantua in the New Zealand Cup last month, when the winner established an Australian and New Zealand record of 3.22 1-5 for two miles. As he was beaten by less than a length Rocket demonstrated that he was not lacking in stamina and he is likely to take a lot of beating with 7.7 on Tuesday if the race is truly run. Minerval was second to Fast Passage in the New Zealand Cup in 1932, and a reproduction of that form would make him dangerous. He has not accomplished much in the meantime, but he ran a very close third in the 10-furlong Hororata Cup at Riccarton last Saturday, and before leaving there for Ellerslie he was responsible for an impressive final gallop.

The state of the ground at Hawera has prevented J. Fryer from jumping March Alone lately, but he is to school this week. On his showing at New Plymouth will depend his proposed visit to Ellerslie for the concluding days’ hurdle races.

Amongst those in work at Wingatui is the three-year-old gelding Unex. His dam, Marianne, wa s thought to be empty, and sent, on a visit to British Empire. While in the south, Marianne unexpectedly foaled to Rosenor—hence the abbreviation nomenclature.

H. B. Lorigan, who was at Trentham for several years, now has eight horses in work at Randwick, He has hopes of bringing a horse over for the Wellington Qip meeting next month, while the yearling sales will also engage his attention.

A newcomer to the tracks. Fantastic, a six-year-old mare by Day Comet from Persis, the dam of Nucleus and Royal Duke, sprinted half a mile on Saturday in 53sec. She is on the small side, but showed speed when in work as a three-year-old and also aptitude as a jumper.

The two-year-old filly Quarto, who opened her career nt Flemington last month by winning the Mimosa Stakes, scored a victory in a handicap race at Moonee Valley on December 2, and on the same course on December 9 she won the Barkoola Handicap, carrying 9.3. Quarto, who is by Paper Money from the English-bred Square Measure mare Quadrilateral, was ineluded among the bargain purchases at the Trentham

sales last January, Mr J. 8. Brunton buying her for the moderate outlay of 110 guineas. Quarto is well egaged in forthcoming events, so that she is well placed to extend her record.

Greensea, a smart sprinter two seasons ago, is now the crasck hurdler in Sydney. He won at Warwick Farm on December 9 and was pulling up a furlong from home to score in 2.41 for the mile and a-hirlf. He gave a faultless display of jumping and outclassed the field. After the lace an inquiry was made on behalf of a Melbourne owner, but the reply, 1000 guineas, did not lead to business.

Commenting on the possibility of the stablemates Speedmint and Gay Shell , both trained at Takanini by P. E. Pope, winning the Cup and Raihv., double, tho Auckland “Herald” point , out that the last time this luck fell t.. the one stable was in 1915. In that year the Cup was won by Mr T. Ji Lowry’s Balboa and the sprint race J> Tete-a-tete, carrying the same colouis Both were trained by F. Davig anu ridden by the late J. O’Shea.

Dame Fortune and trainer G. Young (says a Sydney exchange) had not been on speaking terms for many months before Havaspot wont the first Fying Welter Division at Rosebery on December 13. Stable followers, However, made the most of the turn of the tide, as Havaspot was the medium of a substantial commission, ! which sent him out a warm A favourite. Havaspot, as a matter of ’ fact, has been as unlucky as his trainer, and his success at Rosebery was his first for about 16 months. Eight minor placing were sandwiched between the two wins.