GENERAL NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 97, 7 April 1934, Page 2

GENERAL NOTES

(By

‘‘The Barb.”)

Bell Hill, who won both jumping events (two mile brush steeples) at the C.J.C. Easter meeting for Mr J. M. Samson, is a four-year-old bay gelding by East Tor from Bell Fern. For a beginner he is most promising, and should later develop into a tip-top performer between tho flags.

The ex-Hastings owned and trained, but Australian-bred, Rasouli, ran second to Bell Hill on Tuesday last, running a good race up to the last fence, when he was outstayed by another Australian-bred one, as mentioned above.

Silver Ring, it seems, was most unlucky not to have won the C.J.C. Easter Handicap. However, he enjoyed a very comfortable win in the C.J.C. Challenge Stakes. 7 furlongs. On the day he won the latter event lie was also engaged in the Autumn Handicap. Ij miles, but his party preferred the snorter and perhaps easier event.

Rebel Star, who won the Gimcrack Handicap at Riccarton on Tuesday last, is said to be a good hack, and should develop into a very useful performer. He is a four-year-old by Robespierre from Sweet Beauty, by Greyspear—Sweet Smile, by San Francisco—Winning Way, by Cannie Chiel from Lady Wayward, by Bill of Portland. Rebel Star is owned and trained by J. S. Shaw, the trottjng reiusman and trainer.

Last spring Sir Charles Clifford brought a maidener, Copyist, to Wanganui, when the Winning Hit —Miss Winnie three-year-old was successful in a Maiden Plate. To-day he is recognised as one of our best sprinters, and it is quite on the cards that he will win over middle distances..

The Autumn Steeples, run at Riverton, was something of a fiasco, as only three finished out of eight runners, and the winner. Dunmore, won by ten lengths from Umtali, with the third horse, Lammerlaw, 500 yards away. Riverton has the reputation of being the biggest -‘country” in the Dominion.

Walter Jennings, an Australian horseman who came over to New Zealand in about 1906 and settled in Hastings, where he was attached to the late W. Cahill, then trainer for Mr Miki Thomas, recently died in Sydney.

Something in the way of a record was put up at the flawera trotting meeting by two trainers, Ces Donald (Canterbury) and Fred J. Smith (Auckland). Out of the sixteen races Donald won eight and Smith six. The other two were won by L. Berkett (Nelson) and J. Smith (Taranaki).

Bon Ayran (Boniform—Arum) is one of the very few of his sire’s gets in commission now in the Dominion. He has proved a fair ’chaser, and with a little luck in one or two of his past ventures may have won an important cross-country race. At the Waipukurau meeting on Monday he was passed over to J. M. Cameron to be trained for future events. In the past Cameron has been associated with such good jumping performers as Kiatere, Sir Lethe. St. Elm, Waipu. Mernwai (all top liners), etc. The recent successes of Windward, Tres Sec, Tiger Gain, Blue Boy, and Gainstid over middle distances point to the fact that Mr H. Hassall's English sire Gainscourt is one of the few sires in New Zealand to-day that is throwing progeny with stamina; also, his gets undoubtedly improve with a little age, a fact that is being recognised by owners, judging by recent enquiries for Gainscourts. Mr R. Shand, of Waipnkurau, is at present handling a fine cut of a three-year-old gelding by Gainscourt from Tatipiko (Wolawa— Mere Mere). * 4 The ex-Hastings mare, Margaret Rose, appears to have improved sine* going down to the West Const of the

South Island, as she has now won four races, including one in open company.

Golden Hair had an exercise canter only to win the Great Northern Oaks last Saturday. Her ten starts this season has resulted in six wins, a second and a third, and twice unplaced. She now goes into winter quarters to prepare for her four-year-old spring programme, which in all probability will be a Sydney one.

What is the best two-year-old in New Zealand for the current season? Such a query would bring forth many answers, but tho most truthful ono would be, “There is no best.” It is an old English racing adage that when there are no outstanding youngsters they must be admitted as a mediocre lot. and there is no question that, looking back in the past in New Zealand, this has proved correct. In the early spring, W’henuakura, by his brilliant wins, was at once acclaimed a juvenile of outstanding merit. Then came his defeats by Mother Superior, and she was given the palm, only to lie robbed of it later. The C.J.C. Welcome Stakes winner, Pin Money, by his subsequent defeats in classics and handicap events, proved to be but average. Custodian won the Middle Park Plate from bidders for the title in Synagogue and Variant, only to fall from grace in later starts. Burnish, in the early summer, won three handicap events, and in her three classic attempts won one and dead-heated in another, wjiilst she also recorded an unplacing. Variant, in all her races, showed exceptional promise early, but has disappointed more than once. Certainly she won the C.J.C. Champagne Stakes on Easter Monday, but the next day ran fourth (four runners) in the Challenge Stakes. Synagogue gave glimpses of being a class colt, but he, too, failed to reach the point where one could say that he was a Limerick or a Commendation. Y T et another in Gay Blonde, although winning handicaps with as much as lOst on her back, cannot be accepted as the top of her age by any means. Trainers of tho above-mentioned two-year-olds have stated to “press” representatives that they have no misgivings as to what will develop into Derby winners (their own, of course) next season, but in tho face of this season’s form there is not a single argument that could bo formulated to substantiate such statements, and the only thing to do is to wait and see.

De Trop and Cawbeen are likely trippers on the Marton-Hawera-Wanganui circuit.

Gold Mag is making a slow but sure recovery from his knee (behind tho joint) trouble, and is now able to accomplish pacings each morning. Ho is designated for a hurdler this season.

Hunting Star, who was recently “fired,” is now running out in the paddock and will not be raced until the spring.

Judging on present indications it is difficult to see where the Hawke’s Bay steeplechasers are coming from this season. Luna Lux and Coonoor are in work, whilst recruits in Kimbo and Manuiri are to be put to this department. Red Bunk is still at le Hauke and no word has been heard of Kaokaoroa, who won at Riccarton last winter. Bon Ayran has just joined up, and these are all that can be seen on the horizon. *

Hard Gold two seasons back gave promise of developing into a good cross-country horse when trained here by P. Holman, but last season was a complete failure. The Gold Soult gelding is now back with Holman, but at Feilding. ft •* ■

A report is in circulation that Kiltowyn’s failure in the Aukland Easter was due to the tact that he bled. Such may be the case, but his jockey, EManson, does not confirm this report. Mr D. Potter, late of Hastings, has enjoyed pronounced success with this son of Kilbroney, but his dismal failure in the above-mentioned race lends colour to the fact that there must have been something radically wrong with the gelding, The Easter was his only start at Ellerslie, and he does not figure in to-day's card at.Avondale.

Limbohm, who was rescued just m time when trainer W. C. Griffith s racing establishment was recently destroyed bv fire, has now recovered from his burns, but as would be expected the scars are still visible. Prior to destruction these racing stables had n title, but to-day a sign notifies it as “White Fang’s Rest,” thus signifying W Griffith’s sentiment and > feelings for his old favourite. “Fang. ’ o • * W Pearson has an addition to his Wiring in tho of a line cut ot a Xck K two-year-old by Arausio—Gurnton. ____ RACING FIXTURES April 7—Hawke’s Bar JO. April 7, 11—Avondale J.C. April 14 —Masterton R.C. April 21—Marton J.C. April 19, 21-Whangarm R.C April 21—South Canterbury J.C. April 21, 23—Nelson J.C. April 27, 28—Pahiatua R.C April 27, 28— Marlborough R.C. TROTTING FIXTURES, April 7—Taranaki T.O. April 14—Thames T.O. April 14— Ashburton TJO. April 21—Te Aroha T.O April 26— Marlborough T.O. April 28—Auckland T.O.