NOTES AND COMMENTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 57, 19 February 1935, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “The Barb.”) The Balboa gelding, Black Duke, who won both hurdle races at Duueedin, must bo one of the toughest horses that have ever graced the turf in New Zealand as ou Saturday he competed m his 192nd race and has been successful m 42. Many times has he been retired but, due to the fact that when turned out he will not remain satisfied with a life of idleness, so has been placed into active work again, showing such form that his owner-trainer has felt practically forced to go on racing him. After this recerit double win his record appears to be anything but finished. Offhanded, this writer cannot remember any line of thoroughbreds to race successfully for se long as have the progeny of the Varco—Nerve horse Balboa. * * • Tho winner of the Trial the first day at Dunedin, Knowledge (Psychology— Miss (Jute), first saw the light of day at the Okawa stud. He is a six-year-old and this was his first success, but, he has been raced very little. When winning on Thursday he was well down in tho order of betting and very few were influenced by the victory as on Saturday he was again paying a long price, but to finish somewhere down the straight.

Silver Ring is having very bad luck, meeting with mishap after mishap. Twice this last month he has had to be eased in his preparation and on the first day of Dunedin was stripped for the Publicans’ Handicap a very lit horse, as his trial for five furlongs under a minute more than proved. In the race, however, he was badly galloped on to ruin all chances ami prevent him from competing in the James Hazlett Gold Cup on Saturday.

According to southern reports, V intage’s special mission to Melbourne is the Australian Cup, the same as Gold Trail has in view. Owing to the Australian Jockey Club and Victorian Racing Club refusing the application of Mrs. J. Campbell’s for a special permit to train the Shambles gelding, he will be now under the charge of liis owner on this trip. Mrs. Campbell and her husband left last Friday with the horse though.

Both Tauranmi, winner of the Dunedin Cup, ami Kinmml, victorious in the Dunedin Champagne Stakes, trace back to mares bred at the “Karamu” (H. 8. stud. It is very doubtful if any other stud in the Dominion show* a record to compare with ‘’Karamu,’’ as meeting after meeting, both in Australia and New Zealand, see* winners tracing back to Karamu mares.

Last Thursday cable inturiuation was asked as to the price required for Air. It. H. VV. Holden's Siegfried—Polonaise yearling colt. The price placed on him was 1250 guineas, but it is very doubtful if the Melbourne inquirer will go as high as that.

The ‘Otago Daily Times” states that Cuddle, with her 9.5, was the pacemaker with Tauramai for eleven of the twelve furlongs in the Cup, but at the end of that distance cried enough. The tactics may have suited this mare, but if so, she is one in 10,000. Her stable companion, Sunny Maid, also showed plenty of pace in her races, but found seven furlongs just a little too far.

According to a Christchurch report it is on the cards that Cliddle will very shortly be taken to Australia. This may be so, but as owner-trainer C. JStowe has not returned home yet, nothing is known locally of this move. ♦ « * The Hastings-bred trotter, Mute, was again successful on Saturday at Auckland, making it three wins now since going north. Mr. J. H. Lloyd’s cast-off seems to have improved since leaving here, as to win off the 60 yards mark was a very fair performance and will again cause local interest in his second day’s effort.

Gay Blonde is reported to bo working well in her training for the To Arolia Flying, in which she has been awarded top weight of 9st. This three-year-old filly at the last A.R.C. meeting won both the Hailway Handicap and the Derby, so is the undisputed premier three-year-old of the season. Certainly 9.0 is a fair weight for one of her age and sex to carry, but as sho represents the best of class speculators will in a body look to her to do the trick.

King’s Knave, who ran second twelve months ago to Minerval in the Auckland Cup, has again gone wrong and it is very doubtful if he will be further persevered with. A good hiyjdicap horse, this is bad luck, but the Comedy King gelding has always been most difficult to train.

Alter his failure in the last Auckland Cup, Solarium was taken back to Te Awamutu and blistered. Ibe latest reports in connection with rhe Limond gelding is that he is back under the charge of W. Stone and appears t'o all intents and purposes as sound as a bell of brass. Ho is row to be prepared for the important autumn handicaps.

The Auckland Racing Club has installed hot water showers in tho jockey’s room, which no doubt will be greatly appreciated by the knights oi the pigskin in the winter

De Tron was given a couple ol schooling lessons again last week-end and shaped very well for a novice. She has the size and pace to make a good hack hurdler.

Winter Sport was given a spin over the steeplechase fences the other morning, showing great dash at his jumps. An ideal cut of a ’chaser is this Autumn gelding, although in the two hurdle races he contested last spring stamina did nut appear to be one of his fortes.

Lavina has been treated and turned out. Her trouble looks like requiring a lair rest, so that now it does not appear probable that this game bit of stuff' will be racing again tor three or lour months at least.

Silver Song, who broke her maiden status last New Year’s Day at Hastings, is in again after a spell. She has pace and with racing experience may develop stamina. If so, we may see her a very useful hack in the late autumn and winter.

W. Mitchell has begun on the Mercian King gelding, Tycoon, and he is also handling a Siegfried yearing colt.

Harold Griffiths has completed the initial education of the two yearlings purchased at the recent National Sales by Mrs. C. Haldane. Both are good lookers that on general make-up and breeding should make a name lor themselves, but at this age all thoroughbreds look the goods. The Nigger Minstrel colt has bad the name of Royal Minstrel claimed fur him.

Trainder H. S. Greene, who, when operating in Hastings some years ago, before going to Australia, had rather a big connection with East Coast owners, is again setting up here in his profession. He has recently been up the coast reviving old associations, with the result that he has sent word down for the horse float to be sent up to bring back to Hastings some half dozen young thoroughbreds who have yet to be tried. It is understood that the big majority of these are by Hunting Song.

The nominations for the Napier Park autumn meeting are on a par with last season’s. A falling off has occurred in the open events, but as most are local, the accejitance will probably be a hundred per cent.

Since the Greenmeadows trainer J. Oldfield took over Sunny Song that mare has made a decided improvement. Oldfield has started her nine times since last December and she has won on five occasions, three times second and the remaining was a third.

Joystick, who has been upnder the charge of trainer W. D. Young for about six weeks, is doing well iu his work at the present time and now looks better than ever previously. His owner is one of the few that get real pleasure out of racing, no matter whether successful or not, so it is to be hoped that this Cockpit gelding strikes the form that he showed when beating Grand Sport, Sir Nigel and others in a maiden two seasons back at Napier Park.