DIVOTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 111, 23 April 1936, Page 2

DIVOTS

(Dug by “The Delver.”) Don’t forget that to-morrow (Friday) first-day acceptances for the Dannevirke meeting must bo in by 8 p.m. and nominations for the principal events at the Auckland winter meeting, the Great Northern Steeplechase, Great Northern Hurdles, Winter _ Steeplechase, Cornwall Handicap, King George Handicap, and York Handicap, by 5 p.m. * * * Perhaps. Nothing succeeds like success and, suggests a Taranaki writer, A. E. Ellis’s two wins on Silver Ring at Randwick may tempt the South Island horseman to delay his return from Sydney should he receive any offers of good riding there. The critics have been loud in their praise of his riding and after Voitre’s phenomenal success other Australian trainers may feci inclined to take a chance with another rider from New Zealand. * » * Bred to Win. The Heroic —Desdemona colt who made 1750 guineas at the Sydney sales, comes from a good family with the short pedigree taproot tracing to Black Swan. Desdemona was got by All Black from Dame Lybia, by Positano—Lady Lybia, by Autraeas (son of Sir Modred) from Lady Trenton, by Trenton, by Black Swan. Two Melbourne Cup winners in Lord Cardigan and Lord Nolan belonged to tho same family as the 1750-guiaea colt.

A Gallant Effort. Though beaten into third jdace in the Foley Memorial at Avondale on Saturday, tho three-yoar-old Tidal gelding Floodtide was far from disgraced. Ho was conceding weight and ago to all his opponents and was perhaps a shade unlucky in striking Sinking Fuad in a galloping mood. He fought on in tho gamest possible fashion under pressure in the straight and enhanced his reputation, even though he was Oeaten. Floodtide should prove a really good four-year-old, when he should bo capable of playing a prominent part in the big distance handicaps.

The Blandford Line. Services of stallions by Blandford are in strong demand in England and France. Blenheim and Umidwar, both sons of that horse, and owned by tho Aga Khan, have full lists for this year and next. It was intended to send Friar’s Daughter (dam of Bahram and Dastur) to Windsor Lad this season, but almost at the last moment the Aga Khan changed his mind, and sent her to France to be mated with Blenheim. Her daughter, Fille d’Amour, by Hurry On, also visited that stallion. A Cheap Yearling,

On several occasions Contact has been mentioned as a horse likely to win a certificate as a stayer, and ho endorsed the finding in his favour when he won the Sydney Cup at Randwick last week. When a yearling, known as the Marconigram—Air Lady colt, he was bought by the Sydney trainer, D. Lewis for 140 guineas. The winner’s pertion of tho £5OOO attached to the Sydney Cup was £3BOO, and, in addition, a trophy valued at £209 was given to the owner of the winner.

Failure Explained. Friesland did not do well on his recent trip to Feilding, and his defeat on the opening day did not unduly surprise his connection as he had not eaten a. good meal since leaving Ha wera, writes “Hurry On.” He did better on the second day, but even this showing was not up to his best form. Though so lar he has not raced further than nine furlongs, bis strong fini-hes have left the impression that a distance will not inconvenience him. His sire, Friarsdale, was only a sprinter, but his dam, Fluency, could stay all day.

Fallen from Grace. After Nun Nicer’s decisive win in the Berries Memorial at To Aroha al the end of February his prospects appeared very bright. He was not raced after that gathering until tho Eastei Handicap at Ellerslie. His work prior to that event had been so good that his chances were highly assessed by his connections, but he never threatened danger. He was produced again in tho Foley Memorial at Avondale on Saturday, but though a well-backed fourth choice he was never in the picture. It, would appear as though he has lost all form and he was not paid up for at Avondale oil Monday. * « * Tyro Hurdler.

If Brown Pearl goes to Woodville, writes “Kangatira,” she is to race over the hurdles, a department at which she will be making her debut. However, she has already been tried at the game in private, and she has given promising exhibitions. She is a typo of mare who might do well as a, juniper, for she has speed on the flat and it is likely that she will stay on at the slower hurdling pace. On the flat she sticks better than could Debut, yet when tho stable turned Debut to hurdling last year he made an almost immediate success of tho game. # 'ft Lorigan’s Pair. \ Lorigan’s pair for Woodville, Geitel and Toper, says the same writer, have done well since their racing at Wairarapa, where the former ran two seconds and the latter two firsts. The roomier track and long straight at Woodville will be helpful to Geitel, who had to cover a lot of ground on the second day at Tauherenikau to reach the front as the field landed in the straight, and the effort left, her without reserve when the fit Debham camo along. Geitel’s opposition next week will be very average, so she should go near adding another stake to her consistent record. Toper is improving w’ith every race —he has had only five in all for two wins and a third—and he is apparently a natural stayer who may develop into a really good performer with experience.

High-priced Youngsters. Fifteen yearlings sold in England last year made 4000gns. or over. The best price was for Inglefield, a cncstnut colt by Gainsborough — Perce Neige, whom Lord Glanely bought tor

8000gns. Second on the list was 7000 gns. for Tricolore, a bay colt by Trigo —Beverentia, purchased by Mrs. Coriette Glorney. Miss Dorothy Paget paid 5800gns. for a brown filly by Bosworth—Mellowness. Lord Glanely had bad luck with a colt by Manna from Overmist, whom he bought for 5300 gns. and who died shortly afterwards. * * *

A Sale-ring Prize. The Chief Ruler—Oreum colt Gold Rod, bred by Mr. T. H. Lowry .nt “Okawa,” H. 8., stood out so prominently as the leading two-year-old of the present season in Australia that everything seemed to point to him winning tiio double, A.J.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes and A.J.C. Champagne Stakes. In the former event he romped over' the opposition, but tho unexpected happened in the other event, as at the start, Gold Rod failed to jump off. properly and the presumed “good thing” went down. The New Zealand-bred colt remains the leading juvenile of the season, and, with his winnings in stakes amounting to £5935, he has made a substantial return to Mr. Lowry’s brother-in-law, Mr. X- J. *Watt for the 350 guineas expended in his purchase as a yearling. * * • Derby Favourite. Despite his unfortunate defeat in the Champagne Stakes Gold Rod will go into his winter retirement us one of the Hottest favourites for the A.J.C. Derby. On the form displayed this season nothing that has so far raced looks likely to extend him, and any danger may come from some colt that has been reserved until his three-year-old career. Phar Lap and Peter Pan wera cases of this description and the early three-year-old racing may bring forth some rivals for Mr. Watts’s speedster. Though Chief Rulers arc usually regarded as sprinters, Gold Trail, who is closely related to Gold Bod, won an Auckland Cup, so that there is reason to expect Gold Rod to stay tho Derby distance.

Twenty Grand. Mrs Payne Whitney’s Twenty Grand, the American horse who went to Newmarket last March to be tra led by Captain Cecil Boyd-lioehfort, has retired from racing. He has been sent to the Fort Union Stud, Limerick, Ireland. Twenty Grand, winner of the Kentucky Derby and of £52,000 in stake money, holds tho American time record for one mile and a-quarter. He went across to England with the reputation of being one of the best horses ever bred in the United States. The period of drought in England last summer brought on a recurrence of leg trouble, and although lie contested tho Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot and the Rutland Handicap at Newmarket, he was unable to show a return to his best form. * * * In the Purple. If breeding counts for anything, what a greater jumper the four-year-old Streamline should be, says a Southern writer. Not only is he by Day Comet, one of the best sires of hurdlers and steeplechasers the Dominion has ever had, but he is out of the same dam as Waterline and Fast Passage. Hero is class combined with tho stoutest jumping blood. Until a month ago Streamline had not won a race, but now he has three stakes to his credit. His first was in tho hurdle race at Washdyke, and he scored in both the brush hurdle events at Riccarton. In none of them could the opposition be classed at good, but he got through his tasks with credit. •» « « Brevities. Two of Mr. G. M. Currie’s three yearling fillies named last week are to be placed with W. Rayner at Wanganui, and tho other with F. W. Davis at Woodville. Rayner will have Icing and Monastery, and Davis Relative, Eulogy’s last offspring. •X- ’X’ According to a Woodville report, H E. Russell leaves for Australia by the Wanganella on May 7 with Golden Wings, Golden Treasure, Mala, and Bengal Lancer. The 1934 brown colt by Defoe—Bachelor’s Picture, who has been sold to Western Australia, leaves by tho same steamer. » -» * The former Trentham gelding Paha, who enjoyed his first success over country at Riverton recently, has returned to Riccarton, and his present trainer, J. 8. Shaw, now intends to