NOTES AND COMMENTS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 3 May 1923, Page 5

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By Maecenas.)

The Hawera apprentice rider, L. Pine, gave a gocd exhibition on Correspondent in the Hawke's Bay Cup, and the success of this gelding was in a measure clue to the lad's good riding.

Glument, which paid over a century at the last Marlborough meeting, is •engaged in the Opawa Hack to-morrow. Since paying the big dividend Glument has shown improved form, and ran a creditable second at Trentham, so on this form he should start favourite tomorrow.

The Dunedin Jockey Club are appointing their handicapper on Monday next, May 7.

Cheer Up ran an excellent race on the second day of the Wellington meet-, ing, but. at a difference of 151b backers •may make Printemps favourite in, the "Waterlea Cup to-morrow. At the Masterton meeting in March 'Elmorz ran two good races, and,1 show-, ing improved form, won at the Wairara,pa meeting on Easter Monday. In a moderate class at the Marlborough meeting Elmorz may have a following. At £250 W. Dwyer got a cheap lot in the San Fran gelding Alaric, which ran a close third on the second day at Feilding, and only suffered a nose defeat at Awapuni, and this after the saddle slipping and retting hampered^ rather than assisted, by his youthful rider. Dwyer says that Australian handicappers are too severe on New Zealand horses with performances to their credit, and intends taking this maiden across the Tasman. Active, Complex, Passin' Through, ■and Savory in the Hurdles; Active, Passin' Through, and Polthogue iri^ the Steeplechase; and Lochson and Sunny Jim in the Cornwall Handicap comprise the Taranaki-owned horses engaged in the leading handicaps to be decided at Ellerslie in Jun-e. On paper the team is not a formidable one, and may have difficulty in paying expenses at a. meeting like the "Great Northern," where races are usually hard to win.

. The totalisator turnover at the recent Hawke's Bay meetiftSg^Jiowed •an increase of £752 as Txrafeared with the corresponding days last year. As this club have had a jwirticularly trying time (financially), the increase shown will be welcome news to all sportsmen.

As forecasted last week, the nominations received for th^Jfr-eat Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase show weakness in the Dominion's jumping class. Whether a better class will be seen in action later remains to be seen, but the Axickland nominations ■ certainly fail to reach* the standard of many former years. Last season Oak Rose showed some promise as a 'chaser, and as the son of Maharanui is a much, improved gelding, I expect him to shew up well between the flags this winter. Oak Rose is engaged in the Great Northern.

Previous to being beaten with 9.2 on the second day of" the Hawke's Bay meeting, Joy Ride had won four races in succession, besides being placed on seven other occasion® this eeas«nWith 6.7 only in the Railway at Trentham his connections thought Joy Ride a certainty, and on subsequent form it certainly was.

After* getting beaten in "hack* events at Awanuni, Kaotane defeated a number of useful horsss in an open race at Hastings.- _ Last August Oaklei^b yon the Grand National (3J- miles'* at Ricrartcn' with 10.7. and on the third day of the same meeting: was only beaten by a nose with 12.0 in the saddle by Omahu (10.13) in the Lincoln Steeplechase (3 miles). So if at his best 11.13 would be a luxury to Oakleigh in the Egmont Steeplechase, but he may want racing. Rouen is going to the Egmont meeting, and his connections expect to pay expenses wjth the son of Bezonian. Roi:ei finished very fast on the second day of the recent Manawatu meeting; in fact, he was unlucky not to win.After an enforced retirement of about three years White Ranger figures in the hurdle races at Egmont. Never a good horse, difficulty. *may be experienced in making the black gelding pay bis way.

As a rule this province is a. large contributor to the nomination lists of +>c leading handicaps decided at Ellerslie but the names of Tn~»nakiowned horses appear' in very limited .numbers in this year's "Northerns" and Cornwall Handicap. Possibly the dearth in Taranaki of capable handicap hor^s and iwmyiers is responsible for ivi few nominations to the Auckland Racing Club's June programme.