SPORTING

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6803, 5 January 1929, Page 5

SPORTING

The two-year-old filly, Gay Ballerina, Trinner of the Midsummer Handicap at Auckland, commenced her racing career in the spring in Sydney, when she ran third in the Gimcrack stakes. That was smart form and her success on New Year’s Day in her first appearance since sho returned to the Dominion, makes her look a very useful sort, who may be seen to advantage in good races later in the season. Sho is Dy the imported horse Lord Quex (son ox Lemberg), who has left a few speedy gallopers. Her dam, Lady Ball, is by Demosthenes from Sunlight, by Birkenhead from Bonheur, by Seaton Dclaval from Charcntc. This is a great New Zealand family, Novettc, Client and Los Angeles being three representatives who showed high class form over all distances.

Bed Heckle, winner of the Great Northern Derby, was bred by his owner, Mr D. H. Roberts, of the West Coast, who usually' has a few horses in training. At different times has owned some useful performers, Fiery Cross being one of the best horses of his period, but Bed Heckle is his first classic winner. He is by Warplane, a good son of Martian, while his dam is Glenluea, by Glenlapp from Lady Stock well, by the Officer from Tcmcraire, by Dreadnought from imported Sister Agnes. Bed Heckle has been Taced very sparingly. He started only once as a twoycar old, winning the Bussley Plate at Biecarton last autumn. He commenced this season by running second to Nightmarch in the Linwood Handicap on New Zealand Cup day, and later in the meeting he registered a smart performance when he won the Members’ handicap. He did not run again until he went to Auckland, where he opened the present meeting by filling third place in the Christmas handicap. With a Derby

Notes by “Avis.”

win for his next effort, he has greatly enhanecd his reputation. Having demonstrated that he can stay, which is no matter for surprise, he wall have to be reckoned with from now on m important handicaps over long journeys. He is likely to kee.p on improving for some time yet, and he may develop into a high-class performer.

' pegaway was responsible for a highclass performance when she won Ihe Auckland Baciug Club handicap. In the previous week she won tho Christmas handicap and ihe Summer Cup, as a result of which she was top-weight m yesterday-’s race, in which she had a number of good performers behind her. Perm wav is a sixyear-old marc by Lucultus, and her latest form is far ahead of anything she had shown pieviously, although in the autumn of 1927 she carried 5.6 and beat Star Stranger 9.13 in the President’s handicap at Auckland.

The Biecarton trainer, F. Christmas, has not made many trips to Auckland with horses, but ho has established an enviable record in important events. Eleven years ago he won tho Auckland Cup with Fiery Cross, and a year ago lie captured the Great Northern Derby with Martarma, whose performance he repeated yesterday with Bed Heckle, running in the same colours as licry Cross.

Transformer, which ran second in the Auckland Racing Club handicap is a ten-year-old gelding by Thurnham, and he has had an interesting career. He was bred by the Te Aroha sportsman, Mr J. M’Nieol, from whose stud visitors were in the habit of looking for promising stock on their annual visits to the local race meeting. For three years there were no admirers of the horse now known as Transformer, part-

ly on account of his lack of good looks, s but also because trainers did not 'l'ticy 1 Thurnham’s stock. Eventually he was : sent to the Waihou stock sale, where j! he was secured by Mr Forrest foi l--! 1 After being broken in he commenced H to show some speed, and he was sohlj for a comparatively small price to Mr D. Twohill, of Thames, for whom he . has proved a wonderful bargain. He ' improved gradually with racing, nearly three years ago scored his first important success in the Takapuna Jockey Club handicap. A year later ho won the Takapuna Cup, while later in the season lie won tlie Auckland , Autumn handicap and the Storey Memorial Cup at Waikato. He did a lot 0 f racing last year with nothing better than a number of placed performances. This season he has come back to his best form, as ho won the Alison Cup at Takapuna a month ago, while he had a good field behind him in his latest race. Mr. J. Jackman, of Feilding, has notified the Marion' Jockey Club that he proposes again to present a gold mounted whip to the jockey who rides the winner of the Marlon Cup next year. The redoubtable Aussie, the best sprint handicapcpr m New Zealand todav. was bought as a yearling by G. Paul for 75 guineas and has won stakes to the value of £5730. Count Cavour has been unlucky, yet in his career he has won £14,509. He is another example of a wondorful yearling investment, for he cost J. S. Barrett only 100 guineas. Vallar, Amor and Jolly Money are the three hacks which raced sueccssfullv under big weights at Auckland and' a bright future in open company may safely be predicted for thorn. How horses will improve onee they begin to strike form was evidenced in the ease of Corinax. Twelve months ago he was a novice and J. Williamson almost despaired of him ever making good when he was beaten in very weak company at Dargavillc. Since then Corinax has made remarkable pro- ' gress and his victory in the Auckland Cup was achieved in the style of a : genuine stayer. With increased weight he ran two respectable races in twe j other handicaps- at the meeting and he

seems certain to win another important handicap during the season. One of riie reasons why Corinax took so long develop may have been the loss of rlie sight of one of his eyes. Only for that defect In; may never have como | to the Dominion.

The season has not been the most brilliant for two-year-olds, but interest always attaches to the running of the future champions. There were three really good juveniles racing at Auckland, Honour, Supremacy aud Ceremony. Supremacy was successful when they met in the Great Northern Foal Stakes, but Honour and Ceremony both turned the tables on him in the Boyal Stakes, when they had some pounds in weight in their favour. The Great Northern Foal Stakes was not altogether a convincing test on account of the state of the track and tho Boyal Stakes was unsatisfactory for the reason that Supremacy and Ceremony received, several lengths the worst of the start. If was impossible not to be impressed with the manner in which Honour finished in his races and from now on he should show superiority over tho ether pair. Supremacy and Ceremony are certainly very speedy, as they showed by running through so quickly in the Royal Stakes, and it was a pity that the unoven despatch prevented a fair test. For actual speed, Ceremo/y was probably the fastest of the three and brilliancy in the early stages was a feature of his efforts.