ON THE TURF

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 8 June 1927, Page 9

ON THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS In fyish Mr W. T. Hewlett has a very ttiiio. -gaila'per, but unfortunately this vtelLprocJ .son of fiolferino a-ad Sprig of Erin is not by' a*y means sound, and some trouble has been experienced in. getting him ready to face the starter. The manner in which he defeated his field in the Janefield Handicap last week pointed toi him winning more races when the tracks are to his liking. Bennanee was never in the picture in the. Cornwall Handicap. That was his first defeat in his last four starts.

Nadarino was never prominent in the early stages of the Members' Handicap, but was noticed finishing on in fifth position. ,

Rahepoto made his first appearance as a. hurdler at Ellerslie last week, when he went out to contest the Penrose Hurdles. He was in front after they had gone a furlong, and was only beaten, by the narrowest of margins by Glenidle at the finish, liahepoto is going to make good in this department of the game. Shining Armour was in great form at Otaki when he won the Raukawa, Cup for the second year in succession and also scored in the chief event on the second day. Mr Ballinger's Roym u.ame which, raced well at Nelson's last meeting and subsequently also won on the West Coast and at Blenheim brought oil a great surprise when lie beat a good field of smart sprinters at Otaki and returned a substantial dividend. He was at a shorter price when he won on the second day. Ballymoy TI made. a. reappearance at Ellerslie last week and finished nearly last. _

Llandudno has only started three times this season, and has performed well on each occasion. At Te Kuiti he won a mile race, and on Friday, after being prominent all (he way in the Cornwall Handicap, finished second. Llandudno is a, useful sort as he proved when he won the concluding event (Carbine Plate) the following day. Zircon and Royal Form looked as though they would have the Great Northern Hurdles to themselves when the back stretch was reached the last tune, for they were well clear of anything else. However, the field then began to close up, and Royal Form was the first done with. Zircon hung on till the top of the straight was reached, but eventually had to be content with sixth place. He will do better than that soon.

Moifaa, who won the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1901, subsequently earned distinction in the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase of 1904. and h<j ranks ns the only colonial-bred horse ! that has succeeded in winning ? the great cross-country event at Aintree | Charlatan has made a good recovery horn the mishap that prevented him racing at the Auckland or (he Dunedin meeting Since his return to Riccarton he lias had a spell, and ho has now resumed work, in preparation for a trip to Irentham next month. Penury Rose is far from being ready and he tailed the field almost irom wo start of the Otago Hurdles Handicap It will be remembered that this gelding broke down badly some time ago and it was generally expected that he would not race again,. The fact that' he has been got well enough to contest two races speaks well for the ability of the Southland trainer J. A. Rowlands.

Overhaul has proved a regular goldmine to his connexions this season. He was held under lease by J. Shaw, who also had an optional purchasing agreement over the gelding. This he exercised and in turn passed the gelding on to the well-known Dunedin sportsman, Mr J. Richardson, who is reported to have paid one thousand guineas for him. Overhaul Ms proved such a sterling racehorse that the price seems well within his value. As a Winter Cup prospect Overhaul fills the bill very nicely. Of the field of 10 that contested the Great Northern Steeplechase in 1905, Kiatere, Haydn, and Kanaka were the only contestants that completed * the course. v

Kiatere, who won the Great Northern Steeplechase on two occasions, was bought as a yearling for 15-gn.s. The investments on the totalisator in connection with the fust Great Northern Steeplechase amounted to .£1052. The sum invested last year on the race in question was £16,321^. Since the Great Northern Steeplechase was instituted in 1885 o.nly six horses have succeeded tinder an impost of 12 stone or over, viz., Macaroni (12.0), Levanter (12.0). The Guard (12.3), latere (12.12), Waimai (12.0). and Coalition (12.5). Levanter, El Gallo and Sir Roseberry are the only horses that succeeded in winning the Great Northern Steeplechase in successive years. When Allegro won the Great Northern Steeplechase of .1888 she led from start to finish. Within a few days of scoring her memorauie victory at Ellerslie she was drowned while endeavouring (o swim ashore from the wreck of the steamer Ilawea at New Plymouth. When Beau Cavalier led the Great Northern Steeplechase held homo the son of Chesterfield was timed to cover the distance in 8.5, which is 113-5 seconds outside the record for the race held by Master Lupin, who was successful in 1919 Master Lupin, who was owned ; by Mr Jas. Bull, was a rather good per- , former on the flat, and in 1915 when he [won the Wanganui Cup established a I record for the mile and three-quarters j race by covering the distance in 3.0 3-5, but this was beaten four years later by ; Dusky Eve, who won the Cup in. 2.59. ; It will thus be recognised that the re- ; cord for the Great Northern Steplechase from a time point is held by a horse who had proved nimsc- not "only possessed of speed when racing on the flat, but one who had staying qualities too. Master Lupin's time was 7.53 2-5, which is 9 3-5 seconds belter than registered by Sir Rosebery when he won the race for (he second (imc two years ago, and recorded S 3. It will thus be seen that Beau Cavalier's time was well outside the record for the race. The Ashburton Trotting Club has agreed to introduce before the New Zealand Trotting Conference next month, a number of remits embodying suggestions made by the Owners and Breeders' Association. The first of these is to make the minimum weight lor drivers in harness races eleven stone. Another is that a horse may be raced in (he registered colours of his owner or his trainer. Jfc j s a ,] so proposed that no horse shall be handicapped slower than his best, winning performance, and that every horse shall be handicaped as a maiden until he has won a race. j. he American trotting stallion Brigand, who has been none too sound for a- long time, broke down very badly in the Lytfelton Handicap recently. ' Tl. Frost, his rider, dismounted, and led the horse back to the paddock, Cannonball is now being raced as a trotter. He won a few races on, the West Coast, as a pacer. He is by Wildwood Jnr. from the American mare Madam Shaw, and he looks like making goon as a free-legged horse. Waitaki Girl, who won the King George Handicap at Addinglon last week, was successful in the same race

a year ago. On that occasion the track I was fast, and she registered 4rnin 25sec, whereas lior time was 4min 45 4-ssee this year. She had no winning performance in the interval, her only money-earning effort being her second to Man o' War in the Chrislchurch Handicap in November. Waitaki Girl paced a, .solid race on I'YidaV, and half ei ihih jroii) jaiwifjMa started a brJUiaii'tijuln,; tijai'iti cßrtiea ti<k to tfio-frafib m. su furlong. The three-year-old pacer, Rev Logan, has been purchased by the Auckland .sportsman, Mr G. M'Millan, and !he has gone into I!. IS. Uerry's stable. lie made his first appearance in his new owner's colours at Addington last week. One of the most improved pacers at Addington is Wenlo. Although showing plenty of speed in. his training work, Wenlo, with the colours up, was a totally different pacer. In his last few efforts, however, he has raced most generously and has put. up some capital performances for a pacer in his class. lie seems to be still on the improve, judged by his training work (says a Cliristchurch writer).

It is stated that the new owner of the pacer Peter Wilkins is far from. satisfied •with the pacer's showing in his last effort and the fast but erratic pacer may change hands again shortly. Sea Pearl, who has raced so well during this season, is still enjoying her spell. -The Nelson-owned Imprint has been placed 72yds behind in the Campbell Handicap (2 miles) at Auckland, on the same mark as Sea, Pearl. In. the Cornwall Handicap, Imprint is on the 36 yards mark witn Cardinal Logan. Nelson Fame and Peter liingen are 12yds further back. ■ SATURDAY'S DISQUALIFICATIONS OWNER'S APPEAL UPHELD (By Telegraph—Special to "The Mail") AUCKLAND, 7th June In connection with the disqualifications over Memsahib in the Hunt Club Cup on Saturday, the appeal of the owner, Alervyn Wells, was upheld bv the Auckland District Committee of the New Zealand Racing Conference, and the appeal of the jockey, W. Reid, was dismissed.