TURF TOPICS

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 924, 28 March 1918, Page 19

TURF TOPICS

By Torpedo.

THE Auckland Easter Meeting is attracting considerable attention .-and special interest is being, taken in i-.he double—Easter" Handicap and JBrighton Hurdles. Owing to his~reeent -performances at Wairarapa, Parisian Diamond is most fancied for the former event. . Carrying 10.0 odd on the -second day he won like a racehorse, and as he" has only 7.10 to carry, in the "Easter Handicap his chance does certainly command respect. The distance, however, is a. mile. At Wairarapa the distance' was six furlongs, which might make 'a lot of difference, more especially as there are some amilers engaged capable of setting a strong pace for the whole of the journey, Mullingar, for instance, with.B.4; Uncle Ned, with 7.13, and the evergreen Colonel Soult, with the handy impost of .7.8, might be capable of -downing the Diamond. If Uncle Ned were to give of his best, he would keep the field busy. He is said to be pretty well just now... For the ; Brighton Hurdles, the second leg of the double, Ditto is practic--cally favourite, for'why I cannot guess. Recent performances are only mediocre. <Gluetanus and Marconi have done more to merit confidence. And if .Fisher -stands up at his fences he should, be a persistent bidder. For the Christchurch double, Autumn and Easter, there is wide diversion of opinion to the probables in the double events. - : ; : The Easter Handicap is run over .seven furlongs, and Croesus, with 9.3, has been sorted 'out : by many to be the pea.. There is no gainsaying the iact that .the half-brother to Desert ■■Gold: is a cut above the ordinary, and quite up to carrying his weight,, but I do think that the last pinch will find him short of breath. Sweet Corn and Nystad will "keep him busy. The Great Autumn Handicap, is run •over one mile and a-half, and there is a( lot of money to say that the Kilbroney horse Kiliard should run well, but money doesn't always tell the truth. The Dunedin Cup winner, Margerine, whom the veteran rider and trainer Bob Derrett has in great buckle, is said to be fit to run out a, solid mile and a-half with 8.8 on her back. Sir Geo. Clifford's Adjutant is spoken of favourably in some quarters, but he'll have to be in good nick to foot it -with Margerine and Ascalaphus, winder of the Gore and Invereargill Cups. The Rangitikei Meeting proved a most successful one, a record totalisator turn-over resulting. Kiltess ran away with the Cup, Gold Soult being the only one within a •couple of lengths of her. On the second day the latter gathered in the principal event. Mr. J. Bull possesses a more than useful sort in All Over, by All Red, a sire owned by Mr. Bull. The Hunterville sportsman also won a race with Colorado. The Desmond horse Demosthenes was recently priced by a would-be buyer, but negotiations collapsed when 10,000 guineas were asked. Backers succeeded fairly well in selecting winners at the . Rangitikei Meeting, and double layers did not succeed in showing their customary substantial profits, x Coropett, who had been expected for some little time, caught the judge's eye at Bulls, and paid those followers who still held oni a fair price, but not "by any means the whole of their past investments. Parisian Diamond is proving a great friend to punters, with whom the brown gelding is a great favourite. They feel that they are getting a run for their money every time and every race is improving the son of Charlemagne 'IT. On the first day at Bulls he hopped out in the six furlongs event and it was "Good-bye, McGuinness." On the second day the handieapper endeavoured, to bring him back to his field with 10.8. It was in vain, however, as with Hector Gray in the saddle, he beat Starengo by half-a-length in lmin 15sec. Parisian Diamond will have heaps of followers in his Auckland engagement. Rl. C. Reed had a field day at Invereargill on the second day when he steered three winners. ,?, The double on each day at Invereargill was won by the same horses — Rorke's Drift and Micheala.

Excellent entries have been received for the Feilding Meeting, and it is safe to anticipate that acceptances, which are not due as I write, will be satisfactory.'" It is not often that a hurdle race outside of metropolitan clubs receives a nomination numbering 24, the number entered for the Kawa Kawa Hurdles, and as quite a number of those handicapped belong to the active brigade, and the winners well concealed ; probably a baker's dozen will face the starter —quite a big enough field over sticks. The handicapper came down with a heavy nib when he wrote 12.5 against Colorado's name. I wouldn't be surprised if he were numbered among the missing on the day. Want won at Bulls, arid now has 10.1.3, but his. chances may not be as inviting as those of Parewanui (10.11), Toki (9.12). The Feilding Cup has 18 entrants, Client being top-weight with 9.12, but much as Owner "Bill' Duncan loves winning at Feilding, methinks the weight will stop his horse. There are some "dark" horses in the race that should, be heard from soon. Dingle is nicely treated x with 7.11, whilst Nobleman's efforts at Bulls have lowered him in the weights. But the two races into him might just make him about as good as when he won at Trentham, and then Dingle would have to get very busy to beat him home. Miss De "Val has been looked for on two ■ or three occasions of late, but her followers are suffering from eye strain. She is a good mare when really well, and as she has stood up_ to her work, it would not be surprising to see her make a good showing if started. Multifual can carry weight, gallop fast, and stay, and 8.4 is a handy weight. I

should say that Dingle, Multifual, and Miss De Yal will be among the acceptors, and, if in form, should give a good account of themselves. A good outsider is Midnight Star with 6.7. The Mangaone Stakes, six furlongs, is the second leg of the double, and will take a. lot of picking. Croesus is topweight with 10.5, but Christeburch engagements will probably take precedence. Form Up is next with 9.8, and as he has recently changed hands, which oft times means change of luck, the speedy son of Normative ''might do the trick, although he would have- to foot it with some of our best sprinters. If one could only say that Play Off was the Play Off of last season, what a snip

with 8.2, but one. can't say. I can't lose my respect,for Hyginas, although, no longer under the cerise banner, and look for a speedy go with 7.9—with a good lad up. There is another away down the list that can. gallop under light weights, and that is ; Aster (7.4). There-may be something doing, in the near f uture--so a canary . Avarbles. Probable acceptors in the other events are: : — . Onepuhi Hack Welter, one mile and 51 yards.—Signorella 8.8, Multive- 9.9. Taonui Hack, seven furlongs.—-Exclu-sive 7.10, Zela 7.7. , Ongp Hack, five and a-half furlongs. —-Engari 8.9, Goldbearing 6.13. Halcombe Welter, seven furlongs.-— Probation 8.1, Tirana 8.8.

■ ■ "■ ■"■'■!■ ■'.'/' NEXT OF KIN WANTED. ' To, ROBERT GOURLEY" SAMUEL GOURLEY, son of said Robert Gourley v and his ~'.." 'wife, .Mary Anne Gourley, otherwise Rankin. JOSEPH GOURLEY SAMUEL GOURLEY MARY or MAY GOURLEY, daughter of the said Samuel Gourley and his wife, Jane Gourley, otherwise Grubb. PURSUANT to an Order of the High Court of Justice' in Ireland Chancery Division made in the Matter of the Estate of William Gourley, lat© of Derrywilligan, in the County of Armagh, Ireland, Farmer, deceased, Mary Gourley,, Plaintiff, and Ellen Clarke, Defendant. All persons claiming to be next-of-kin according to the Statutes for the distribution of intestate's estates of the above named deceased living at the time of his death on or, about the 18th day of 1915, intestate and especially the above named persons, or to be the legal personal representatives of such of the said next-of-kin as are now dead are by their Solicitors on or before the 25th day of October, 1918, to come in and prove their claims at the Chambers of, the Master of the Rolls, Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin, or in default .thereof they will be peremptorily excluded from, the benefit of said order. Wednesday, the 30th day of October, 1918, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon at the said Chambers is the time and place appointed for hearing and adjudicating on the said claims. Dated this. 21st day of December, 1917. (Signed) EDWARD SALMON, Chief Clerk, Wray and Donnelly, Solicitors for Defendant, 11, Dame Street, Dublin.