NOTES FROM ELLERSLIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 15

NOTES FROM ELLERSLIE.

GOSSIP OF THE TRACKS.

BY ARCHER. i Admirers of a super-class thoroughbred 1 will fake pleasure from seeing Gold Light , 1?.. ac, )?n. during tho summer carnival at , Ellershe. Expert training and judicious racing have brought this mare to the ' highest state of perfection ss a racing machine. It is doubtful if there is anything her equal over a two-milo course at weigh go in New Zealand and Australia to-day, if wo except Spearfelt. Her performances this spring in handicap events have been consistent and meritorious, while I her performances at weight-for-nge in the i autcrburv Cup, wherein she equalled the record for two miles and a-quarter, and in the , '""'l, Memorial Cup, in which she defeated Louffhrea, Sunart, and the brilliant Inferno as if they wero moderates over a mile and 8-quarter in 2m 4?," are proof or' her greatness. Mr. W. T. IJazlett, her owner, an/1 S. Waddell. her veteran trainer, must bo very proud of her. Coeoauut ii a. neat filly and may bo very "l cfu l- . ho is Australian-bred, being by ■tie Ant from Nauta, hence a half-sister to Ulenbranter, who ha? shown „«inart form over short courses in Sydney. Cocoaaut is owned by Messrs. J. C. and P. S. Gleeson and framed bv J. T. Janueson. She is engaged in only one event at tho Auckland summer meeting. a *', i' 3 something like 20 years since an Auckland norse was successful in tho Great JNorthern Derby, and a victory for one of the local three-year-olds would bo popular, five of the candidates for the event this year are Auckland-Owned, but their form has not, been such as to iv> them particu 'r' °Ü Bh ;' Prospects, though Sandstar and J own bank are possibilities. I am very hopeful concerning Bandstar. who has been pieadily improving with each race, and has leu a very favourable impression. Sandstar is a handsome and attractively-bred colt, and on the maternal f.ide traces directly back to that illustrious mare Pulehra. When iJerby day arrives he may be a solid proposition for the southerners. His earlier running at the meeting should give some idea oi his chance. Tho two year-old Star Stranger is an attractive colt, and has shuned rather well I '", the couple of gallops lie has had at fauersno. By. Martian from Star Ladv, he c , a < lay claim to a stout pedigree and I Should make good some da He Ins not yet been produced in a raco and is not vet quite ready. , For a. Uj'it (hut had to bo hurried along! big tilings were expected of Mimetic in I fho early spring, and, though ho did scarcely as well as anticipated, he displayed plenty of ] pace. Mimetic has progressed during tv,e ! past two mouths, and, though beaten in!o : second, place in a juvenile handicap it Woodville last week, should take some bestlug in the Great Northern Foal Stakes, lie i galloped well on Thursday. It is a pity that Automne will not be on j hand to try conclusions with tho other { youngsters in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. Hi 3 absence will rob the event of some interest, but with King's Speech, Mimetic. Runnymede. and other smart juveniles engaged there will be ample j material to provide an interesting race. Muraahi looks all the better for the run he had in the To Awamutu Cup. and has done nicely during the week. He is oho of the proved stayers in the Auckland Cup. The maimer in which King's Speech won the two two-year-old events at Tukapuna I left a good impression, and ho will be one f of ''he favourites for the Great \ Northern Foal St»kes. From his appearance ) it, is evident that he has gone on the right way during the pftst fortnight. King'o Speech ia an attractive galloper and should fully extend the best of tho visitors. Lady Eidiculo pleased the track-watchers on Thursday, and, as she is looking very well, is not likel.v to be neglected in her engagements at the A.B.C. Summer Meeting. _ The da lighter of Absurd won a welter at. Ellerslie In November, and would be a prime fancy if started in the Plunkct Welter on tho second day. A hack that, has been showing plenty of pace over short courses on the track is King Pot, who is trained by P. Conway. King Pot is a four-year-old gelding by Heather Mixture from Elysian Ro*e. and has sufficient speed to •wiu back events. He ! has only started twice and been unplaced | on both occasions. Although he missed n place in both of his engagements at Tukapiiua,. Bevis made two good showings, especially in the Vauxball Handicap, when, after being badly left, ho was with the leaders at the turn. Without doing anything special, Bevis is moving along very nicely, and he may be in the firing line in hack events during the A.R.C. Summer Meeting. Muscari's third in the Takapuna Plat© was his best performance to date. It was his first outing for a couple of months, and ho shaped well enough to suggest that a- stake would shortly come his way. Thoso who saw To Mona.nui finishing on at the end of tho Vauxhall Handicap «l Takarmna anticipate that his turn is not far off. This promising hack should improve with each race, and he may be in the limelight before the close of the summer meetins; ~ . I So far this season Alfort has not shown j his very best form in public, though he j has run several very creditable races. The i Fortafix gelding requires plenty of racing a.nd work to bring him so his be<-t. and, as J 1.0 has had virile a few races lately, may ! reach his top again before the meeting con- j cludes. Alfort ran fourth in the Railway ! Handicap last year. The Potoa—Vorei geldine who is being trained by Bert. Rao has been named Narcosis . Though he has performed moderately up to the present. Gold Acre has shown enough sneed to lead his owners to expect better things from him in future. J. T. Jamiesou has Gold Acre looking a picture, and the son of Linaero may make nis presence felt in tho juvenile handicap events. The running of Royal Present in his engagements subsequent to winning the Mitchelson Cup was not, in keeping with his form in that event. It is doubtful whether | he ever looked better than he does now, and his track effort with Muraahi on Thursday bhowed him to be in good order. Pavo has been unplaced iu each of bis four starts this season, but he is doing i nicely now and may show to more advantage ) during the summer meeting. With 5.6 | to carry in the Railway Handicap, Pavo { has ii weight under which he can run a j merry six "furlongs, and his chance is a good deal hotter than his recent form sug- i gests. I One of the most consistent horses racing in tho Dominion last, season "was Hipo, whose most, noteworthy success was achieved in tho Auckland Easter Handicap. This I season Hipo has not been prominent in his three engagements, though lie looked so bright and* healthy at Takapuna that ho can bo expected to strip very fit to tackle the Railway Handicap. H. Gray will bo in the saddle. \ W. S. Bagby has been engaged to ride Ring the Bell. Spoony, Gold Acre, and Broadwood. R. S. Bagby will most likely ride King's Speech in tho Great Northern Foal Stakes. Runnymede was considered unlucky to lose the Canterbury Welcome Stakes, and. as ho won two juvenile handicaps at Trcntham previous to that, is evidently a smart youngster. On his form he looks likely to be one of tho hardest to beat in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. More should be known of his chance after we have seen him work at Ellerslie. There ha« been nothing special about tho work of Musket oon of late, but he has been executing his tasks nicely and should } go to the post in excellent condition for | the Auckland ('tip. Mu..ketoon finished ] third in the New Zealand Cup, and with the same weight to carry ho should bo with the leading division at the finish. | ,7. Preston will ride Miss Melva in fho hurdle events at the approaching meeting at, Ellersiio. and W. Ronnie- will bo on Explorer. The form displayed by Shir at Ric- ! carton proved her to be a, very smart (illy over five furlongs. Shirley worked pleas- ; ingly over four furlongs on Thursday and ! , promises to perform well in the two-year-old , handicaps. She is a very neat filly by j Absurd from Hoy, so tnat i! is not surprising that she can travel fust. E, Keesing will have 'he mount on Lucius i in ihe Railway Handicap. F. Waddcll will ride Cold Light and Shirley. Everybody will bo pleased to learn that T. Tito, who was seriously injured w.icn Lapidary fell in the To Awamutu Cup is | making pood progress, and. there is every ; reason to believe that he will recover. j FORTHCOMING MEETINGS. TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB. The summer meeting held annually by (ho Takapuna Jockey Club has long filled a position among the most popular (mures in this pari of the Dominion, mid that wo are close to another gathering at the North Shore pointed evidence is forthcoming by tho publication of the programme in connection therewith. The total sum allotted to the 16 events which form the programme is £7526. and the Tukapuna Cup of £1500 appropriately heads tin- list., a gold cup of the value of £100 furnishing the trophy. The next events of mo'l importance aro the Takapuna Jockey Club Handicap of .CHOC and the Stewards' Handicap of £600.. ho twovear-old division is catered for in the shape of a brace of handicaps, carrying the respective slakes of *:500. while tho four hurdle race* which figure on the programme are collective y worth £11 b rom the programme, which will be found published in full in another column, it will no seen that nominations for all events close on Friday, January '■>. at. 5 p.m.. with the secretary, Mr. R. Wynyard. OTAMATEA RACING CLUB. Nominations for all events to be run of tho Otamatca Racing Club's meeting close on Monday, January 5, at 5 p.m. In the programme published last Saturday art • error crept into the conditions of the Otamatca Cup. The nomination fee is 20« and acceptance 17: i. In the Maiden Hartdicap the nomination feo is 5s uad the acc<u)tft.nco feo 6».