NOTES FROM ELLERSLIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19218, 6 January 1926, Page 6

NOTES FROM ELLERSLIE.

GOSSIP OF THE TRACKS. BY ARCHER. Ellerslie is quiet after the bis meeting. All the visitors have returned home, and many of the local horses are on the easy list. Bustler (C. Regan) was sent over four hurdles at Ellerslie yesterday, and made a good showing Elmestra (W. Feilding) 'was also schooled, and shaped very satisfactorily. The Waikato trainers, G. A. Reid and H. L. Russell, will not return home until after the Thames meeting, where Reid will bo represented by Hangawera and Archeen, and Russell by Civility. Siaosi, Berinthea, and Mount Marta. Both trainers are now located at Takapuna with their charges. Lapidary is orice again working nt Ellerslie under the direction of A. Robertson. The importsd horse injured himself shortly before the recent meeting and had to bo eased up, but isi now thoroughly recovered. It is the intention of A. Cook to take Tall Timber and Hyde Park to the Foxtan meeting, which takes place on January 2and 23. In his present form Tall Timber should race prominently at that gathering. The chances are that one or two Ellerslie stables will b<i represented at the Wellington meeting this month. W. H. Patterson may take Surveyor and Pelhain ana • Cunningham may make the trip with .uncly Kidicule, though nothing definite has yet been decided upon. After receiving a fall from Peter Amans in the Auckland Hurdlo Race S. Henderson was removed to hospital, but he only had a short stay in the institution, and was about again at the beginning of the week. i"lis chief injury consists of a nasty cut over the left eye. Henderson expects to be riding Irish Jig at the Thames meeting next week. The three-year-old filly Holymond opened her winning account in the Grey Handicap at Ellerslie. and also won her way out of the hack class though she has several nominations for hack events that she can run out. For some time past Holymona has been making steady progress, but few anticipated that she was capable of defeating such a. useful fielci. It was up to Barometer to do something, and his win the Grandstand Handicap was not out of its turn. Early in the season no was galloping excellently, but his for;., fall much below expectations, and probably the hard race he had in flia Avondale Cup when not quite ready set him back temporarily. Now that he has reached tbe winning list again more good deeds should come from him. On his running in the first division of the Railway Handicap Merry Damon looked to havo good prospects of winning a race at the recent meeting, but he developed soreness after that event and only made one more appwiranco, whon he gallopeQ ycry scratchily. Merry Damon may come into his own when the tracks becomo softer. Those trainers who havo had Avondale as their headquarters have been compelled to make a change owing to Alterations that are being made at the suburb™ co C Hoddor has shifted to Ellerslie, while W. Stone has gono back to To Awamutu, where he was formerly looted. S. G. Lindsay and W. Kirk are expected to shift their teams this week. Danae ran a couple of good races at the recent meeting, and if reserved for a maiden should take a deal of beating. She lias lots of pace and also has plenty of size. FORTHCOMING MEETINGS. ROTORUA RACING CLUB. Tho Rotorua Racing Club will hold its annual race meeting on February 13 and 15. The programme issued in connection the approaching meeting at Arawa j l .™ shows prize money to the amount of £2150. and in addition there arc two trophies of the respective value oi £SO and £2a,.From the programme, which will be found nub lished in full in another column it will be seen that nominations for all events close on Friday, January 15. Nominations may be lodged up to 5 p.m. on the date named .7, t the Avondale Jockey Club s office. Street, and with the secretary, Mr. E. La Trobe Hill, up to 9 ;p.m. TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB. Nominations for all events to be run at tho Takapuna Jockey Club s Summer Meeting close on Friday next at 5 p.m., with the secretary, Mr. R. Wynyard.. THAMESj JOCKEY CLUB. Acceptances for events to bo run on the opening day of the. Thames nu,® meeting close on Friday next at 5 p.m. The same may be lodged either with Mr. A. C. Kae, Thames, or with Mr. R. Wynyard. Shortland Street, Auckland. BAY OF ISLANDS! RACING CLUB. Acceptances for all events to be run at tho Bay of Islands Racing Club s meeting close on Monday next at 5 p.m.. with the secretary. Mr. C. H. Puttick. Kawakawa. WELLINGTON NOTES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Grand Kniglit, by his performances at Palmeraton North and at tho Marton meeting, bore out all the good things that were forecasted for him. He is 9™ of the most improved horses in the Dominion and shows promise of staying on over a middle distance. Since being built up in condition he does not show any signs of tho weakness behind which bothered his trainer last year. Lie won over aix furlongs, nine furlongs, and a milo and a-quarter during the holidays, bo far as racing out a distance is concerned, he did best in the Marton Cup when apposed to Ngata and Clarinda. proved gallopers in form. Whether ho will stay out a Wellington Cup journey remains to be seen, but it does not appear too much to hope for If Piquant could be relied on, she would be a great bettang proposition over a short course. The, English-bred mare has the speed, but she is a bit jady. Degage raced consistently during the holidays, two secondi) at Awapuni being followed by a second to a first-class horse in Suggestion in the Wairarapa Cup and a win in the principal handicap on the second day. She stays on well over a middle distance, and should win some useful handicaps during the autumn. After liei wood races throughout the holidays, her failure over six furlongs on tho second day at Woodville becomes harder to understand than over. Tanadeea Taced so well on the hard tracks at Awapuni that onti would have expected him to show up well at the Wairarapa meeting with the sting out of the ground. Ho failed to get any closer than third on Saturday, but can be expected to show up better at Trontham. Tannadice, from _ tho same stable, ehowed promise at Awapuni, fulfilling that promise by gaining second place each day at Tauherenikau. This three-year-old filly by Kilbroney from Bonny Helen should pay to follow, for sho is just coming right. J. Ayres has Modern and Natu very well. Modern is a possibility for a good handicap at one of the important meetings with a capable light-weight in the saddle. Natu scored two seconds over hurdles at the Marton meeting, being beaten on the second day by another Trentham-trained horse in Axle, trained by W. Young. Mr. W. Higgins his a very useful hack' in Kilbronsvth, who, despite his recent good form, is still eligible for the Douro Cup in Wellington. He will have a good horse's weight in that race no doubt, but for all that should be a well-backed candidate and take a power of beating. CANTERBURY NOTES. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] CELRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. A. Cutts is spelling Retrospect, Serotina, and Front Rank, wSom he had racing at Wingatui. He will-take them in hand again shortly, as they will probably bo needed for a trip to Trentham. where they may be accompanied by Wild Work, a maiden two-year-old by Autumnus from Helter Skelter. Barn Owl resumed work recently with Cutts Brothers' team, but the Antagonist mare is not doing so well as could be wished. 4 , Rivalry and Counter-move will be in work again neit week, but Scotch Wit will have a spell for a few weeks longer. During the absence, of F. D. Jones in the North Island the Martian two-year-olds, Battlement and Torque, are being kept going in useful tasks. They may carry the colours of their breeder, Mr. J. F. Buchanan, at Trentham this month, after which a trip to Wingatui is a probability. G. J. Pine has tho three-year-old Victory Bond and the two-year-old Paper Boy moving: along freely in useful tasks. It is probable that this uair will represent Mr. G. Gerard at Trentham this month. The three-year-old filly Paper Rose is also doing useful work and she may bo seen out at the Dunedin Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting. Another member of the team, Crossbow, the two-year-old Archery—Peace, gelding, is going along quietly, there being no intention of racing him until later in the season. Royal Despatch is still very lame, and probably at least a month will elapse before I F. P. Claridge can put him into work airain. Iln the meantime ho is being given a little light exorcise on the lead every day.