NOTES FROM ELLERSLIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19415, 25 August 1926, Page 8

NOTES FROM ELLERSLIE.

GOSSIP OF THE TRACKS. BY ARCHER. It was quiet at Ellerslie yesterday, but, with, the spring meetings coming on, there will be plenty doing in the next few weeks. On the sand yesterday Wenday easily ran six furlongs in 1m 24 3-ss. being accompanied over the last four furlongs by Scot free. A. Julian intends to leave for New Plymouth on Thursday with Fair Abbey and Wenday, who are engaged at the North Taranaki Hunt Meeting. Wenday may also race at Marion and Wanganui before returning home. A. Cox will leave for Feilding on Thursday with Rahepoto and Orma, who are engaged at the Marton Spring Meeting. On tils latest form, Rahepoto should have an excellent chance of winning a stake at that fixture. Peka Pai, Day Bell and Schorr were exercised at the barrier at Ellerslie yesterday. Schorr, who is a little green at tho barrier yet, will probably compete at the Marton meeting next week. Last month he raced fairly in moderate company at Trentharo and is likely to do better very soon. A newcomer to Ellerslie is a two-year-old gelding by Catmint from Queen Boadicea. The youngster arrived from Gisborne on Monday and has gone into the charge of C. Norgrove. The hurdler Karamu is once again working at Ellerslie under the direction of his owner. He has been an absentee from the tracks since June, but has been pottering about and ia bright and healthy. The Te Aroha-trained three-year : old Tea Time will probably be seen out in minor events at the Marton Spring Meeting. This fellow showed lots of pace in his races last season and notched three seconds in three starts. His best effort was to run second to Tea Bell in tho Nursery Handicap at the Thames meeting, since when he has not raced. Tea Time i 3 reported to have done well lately and should be worth keeping in mind. The victories of Chamour and Lomint at Ellerßlie last Saturday direct further attention to their siro Catmint, whose progeny have been doing really well of late. Catmint is a commanding horse with a pedigree full of staying blood and should leave hi 3 mark on the bloodstock of this country. Two finer types of young mares than his daughters Lomint and Danae it would be nerd to find and they should do much to bring their sire into prominence this season. Three failures at Trentham last month sent Hoariri out of favour and he was at a good price in the Dunedin Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday. Beginning brilliantly from an outside position, Hoariri was soon with the leaders and only missed winning by a narrow margin. His performance was a good one and there is no doubt that he is a fine sprinter when in form. As a beginner he has few superiors round these parts. Wenday has been working exceptionally well and is a very fit mare. She will be very unlucky if she fails to win in the next few weeks. Wenday only requires one more success to place her out of .the hack class. The surprise of the Jellicoe Handicap was the forward running of Gold Rain, who led for naif the journey and eventually finished fourth. There is a strong impression that Gold Rain is a jade, but he should return to the winning list later on if he infuses the same dash into his work as he did on Saturday. It is reported that the Auckland horseman R. McTavish will ride for the Wellington sportsman, Mr. E. Riddiford, this season. McTavish is riding in his best form at present and was seen to advantage on Rahepoto and York Abbey on Saturday. Barometer ran a fine ra.ee in the Dunedin Handicap and was finishing fast in seventh position after losing a good position early. There is no doubt that he is more forward than he was this time last year and he is a possibility for one of the spring handicaps. Bahadur was an unlucky horse _at the Pakuranga Hunt Meeting, but his turn should come later on. The Lucullus gelding was certainly one of the most promising hunters at the meeting and it is in his favour that he is a comparatively young horse. Age seems to- be' improving Lady Cintra,, who rnn - her beat race to date by finishing fifth in the Auckland Handicnp. The class was certainly weak, and she may never be good, but she should be equal to getting a stake in minor company. » For about a mile King Selwyn led the field in the Sylvia r ark Handicap. Then he collapsed and finished a bad last. _ Shorter journeys should be more to his liking, but he is one that may need careful placing to win.

Last season Gold Jacket notched two victories at country meetings and his third in the Jellieoe Handicap suggests that he will win' again at the smaller meetings. Gold Jacket has now reached an age when he is not likely , to improve and will find it hard to win on the metropolitan courses. The three-year-old King Arch, who finished second to Chamour in the Auckland Handicap,. left the impression that he would be useful later on. It was only his second appearance in public, as he only Taced once last season. King Arch should be kept in mind for hack events ahead. . King Emerald directed attention to liis future prospects by leading a smart field of sprinters.for most of the way in the Dunedin Handicap and winding up a close fiftjb. As King Emerald is still a maiden, it should be profitable for his owner to look for easier races than open sprints. Want of racing seems to be the trouble •with Naasock, who raced in the manner of a . green horse in the Auckland Handicap. Nassock gallops well on the tracks and will succeed in hack company when he becomes more seasoned. So far he has only had four starts. It was very gratifying to find the three-year-old division showing. up well at the P&kuranga Hunt Meeting. Horses, of that age who raced promiiuntly were Chamour, King Arch, Plane Pearl and Clarus, and they should all be worth keeping in . mind. For a maiden, Clarus ran a line race in the Dunedin Handicap, , being well up all the way and finishing a close third. It should not be long before lie does better, as he is a very decent galloper. The form shown by Quinvardia in the Auckland Handicap fell below expectations. She had been galloping well, but was never really prominent in running From a standing start she does not begin too well, but she may make amends lator on. Ballymoy 11. is looking a picture. She has been working usefully and should be in great heart for the spring meetings. The injury E. Warner received to his collarbone when Sea Comet fell with him at the Pakuranga Hunt Meeting was not of a serious nature and he left yesterday for Hawera, where he will ride at the EgmontWanganui Hunt Meeting to-morrow. R. E. Thomson also left yesterday to ride at the aamo meeting. WANGANUI, NOTES. THREE-YEAR-OLD DIVISION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WANGANUI, Tuesday. Limited is unfortunately not engaged in the Wanganui Guineas, <but' Lvsander. Seatoun, Kiosk, Helen, Lady Desmond, and one or two, others will make up a good field, and there is every prospect of a moat interesting race. Lysander has done a fair amount ,of Bprintinc lately, but, though he will be weli forward for the classic event, he will scarcely be at his very best. Still, what beats the son of Absurd—Pennon should win. it is understood that Seatoun is in good fettle, and, as this colt will probably be seen in action at Hawera on Wednesday, his form will be eagerly scanned in view of his engagement in the Wanganui Guineas. Allowaz is hitting out aiicely on the tracks and gives promise of developing into a good sort. He is to be a runner in the Trial Plate at the Marton meeting, and this should serve as a guide as to hi 3 prospects in the Wanganui Guineas. It is reported that Gaiilard has been galloping well recently, and it will not bo surprising to see this son of Absurd run a big race in tho Flying Handicap at Hawera. Tamakana has been hitting out well on the tracks recently, and,. ss he is jumping in improved stvle. he might shape well in the Hunters' Hurdles at Hawera. Halgina and Whenuanui will fulfil their engagements at Hawera next week. The former-" is well forward and he will keep the others busy "n the Flving Handicap. It )3 more than likely that F. Tilley will have a team of half-a-dozen engaged at Wanganui. As a rule the Fordell trainer has his charges well forward for the early-' spring meetings, and it is expected that he will gather in some of the stake-money next month. The hunter by San Fran—Mahoe has been named Atone. He is a good cut of jumper and should run well in his engage- 1 ments .at Hawera^ Empire Camp is hitting out fairly well on the tracks and should be forward enough to run prominently at the Marton meetinor if *ocd enough. Nothinc has been done by the locallytrained two-year-olds to suggest that they ire anything out of the ordinary. Thaw looks the most forward, but Covent Garden is hittinsr out in a style that points to him as one likely to prove a useful sprinter, i