NOTES FROM ELLERSLIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19676, 30 June 1927, Page 14

NOTES FROM ELLERSLIE.

GOSSIP OF THE TRACKS. BY ARCHER. After being on the easy list for several weeks Day Bell is back in work again at Ellerslio and ho is full of life after his holiday. Unless present intentions are altered. Day Bell is not likely to race again until the spring meetineß are at hand and in the meantime C. tlodder will keep liim to useful tasks only. There are few more promising young jumpers than Day Bell, and when his powers react, full development he should take hit: 11 honours over fences. Since running in the Kins; George Handicap. wherein he finished second to Tinokou, Town Guard has been resting and he is not likely to keep his engagements at Trentham next month. The Archiestown gelding is reported to have freshened up nicely during his respite from work ;tnd it is intended to take him in hand again next week with a view to preparing him for the spring meetings. Town Guard has shown very promising form and he should be one ot the best prospects among the locals for the new season. The Cynic gelding Scaramoucho is getting through serviceable work at Ellerslie under the guidance of A. Lee and lie should he wed forward for the early spring .meetings. Up to the present he has been a failure and done nothing to raise any enthusiasm concerning his future prospects, but he has thickened a good deal .ately and is carrying an improved appearance. As he is only a voung horse—rising tour years—there should still be hope for Scaramouch®, although ho may never t ise to very high rank. Two regular attendants at EUerslie ire Clockwork and Ash Tray, who are being kept working usefully by their trainer, R. Lewis. The pair are in healthy condition, and Clockwork should be in cood trim for the Pakuranga Hunt meeting in August. Ash Tray is a nicelv-bred filly, but she is on the small side and has so far shown no great promise. The disappointing Serang. whoso |orm this season has fallen short of expectations, is doing just enough to keep him healthy, and he is currying a bricht appearance. In the back end of his three-year-old career Serang attracted considerable attention by a sequence of successes and looked likely to bo a fcood performer as a four-year-old, but in 12 months he has onlv won one race. Perhaps. like Master Doon. who gave high promise as a three-year-old. only to disappoint in the following season, Serang may come into his own again PS t; five-year-old in the new season. One of the biggest youngsters among the yearlings at present exercising at Ellerslio is the filly by Lucullus from Avon Park that is being tra : n?d by F. Gilchrist. Like her full-brother, Master Mind, who showed promise as a juvenile until he contracted a severe cold, she promises to grow very big, but she has a more solid appearance than her relative did at the same age. While N. Cunningham is awav in Australia the work of his team is being supervised by H. Nesbit, but for the time being the stable inmates are not doing a great deal. Modest Boy, Standfast. Ballymoy 11., and Cynthia N. are working steadily and all look healthy, especially Ballymoy 11., who is very bright and should be back to her best form in the spring. The yearlings Dominican, Valquette and Sylvanuni are exercising usefully, but are not likely to be hurried.

The heavy condition of the local tracks during the past few weeks has prevented trainers from doing anything other than of a very gentle nature with their young ones, and for the time being most of the juveniles are being restricted to trotting exercise. The batch of yearlings at present in work at Ellerslie is probably the most promising we have had for several years, but with a wet winter tho prospects of the local youngsters in the early classics may be no better than in previous years. The Ellerslie trainer W. Tozer. who has been laid up with an attack of pleurisy, is well on the road to recovery and was able to leave his bed at the beginning of the week. "While he has been ill bis charges, Michael. Mountain Guide, and the filly by Valkvrian from Glutenora, have been kept working steadily, and all carry a healthy appearance. Mountain Guide is furnishing a good deal and may nave prospects later on. All continues to go well with Be:iu Cavalier and he should strip in great heart for His coming engagements at Trentham. There has» been nothing special about his latest track doings, but he has been accomplishing sound work in his usual free style. Beau Cavalier will have to carry a stone more in the Welllineton Steeplechuse than he successfully carried in the Great Northern Steeplechase, but, even so, he should prove one of the hardest to beat in the big event at Trentham. A recent addition to the list of yearlings in work at Ellerslie is a chestnut gelding by Archiestown from Miss Floss. The youngster has been well done ar.d shows a good deal of quality. He will be prepared by M. Ryan, who does not intend to hurry him. I J. Anderton has been allotting useful tasks to Diamond Queen and Hone Heke and the pair are doing nicely on the treatment. Diamond Queen bears an improved appearance and she should be well forward to race iu hack events at the early spring meetings. Hone Heke is a sturdy two-year-old gelding by Prince Merriwee from Elvsian Rose, hence a half-brother to the defunct King Pot. who was speedy o'-er sprint courses. So far lione Heke has not been seriously tried, but he moves freely and may coma very useful later en. The hunters Arapa and Simplicitas nte among the regular brigado at Ellerslie, where they are being trained by E. Rae. The pair frequently work together and they supply a decided contrast ir: type 9, Arapa being a big, lengthy fellow and one of the biggest horses in commission at headquarters, while Simplicitas is little more than a pony. Arapa is shoving more promise now than when in work a short time last year, but he may take a lot, of making if ever he is to make good. The two-year-old Brampton._ who made a very creditable showing in his last start, is wintering nicely and is carrying a very healthy appearance. As he is. still a maiden and will be able to start, at the bottom of the ladder, Brampton should re a payable proposition in the new season. It is reported that Paddon has been suffering from a poisoned leg, nr.d. altnough he is all right again, it is considered doubtful whether he will keep his engagements at Trentham next month. Paddon. whose latest form has been rather good, was one of the northern representatives considered likely to win at the southern meeting, and the news that all has not been well with him will be a disappointment to his admirers. In the cabled result of the race Lecherous was credited with running second to Reference in the second division of the Flving Welter Handicap at Moorefield (N.S.W.) last Saturday, but it transpires that the horse to fill that position was the Auckland-owned gelding Le Choucas. So far .7. T. Jamieson has had r>o luck on his trip to Svdney with Lo Choucas, Prince Otto and The Immigrant. Le ChoucaS, who was reported to have been solidly supported when he ran unplaced in the June Stakes at Randwick. went very close to winning at Moorefield last week and in an exciting finish he was only beaten by a head. It is reported that The Immigrant has gone amiss, and up to the present the trip has probably been a costly one for the Glenora Park trainer.