RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19761, 7 October 1927, Page 16

RACING.

SEASON'S FIXTURES. October 7, B—Otaki Maori Racing Club. October 8, 10—Auckland Racing 'Club. October S, 10—Oamaru Jockey Club. October 13, 15—Dunedin Jockey Club. October 15—Carterton Racing Club. October 19, 20—Cromwell Racing Club. October 21, 22—Waikato Racing Club. ! October 22, 24—Wellington Racing Club. October 24—Waikato Hunt. October 24—Waverley Racing Club. October 24—Waipawa Racing Club. October 24, 26—Gore Raoing Club. October 27, 29—Poverty Bay Turf Club. October 29—Masterton Racing Club. October 29, 31—Thames Jockey Club (at Ellerslie). November 6, 7, 9, 12—Canterbury Jockey Club. November 10, 12—Whangarei Racing Club. November 19—Levin Racing Club. November 26, 28—Takapuna Jockey Club. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. " Wager."—Te Monanui is seven years old. Last season he contested 14 races and bis record at that age was as follows:—One win, three times second, five times third, and five times unplaced. In the Wellington Cup contest Rapier (7.8) defeated To Monanui (9.3) by a nose. The time of the race in question was 2m 32Js. NOTES BY PHAETON. NEW ZEALAND CUP CANDIDATE. Lady Desmond, the four-year-old daughter of Limond and Bronze, is credited with registering an attractive performance when she won the Kaira,nga Handicap at Awapuni last Wednesday, and, as the bay mare figures in the New Zealand Cup at the minimum, she may be expected to have her engagement continued in the big southern race. A journey of a mile and 110 yards—the distance of the race won by Lady Desmond at Awapuni—is, of course, a very different question to the two miles over which the New Zealand Cup is decided. Still, there is some encouragement to regard Lady Desmond as a mare likely to develop the staying quality, and a fact that may be well worth remembering in connection with Lady Desmond's New Zealand Cup engagement is that her dam. Bronze, won a stayer's certicate at three years old when she won the Wanganui Cup under 8.3. HIGH-PRICED YEARLINGS. The poor form displayed by horses that were bought at high prices, at the New South Wales sales held in the autumn of 1926 has formed the subject of not a little comment. Avant Courier (by Valais—Courante), who cost 5500gns, has so far only managed to win £IOO in prize-money. Sion (by Valais— Galtee Queen), who was bought for UOOgns, has yet to win a race, and in his case it is stated that he has cost his owner a further large sum by his failures. Glenariff (by Valais—Bunnee) has only managed to win JE247. Valora (by Valais— Orvietta), a 3000-guinea purchase, has so far only managed to gain a place on one occasion. Murthong (by Valais—Otford), a Pull-brother to the sensational Manfred, cost 2700gns, but he has not so far won a single shilling in prize-money. Of course, the horses sold as yearlings in 1926 are only three-year-olds now, and there is plenty of time for them to recoup their respective owners, but there is no disguising the fact that none is regarded in a favourable light so far as classic engagements are concerned. In referring to the horses named above having failed to justify their purchase at high figures, "Pilot," of the Sydney Referee, remarks: " This merely emphasises the fact that the man who gets Sold of a yearling that makes a first-class racehorse should congratulate himself more on, his luck than his shrewdness. At different times some shocking duds have been bought on the advice of trainers who were in luck and who were temporarily considered infallible by their patrons. Unfortunately for some, their luck ran out and with it the faith of their patrons." FULL-BROTHERS AS RACERS. Hamulus (by Rossendale—Royal Pet),, who is a full-brother to the # dual Derby winner Rampion, having) like his relative, led off at two years old by winning the Breeders' Plate at Randwick, he must be accounted to afford encouragement to range him up as a colt likely to prove equal to increase the list of successful full-brothers. The Turf Register furnishes many illustrations when the respective performances of full-brothers have furnished a stiff conundrum. Take the case of Chester and Roodee, who were got by Yattendon from Lady Chester—one a great racehorse and the other a moderate of moderates. Another marked contrast is furnished in the case of Poitrel and Poilu (by St. Alwyne—Pona). Poitrel won a place" with the greatest performers, while Poilu was of no account. Amberite and Pelisser, two descendants of Carbine and Danae, were just about as different as the poles asunder. Then there is Eurythmic and Nivelle, who were got by Eudorus from Bob Cherry. Eurythmic won £36,891 in prise-money, while Nivelle battled unsuccessfully in poor company. Gloaming and Lightning, who were full-brothers by The Welkin and Light, can be cited as a very striking case of two horses similarly bred on the same estate, proving a great contrast. Gloaming won 57 of the 67 races he contested, with stakes to the value of £43,100, while Lightning never succeeded in raising himself above the most moderate company. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. Roscrea, the two-year-old half-brother (by Robsendale) to Limerick, who was taken across to Sydney with his relative, was not called upon to fulfil engagements at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting, and it is row stated that he is not to be raced until the back-end of the season. Belle Gallante (by Cyklon—lsa), who won the Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick last Wednesday, was bought when a yearling for 575gns by Mr. C. B. Kellow, who pluckily paid 16,000gns for Heroic when that sensational performer went up for sale in the autumn of 1925. In referring to Limerick, a Sydney writer had the following:—"lt was hardly expected that any celebrity would ever aitain a greater height of popularity with the Sydney folk than the great-hearted Windbag, but, if I judge correctly, the populace ha 3 formed a deeper affection fcr this invader from New Zealand. The victory registered by Mr. W. Scholium's gelding True Blood at Randwick last Wednesday would be widely accepted in Auckland as a pleasing item connected with the Australian Jockey Club's Spring j Meeting. From what has come through j the air by wireless, True Blood's success j carried all the elements of a surprise victory, | but that, of course, does not necessarily j mean that Mr. Scholium failed to back j his horse. A six-year-old gelding ticked off to play an important part in the settlement of the Caulfield Cud and Melbourne Cup this year is Royal Charter, who has the record already o£ winning three races since the commencement of the present season. Royal Charter is weighted at 9.1 for the Caulfield Cup and in the Melbourne Cup 8.9 is opposite his name. In the event of Royal Charter winning the Caulfield Cup he will incur a 10lb penalty for the Melbourne Cup, which •will raise his impost in the Flemington race to 9.5. From the fact of Agrion being in steady work at Riccarton it would seem safe to conclude that the ailment which came against him at Randwick last month, and which led to his withdrawal from Australian engagements, has not proved of so far-reaching a character as was thought. The bay colt is engaged in the New Zealand Derby, and the next week or so may be expected to furnish something to go upon in regard to hie contesting the classic event at Riccarton next month. I