GOSSIP OF THE TRACKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20482, 6 February 1930, Page 9

GOSSIP OF THE TRACKS.

YOUNGSTER FROM AUSTRALIA

HAMPTON PARK'S , MISFORTUNE

BY ARCHER.

At the yearling sales at Randwick Inst Easter .Mr. H'. Rothery purchased a brown colt by Top Gallant from the Boniform mare Conceit. On arrival here the youngster was' broken l in and then gelded and turned out. It has now been decided to place.'the youngster in training and ho was sent to Te Rapa this week to join, A. Tinker's stable, where his owner has another representative in Archieval, who has raced well lately and looks like being in the money again at

The admirers of Hampton Park were disappointed at his failure to make a showing in- the Calliope Handicap at Takaputia, where he finished ninth in a field of 12. It transpires that the colt was pricked by the blacksmith and he was very sore otter the race, so that this may have in some measure accounted for his moderate effort. Hampton Park is at present having a few (lays on the easy list and may benefit by the short let-up..-.Riding engagements announced for the Mntnmnla meeting include:—L. Dulieu, St. "WarriKiU and Tauraai; K. Gill, Ruby Dawn; and L. Manson. Crown Arch, Gleni* son and Kauui. A. McCormac also intends to ride at this meeting, but up to the present he has not made any engagements.

Gleadowie ia Show-ring. That ijne jumper Gleudowio was a competitor in ring events at tho "Waiwcra Sho-f last week and ho distinguished himself by carrying off f five -prizes. One can quite imagine a .good-mannered horse, and clever fencer like Glendowie proving a redoubtable opponent in tho show-iing. Another attempt may be made, to tram Glendowie Hbis' season, and, as he .has received . further • treatment . for his .wind trouble since he raced last winter, there may be a chance of his making a' comeback. although' hisefforts last winter indicated that he has seen his best day. Auckland horses*' in White Wings.; St. Ames, Little Gift and Bis Bertha will be competing at the Gisborne and Poverty Bay nieotings this month and they were shipped away to the East Coast early' in) the week. White Wings, and Big- appear -to bo the best prospects and it is not unlikely that thay will succeed in winning on the : trip. ' Wbito Wings has raCed well enoughr lately to suggest that she is re.iiifning to form and Big Bertha, has pe-r* iormed consistently well in her latest outings. •

One of the teain <J. T. Jamiesou has .taken south to compete at New Plymouth and Wanganui is the , three-year-old Treasury, . who displayed .fine speed by leading for slightly over five, furlongs in the two hack races he'contested at the Bummer meeting at Ellerslie. Treasury is not engaged to-day, but he is. in Ibe Urenui Electric Handicap (five furlongs) on Saturday, and that is {ha class of ."ace where he will have an excellent opportunity to show his pace to the best advantage.

Prospects lot Taranaki. Two seconds and a dead-heat for first is the record of Te Hoia -in three starts this season and it is indeed a very creditable record for a. four-year-old that is only commencing bis racing career., The halfbrother to Te Kara has had time to make considerable improvement in the interval and it is not unlikely that he will reveal even better form in the near future, as there is no doubt that he can gallop well. Te Hoia is to race among the hack sprinters at New Plymouth and he will disappoint if he fails to race prominently. Another Auckland horse booked to compete among the hack sprinters at Hew Plymouth is Havaspot, who alio, has a good record for a beginner and has only been out of a place onco in four starts. On that occasion he raced- otv >l'soft track, that was probably not to liis liking, and therefore it may bo advisable to overlook tho failure. Havaspot -is undoubtedly & good hack, who should uuickly win promotion to better company, and he can be expected to give a further taste of bis quality before he returns from his southern trip. •» 1 .

So convincingly, tlid Lady Quex beat (he sprinters 011 the first day at Takaputta that she l»ft no .doubt that she is right at tho :op of h'erform at present. On her day is ft very- brilliant eprinter and it ia therefore not surprising that she is in great favour for the Flying Handicap at New Plymouth to-day. She won' the race last year with 7.12, and, though ehehss 9lb. more to carry in a stronger field today, there are certainly good grounds for the belief that she will make a bold Lid to capture ibe stake for the second year in succession.

One of the unlucky'horses of the current season has been Silvermine, who has consistently ' ru:i good rflces for only one success. Two uuiilaced performances, went clown acainst l'im at Trcnthum and that would suggest that he might have gone a trifle stale. However, 110 is reported to have bffen working very satisfactorily at Hawera, and, as he is not badly treated with S.O in the Flying Handicap at New Plymouth to-day, he might life right in the firing line at the finish.

An Improvibg Hack. Since running fourth in the Douro Cup at Trentham Grecian has registered a ,;'ood second to Royal Opera at Pahiatua flfid it looks as if ho if. d'ie for a. win shortly. The Lord Quex throe-year-old is steadily on the improve and will only have to do slightly better than ho has done in his latest outings to be very troublesome t/» the opposition in the Okato Hack Cup at Ne»v Plymouth to-day. Among the candidates for the . Moturoa Electric Handicap at New Plymouth to-day ii the three-year-old Royol Visitor, who is a member of A. Cook's team at, Te A*-a-mutu. Royal Visitor is a half-brother (I>y Lucullus) to Prince Val, > and. though he did not show up when ho made his initial appearanco in the Waipa I'lato in December, he look 3 like n horse who will reveal improvement at any time now. With so many unknown quantities in the race lie. is to contest, it is difficult to form a reliable estimate <jf his prospects, although he can be recommended as a novice who muy prove profitable to follow. With H. Gray in the saddle, Lady Quex was responsible for a smart truck effort ut New Plymouth on Tuesday, when che dashed over four furlongs in 50 2-ss. Royjl Finance and Monoie, who defeated Lady Zulu over four furlongs in 525. were others to work nicely the same morning. Royal Finance showed pace as a two-year-old last season, when she notched a couple cf seconds, n,nd may be one of the possibilities in the Ngamotu Juvenile Handicap, although on form Hard Words should be a stumbling block for the best in that race.

HORSES FOR TARANAKI.

TANEftIRI AND WILD COUNTRY. i

Unless present intentions arc altered. H. Ho 111 a will leavo for New Plymouth by tl.e Ngapuhi today with Tuneriri and Wild Country, who are to compete on the second day ot the Taranaki Jockey Club's Sumnter Meeting on Saturday and then bo oil to Wdiigariiii for tbo Waniranuj .Jockey Club's meeting on Thursday and Saturday of next week; . On Tuesday morning Taneriri ran a rattling good mile gallop on the outside of the course proper at Ellerslie, and the manner in which he executed tbo task demonstrated that he has taken no barm froru bis recent racing;. If anything. ho seems all the better for it. and- thep should be a good tfrospecfc of the Antagonist gelding extending bis winning record on tho southern trip. His stable mate, Wild Country, hos not accomplished anything to suggest that she is better ihqih a moderate, and cannot bo recommended. However, she displayed a little promise when she ran