ELLERSLIE NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20924, 14 July 1931, Page 7

ELLERSLIE NOTES.

LOCAL TRACKS VERY QUIET

great emblem doing well

HAMPTON PARK'S PROGRESS

There has been very little activity or Vjic tracks at Elleralie since the Taumanmui ■nacmg Club's meeting was disposed of and most of the horses in training nt present are just tJoiux sufficient work to keep them m healthy condition. If will'be some weeks ye before there is any particular idcrense in activity and in the meantime most interest will be centred in the doinis of the horses who will be prepared for the Pnku rangn Hunt meeting, which will be the first meeting of the new season in Auckland The rising: three-year-old filly Marchette. by Limond from March, who was given n spell after being in training for several months last spring, has been working reguInily for some weeks past and she is steadily improving in condition. Marchette 13 a fine filly, apart from the fact that helloes do not look the best, but she lias not' yet been seriously tried. She belongs to a successful family and is certainly bred well enough to make good if she stands the stress of training.

Most of the members of J. Buchanan's team are being restricted to steady pacing and they are all thriving on the treatment. The mainstay of the team is Brampton, who was unlucky not to win' a good handicap in the autumn, when he ran consistently good races. With slight impiovement Brampton should win a good stake next season and an important success for him would be very popular. Good Idea and Neil are other members of the team who are doing nicely and they should be ready early.

When Great Emblem came in from a spell some weeks ago he looked a greatly-im-proved horse and he has done so well in the meantime that there should be 'nope for him at the spring meetings. Last spring Great Emblem galloped well enough to raise the hopes of his connections, but he failed to perform up to expectations. Now that he is more solid he may race better, and if he maintains his present rate of progress he should be very fr>ward in condition when the spring campaign opens. A recent addition to the active brigade at headQuarters is the rising three-year-old Golden Spahi. by Catmint, from Loloma. When in work previously Golden Spahi displayed promise, but he was not overtaxed and, like others of his family, he should develop useful form as he ages. Golden Spahi's rising two-year-old half-brother Jewelled Girdle, by Kilbroney, is also in steady work, and he is thriving splendidly. However, he is a big youngster and may I alee time to mature.

The hunter General Lu is being kept in steady work by his owner-trainer J. Farnsworth, with a view to competing at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting. Up to the present General Lu's form has not been particularly encouraging, but he is becoming more solid and he may possibly do better in the new season than formerly. A win for General Lu would be very popular, as his owner has been trying to win a race for a long time without success. Although he lias not been called upon to do any racing lately Hampton Park has been kept moving during the past couple of months and ho will be ready to commence racing again early in the new season. Hampton Park displayed unmistakable signs of improvement in the late autumn and he promises to pay his way well as a four-year-old. He may always do best under light-weights, but. as he is still in a good position in the handicaps, he should not be troubled by the weights he will receive in his early spring engagements. Few horses at headquarters have made more improvement in the past few months than Billy Boy, who has well repaid R. \V. Lewis for his perseverance by" winning two races lately. Billy Boy is to be kept in steady work with a view to contesting the Pakuranga Hunt Cup and, ail going well in the meantime, he should be a very difficult horse to beat in that race. The best has not yet been seen of Billy Boy and he should be a payable proposition in the new season, when he should win his way into higher company.

HEAVIER TRACK LIKELY. TWO HORSES INJURED. [by telegraph.—racing reporter.] WELLINGTON, Monday. Further raiti has made the Trentham track even heavier than it was 011 Saturday, and prospects for the second day's racing on Wednesday are not at all bright. The Trial Plate candidate. Croupier, owned by Mr. J. J. Corry, injured himself on the journey from Picton, and will not be able to start. Cornerolf. who was involved in the mixup when Pangolin refused in the Matai Hack Steeplechase, is also on tho casualty list,. He spread himself and will probably require a long spell. WELLINGTON CANDIDATES. , WILTSHIRE AND WEE PRINCE. Wiltshire and Wee' Prince, members of R. C. Syme's team at Te Rapa, were railed through from Frankton to Trentham on Sunday night .with a. view to racing on the second and third days of the Wellington Racing Club's Winter Meeting. Wiltshire is to contest the Jumpers' Flat Handicap to-morrow and the July Steeplechase oil the third day, while Wee' Prince will run in hack flat events.. Wiltshire was schooled over country on two occasions' at Te Rapa last week, when he gave': a good account of himself. After the Wellington meeting he will go on to Riccarton, where, among other events, he will contest, the Grand National Steeplechase. a race in which he has been twice successful. 1!. C. Syine will ride Wiltshire ill all his southern engagements. AUCKLAND TROTTING CLUB.NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.

The decision ot Ihe Auckland Trotting Club to spreed its 11 days' racing over more regular intervals than formerly is greatly appreciated by owners and trainers in the province. By the new policy a meeting, will be held at Epsom this season every second month, the two-days November meetins being deleted in favour of one day in August and one day in April. Previous local .iirra-ngemenH.s saw a lon?( break betw'ecn the concluding meeting in .Tune and the first of the season in October, excepting where benefit meetings were staged at the commencement of (he last two seasons, consequently the decision to open the 1931-32 season in Auckland 011 August 29 will be appreciated. The programme drawn up tor next, month's meeting caters principally for the novice, improvers' and intermediate classes, and, as the Auckland province, is rich in such material, there should be no shortage of competitors. The meeting, however, will not be confined to only in spite of its one-day duration, and it, is quite likel.v that several southern centres will be rcpreSC E,ght events, with a total of £1550 in stake-money, make up the day's schedule, 110 race being of less value than JloO. while the usual qualifying conditions have been set" aside. The chief events are the August Handicap of £-100, two miles, and Massey Memorial of .£'2oo. 10 furlongs, with a. 4.31 2.52 limit respectively.

DEATH OF MR. J- A. BUCKIAND. SYDNEY, July 13, Mr. J. A. Burkland. a prominent breeder of trotting horses, died yesterday. flie deceased had for a great many years been a leading breeder and owner of trotting horses, and on several occasions took teams to New Zealand. He was the owner of Fritz, claimed by many to be the best trotter ever produced in Australasia. RACING FIXTURES.July 15, 18—Wellington Racing Club. July 22 , 23 —Manawatu Racing Club. July 23, 25—Gisborne Racing Club. July 25—South Canterbury Hunt Club. July 30 —Gisborne Racing Club.