RICCARTON HORSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21844, 5 July 1934, Page 9

RICCARTON HORSES

CANDIDATES FOR TRENTHAM CONDITION OF THURINA GOOD FENCING BY VERDEN [by telegraph—own correspondent] CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday Wintry conditions prevailed for training operations at 11 iccarton yestordaj', but tho track in use at present, provides good going. Most of tho horses engaged at the Wellington meeting wore in evidence, but their tasks were uot of a serious n:*.turo. Copyist ran half a mile in 51 1-5. Ho is in great order at present and should do well at Trentham, where he will be ridden by A E. Ellis.

Imperial Spear and Rebel Star strode over seven furiongß in 1.35, tho last half-mile in 53 2-sa. Rebel Star will again have the services of L. J. Ellis at Trentham.

Royal Amphora was under restraint while covering five furlongs. A rider has not yet been secured for him, his usual pilot, h. J. Ellis, having been engaged for ]?alermo. who is now one of the team controlled by E. J. Ellis at Washdyke. Davolo was given a strong working gallop over seven furlongs. A raco at Oamaru would have done him a lot of good, but, nevertheless, ho should ehow up at Trentham. Schooling ol Jumpers Royal Limo.nd (G. Salt) and Verden (H. Turner) were associated in a schooling task over six hurdles. Both gave good displays, but Verden always had too much pace for his mate and jumped away from him at the last fence. Verden has rapidly developed into a finished hurdler, and. in addition to his puce and nippy jumping, he is exception, ally fast in getting away from his fences. Turner will ride him at Trentham and the combination should aguin perform creditably. Royal Lnnond is also to make the trip and is a good stayer likely to got some stake-money. Starshooter jumped two hurdles in the straight twice, and Night Parade was given a similar task. Both gave satisfactory displays. Night Parade wr.o is still owned bv Mr. T. ileaton, of Timaru, has been in commission only a month, but is fairly forward. As he is a proved fencer, he should bo useful during the new season. Thurina (D. O'Connor) and Rational 11. ((5-. Salt) were sent out to jump 10 of the steeplechase schooling fences. They kept fairly close together for the first jound, both jumping well until tho sodwall, the fifth fence, was reached. Thurina struck heavily in front, but he made no further mistakes. Rational 11. ran off at the second fence of the double in the second circuit, and, hitting the sodwall, was allowed to ease up over the remaining fences. Gay Jim Fences Well Gay Jim joined Thurina before reaching the home run and accompanied him over the lmst three brush fences. Thurina was inclined to run down some of his fences, but this is a habit he has often shown previously in schooling, but not in his races. Ho had a slight limn when trotting on tho sand afterwards, but, but whatever trouble exists ia not considered likely to seriously affect his progress. He will probably be allotted another schooling task on Friday. ]t is feared, however, that he will not have had the required work to thoroughly fit him for the Wellington Steeplechase, but a race is expected to do him a lot of good. Rational 11. was called upon to execute some clever jumping at some of the fences owing to Thurina boring across his path, and his display, in spite of the fact that he was cf little use to his much more experienced' companion, was very creditable. Gay Jim ahowed his usiyil dash over the obstacles he tackled, but, judging by a limp he displayed afterwards, his trainer will have difficulty in winning more races with him. Argentic is doing well on the light work that has been allotted him since being recommissioned a few weeks ago. With his trailer in the saddle he strode over six furlongs at a strong pace. He should be ready to raco at the early spring meetings. Silver Ring (A. E. Ellis) was accompanied by Grampian in a sprint over two furlongs. Nothing definite has been decided regarding the date cf his departure for Sydney, but it has been delayed for a few weeks in tho meantime Riccarton stables are represented by the following horses in the acceptances for tho first day's racing at Trentham:—Moonbeam, Verden, Royal Limond, Copyist, Royal Amphora, Thurina, Davolo, Rebel Star. Imperial Spear and Scarlet Rambler. Other South Island-trained horses are Cultivator, Brown Pearl, Lady Kate. Adult, Silver Streak. Palantua, Water Power, Palermo, Hula Belle, Membo. Gold Knight. Rasouli. Gustavo, Guarantee, Palmary, Nightform and Vocal.

LA MODERNE RETIRED

STAKE EARNINGS OF £2610

Owing to a danger of her breaking down, it has been decided to retire La Moderne and she will be sent to the stud. La Moderne is a four-year-old chestnut mare by Lord Quex from Lady Ball and she belongs to a family that has produced some very smart gallopers, notable in recent years being Gay Ballerina, who was a very good two-year-old, and also won races in Sydney afterwards.

During her two-year-old days, in tho 1931-32 season. La Moderne was overshadowed by her stable companion Inflation, but she raced consistently woll and wound up well by winning the Manawatu Stakes, deffating among others Inflation, Golden Wings and Autopay. As a three-year-old she* did even better, her most notable victories being achioved in tho King's Plate at Ellerslie, the January Handicap at Trentham and tho New Zealand St. Leger in the race record time of 2.5(32. La Moderne won stakes to the. value of £2OIO, and, only for the fact that she was o.ut in the same year as Silver Scorn as n three-year-old, she might have added considerably to her winnings.

NOTES FROM EVERYWHERE

TRACK AND STABLE GOSSIP

After a short spell Moreliu is again being trained at Ellerslie by F. _ Stenning. She has freshened up nicely and is in good order to commence another preparation. Morehu's best performance to date was to win the Rosebank Handicap, seven furlongs, at Avondale last April.

Mr. H. Dent, of Ngatea. has disposed of the sire Te Monanui to Mr. A. Robertson, of North East Valley, Dunedin, and shipped him south last week. There are several pro; mising rising two-year-olds by Te Monanui in the Hauraki Plains area, but ho was not made much use of and will have greater opportunities in the Dunedin district.

Tho steeplechaser Town Beauty has made a reappearance on the tracks at Ellerslie, having been an absentee since competing at tho wintor meeting last month. Town Beauty has not boen entirely idle in tho meantime and all going well he will probably contest tho Franklin Steeplechase at Pukekohe on July 21. At his best he is a very useful porformor, who would have possessed a belter record only for being troubled with unsoundness.

Melfort, who has boen purchased in England for tho Mncquarfc Stud, New South Wales, is a four-year-old horse by Colorado from Caltha, by St. Amant from Marsh Marigold, by Bend Or. Melfort started five times as a two-year-old, winning three five furlongs races, and sev<?n times as a three-year-old, his only placed performance being second to Scarlet Tiger in the Midsummer Stakes, one mile, at Newmarket. In tho Derby he finished twelfth in a field of 24.

Travelling at a pace little faster than a canter, the Now Zenlander Royal Visitor gave an excellent display of jumping in following Conperfield and Wurlitzer over nine brush fences lit Mentone, Melbourne, one day last week. Royal Visitor could have caught and passed his companions at any stage in the school, but he finished two lengths behind them. Royal Visitor was ridden by his Grand National pilot, L. Duiicu. Ho made a groat leap at the last jump, gaining several lengths on the other two.

Mr. IT.. Rothery's six-year-old gelding Hit the Deck, by Nassau from Opera, is to be sent to Victoria to join D. J, I rices stable at Cnulfield and he will make the trip with Mr. C. Boyle's horses Snltspray and Playground when they leave about the end of this month.. Hit the Deck has not done much racing in the past 12 months, but he has shown some promise as a jumper. He was being trained for the autumn meetings, but injured himself while schooling over tho steeplechase course at Ellerslie and has since been located at bis owner's farm. TROTTING FIXTURES July 7— Marlborough Trotting Club, at New Brighton. July 25, 28—Gjeymouth Trotting Club. August 11, 16, 17—New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, at Addington.