GAY BLONDE SHINES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22045, 27 February 1935, Page 9

GAY BLONDE SHINES

TWO FINE VICTORIES SIR ABB VERY PROMISING ROYAL DANCE AN IMPROVER BY ARCHER Marked success attended the Te Aroha Jockey Club's meeting last Saturday and Monday. The attendance and the racing were excellent each day and the increase of £1,184 10s in the totalisator turnover was very gratifying in view (if the fact that the club had had r most successful meeting the previous year. The Te Aroha Jockey Club is one of thin most progressive racing bodies in the Dominion, and the club's policy in keeping the stakes at the highest possible level has given it a very high standing, which is thoroughly deserved. The three-year-old filly Gay Blonde was the star performer of the meeting, and she, gave a further taste of her ability by winning at six furlongs on the first day and at a mile and a

quarter on the second. Her performance in succeeding with 131b. over weiglkt-for-age over the middle distance was excellent, even though tho class she opposed was not particularly good. Gay Blonde is a brilliant filly, specially good at distances up to a mile, and also very capable over longer ones. She has registered four wins and a second in her last five starts, and seems te be improving all the time. The three-year-old Sir Abb scored his third successive victory when he won the Champion Hack Cup and he deepened the good impression he had created in his earlier successes. The manner in which Sir Abb ran out th«? mde nnd a quarter indicated that he is likely to stay well, and it will not be surprising if this is so, as he is bred on staying lines. Sir Abb belongs to the No. 1 family and was bred in Australia. He is by David, a fine stayer, from Vocal Princess, by Comeily King —Yippingale, by William the Third. So far he has been lightly raced,, but he .is an improver with great possibilities. 111 A Likely Hurdler Although defeated by Yal Watch in the Ruakaka Hurdles, Record Flight

wa responsible for a very creditable performance. The race was run at a solid pace and Record Flight may have been a trifler closer than he was only for jumping several of the fences a trifle awkwardly. A little more experience should do a lot for the Lucullus gelding, who may open his winning ac- " count, as a hurdler at any time now. He looks to have a golden opportunity at Pukekohe, where the field is likely

to be weak. > Gay Sheik's victory on the second day gave him the leading honours amorig the two-year-olds at the meeting. On the first day he was slow away and was never in the picture, but on Monday he was better placed throughout und finished very strongly on the outside. Up to the present Gay Sheik s form has not reached the standard expected by his admirers, but he is very useful and is an improver who may do even better in the autumn, when he niav be capable of a forward showing among the best juveniles in the Great, Northern Champagne Stakes. Bj finishing a good third in his only start at the meeting the two-year-old Triune made some amends for his several disappointing efforts just previously and he may yet fulfil the promise he gave earlier in the season. Triune is a big colt by Tippler from Trios, and be has the appearance of a colt who should do well if not overtaxed. His stablemate, Velocipede, is an improver who keeps on running Bolid races and is undoubtedly very useful. Running of Tybalt

When Tybalt ran two thirds at the summer carnival at Ellerslie he displayed distinct promise, but he afterwards trained off slightly and lost favour as the result of four success- • ire unplacecT" performances. Having freshened up in the meantime, he gave a taste of his real worth by winning . two of his three starts at this meeting. His two efforts on the second day, when he ran unplaced before winning, were in striking contrast, but he got very badly placed early in the big field in tie Elstow Handicap and under the circumstances his lapse was excusable. There is not a great deal of Tybalt, but he is a promising galloper who t.hoild win more races where the class is not too strong. The luck of running did not favour King Musk in the Champion Hack Cup and. after covering a lot of ground round the first turn and being taken into a leading position quickly, he tired at the end of the mile ana a quarter to miss a place. He came into his own on the second day, when he won the Tourist Handicap in the most convmcijig fashion. The best has not been «eeri of King Musk, who has raced consistently but unluckily, and he is a like iy horse for one of the country cups to te decided in the next few weeks. After racing consistently but without much success, Gay Rose scored a very decisive victory in the Piako Hack Hardicap. She went a good race in the Champion Hack Cup on the first day and she improved slightly on that effort to win at double-figures on the second day. On the tracks Gay Rose is very speody, and now' that she is settling down and becoming more solid she Ehould not be long in adding to her laurels. Defeats ol Barn Dance The two defeats of Barn Dance were disappointing, as he was expected to do better. "Although he worked well before leaving Ellerslie for Te Aroha, it in probable, that Barn Dance was not quite himself, and when he freshens up again he should be equal to recording better performances. A very promising galloper to compete successfully at the meeting was the four-year-old Boyal Dance, who scored very easily in his only outing when he \yon the Elstow Handicap. Royal Dance is a gelding of good physique who is endowed with fine speed and looks' like being very useful. He has not done a great deal of racing but ; is now running on better, and more success may soon come his way. The good southern hack Beau Gallante found the task of carrying topv.oight in the middle-distance hack events beyond him. On the first day ihe became very awkwardly placed in the early stages, but 011 the second he took up a prominent position early and was actually in front five furlongs from home.' He surrendered the lead at the turn, and after that tired in the last furlong. Beau Gallante is a fine type and his form is likely to be better over shorter distances. RACING FIXTURES February 27—Opunako Racing Club February 28—Waiapu Raciua Club, March 2—Napier Park Racing Club. March 2—Banks Peninsula Racing Club March 2, 4—Franklin and Bay of Islands . -.Racing Clubs (Pukekohe). March 6—Rangitikei Racing Club. -Mirch 8. 9—Cromwell Jockoy Club. March. 9—Napier Park Racing Club. March 9. ll—Waikato Racine Club March IS—Kurow Jockey Club. March 10-Clifden Racing Club. March 16, 18—Ohinemuri Jockey Club. March 16, *.B—Wellington Racing Club. March 20—Opotiki Jockey Club. Mftrch 21, 23—Oamaru Jockey Club. «*ch 23, 25—Bay of Plenty Jockey Clnb»