NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9958, 30 April 1918, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “Tohunga.”)

The American owner, Mr J, E. Madden, writing to an exchange in the States, says“ The recent successful sale of thoroughbreds should bo encouraging to all horsemen, excellent prices being obtained when least expected. The trotting horseman should take heart and not be unduly depressed by the low prices at recent public sales, bearing in mind the price for which The Harvester sold last year nearly 31,000 dollars, and the 60.000 dollars paid for Peter the Great. This shows that a first-class trotting horse still commands a good price, and the figures above quoted compare favouraoly with the 26,000 dollars bid for Hltim-is recently. The sales of The Harvester and Peter the Great show what a strong hold the trotter has on the affections ot admirers of the harness horse. After the war the demand for lire stock of all kinds will bo enormous, and those fortunate enough to have trotting horses to sell will find a good market abroad, therefore should not bo too downcast by present conditions. At future sales buyers will do well not to let bargains escape, for in future years the demand will exceed the supply. Foreigners will come in a rush for the trotting stock to replenish their depleted supply." The Spiro was the victim of a peculiar accident while taking part in the Hurdle Race at City TattersalTs meeting in Sydney recently. As far as can be gathered, fie got fiis off foreleg over tfie boundary fence and “slid" along the top rail, with the result that fie caused an ugly, gaping. and painful wound at the back of the" forearm. His rider, F. Moore, also sustained a nasty out on his right leg. It used to bo customary, at tfie close of tfie AJ.C. autumn meeting, to speculate largely on tfie Victoria Derby, as well as on the “Derby and Cup” double, says a Sydney writer, and the last settling day rarely passed without the position of favourite for the former race being assigned. Nowadays, probably because there is so much racing, added to the fact that backers have frequently “caught” the large operators, bookmakers do not cater for such early business, and as their regular clients do not look for the accommodation that was once afforded them, speculation either on the blue riband or the double event mentioned is no longer on the market, if there bad been a return to old times Outlook would in all probability have been elected to the position of favourite for the Derby, for he concluded what was probably his racing season in the; very best of styles and with undoubted claims to be the principal selection for Derby honours. Still, much may happen within the nest five and a half months, for there is quite material enough in the lengthy entry list to create several, surprises.

For many years English breeders in touch with French thoroughbreds have advocated the introduction of the Le Sancy strain into our more notable home-bred lines, and it would seem as though Mr' George Kennedy has done tho breeders here a good turn by takingup Boi Horode. His enterprise received endorsement and justification at the very outset, when The Tetrarch came along among the first of his produce. Now this strain bids fair to become most fashionable, and the prejudice "which at one time prevailed against gray horses has well-nigh entirely died out. Almost every string in Newmarket has one or two youngsters of this colour. In addition to Eoi Herode and The Tetrarch there is Senseless to transfer his colour and this at one time dapper little grey is now almost snow white, though he has not yet lost any of bis shapeliness. Colonel Birkin is also the possessor of the grey Le Sancy stallion, Kildare 11., and this horse was quite a good Performer across the channel, keen followers of French racing declaring him to be one of the best of that particular family.

It is remarkable, says an English writer, that just when, the relation between breeding and racing and their relative importance should be so prominently before the public horses of exceptionally blue blood should have been put to jumping. A striking instance is Lord Derby's beautiful nonce Seneschal. and for the information of the cranks and faddists who from ignorance or wilful obstinacy refuse to admit txiQ value of N.H. racing, I emphasise the fact that the colt is by Swynford winner of the St. Lcger, out of Keystone 11., winner of the Oaks- It moreover, worthy of note that the War Minister, who owns'one of the most famous breeding studs in the has apprenticed Crosstreo, another of his flat racers, to jumping, and he is of hardly less reputable blood, being by Trodennis out of Brig of Air. To these might be added many others did space and time permit, but as the property of one owner, _ and esrecially having regard to his position in the Government, those will suffice. On the principle of the necessity of learning to walk before attempting to run, Seneschal and Crosstreo aro passing through a course of hurdling before attempting the more arduous task of galloping across country, but I believe it is Lord Derby's intention that both shall be schooled in due course for steeplechasing, and my judgment is sorely at fault if both aro not destined to rank high in that department of racing. Meanwhile Seneschal impresses one as an exceptionally promising young horse, and after another season 8 experience I am confident he will develop into a, steeplechaser of high rank. In the meantime he enjoys the reputation of being the best novice that has been put to hurdle racing for some years, and it is certainly no extravagance to suggest that through him the class of juniors will be maintained at a high love,! when his time comes to quit the racecourse and go to the stud It is not often that a thoroughbred of such quality figures under National Hunt Rules, and I understand that it is intended to persevere with him in that diction. Ho has several engagements still Jo infill, and it will surprise me should anything be found among the newcomers capable of lowering his colours between now and the end of the jumping season, after which, together with Crosstree, and probably Sumraoner, ho will .return to Stanley House, to bo trained again on the flat, with the intention that they shall be further schooled over hurdles and across country. Advices from Riccarton state that the imported horse Gay Lad has recovered from his shin soreness.

Cynic was recently, put over the sticks with Fagot, and is reported to have acquitted himself most favourably.

Tho full sister to Hymestea and Torfrida who is domiciled in J. T. Jameson’s has been named Hyades. . A maiden pacer who shows a great deal of promise is in J. Bryce's stable, end is known ns Coldstream Bolls. F. B. Jones has taken up his duties as trainer at Washdyko (Timaru). E. Ellis taken no Jonos s duties ut aMccurton.

Tho two-year-old gelding. Bianor, by Demosthenes—Mistime, is a recent, addition to R. J. Mason’s tom. His threc-year-old sister. Procrastinate, has been retired to tho stud, and she was mated

this season with Sutnla, by Elysian— Lady- Hester. Sutala was a brilliant two-year-old, whose racing career was cut short by an accident at Treutbam. Mr G. L. Stead’s two-year-old Cyresian. who won tho Nursery Handicap at the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s meeting on Saturday has not done much racing, with a second at Trentham and a third at Eiccarton to his credit, fie had already shown that fie could gallop. Ho was v eil backed, in more than one centre,, for tbo Maiden Plate at the Manawatu meeting last week but he did not start, and he was staunchly supported again on Saturday. Cyresian is by Elysian from Cyrima, by C.vreninn from Irma, an Australian-bred mare tracing to Peradventuro, an imported mare bv Adventurer. Elysian has find one or two smart representatives, Koesian being tho best of them, but fie has not realised expectations at the, stud. F. D. Jones will shortly take in hand tfie (San Francisco —Shindy two-year-old gelding, who. is being sent down to Riccarton from H. A. Knight’s Racecourse Hill Stud

Majestikoff gave one of her front fetlock joints a slight jar when galloping last Thursday. There is a little heat, but tfie mare ■ walks as sound as a bell.

Procrastinate, tfie three-year-old filly by Demosthenes—Mistime, .who used to be a member 'of R. J. Mason’s team, is in foal to Sutala. Sutala will be remembered ns tfie brilliant two-year-old who used to carry Mr Groenwfcood'a colours, and was crippled at a "Wellington Cup meeting. He is by Elysian— Lady Hester, who left a number of tine gallopers.

News bas been received from Palmerston North that tho once well-known trainer. Mr Henry Telford, had passed away at tfie advanced age of 82. In fiis youth tfie deceased was a well-known horseman and trainer in Australia, but the most of fiis life had been spent ip New Zealand, where, besides running a livery stable in Invercargill, ho trained horses for all varieties of tfie racing game. Three of Mr Telford’s sons, Richard. John, and Hugh, aro all known both as successful Horsemen and trainers. The first-named two have gone out of the racing business into other, ventures.,,, but Hugh, who is at Trentham,. is, proving bimsolf to bo as successful at training horses as his father was.

la England at; ono time long races were invariably run at such, a slow pace in the early part that the. success of absolute non-stayers at distances from one and a half to two and a half miles was not unusual. Touching on this- the Special Commissioner of the Eondon Sportsman ” writes; —” J. cannot iremember a period when I was not sure that trainers and jockeys in this country were foolish to disregard the time in which races were run, though for pedestrians and rowing men tune is of vital importance. ~Still, while they were, all content to muddle along together it didn’t so much matter, except when there happened to be a really good judge of pace like John Osborne riding, and he well understood how to whit in front in a long-distance race. That was how he won the Ascot Cup on Apology, staying off Tom Chaloner’e late run on Craig Millar, who had been waiting behind. It was not until after Tod Sloan had established almost a monopoly of winning mounts, by tho simple process of riding at a uniform gait to cover the course in true time, regardless of what his opponents were doing, that English jockeys at last realised the farcical nature of races as hitherto ridden by them. Since then the time test has told us that races have, been truly run for their various distances, and such races have, in consequence, been much more trustworthy as to tho quality of theri winners, and. much more useful, therefore. as a guide to breeders. It used to be no uncommon thing to see tho Ascot Cuip won simply by speed, .and it was reserved for the Cesarewitoh to afford a true test of stamina, as oven in the benighted days it was recognised that tho light-weights should go along for all; they were worth, and thus tho others had perforce to go the pace also or be out of it.”