GOSSIP OF THE TURF

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12286, 4 November 1925, Page 10

GOSSIP OF THE TURF

Talk from Track and Stable

(By

"CARBINE")

Commendation arrived-at Riccarton yesterday. He will be given pace work this morning.

Count Cavour is one of the best fancied horses for the New Zealand Cup, in which lie will be ridden by F. C. Porter. _T. H. Gillett, who trana Count Cavour, also looks after the preparation of Money Order, the crack three-year-ald, who promises to be one of the best supported in the Stewards.

The failure of Glentruin to make the final payment for the Stewards’ Handicap did not create a deal of surprise. The mare will probably race in other events at the meeting. Set- Sail, the Southland sprinter who did not make the final acceptance for the Stewards’ Handicap, was given a chance by her supporters in the far south, and her withdrawal came something in the nature of a surprise.

Apparently the trainer off Tarleton reckoned on the running of that horse that it was not worth his while going on with the New Zealand Cup engagement, for he did not make the final payment. , Six of the eleven acceptors in the Spring Hurdles at Riccarton are North Island ownetJ_ and trained. Haze, if he is started in the Spring Trial Plate at Riccarton, will he well in the market. '

The field to contest the 'Welcome Stakes at Christchurch is a hig one. and possibly there is a surprise in store.

There is not a three-yeaf-old left in the New Zealand Cup, but nine of that age claim engagements in the Stewards’ Handicap.

Imperial Spark failed to make the last payment for the New Zealand Cup. He appeared to he out of hie class from the commencement.

Mr H. P. F. Blundell’s horses, Star Shell, Sottano, and Diogenes, are booked to leave Sydney for Wellington on Friday. The field engaged in the New Zealand Oaks cannot by any stretch of the imagination be termed a good one, but the race promises to be interesting enough.

Unless there is a number of scratehings the race for the Xinwood Handicap on the first day at Riccarton will have to be run in divisions. The safety nnmber is twenty-two, and thirty have accepted., • Gaillard, who was one of the early leaders in last year’s Stewards’ Handicap, has gone south to fulfil his .engagement this year.

Musketoom was kept at' home in preference to going south for the New Zealand Clip. He has 9st 51b in the MitcheLson Cup, and his task is thus a severe one.

The seventeen horses who have made the "final payment for the New Zealand Cup look certain starters. The field is well up to average size. • The nominations received for the Levin meeting are fairly good. Last year's Cup winner--. Imperial Spark, has again been nominated.

The New Plymouth stable presided over by E. George, has not had much luck of late, hut the tide may turn at Ellerslie on Saturday. Both To Monanui and Oration should run prominently. i The first prize in the Melbourne Cup, run yesterday, was worth 10,215 sovs to the winner. '

Licinius galloped well at Riccarton yesterday, and he -vill advance a bit in favour for the Stewards’ as a' result. Polonaise was allowed to fall out of the Welcome Stakes at Riccarton. It is reported that she has been more or less lame since going south.

The much-boomed Auckland two-year-old Royal Tea will be a runner in the -Welcome Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday. His running will be watched very closely. The task of the backer at Riccarton tbe first day is not -going to be an easy one, for in nil events, except the hurdles, big fields are engaged. The New Zealand Cup has yet to be won by a horse carrying nine stone or over. Te Kara has a terrific job in front of him.

When being ridden home from the track at Riccarton on Sunday. Chickwheat picked up a nail in his foot. So far the iniury aoes not appear to be serious. He has been treated to a dose of physic, and it is hoped that he will he able to fulfil his engagement? during Cup week.

D. Watts has been engaged to ride Merry Day in the New Zealand Cup, Licinius in the Stewards’ Handicap, and Tiega in the Spring IJlate. E. A. Keesing’s riding engagements at Riccarton next Saturday, include Kilfaire (New Zealand Cup), Fool’s Paradise (Stewards’ Handicap), Star Stranger (Spring Plate), and March Past (Linwood Handicap.) Among C. Emerson’s mounts for the Canterbury .Tockey Club’s meeting are Gaillard. Paper Rose. Assurance. Cooh-y-Bondhu and Winkie’s Best. J. Beale has been engaged to ride Deucalion, Nincompoop, Haze, Lucinda, Chick-heat, Countersign. and Goldtown at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. R. J. Mackie will ride Peneus in the Stewards’ Handicap. He will also ride Red Fuchsia in the Spring Plate. Tarleton will not be required to fulfil his engagements at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. Tikirere, a sister to Yoma and Pouma, is said to have shown seine pace at Waverley. She had not previ-

ously had racing experience, but later should pay her way. The judge’s box that has done service for so many years on the Riccarton course has been removed. The numbers of the placed horses will now be displayed on the semaphore. Brushwood Boy, who is by Nassau— Mountain Dream, and, therefore, a full-brother to that good ’chaser Eerie, is being worked at Ellerslie by J. Buchanan. He showed some pace in the Great Northern Derby last New Year’s Day, and was subsequently sold by Mr Gerald Stead, at auction, to Mr C. Montgomery for 390 guineas. Brushwood Boy may come all right, says “Whalebone,” but at present one cannot see him turning into a very lucrative proposition. He has yet to win a race; in fact, he has not yet been placed. Prior to leaving New Plymouth for Ellerslie, Royal Mint defeated Te Monanui over a mile on the track proper. Royal Mint was unlucky the second day at Trentham.

Polyphemus is a useful hack, who may earn some money at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. He is by imported Polvdamon from Sanguinary the dani of Royal Blood, so that he comes from a speedy 'line. It is no great recommendation that he is a six-year-old and still a hack: There is, however, a good explanation, as he' did not commence racing till he was a four-year-old, when he started only twice, whilst last season he won five races.

Master Mind, who is by Lucullus Avon Park, looked one cf the most promising two-year-olds at Ellerslie last season There is no doubt about ms speed, but he went wrong in the knees, and was not further persevered with. F Gilchrist has him turned out m a paddock at his place, hut the chances of training, him, for the present at any rate, are remote. The imported ms re Celerity 11. had only a, moderate lot behind her when she won the maiden race at the North Canterbury meeting. She won in such easy fashion, however, as to leave the impression that she will soon do a lot better, and she mav have to be reckoned with in. some of the short-distanoe events at Riccarton. '

Mosaio won a race as a two-year-old, and recently, at' "Whangarei, accounted for two races on end. He has been training on the right way since then, and may be prominent, in forthcoming engagements. He is by S'ome Boy II , and is a good sort. . Haze, has done a lot of useful - work since he returned from Sydney, and he looks m good order for engagements near at hand , (says a south writer). He will be hard to beat in any race he contests at Riccarton. The Spring Plato will give him a good chance, of showing his form on the opening

Gloamings Sister made her debut i? j Two-Year-ola Handicap at Rand wick on October 17th. She impressed the critics with her appearance, for she shows much more quality than her champion brother .did when ft-7ii , WW h v. Aa exc^aQ ge says that Booth had evidently not been dofTh» wlri? Uch T -T th , the daughter of The Welkin—Light, for she carried a superfluity of flesh', and looked anything but finely-trained. In tbe race woaming s Sister showed prominently for a couple of furlon-s, and then lack of rendition enforced her retreat. Non-stayers do not win the Melbourne Cup, although, anomalous as it may seem, horses that could not get near the winner of the big race have proved successful in the Australian Cup of two miles and a quarter (says an Australian writer). The truth of the matter is that the longer race has sometimes been run at a muddling pace in the early stages, and a comparative sprinter has been able to smother the stickers With his natural speed in the straight. On the contrary, the Melbourne Cup is always run at such a cracking pace throughout that all but the genuine stayers have dropped by the wayside ere the struggle in the straight begins. Walter Hickenbotham, who has trained five Melbourne Cup winners, has said that when the horses are lined up for the start of a Melbourne CUp or.e can pick r.hise that sto sure te go the two miles at win ning speed on the fingers of one hand. Ta. e the field this year. Stand By and Sp> arfelt, who were respectively- second and third last year, are there again; Windbag lias run. second in a Sydney Cup of two miles; and Pijliewfnkie, carrying 51b more than his present weight, has led all the way in a two-mile cup run in 3.26* , Brown Rajah, a close fifth last year; arid specially kept for this year’s race, may be set aside for the moment because he was injured in the Caulfield Cup, and has had to be physicked. That/ leaves a quartet of class stayers—Windbag. Stand By, Spearfelt, and Pilliewinkie —which give,s Bickenbotham's four fingers. Add Manfred, whose claim to be able to go the distance iarthat with 8.10 he has run a mile and a half in 2.281, and turf history shows that such a colt has no difficulty in carrying 7.8 over two miles. In this five we have the horses, at present at the top of the quotations for the Cup. There are others, such as Bal’d of Avon, Raith, Valwyne, and Wycherley, to say nothing of the three-year-olds Ainonnis, Hampden and Belgambn, wifh their featherweights, who appear to have a reasonable prospect of seeing' out the two miles to the bitter end; but their, chances may be fairly estimated by their generally long prices in the market.