GOSSIP OF THE TURF

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12354, 26 January 1926, Page 10

GOSSIP OF THE TURF

Talk from Track and Stable

The Pahiatua Racing Chib will held its annual meeting to-morrow and on Thursday. Weights for the Dunedin meeting were published . yesterday morning. Several North Island horses are handicapped. It will probably be found tkat Mr John A. Taylor, the Wellington owner, will be represented at the Dunedin meeting. Mr F. S. Easton has a couple of horses engaged at the Dunedin meeting, but they are not to make the trip. Tiega was brought to Trentham to contest'the Douro Cup, but he only raced the first day. Plain Sailing, a half sister to Wassail, showed good form at Trentham, and though she is nothing in size she has plenty of heart. The strenuous time Kilbronsyth has had of late has probably found him out. He is now out of hack company, but he has nominations at Egmont to run out. In welter races Martulla is just about in a. class of her own in the North Island. Since the Woodvillo meeting in De cember fortune has been smiling on the Wellington owner, Mr W. Higgins. There is no doubt his turn was long overdue. The Riccartoa light weight C. Eastwood has come into the limelight in the last month. He is a fine rider, and as he goes to the scale at such a light poundage he will not have to want for inounts. Lady Desmond, the double winner at Trentham, is one of the Limond breed, being out of that one-time good mare Bronze She is. a little flighty at the barrier, but once on the way there is no doubting her pace. Limited only made one appearance at Trentham—when he won the Stakes Early in the season he showed plenty of speed, but his stamina was open to doubt. Even in his win last week he had' enough at the finish,, but then he had made the pace throughout. Minotus -.t the present time finds the bends hard to negotiate. Once on to a straight stretch he gallops very fast. Enthusia.su had two races at Trentham. She won the Cup and the two days later finished all but last. She was guilty of the same performance at Awapuni at Christmas. Cawnpore was very consistent at Trentham, running a first, a second, and a third. After his race the first day at Trentham, when he was chopped out at the start. Mosaie was sent home. Purple Lilac has been sent home, and she will not be asked to race again. She was a big disappointment, as, indeed, have been all out of Persian Lilac. Bevis only raced once at Trentham. He is reported to have picked up a nail, hut Pahiatua will show if this is correct or not. Jemidar, the half-brother to Inferno, is a nice cut of a youngster, and he will show the benefit of the policy that has been adopted with him when he races as a three-year-old. Since his Teturn home from his trip south. First Acre has run a third, a second, and a first. Front Rank is going to he a verr useful filly before the season is out. Next year will see her in even better light. Mr W. H- Gaisford has decided that Commendation will race' at Riccarton at Easter. The long straight has had something to do with this decision. It is interesting to note, too, that Lysander and Joy King will not be at this meeting. Phoenix Park raced well at Trentham, and the Lowry-owned gelding should win before long. L. G. Morris came out of the Trentham meeting with a great average. He had eight mounts for four wins and two seconds. A pound invested on each of his mounts would have shown a profit of just on nine pounds. It is interesting to note that Morris rode the winner of the High Weight Handicap each day. j On "his rupning at Trentham, the southerner, Cornstalk, is more at home over six furlongs than over a mile. The Kilbroney-Fulsome youngster, who brought top price of 900 guineas at the Elderslie sale, is to be gelded. He will not be rushed nyxt season, and when be does race it may be as Excess. | Nincompoop once had a reputation—after he won the Breeders’ Plate at Randwick. Since then he has beaten nothing, and at Trentham, in his only run, aftei showing pace, be dropped out with three furlongs covered. Only the vigorous riding of L. G. Morris won for Son o’ Mine at TrenI tham. The chestnut needs the assistance of a strong rider, and a mile and a quarter is far enough for him. Up to perhaps seven furlongs Polyphemus is a brilliant hack. He has such great speed out of the barrier that he will always hold his own over short courses. Since going into H. Connop’s care at Woodville Opa has won two races. The

mare is of better class than many thought. Present at the Trentham meeting was Mr G. C. Griffiths, who at one time was an official of the Marlborough Racing Club. Mr Griffiths is now domiciled in Kenya Crown Colony, having taken up land there after the war, in which he attained the rank of Lieut.-Colonel. Mr Griffiths is a member of the Legislative Council of the colony, and is also on the racing club, and this year he intends to have a horse running in the East Africa Derby. Mr Griffiths reports that the sport is going ahead by leaps and bounds in the youngest of Britain’s colonies. The red balloon was not hoisted the first two days at Trentham. hut it was used again the last day. The starter, Mr C. O’Connor, had his watch synchronised, and he started his races on the times shown in the race card. The waiting for the all clear signal from the totalisator did not worry him—he dispatched his fields to time. Thus the machine was forced to be punctual. The same system has been in operation at Ellerslie for some time. R. J. Mason has written to Mr H. L. James (secretary of the Dunedin Jockey Club) stating that he will be unable to parade Gloaming at the club’s forthcoming Cup meeting. The old champion has been turned out in the paddock for some time, and naturally enough is not in condition. In the course of a conversation with Mr John Paterson relative to Surveyor’s stud career I learned that 25 mares were entered on Surveyor’s lift last season (writes ‘‘Phaeton”) and, as in the preceding year about 15 mares were mated with him, there should be, a good crop of foals claiming him as parent for entry in the next volume of the Stud Book. Muraahi, Daylight, and Mount Marta are the only defections from the Takapuna Cup, a field of eleven being thus left to contest the leading event at the North Shore next Friday.

TV. Wood, who has been located with Transformer at Avondale for, some months, intends taking up his residence at Te Awamutu. The Grey District Racing Committee has resolved that the stakes for the first and second horse in the hurdle race be withheld in the meantime by the Reefton Jockey Club, and that the owner of the winning horse (Maunu) be asked to reply to allegations made by two witnesses affecting jthe case. The case is to be further considered at the next district meeting. The committee also decided to call the rider, A. G. Campbell, before the committee at the next meeting, to explain his attitude towards an owner on the Reefton racecourse. Says a south exchange: “The Eng-lish-bred stallion Tea Tray is-reported to have been placed under offer to an Australian trotter.” That is a new onel It is reported from Hawke’s Bay ' that all is well with Gold Light, and S. Waddell is tolerably certain that she will stand a preparation. The prei sence of this fine mare will add greatly to the interest in s some of the big events at the antumn meetings. Rnnnymede has been nominated for the Doncaster Handicap and Sydney Cup. Another ex-New, Zealander in the Sydney Cup is Pilliewinkie, who also figures in the Australian Cup. Descendants of the famous stallion Absurd have won the Wellington Stakes on five occasions during the past six years. Trainer G. New, who was first at Trentham and who moved to Levin last autumn, has taken up his residence at Palmerston North, and has his team located in the stables owned by Mr D. O’Reilly. The Canterbury sportsman, Mr J. S. Barrett, is credited with the possession of a promising English-bred filly in Prophet’s Mark (by Attains—Agnesi). The Australian jockey Frank Dempsey has entered into a second contract to fide this year fqr Sir Charles Hyde,, and with that end in view he will, it is stated, leave for England shortly. Another injustice to New Zealand Two London journals recently credited the late Mr J. H. Aldridge, of South Australia, with having bred Carbine. That such an error in giving the birthplace of Carbine should be made is certainly no fault of Australian writers, who have always been careful to point out that the wonderful son of Musket first saw the light in this Dominion. Another extensive stud of thoroughbreds in New South Wales is advertised to go to auction at an early date. The Stedmere stud, owned by Sir Hugh Denison and Mr H. G. Raymond, is to be dispersed next month, and, as the landed property is also to be submitted to auction, it is to be viewed a« a complete closing down of the establishment. Three imported sires in the shape of Quantock. Treelare, and Great Star are included in the Stedmere stud. Economist is reported to have ricked himself whilst racing the first day at Trentham. The yearling sales held annually in New South Wales during the autumn season have assumed marked magnitude of late years, and the approaching I auction promises to be up to the best record. Mr Percy Miller, who has invested a very large sum in the establishment of the Kja Ora Stud, will, ,it is stated, this year heat the record in i the matter of the number of lots cata--1 logued by one owner.