NEWS AND NOTES.

NZ Truth, Issue 868, 15 July 1922, Page 9

NEWS AND NOTES.

C. Reed and R. S. Bagby arrived back from Sydney at the end of last week, and were m time to fulfil riding engagements at the Wellington meeting. ,

C. Emerson returned from Sydney by the Maunganui this week. He went oh South on Monday night and will not be. riding until the National Meeting at Riccarton. ' ,

Mr. W. Higgins, who has been . on a business visit to Sydney and Melbourne, returned to Welington on Monday last. While m Melbourne he went out to Flemington and saw the Grand National Hurdles run.

Mountain God, winner of the V.R.C. Grand National Steeples/ seems to be m a class ''by. '"a'ttibngst the chasers m Victoria. "Twelve months ago he won/the Australian Steeplechase at Caulfield, and for the same rac this year he has been weighted at 13st. 21b.

The New Zealand jockeys, R. JReed, A. McCormack and J. Barry, are at present m Melbourne.

There is some talk of the well-known horseman, Ashley Reed, settling m Sydnes\

- Mort Avis was m the firing line at "the turn lor home m the Charity Cup, but he failed to finish on. Perhaps the pace was too fast for him m the first six furlongs.

Master Strowan gave a great exhibitidn of jumping on Saturday, and he and W. Young got on well together. It is an extraordinary fact, that horses generally jump well for the horseman named, and a few years ago he was m the first flight of riders. A good judge at. Trentham on Saturday gave it as his opinion that Young and Stan. Reid were the 'best hurdle horsemen seen out since the days of the late Frank Coch-^ rane. = • i~ : . i ■"* Grand Canyon pulled up lame after* his. race on Saturday. It is a great pity that this good jumper is not sound. F. P. Claridge, grain merchant, Christchurch, has an advertisement m this issue of interest to trainers visiting Riccarton for the Grand National Meeting. ,

Kohu was going like a winner when he fell m the Wellington Steeplechase. Old Khartoum could not go the pace set m the Wellington Steeples, and he finished a long way back, as did the Southern representatives, Lawsuit and Likelihood. '

Waikaretu was not class enough for the Wellington Steeplechase, and though he completed the course he was 150 j-ards behind the. winner.

„ Red Cent looked very light when, he raced at Trentham, and he will require careful 'handling to get him . to the post for the Rational Steeplechase^

It was a great come-back on the part of Master Strowan to win the Wellington Steeples. The old fellow won the same race m 1918, and as 'he was an aged, geldmg then .he..can;,be, no chicken now. T^e gave a perfect exhibition of jumping, and was wellhandled by W. Young.

Tame Fox found his weight too much m the Charity Cup, and -he could not get into the front division at any part.

Demos ran a great race m the Charity Cup and just missed second place.

Gold Kip seems to have taken a fresh lease of life. He was always on the premises m the Charity Cup, and staying on well he got second place.

Arch Salute stripped very well m the Charity Cup, and getting a good run oft the fence m the straight, he won easily. , .

Mr. Lan Duncan has decided not to persevere with Sunny Corner and she has been sent back to Oamaru, where she will go to the stud next season.

The Hawera starter, Alf. Morse, intends placing 'his services at the cHspoSal of more clubs during the next season. He has. the reputation of doing good work at the barrier for the Stratford, Opuriake and Egmont Hunt Clubs.

Volo hit a couple of fences very haul on Saturday, or he would have finished m a place m the Trentham Hurdles. •

General Petain is a great jumper, and his flying leap at the last fence on Saturday was the difference between winning and losing, as Penury Rose had him .beaten when approaohing the fence, but the southern horse made the better jump. v

No Bother ran very badly m the Trentham Hurdles and his exhibition was, too bad to be true.

Kyoto stripped well on Saturday, but the class was too good for him.

Falstaff made most of the running m tho^ Trentham Huddles, but. at the half-mile Spook was out by himself. In the straight Falstaff came again, and fairly flew into third place. He promises to make it most interesting for Poanui and Co. torday.

Mr. E. J. Watt has been out of luck with -his team m Sydney, and though several of them have filled minor places of late they seem unable to win.

The V.R.C. handicapper seems to have a great idea of Absurdum, who is set to give weight to Mermin m the Cantata Stakes, and also ■ to Julia Grey (Doncaster Handicap), Rostrum (Newmarket), and Furious (V.R.C. and A.J. C. St. Leger).

Amongst the winnei'S at Rosehill last month was Erasmus, who as a three-year-old,, finished third m the A.J C Derby and the Metropolitan Handicap and was second to his stable mate Poitrel m the Melbourne Cup. Last year lie. collapsed on the Flemington training track and was given up for dead, but he made a wonderful" recovery He started favorite m the Prince of Wales Stakes at Rosehill; and after getting a lucky run on the rails he got up and defeated Mr. E. J.- Watt's Aetes 'by a head. Erasmus is owned by. Mr Ned Moss, who .recently visited New Zealand. .■:■■.

Lightning-, the two-year-old full brother to Gloaming, who cost 1200gns as a yearlingat the 1920 sales m Melbourne, 'has so ..far failed to repay his owner any of his purchase money. He has just come m again after a spell, and he shaped well enough at Rosehill last month to suggest, that he may strike form very "shortly.

• The Dannevirke Hunt, Club and the Racing Club intend shifting- their springmeetings back- to July, 1923. This is a very. wise move. Anything .else would have been a suicidal policy.

Mr..W. G. Stead's Poet was a runner m the Flying Welter at the Rosehill Meeting last month, but with thirteen pounds above the minimum no One wanted to be. on 'him, and they proved their judgment correct, for he failed- to get a place.

■Ciaptain .Cuttle is described as one of the biggest and most 'handsome horses seen m England for some years.. When he .finished a poor third to St. Louis and Porid6larid m the Two Thousand Guineas m April it seemed to suggest that he lacked stamina, . but m May he easily won the Derby.

; Wrangle is now at thi* top of his form, and has won three times on end. It is said that he is m the private sale list, and if so there should be plenty of buyers for the half-brother to that great horse Napper.

. The Winter Meeting of the Wellington Racing- Club opened at Trentham on Saturday m perfect weather. There was" a very good attendance of the public ; k but their spending -powers seemed to have been reduced, for the totalisator returns showed a shrinkage of some £10,000 compared with the corresponding day last year.

Although he had schooled fairly well at Trentham, Rorke's Drift did not shape too well m the Hack Hurdles on Saturday. The old fellow is on the down grade.

Had it not been that hi? • struck a

couple of fences pretty hard, probably on, account of lack of schooling, Sunray would? certainly have been second m the Hack Hurdles on Saturday; but he did not look like beating Royal Exchange.

Rarely has there been a more perfect exhibition of jumping .than that given by Royal Exchange m the Vittoria Hurdles on Saturday. The King Rufus mare took charge at tho first fence and led the. whole way. She ran • the distance m 3min.. 19secs-., which must be considered an excellent gallop m such going.

Passenger was a great "boom for the Hack Hurdles ' on Saturday but at no stage of the race did he get m the first'half dozen.

Owing to the breakdown of the motor car which was conveying Jockey E. Warner to Trenthamj he arrived too late to weigh put . for Hushmari. and the animal had to be struck out of the engagement.

, After the inglorious exhibition of Snub at Trentham, his-owner will pro-i, bably decide that the Martian gelding has outlived his days of usefulness on' 1 the racecourse. ...■•*" •

The racing he is getting '■ seems to, have" .worked a big improvement m Rowan, .and the full brother, to the Wellington Steeplechase winner, looks like coming good next season.

Lady Ridicule, as was ' hinted m these columns a couple of weeks ago, has. extraordinary pace but she cannot stay. ■ x

There were some smart two- year V olds m the Trial Plate at Trentham; but when it came to racing over the last furlong U Amour had it weir on them. ■•■ '

Boughleen Dhoun is a good-looking horse, and possesses plenty of pace; but he gives one the idea that ha will be better as a three-year-old.

Para was very flighty on Saturday, and she took a lot out of herself be r fore she reached the post ifor the Trial Plate.

Royal Despatch, who comes from -Riccarton, .where F. D. Jones trains him, struggled on well m the third place m the Trial Plate, and he gives the impression that a distance of ground will not be beyond him next season.

Falls were very numerous m the steeplechases at Trentham, and more than half, the field failed to complete the course m each race. The jump that caused most trouble was the new post and rails at the half mile .post. It seemed to be placed where' the light was bad and there was also too much open space about it. For to-day's races it will be brushed, and this] is expected to make a difference.

Hylans is now a thing of the past. The National winner has gone m the pipes.

Hyginas is a very poor jumper over big fences.

Seadown is the makings of a grand 'chaser if only F. Davis can keep him sound.. He is a present from Mr. O. S. ' Watkins and already ftis owner has won £300. m stakes with him.

Sir Agnes is a failure over big- fences.

Romance is a N better horse than he showed on Saturday.

Grand Canyon is a very fine jumper but he made one mistake on Saturday, and it took E. Warner all his time to get back into the 9addle.

Tatton Park has been costly to the public at Ellerslie and Trentham. He is many removes .from a good one.

Radial is coming back to form.

The connections of Listening Post would not hear of his defeat in ' the Stewards' Handicap at Trentham, and though he started on the outside he won comfortably. His owner had a big' bet on the Solferino gelding.

As was^ thought might be the case the long straight at Trentham proved too much for Jolly Princess, who failed to get a place m the Stewards' Handicap. >

The distance of the Stewards' Handicap at Trentham was too short for Cleasanta. The All Black mare is a slow beginner and she was whipping the field when they came on to the course proper. She was running on well at the finish.

Ngata was a bit'unlucky m the Wellington Steeples as his rider was bumped out of the saddle by another ■horse after landing over the fence.

That usually very safe conveyance Coalition came down at the third fence m the Wellington Steeples, and other good jumpers m Old Gold and First Line also lost their riders at the same fence. It also brought Sea De'il down m the second round and Kchu m the final lap.