NOTES FROM RICCARTON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26693, 12 February 1948, Page 10

NOTES FROM RICCARTON

DETAIN’S GOOD SHOWING REVIEW OF C.J.C. FORM Special to the Daily Times CHRISTCHURCH. Feb. 11. With Mr and Mrs C. tG. Humphries on holiday, R. J. Hawes is in chai'ge of the team. He left last night with Royal Tan, Magnaform, Faithful Pal, Responsive and Minion, who have engagements at the Greymouth meeting over the week-end. C. C. Stokes will ride them. Some of the other Riccarton horses will leave for Greymouth to-night, and the remainder will travel to-morrow night. The apprentice, A. M. Ellis, may go south this week to ride at the Gore meeting. A. J. Stokes has taken his wife to Gore for a holiday. He will ride on the next two Saturdays at the Gore meeting, with horses from W. E. Hancock’s Wingatui stable among his mounts. After that he will ride on the two days of the Dunedin centennial meeting before he returns home. F. D. Jones sent Banshee home to-day and she will be spelled for a few months. The Royal Chief three-year-old showed promise of good staying form when she won a hack race of one mile and three furlongs at Trentham in October. She has disappointed since then, but she may make amends next season. Palm Bearer left F. D. Jones’s care to-day, being shipped to Mr J. G. Alexandra’s Cranleigh Stud, in the North Island. . . , , Detain was seen at his best when he won the Midsummer Handicap. Though he was fractious at the start and last •away, he made up ground quickly on the outside of the field. He was one of the leaders after half a mile, after which he was always going well and he won impressively. Now that he has struck form he should get some more money in the autumn. No excuses could be made for the defeat of Irish Note in the Craven Plate. He was handily placed all the way, but though he stayed on to beat the others, he never looked like overhauling Martial Note in the run down the straight. Irish Note is well, but it looks as if his best form is behind him. He may win again, possibly at a mile and a-quarter. but I do not fancy his prospects unless the company is below good class. General Argosy made friends in his all-the-way win in the Trial Stakes. He was always galloping freely in front and although Ronald Maodonald was closing the gap in the straight, he never looked as if he would overhaul the early leader, who was going on impressively at the post. General Argosy is another good Defaulter three-year-old, and he looks certain to win again. Ronald Macdonald was slow to find his feet in the Trial Stakes and as a result he had a big gap to bridge in his vain chase of General Argosy in the straight. The big Balloch gelding will benefit by racing and he will pay to follow now. Diameter ran a disappointing race m the Post Handicap, for which he was a strong favourite, on the strength of his form at Trentham, where he seemed unlucky not to win on the last day. He had his chance last Saturday, as he was well enough placed to the turn, but he failed to come on. He is capable of better than this, and he may make amends at Wingatui later in the month. Royal Sal showed attractive form to win the Post Handicap. After being third and fifth at the home turn, she staged a solid run on the outside and she was going away from the field at the finish. A mile will be no trouble to this mare, who looks on the way to open class.