IN A NUTSHELL

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 45

IN A NUTSHELL

Jazz continues to shape promisingly in his schooling over hurdles. Bloom was fancied at Oaniaru, but each j day found (lie journey a shade too far. Grange breke down badly when running on the second day at Oaniaru. Fabrinn.de again showed Ills usual brilliancy, but failed to land the money at | Oamarti. General Detain won nicely at Oamaru, j and lias apparently trained on well since i running at the Timaru meeting. Dancing Days shaped well under big loads | at Oaniaru, but they anchored her at the i finish. Goldspinner was a good second favour!!© for the Fernbrook Handicap, but failed to j justify the confidence of his supporters. : The Dunedin Jockey Club’s Winter meeting will take place on Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday next. General Advance has been mentioned in connection with the two Great Northerns, and he may follow the example of Lechella. Handicaps for the Ashburton Trotting meeting ar© due on June 5. ana acceptances on June G. Buddy Gold finished a good third in the Empire Hurdles at Oamaru. but was not proxneed on the second day of the meeting. Killowen ran twice over hurdles at Oarnu.ru, but although jumping- fairly well, he failed to get dangerous in either race. Bonnie V\ mkie gave a pleasing display when lie ran last week, and the race should tune him up for his Wingatui engagements. Some of the horses engaged at Oamaru did not appear because t.hev received a stronger invitation to wait- until Wingatui. The well-performed mare Michaela is now at the Elderslio stud, and booked to visit Archery. She has been on a visit to Kilbroney. The Reaver was galloped on whilst racing at Ashburton, and has been given a spell. On cot, another of the team, has also been turned out. Another case cropped up during the Oamaru meeting which will assit in bringing about the coupling of all horses in stable when they meet in a race. Guncase is improving, and if' lie had not dropped back in the early port of his race Oil the second day at Oamaru might have landed a double. Happy Warrior was the shortest-priced winner at Oamaru. He paid considerably less than even money, but returned a. much better price on the second day. Wharfedale was prominent 'in the early part of his races at Oamaru, but when asked to carry on he beat a retreat instead of battling to the front, If one of the riders at Oamaru had given vent, to a good, hearty, noisy sneeze, iiis mount might have been startled into a win instead of being close up to it. At the end of the present racing season in England, U. Buliock, who has boon riding with conspicuous success there, intends to return to Victoria and set up as a trainer Nominations ere due on Friday June’s for the M’Lean Stakes, of 750sovs; Chantpagne Stakes, of 750sov$; and Dunedin Guineas, of 7Sosovs, to be run in 1924 Silk Rein was dry in the coat and lightish m condition when she ran at Oamaru. and will have to freshen up before able to show her true form. llie young- are generally ambitious, but at Oamaru one youngster appeared to be riding to oideis and not with a desire to add to his list of winning rides. Paphian stayed on better when finishing up the Oamaru hill than generally nnticL pated. He can go fast, but even six furlongs is a shade too far unless lie has the wind in his favour. Miiza was seriously injured when he fell at Oamaru through Staff Officer, who was in his immediate wake, tramping on the prostrated horse’s head. W. Feilcling, the rider of Mirza, escaped with a shaking The Gay Lad— Dabchiek gelding Kaotane was one of the leaders into the straight m the Connolly Handicap, and with a stronger rider may be found doing better in future events. Boadieea was struck cut of the Birthday Handicap shortly alter the aopearance of tjj» weights, and Sunny Loch and Some Kid were withdrawn from their engagements in the Tradesmen’s Handicap and Winter Welter. Bosker Boy put up a meritorious performance when lie won at Oamaru, as he was rather sore when doing his preliminary. He also ran a good race on the second day', when he was making up ground towards the’finish When Bon Spec fails to hit the front he has invariably faded out, hut at both Ashburton and Oamaru he came on again to win after yielding his usual role of ‘pacemaking j and going as fas! and as far as he could. Counter Attack was always threatening danger in his races last, week, except in t}>o last event, when lie went out looking a hit ! tiled of the game. Bright and fresh, he | can skip along at a merry pace. Although Sa.mum tipped out at Oamaru. j ho promises to make a useful hurdler. At j present he is a bit light in condition, and not in the robust strength generally asso- | c-iated with performers over jumps. A fairly big price was placed on Carpentier ) when his owner was questioned on the point, i

£ome littie time back. The price wa-s to? big to lead to business, and the youngster, aho is overgrown and a bit extravagant iu his action, will require time to make good. J. W. Macki-sack, who now fills the position of secretary to the Oamaru Jockey Club, had the business side of the recent meeting running smoothly, and has quickly obteinea a grip of the duties attached to the position. It is stated that some clubs intend l o make an effort at. the next Racing Conferenee t-o restore the old method oi licensing trainers and riders. This is also the old* method of making rules at one conference and annulling them at the next. fled Cent is pleasing the critics at T’icChiton , and expected to run well at Wingatui. Red Cent has not raced since lie finished third to Ormahu and Oaklcigh in ihe Lincoln Steeples, run at the last Grand National meeting. Air W. R. KembalTs team, consisting of Gladful, Vagabond, Bonnet ter, Birkenella, and Martian Miss, arrived from the north on Saturday last They all look well to the eve, and evidently in good order to contest their engagements at the meeting. On the second day of the Oamaru mceting, E. Lowe, the rider of Bon Spec in the Stewards’ Handicap, was called before the stewards and severely cautioned for interfering with Fabrinade in the ra-* e. Lowe steered a straighter course on the second day of the meeting. Angelo landed the Oamaru Cup rather comfortably, but on the second day too much use was made of him, and he found Prince Ferouz capable of pushing him back to second place. Had Angelo dropped in behind the leaders as they ran along the back he would have been much harder to beat in the run home. H. J. Mason is booked to leave for Sydney at tlie end of the month, and. all going" well. Gleaming and Pluto are two thill will be included in the team. Lascelles ..Martian — Maiw of Argyle) and Golden Tresses (Tiessadv—Lady Grafton) are a couple of rising three-year-olds that may also make the journay, Lascelles, is a brother to Mascot, Sun bird, Ardenvhor, and Esp-orance. Clean Sweep ran a fair race in the Oamaru Cup, and appeared to outclass the opposition down to meet him in the Pacific Hurdles, but he found the task of attempting to concede 231 b to Mandrake rather beyond his powers. Clean Sweep is, however, still a- novice at the business, and when more seasoned is a likely sort to make good at the game. Soldiers Pride came within an ace of landing a good dividend in the Weston Welter, when a. neck anti a head separated him from Twinkle and Counter Attack flashed past the post. Twinkle was to pay a good dividend considering that he ran two excellent races in better company earlier in the meeting. Twinkle, by the way, has built up, and is looking more robust than formerly.

Apex again sliowed speed over hurdles at Oamaru. but too much use was made of )mn on the first day. when, after establishing a big lead, lie was beaten a long way from home. One race seems io get to the bottom of him, and lie was never prominent on the second day. Still, if he builds up and strengthens in condition he looks sure to win over hurdles when the journey is not too far for him. Overproof paid the biggest dividend at Oamaru. He was well up all the wav in the Trial Plate, and finished close to the placed lot. On the second day he went with Olympia from the harrier to the distance, w! his rider broke a stirrup leather, tie carried about 2st less weight in the Fernbrook Handicap, and going out with Dancing- Davs, had her 9.13 us against his 6.7, telling a tale that resulted in overproof landing the stake. Ardour was made a strong favourite for the Oamaru Cup, and curried more than twice the support accorded Angelo, who went out second choice. She had no chance with him at the weight—a difference of 101 b, --and an extra Sib did not seem sufficient inducement to run her on t!i c second day of the meeting after being easily defeated. Ardour goes into retirement, and next ec-a-son should strengthen up and develop into a better performer. On his best form Prince Ferouz was suspected of being able to win a. race at either Ashburton or Oamarti. and he scored at. the latter meeting. He had only a light weight to handle, but was running on at the finish. Those who knew him in the North Island say that be could not stay a yard beyond half a mile, but apparently he has improved with age. On the score of breeding he reads well, as he was got by Feramorz from Cheloma, by Llangwin from Chelys, by Sir Yisto—Chelandry, bv Goldfinch—llluminate, by Rosicrucian.

The Magician's wand which spirited a young horse out of the writer’s paddock atCavers!'..:: in has so far foiled to bring it back on th© scene. The horse lias apparently vanished into space, and although it has been well advertised and a reward offered to anyone who can locate it, so far no reply has been received. The horse is "a bay three-year-old with a ragged mane and thinish tail, and generally shows a fair amount of breeding. It has :> hnrro in the gullet close to the jowl, and this mav help to identify it if mane and tail have been altered to suit a new and unauthorised owner’s taste. At on e time Mandrake did not, possess too good a name for reliability, but latterly he has been running with commendable consistency. He was placed on both days at the Timaru meeting, and also at the‘Ashburton meeting. He chased General Petain home on the first day at Oamaru, and on th© second day scored a well-deserved win. A pleasing feature of Mandrake’s recent running is that he ha-s always been coming on at the end, and the fact suggests that he may be seen to advantage over more ground It is a remarkable coincidence that in five of the last six races Mandrake has run he lias been No. 5 on the card. He was No 2 at Oamaru when he scored. Some owners and trainers do not seem to have acquired the knowledge how to manipulate the apprentice allowance. They claim it on every possible occasion, but it is possible to make too tu ;ch use of a good thing. IE a horse is set for the second or third day of a meeting, the wise practise is to put up a ruler beyond the prentice etaee, perhaps a fairly robust person in the pigskin. Defeat is usually followed by a drop in weight, say 31b or 51b. or perhaps mow ; same again on second day; and then on the right day up goes a capable apprentice, and with an allowance of 71 b it will be sect! how easy it is to pinch the best part of a stone or more and only over one or two ni ns. J. M'Comb produced two youngsters at Oaniaru that were capable of winning. He landed the Trial Plate with Gcranl-tl, a three-year-old by Sol ferine from t’simian i a, by '-'an Franeisc,'— Campania, by Robinson Ciusoe —Campanula, by Maribrrhong— Sihu r Bell, by Yaf tendon. On the second day the reoeutly-adopl ed colours “royal blue and cerise hoops” wore successfully curried 1, ,- The Cheat, a. two-vear-old by Clarence mix from Subterfuge. This youngster is a pact little chap, strongly reminding one of

his dam. Subterfuge has produced a, colt to Paper Money, and it was suggested that it should race under Ihe name of Jim. the Penman, by Paper Moncy--Stibterfugc, a daughter of Counterfeit. Jim the Penman was, old theatre-goers will remember, tho crack forger ill tile world that exists behind the footlights. Lady Blissful was well backed for the President’s Handicap, run on th© second day at Oamaru, because she was travelling on at the finish of the Oamaru Cup. In the latter race she had a 51b allowance, which showed her in receipt of 3 71b from Angelo, who won comfortably. On the second day she was meeting Angelo on only 21b better terms, so that she did not have a million-to-one chance on paper of beating h ; m. Twinkle also finished in front of her on the first day. and as he beat her when in receipt of 121 b, she would obviously require to have a lot.' “up her sleeve ' to beat him at 151 b. When it came to business she found that not only was Angelo and Twinkle capable of beating her, as they looked sure to do at the weights, but that a new-eemer tn. Prince Ferouz was, with the assistance of a 51b allowance, the ‘boss of the show.” . Rotkes Drift is usually slow on his legs m the early part of a race, and he received exc ellent opportunity to distinguish himself at Oamaru, where he got very well away through the luck of the start in the President s Handicap. He drew the rails, and next to him came Prince Ferouz, who left a good gap between them as thev lined up after some little delay. When sent away Prince h erottz swerved towards the outside and crowded thcs P on that part of the track still further in that direction. The result was that Rorke’s Drift obtained an advantage of about three or four leugtlis an well as getting a clear run, and was so far out in frant instead of trailing the field. He stayed with the leaders until reaching the Hill. lint, then he dropped out. The eld chap looks well, and presents Ihe appearance of being responsible for plenty of work on the track, and so he may not disgrace himself at Wingatui, where he has won ao many triumphs in the past. When General Advance ran third to Passenger and Rowan in the Trial Hurdles at the last Grand National meeting there were plenty of punters on the alert to follow him if he raced over the sticks during the rest of the meeting. He. however, did not appear again amongst, the hurdles In the Trial Hurdles he was beaten three lengths, and five lengths when earning 10.13 nn<i giving Passenger, the winner 381 b and Rowan, who was third, 221 b The value of General Advance's form was enhanced when Rowan came out on the second day and won th e Sprevtlon Hurdles with 10.1 j n 3 -JT, ’ ! " s k an< * the Styx Hurdles with 10 10 whilst- Passenger beet a good field in the Sydenham Hurdles with 9.5. Meanwhile General Advance ran third to Foo Chow and Manama m the Islington Handicap. The General has raced three times over hurdles and latterly lifts bean schooled more seriously, a.nd apparently with the object Gf keeping him at it. He has also had a pop oyer the schooling fences. Ifis form on too , a , the extra schooling experience should nuiKe his running at Auckland arouse more than a little jntorefit.