IK A NUTSHELL

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 60

IK A NUTSHELL

Stockade Junior again failed to stay on last week. King Abbey jumps a bit wild, and fell each day at the Timaru meeting. It has been decided to hold the Ashburton County meeting on May 20 and 21. Captain Sarto showed signo of soreness after racing last week. Mountain Lion found several others too good for him at the weights last week. F. Bullock was amongst the buyers at the Sydney yearling sales, and is apparently going to set up as a trainer. T. F. Quinlivan has retired from training, and will take a lengthy holiday from an active participation in racing. Jolly Glad had a rough passage in the Beaconsfield Handicap before he got through and won. The Hazlett Memorial Stakes winner Murihaupo broke a leg whilst racing last week, and had to be destroyed. Mantua looked be be well handicapped at the minimum in the Timaru Cup, but could not gain a place. Tarleton ran a fairly good race in the Timaru Cup. He was always well up, and finally finished a close fourth. Deucalion ran two fairly good races at Timaru, and may be found back to his form in the near fut 0. Handicaps for the Oamaru Trotting Club's meeting are due on May 10, and acceptances on May 17. Nominations for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Winter meeting are due on May 14. Thespian’s yearling brother, who cost 2250gns, is now being handled by A. E. Foul sham. Cushman won the Wai-iti Steeples rather comfortably, and shaped as if he might win againt Dillon Wilkes does not seem to he quite the smart pacer that some of his admirers expected. Escort still seems to be a long way from the reputation which accompanied him from Australia. The Ashburton County Racing Club’s meeting will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 21 and 22, and the Oamaru Trotting Club's meeting on May 22.

L ,,*' eter B' n K en made no yiee of the r lying Handicap, and at the present time speed seems to. be his game rather than racing over a journey. Jt is rather interesting to notice Australian papers with a circulation in New Zealand publishing the dividends paid in this country. It is reported that a reserve of 20,000 guineas was placed on Heroic when sent into the ring at the Sydney blood stock sales. At Moonee Valley a trainer was recently fined £lO for bringing a filly suffering from a contagious skin disease on to the course. Warhaven continues to prove a good horse for Air D. Kilkelly, and the Kilbroney gelding generally seems to run his best races on the Timaru track. Native Chief is one of the few three-year-old pacers that has proved g(x>d enough to win at that age in the best class of handicap on a programme. No fewer than a field of 38 started in the National Hunt Steeplechase, run at Cheltenham just before the lust mail to hand left England. Windbag, who has won close on 23,00050 vs this season, is now being treated to a spell. He lias won over 32,00050 vs in stakes. Rivalry seemed to be getting a had passage in the Timaru Cup, and Courtly Rose was another that could not get a clear run. \ olant won the Templeton Handicap with the minimum, hut under 8.10 and 8.9 iu his races at Tiinaru lie appeared to be over-burdened. Becky Logan is one of the most consistent pacers in training. She seems to always “there or thereabouts” when sent out to race. Kipling had nothing to beat at the finish of the Otipua Steeples, but on the second day he had no chance of giving Cashman 341 b over two miles. The imported horse Guy Parrish went a good, level race when showing winning form last week, and will take a better mark in the future. It must require a good deal of hope and courage to take Lady Embrace to the races, as it is long odds against her leaving the mark. The death is announced in Sydney of * the imported stallion Kenilworth. He won several races in France, and was the sire of Kennaquhair and Wolaroi. Paladin had nis first winnTn- representative when Zansee won last week. Mazabuka, the dam of Zarisee, was got by Chaucer—Pitcroy, by Minting from Chatelaine, by Bend Or from Chanoinesse. Nominations for the Ashburton meeting close on Tuesday. May 11. The Ashburton Cup, of 220sozs, and the Autumn Handicap, of 175sovs form the principal events. Bonatic had too much' pace for them in the Tekapo Hurdles, but a rise of 191 b for the second day appeared to completely anchor him. Such a substantial lift invariably tells a tale. The imported horse Peterwah did not show the dash expected by his supporters last week. He may bo seen to better advantage at the Grand National meetFirelight showed a good turn of speed when he ran up to the leaders in the Renown Handicap. He. however, lost a lot of ground, and could not sustain his effort over the final furlong. Geranial never looked dangerous in either of her last week. The hot pace set by Sun Up got many of those chasing him scratching from the rise of the barrier. Kohara wont a fairly good race in the Prince of Wales Handicap even though he had no chance with Native Chief in the brilliant dash of speed which the latter displayed over the final half-mile. For once in a way Bing Boy left the mark when at the post for the Renown Handicap. He, however, would not get promptly to business in the Beach Handicap. Los Ambus had a hard, fighting finish in the last race on the first day’s card at Timaru. That, perhaps, is the reason why he did not show up in his race run early on the second day. Happy Rosa was well supported last week considering that it seemed odds against going a level race. She has speed, and as she is only a young mare may settle to a level gait and win a good race. Scion showed some small part of his best form when running last week, but will have to train on a good deal to return to the winning list. He pulled up apparently sound, and that is a good deal in his favour. Jolly Pet scored a very meritorious win in the Domain Handicap. He had to work his way from the back mark through a big field, but nevertheless looked a sure winner a long way from home. Clontarf was started in 29 races last season. He won eight times, and gained a place in 12 other starts. This reads like consistency, but out of about a dozen starts this season he scored his first win last week. Coastguard made .amends to some extent by winning at Timaru. He lias been shaping disappointingly since he won at Invercargill, and A. E. Ellis had to keep him fairly busy to win last week. Coastguard has a fair amqunt of pace, but does not seem to act well under weight. Brightling put up a meritorious performance when he won the Electric Stakes last week. He was chopped out on the start, and then after coming round his field won with a strong finish. Briglitling was got by Tractor from Marsa, by Martian—Nantes, by Stepniak. Marsa is also the dam r e Full Swixig. Native Chief stands a good chance of qualifying for the next Trotting Cup. He is credited with going better than 4.29 when he won last week, although the official mark against him is 4.34. The difference is about what he lost at the start. F. E. Jones can generally be relied upon get the best out of a horse, and he rode in good form at Timaru, where ho won three consecutive races on Zarisee, Centrepiece, and Sun Up. He also won on Carnot on the first day of the meeting. J. MTjcnnan again proved he is hard to beat when mounted on anything with a chance in a mile saddle. He got Bimnurate well away in the Beach Handicap, and seems to have tht happy knack of

getting a pacer well balanced into speed in a couple of strides. After a lapse of 30 years the St. Albans stud, Victoria, is being put into shape again by Mr Guy Raymond, late partowner of the Stedmere stud. The late Mr W. R. Wilson bred and reared many high-class performers at the St. Albans stud. Sun Up is rather peacoeky in his deportment, aud a decided star gazer. His sort seldom stay beyond a sprint course. He made a bold bid in the Timaru Cup, but Fresco and Deucalion worried him out of it at the finish. The distance was more to his liking on the second day, when he won from end to end over a mile. Centrepiece ran like a slow plodder in the spring of the year, but latterly he has been showing a fair amount of brilliancy, although he makes hard work of his races. He is one of the first if not the first winner served by The Ace. His dam should produce well, as she is Equipment, got by Martian —To-morrow, by Bill o’ Portland—Elusive, by Trenton. C. Emerson rode and won by horsemanship at Timaru, where on the same mounts others would not have troubled the judge. He won on Gay Queen, Brightling. and Warhaven on the first day, and on the second day won again on Warhaven, and put up a dead heat with Kilris. Gay Queen won easily, but it required good horsemanship to get the others into the money. After his excellent form at the C.J.C. Autumn meeting it did not come as a surprise to find Fresco scoring in the principal event at the South Canterbury meeting. There was not, however, a great deal in it, as he just won from Deucalion and Sun Up, who is partial to a ten-furlong journey. Fresco is a good, solid sort, and was got by Sarto from Ecarte, by Sand llario —Fan Tan, by Gossoon—Wheel of Fortune, by Goldsborough. Ecarte is also the dam of Glendower, Castellan, and Ahuriri. There seemed to be a great deal of bumping going on during the race for the Timaru Cup. One expects to see a bit of a scramble when a field is making the sharp turn out. of the straight, but not when racing along the back stretch. There is a run of about a furlong and a-half to the first turn in races run over a mile and a-quarter at Timaru. This should supply ample opportunity for a field to settle down, but a scramble generally occurs, and perhaps it would be a good idea to extend the distance of the Timaru Cup VTa. mile and three furlongs. The time test and avoirdupois seemed to be in favour of Pink Note on the second day at Timaru. In the Rosewill Handicap he carried 9.4. and seemed a shade unlucky to miss a win in lmin 26 l-ssec. On the second day he had 161 b less to carry, but suffered defeat in lmin 26 3-ssec. On the first day Warhaven carried 8.7, and won in a hard-fighting finish in lmin 26 l-ssec. It seemed then as if Pink Note would beat him on the second day. as Warhaven went up 121 b, whilst the other was dropped 161 b for practically running the same time. They, of course, did not meet on the first day, but when thev did. Warhaven defied both watch and weight, and woif again. He had a great factor in his favour with Emerson in the saddle, and the extra touch of horsemanship makes all the difference between winning ar.d losing. It may not have been a particularly strong field which contested the Prince of Wales Handicap run on the opening day of the Forbury Park Meeting, but there was no doubt about Native Chief completely outclassing the opposition. He lost a good deal of ground at the start, and at the end of the first furlong was running last. A chance of success appeared hopeless until commencing the last half mile, when he was racing up on the outside, and practically had the race won at the home turn. Native Chief showed a rare burst of speed, and won under such difficulties that his success stamps him as one of the best of his age ever seen in New Zealand. He has always been recognised as a high-class pacer, but shows a tendency to play up at the start of a race. An improvement, however, seems to have been made in that respect. Native Chief was got by Logan Pointer from Regina D’Ora, a mare by Copa de Ora from Regina Belle, by Bellman — Regina, by Berlin.