IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 57

IN A NUTSHELL.

Manfred is again in work at Flemington. Arrowmir is to be treated to a lengtny spell. Mr,J. B. Reid is on his way to New Zealand.

Martian has sired winners of over 300,000 sovs. in stakes. Baldowa scored a comfortable win in the Wairio Cup. . I*- Pine will have the mount on Mask in the Wellington Cup. . A. Driscoll will have the mount on Mundane in the Wellington Cup. An excellent entry has been received for the Hazlett Memorial Plate. Centrepiece should add to his winning account in the near future.

Beacon Light has been fired, and will be treated to a lengthy spell. Two American-bred fillies have been imported by Mr J. R. MacKenzie. Limerick and Count Cavour may be in the field for the next Sydney Cup. Incursio has broken down badly, and may not survive another preparation. Battle Colours is on the improve, and may show improved form at Trentham. Handicaps for the first day of the Dunedin Cup meeting are due on January 25. Ark Royal is again in work, and may be seen out at the Dunedin Cup meeting. A. E. Didham will have the mount on Brightling at the Wellington Cup meeting. The Wellington Cup meeting takes place on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday next. Acceptances for the first day of the Forbury Park meeting are due on January 21.

On figures Count Cavour holds a remote chance with Rapine in the Wellington Cup. Comic Song may be found shaping well at Trentham if the sting is out of the going. Excellent nominations have been received for the Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting.

Hurdy Gurdy may not go round much more, as he developed a leg when racing last week.

An English writer states that the use of spurs has been almost entirely dropped in England. A meeting of the Country Clubs’ Association is to be held in Wellington on January 25. Great Bingen and Peter Swift are still in Auckland, and may be raced at the Otahuhu meeting.

A special train has been engaged to bring the Canterbury horses down to the Forbury Park meeting. The-most important sale of yearlings ever held in New Zealand will take place at Trentham on Friday next. The Auckland Cup, the Duuedin Cup, and the Wellington Cup alt appear in the Turf Register as first run in 1874. The New South Wales rider- T. Farthing is at present on a visit to New Zealand, and . may remain in this country. New Zealand-bred horses have won over 30,000sovs in stakes during the first half of the present season in Australia. Mr R. _S. - Hungerford holds a high opinion of the pacer Concliff, a recent addition to W. J. Tonkinson’s stable. There is plenty of material engaged to supply a basis of operations for the old established “Cup and Publican’s” double. . Mr W. J. Jorgenson, who won the’Wellington ~Cup in 1897 with Strath Braan, has Tanadees engaged in this year’s race. Martis fell from grace at the Vincent meeting, as he gave the impression of having speed, but not too solid when tackled. Some owners waste a lot of money in nominating horses in races in which they have. only a very remote intention of starting. The most remarkable record ever established with the Wellington Cup is that put up by Cynisca, who -won in three successive years. Set Sail was a bit lucky to beat Circulation in the Invercargill Cup. It will be interesting to see them meet again in the Dunedin Cup. The Leighton gelding Paleta cost his present owner lOOOgns, and in scoring three consecutive wins has proved himself a cheap horse. v Comic Song has 71b more to carry in the W.R.C. Telegraph Handicap than when he won the C.J.C. Stewards’ Handicap for the second time.

Judging by the way A. E. Didham handled Cliffeton Chimes, there should be a good demand for his services when pacers are racing under saddle. Mimetic was close up to Grand Knight in the C.J.C. Criterion Handicap at a difference of 121 b. There is 231 b between them in the Telegraph Handicap. Mr L. C. Hazlett has nominated four

of his team for the Dunedin Cup, but left out Loughrea, who has, however, been engaged in the Hazlett Memorial Plate. Owners have responded very well indeed with nominations for the Dunedin Cup meeting, and good fields are likely to be seen out on each day of the fixtures It is pleasing to note that owners have made a good sporting, response with nominations for the Hazlett Memorial Plate, even with horses that hold a small chance on paper. The Wellington Cup meeting is one of the most important on the calendar. The Foxton Club persists in thinking it can afford to clash with the big fixture at Trentham. Royal. Despatch has won a race, thanks to obtaining a favourable start. Strange to say, there has never been any apology made for this horse getting people into undeserved trouble. The list of applications for the joint secretaryship of the Dunedin Jockey Club and Forbury Park Trotting Clubhas been narrowed down, but finality has not yet been reached in the matter. The Kilbroney mare Earnscleugh seems to have lost form, or, in other words, courage, since she fell when racing last year. She is a well-turned mare that should prove valuable for the paddock. The Invercargill Trotting Club will give 207550 vs in stakes at their meeting, to bo held on March 4 and 5. The principal stake will be the Invercargill Trotting Cup of 275sovs for a 4.50 or better, class. Rapine is not less than 71b a better horse than Count Cavour. There is 31b between them at a high scale of weights in the Wellington Cup, and this should be in favour of - the best stayer of the Pa ; '

Heroic has been retired from the turf. The Wellington Racing Club may lodge an objection to the Canterburv Jockey Club’s' proposal to hold a meeting at Riccarton on March 15, as the Trentham autumn meeting takes place on March 17 and 19. Advance won the Wellington Cup with 10.4, or 21b more than Rapine has to carry this week. In recent years Achilles won under 9.4 in 1907, but since his time 8.8 is the highest weight carried with success. Maioha, Insurrection, and Enthusiasm each won the Wellington Cup in 2.31. Others have closely approached the same time, and apparently the mile and a-half at Trentham is one of the fastest in New Zealand. One of the most remarkable actions in connection with the Wellington Cup took place in 1904, when Gladsome won, but was disqualified through a technical point. F. D. Jones, who won on Gladsome, rode without a license.

Limerick and Count Cavour may be taKen over to the Sydney Cup meeting. Royal Despatch could be got for next door to nothing, and he would make an interesting member of the team under the control of F. D. Jones.

Star Ranger beat Star Stranger at a difference of 101 b in the W.R.C. Handicap run at the last Wellington Cup meeting. In the Wellington Cup to be run this meeting Star Ranger meets Star Stranger on 171 b better terms. Booster is regarded as the best handicapped horse in - the W.R.C. Telegraph Handicap. There was 221 b between him and Paperchase at the Timaru meeting, and they meet on level terms at Trentham. Booster was unlucky at Timaru. A repetition of the Metropolitan form would . made Piuthair a certainty to finish in front of Tanadees in the Wellington Cup. In the Metropolitan Piuthair beat Tanadees at 151 b, and meets him at Trentham on 31b better terms.

Lady Dilatory would have been a cheap mare when under offer at lOOgns. She is a big, .tall lathy sort, with plenty of speed, which she should be able to carry over more ground with the condition and strength generally accumulated by age. It is to hoped that the Dunedin Jockey Club’s committee will bribe, ~ bounce, or bluster the clerk of the weather to supply sunshine for the Dunedin Cup meeting. Umbrellas and overcoats have been painfully in evidence at Wingatui this season. W. Buddicomb has been granted a trainer’s license. He has been associated with the game for about 30 years, and

should know something, as he has in tho past been associated with such past masters as S. Waddell, and the late H. Goodman. Overdrawn, 7.0, ran second to Count Cavour, 9.8, in the Dunedin Cup run last season. It will be to note how they will be asked to meet this year. In the meantime Count Cavour, 8.13, beat Overdrawn, 7.0, in the New Zealand Cup. Comic Song was finishing stronger than anything in the C.J.C. Stewards’ Handicap. At Trentham he meets Licinius (who ran second) on 7£lb and Grand Knight on 61b worse terms. Rercmoana was unplaced at Riccarton with 9.13.

The draw for position in a six-furlong race at Trentham is just as important as it is at Riccarton. Both tricks are boomerang-shaped over that particular distance, and a horse drawing an outside number at the barrier is doubly handicapped. Civility is reported to be doing good work, but it is perhaps too brilliant to mark down -as a stayer’s preparation. Civility should stay, as her dam was got by Maori King, from New Idea, by Waiuku —Bonne Idee, by Nordenfeldt, from My Idea, dam of Nelson. At a sale of racing stock held at Randwick on January 14, the Flaxmerc-bred Bosh, by Absurd (imp.)—Steinbeil, brought 750 guineas; a filly by Kilbroney (imp.)— Martia was sold for 400 guineas. Father’s Voice was passed in at 200 guineas, and Siaosi at 550 guineas. The sharp turn out of. the Trentham straight, and which continues into the back stretch, is greatly against the top weights in the Wellington Cup. There is generally a bit of bumping at this stage of the race, and the fact does not help the chance of a horse running under a big weight.

Gay Queen created a surprise by winning the Tinwald Handicap run at Ashburton on Saturday. She covered the 10 furlongs, journey in the smart time of 2min 6sec. Gay Queen should stay, as she was got bjj Gay Lad from Red Queen, by All Red from Lady Victoria, by Pilgrim’s Pro-* gress—Lady Lillian, by Phaeton—Lady Zetland.

Booster finished right on top of the placed lot in the Stewards’ Handicap after beginning from an outside position at the barrier. In the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham Booster meets Comic Song on 71b better terms. The difference in the handicap and better hick in the draw for position would make Booster a dangerous horse.

The Vincent Jockey Club races on an American dirt track because it is wiser to gallop a horse on a bit of cushioned ground, than on adamantine turf. The progress of the irrigation scheme in the district may find the club racing on turf next season, as the mixture of moisture .and heat in that part of the world seems to make grass grow on anything from a brick to a billiard ball.

Rampion (winner of the A.J.C. and V.R.C. Derbies), who was eased up after racing at Flemington in November, is - Reported to be again in work at Randwick, •nd is credited with being in splendid Jorm to be trained for autumn engagekients. Rampion figures in the Caulfield Futurity Stakes of £3500, to be run next taonth, but there is an impression that his first race in the autumn will be in the y.R.C. St. Leger. A comparison of the entries for the * D.J;C. summer meetings of 1036 and 1927 ! shows an increase of 47 for the meeting this

The following are the comparative figures relating to the entries for the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s summer meeting for the past three years:—

There should be some very interesting racing at the Wellington Cup meeting, as several of tho best horses in commission are engaged to appear at Trentham. At a difference of 3fb, it should be odds on Rapine beating Count Cavour, as the latter appeared, to be lucky to beat the Martian gelding, who was giving away 71b in the Now 'Zealand Cup. Star Stranger should be held safe by Star Ranger on last year’s form at the same meeting. They met in the W.R.C. Handicap, 11 furlongs, when Star Ranger won in 2.18 J, and now meets f-Snr Stranger on 171 b better terms. Footlull should run a good race under 8.6, and St would not be surprising to find him the best of the top-weight division.' Mask erected a good impression when racing J?*t season, and may bo found showing improvement on what he did at. the Auckland Cup meeting. Rapier may prove the best, of the light-weights, and when the betting ends, it may bo found that the order of favouritism is Rapine, Footfall, and Rapier. The draw for position in the Telegraph Handicap is a very important factor in bringing about the result. Com io Song, Booster, Paper Chase, and Receipt should all race well if well placed at die barrier.

year. The details are as follow:— 1926. 1927. tj. Autumn Hurdles . ... .« 11 10 [ Publicans’ Handicap 29 30 I President’s Handicap 22 24 t Dunedin Cup ... . 21 22 > Berwick Handicap i Stewards’ Handicap 25 37 . 22 Zl Owhiro Hurdles . 12 14 ■. Hopeful Stakes ... •.. . 19 16 "Warrington Handicap ... . 30 30 i Flying Handicap _ . 31 26 Jockey Club Handicap ... . 24 31 "Waihola Handicap . 30 39 Hazlett Memorial Handicap 15 21 Abbotsford Welter . 32 43 Totals . 323 370 Increase, 47.

; ? r i 1925. 1926. 1927. Vauxhall Handicap .. 28 36 31 Electric Handicap 19 30 27 Musselburgh Handicap 17 5 13 Dunedin . Cup .. .. 18 21 19 Southland Handicap .. 44 54 52 <>tago Cup 22 20 17 King George .Handicap 31 18 37 v lying Handicap 24 19 16 '-VVaverley _ Handicap .. 22 28 35 Telegraph Handicap .. 21 31 N.Z. Trotting Stakes .. 10 7 5 .Eorbury Handicap •towards’ Handicap .. 18 21 20 46 42 45 Crescent Handicap 22 20 18 Royal 28 27 44 A a Revoir Handicap .. . 25 23 20 J 395 404 430