TALK OF THE TURF

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17607, 24 October 1931, Page 7

TALK OF THE TURF

The Paper Money colt Autopay looks improved by his Australian trip. His joint owners were fourth on the winning list at Randwick with £2202 for the Epsom Handicap, to which has to be added the previous successes at preceding fixtures. It was a very profitable trip all round. Nothing has yet been decided about another attempt on the Stewards’ Handicap at Riccartou, * * ti » Admiral Drake was galloped on during the race for the Timaru Cup and was stripped from nearly midway below the cap of the hock of the off hind leg to just above the fetlock. _ The injury was not serious, but necessitated veterinary treatment. The mishap did not apparently,affect his chance in the race. Defeat was probably more due to a too early run that settled Ranelagh and Desert Kong, but left little in reserve to ward off a challenge from Mount Boa. Mount. Boa’- impressive victory in the Timaru Cup last Saturday has caused him .to come into serious la\m for the New Zealand Cup. in which It. > Wiggins is spoken of as his likely pilot, mount Boa has had the beneni ot some solid racing to prepare _ him for a two miles ordeal, and m this regard has an advantage over many M the more-fancied candidates. In addition, ho has given every indication ot being capable of mastering the two-nnle journey. ■ # , ,

. There-has -been an unfortunate run of accidents in flat races at meetings m Canterbury recently. At Ashburton last month Arch Arrow and Ravine fell, and R, llenshaw, rider of the hrstuamed, received fatal injuries, while A. Messervey broke <t collarbone. On the second day a mishap during the preliminary caused J. T. Andrews to suffer a uroken leg. In the Tycho Hack Handicap at Wash dyke on Saturday'Rosewood (N. Dwyer) fell and brought down Congo L Pratt). Dwyer escaped injury, but Pratt broke a thigh. Dwyer was on Ravine in the Ashburton accident, but also escaped injury on that occasion.

The brothers, H. and S. Wragg, had a day out at Warwick (England) on September 14, winning all fivo races oil the programme open to professional jockeys. S. Wragg did the better ot the two with three wins. One of them was scored on Potcl.im, a gelding by AJlenbv, owned and trained by Mr. Boyd Davis, formerly of Auckland, in the Meriden Plate, lj miles, lor three-year-olds. Mr. Davis’ geldings have snown good form, this success supplementing those gained 'by Signifer and Mister Isaacs at Demy and Doncastci ie # spectivelv. \.# * # #

Retract, who sprang a big surprise on bettors in the Highweight Handicap at Masterton last Saturday, had been racing three years without success, and as he had done nothing out of the ordinary on the Trentham track the "wonder is that he did not pay more than he did. Probably he was remembered at Opaki, where he was trained until a few months ago, for he was often well backed last season as the result of tempting trial?. ( In a score of starts prior to Saturday’s' race the best, he had done was {i second and a third, and last season ho had actually not once finished in a place, , , ' ***«-. ,fi h ~ ~.. - : , "®fhe leg'which* caused the withdrawal of. Cypress, from the A.J.C. Derby and other important • engagements in Australiaj including the Melbourne Cup, is the near hind. He is*walking soundly

on it again, but there are st’ill signs ]of tiu> trouble. Cypress will be spelled, and it is hoped '.that he will bo fit enough in six pionths to. prepare again,' when J. 11. Jefferd will return to Australia with him. Asked as to what chance ho would have had with Ammon Ka, Jefferd stated that it was not only a matter of conjecture, but there was certainly the prospect of a good consolation prize for second. The Melbourne Cup was another important engagement forfeited. He was able to dispose of Love Song at a satisfactory price. • ***., Tho Maunganui, from Sydney on Tuesday, brought back several New Zealanders and horses who huve been campaigning at the spring meetings there. Messrs. R. J. Murphy, N. E. Aitken, H. F. Wood, J. Jt. Jefferd, B. F. B. Webster, T. Pritchard, R. Reed, B. H. Morris, Mrs. H. B. Lorrigan, Mrs. Aitken, Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Morris were among the passengers, all looking well after their trip. T. Pritchard returned with the hero of the trip, the Epsom Handicap winner, Autopay, also Maypay, Teri and Saltaire, a mare purchased by Mr. Wood in Sydney. J. H. Jefferd brought back Cypress, also a two-year-old colt by Magpie, whom he will train for the V.R.O. chairman, Mr. L. K. S. Mackinnon. Mr, W. Higgins' two-year-old filly by Chief Ruler was returned to her owner by G. Price, and a -couple of hacks for Mr. Ken Austin, manager of the Eller,slie Stud, completed the shipment. * * * * Discussing the fast time in which I'liar Lap won the Randwick Plate at the A.J.C. spring meeting, a Sydney racing writer compares the performance of Phur Lap with the best time registered by tho olef-time champion Carbine, and points out that Carbine’s best time for a mile, and a-quarter was 2rni». 7sec., which has been bettered by many later coiners, assisted by improved conditions. Among the champions of past days, times for a mile and a-quarter were comparatively slow. Newhaven’s best was 2min. 9sec.., Poseidon’s 2min. 12jsec., Trafalgar’s 2min. 7jsec., Petrel’s the same, More recently the Newcastle gelding, Beauford, held the record at 2min. 3-jsec. for some seasons, but High Syce’s best was 2min, 4Jsec. Windbag has covered the journey in 2inin. 4|sec., A mourns in 2min. 4jjsec., Nightmarch in 2min. ssec., Limerick tho same, Whittier 2inin. Sjsec., and the sensational Manifred 2min. Gjsec.

Disagreement with Australian critics who said that B. H. Morris rode, a bad race on Concentrate in the, Metropolitan Handicap was expressed hy J. 11. Jefferd. the New Zealand trainer, on his return on Tuesday by the Maunganui. lie said that, the well-known propensity' of.some Australians to belittle New Zealanders was more in evidence than their judgment,. According) to defferd, Morris rode well. Cdncentrate never left the rails all the way, got a good run, but he failed to go with the field early, though he finished over everything. He thinks ho has really good chance in the Melbourne Cup. “I’har Lap won't start," he is of opinion, "and even if ho does he won't win with 10.10. He pulls far too htird for a horse with that weight. Even in the two-horse race at Ttandwick Pike had a terrible job fighting with him for over a mile. I’liar Lap appears ns good ns ever, though the opposition he encountered was not good."