On The Turf And Off

Southland Times, Issue 23307, 17 September 1937, Page 10

On The Turf And Off

IMPROVEMENT OF NIGHTDRESS

ASHBURTON MEETING (By SIR MODRED) With the South Island flat racing season opening at Ashburton tomorrow a subdued air of excitement pervades Riccarton and its environments. A number of Riccarton-trained horses will strip at Ashburton this week hardly ready for the fray, but there will be a different tale to tell at the Geraldine meeting later on. The Chokebore Lodge juvenile Nightdress is to make his first appearance of the season at Ashburton tomorrow as a step in his preparation for the Dunedin Guineas. ... The successful jockey L. J. Lilis hastened home from Wanganui by air and was riding exercise work at Riccarton on Saturday in view of the approaching Ashburton fixture. Disappointed in the running of hei race *at Wanganui Great Memory by Magnus (imp.)-Retrospect, displayed form that was promising to her trainers,. H. and A. Cutts. Scuffle (filly )and Gaoler (colt) will be the Chokebore Lodge candidates for the John Grigg Stakes. The latter, a I Lord Warden youngster, races for Mr G. R. Macdonald. Consistent massage treatment is improving G. Humphries’s injured limb, but the knee is troublesome. He will be in the saddle again shortly on the Private advice from Sydney and received in Christchurch is to the effect that Rival Hit reached Australia safe and sound. He is now in work from a Sydney stable. The four-year-old gelding Pesetas, by Paper Money from Kilris, by Kilboy (son of Kilbroney, and winner of the Australian J.C. Derby of 1916) fiom Tigris, by Birkenhead (imp.) from Tigress, by Dreadnought, now in the stable of F. W. Ellis, at Invercargill, was originally prepared at Riccarton by C. Emerson. He had one race, but subsequently went amiss and was turned out. When in training Pesetas displayed some galloping ability. A shapely six-year-old mare recently joined up with the string of C. Emerson at Riccarton is bred on lines well known in Otago. She is a daughter of Paladin (imp.) and there is nothing wasp-waisted about her, as is not infrequent with female descendants of the Polymelus sire. Her dam is Freestone, by Blackstone (son of Grafton, by Galopin, sire of St. Simon) from Beta, by Lord Rosslyn from Tiara, by St. Leger (imp.) from Bangle, by Musket from Locket (imp.). The novice moves attractively. The breeding strains quoted are of interest in Otago, where the mare was bred and her family is well known. When the recent Grand National meeting was brought to a close the Ric-carton-trained Dictate was very much on the light side, but he is now muscling up and taking on a more robust appearance. He is rather on the plain side, but they gallop in all shapes and this son of Chief Ruler is likely to win a valuable race over about eight fur- i longs when the new turf session gets into full swing. - The death of J. McCarthy on Monday caused regret in racing circles. He was the victim of a motoring accident on Sunday morning when a light car on getting into loose gravel turned over three times to land all square on its wheels. He was attached to the stable of J. B. Pearson for about 20 years. Another of the four occupants of the car included in the mishap was Clive Hughes who was for some months last season attached to the Gladstone Lodge establishment in Invercargill. Hughes is suffering from minor injuries. A.J.C. DERBY It is reported from Sydney that many New Zealanders permanently located there or at present visiting Australia are firmly convinced that the North Island-owned colt Courtcraft will win the A.J.C. Derby and they have supported him accordingly in spite of the high reputations as gallopers borne by the Victorian colts Ajax and Hua, both sons of Heroic. There is no doubt about the Melbourne-owned juveniles being of superior rank on their two-year-old deeds, but the sporting fraternity from the Dominion prefers the home-bred three-year-old. Courtcraft, who deeply impressed visitors to the Wellington Racing Club’s Autumn meeting last season, cost Mr W. H. Gaisford 1200 guineas as a yearling at the New Zealand National Sales of 1936, and he is undoubtedly bred in the purple to attract attention quite apart from his achievements on the racing track. He is a son of Limond (imp. and by Desmond, son of St. Simon) from Homage, by Absurd (imp.) from Eulogy (imp. and noted brood mare), by Cicero from Kelibia, by Unas from Goletta, by Galopin (sire of St? Simon). The colt is a brother to Honour and half-brother to Heritage, by Posterity. A descendant of Son-in-Law in sire line Heritage is the horse who won the Eclipse Stakes, one of the leading events of the turf in India for a native owner to whom L. H. Hewitt acts as private trainer. Experienced North Islanders swear by Courtcraft and it will be interesting in the course of a few short weeks to see if their confidence is justified on Derby day at Randwick when F. Davis produces his valuable pupil. On Tuesday morning when galloping over a fair stretch • of ground at Riccarton it was noticeable .that Wild Career was kept in behind his stablemate Rodeur, to answer in an encouraging fashion when called upon for a break home —hitherto the son of Balboa has been given to rushing to the front to spin himself out in a number of races. The Invercargill-owned trio, Rodeur, Wild Career, and Ardmayle, have been pleasing their trainer R. McNay of late, although the last-named has yet to make up ground in condition lost when suffering from a severe cold. The representatives of Messrs Price Brothers in at least two instances may be found in winning vein before returning to their home quarters at Riverton following the New Zealand Cup fixture in November.

Recently added to the list, a three-year-old gelding included in C. Emerson’s Riccarton string may be classed as a fighting member of the blood stock tribe and a juvenile whose family is well known in Southland as he is a half-brother to Membo, by Balboa. This easy actioned maiden performer of fighting instincts is by Night Raid from Sweet Memory, by Maniapoto (son of Soult, by St. Simon from a Musket maternal line) from Pretty Helen, by Sweet Simon, from Lady Helen, by Phil Athol from Lady Fanny, by Barbarian (a sire whose name has been well to the fore in Southland for some years past in maternal strains). A seven-year-old gelding who has been displaying rather encouraging galloping form on the Riccarton tracks of late is Maroha, owned by the veteran West Coast owner-trainer and good sportsman R. Adamson. The son of Martarma, by Martian, claims as his dam Wimple (sister to Veilmond, and Prince Pombal, by Pombal, both of whom are well known in Australia as successful New Zealanders), by Limond (imp.) from Veil, by Absurd

from Cowl, by King Rufus from Our Lady (a mare representing a very prominent line of old time gallopers in Australia). Maroha is a big able-bodied gelding who might do well if educated as a hurdle racer, but he should win across the flat during the current season.