NOVICE JUMPERS OF PROMISE

Southland Times, Issue 23375, 6 December 1937, Page 10

NOVICE JUMPERS OF PROMISE

TRAINING WORK AT INVERCARGILL

INTERESTING GALLOPS

(My

SIR MODRED)

The most interesting features of the training proceedings at the Southland Racing Club’s tracks on Saturday morning were several jumping bouts in which a number of novices participated. The schooling was conducted over one hurdle on the northern side of the plumpton coursing area situated in the centre of the various galloping and trotting circuits. The ground was not beaten down or over-firm and thus the conditions were ideal for the leppers of experience and the novices associated with them.

One interesting schooling venture took place over the inner grass track adjacent to the course proper, Burwood (T. Boyle) and Bonazel (J. Taylor) in a circuit and a-half negotiating four flights of hurdles. The geldings crossed the fences once rather carefully and hardly in their best form, but took the last two obstacles at racing pace, the final row of timber being crossed in attractive fashion, particularly by Burwood, even if he did rise somewhat high into the air. Out in the plumpton area Coat of Arms (E. Leckie) had Polar Star (J. Taylor) as his companion. The latter tackled the single row of low battens as if it was all in his day’s work and in four or five essays carried out his endeavours cleanly and without dwelling by the way. Coat of Arms on the other hand was inclined to fence rather wildly and slowly at first, but displayed rapid improvement and Leckie had him performing in an encouraging fashion in his final attempts. Inclined to be headstrong, Coat of Arms is not an easy jumper to guide, but he is progressing favourably and his trainer, T. E. Pankhurst, hopes to develop him into a useful hurdle racer. RECRUIT SCHOOLED The lowered battens were also in use for the education of three jumpers from Gladstone lodge, the more experienced Eastern Chief (J. Taylor) coupled with Baitruin (T. Boyle), and a recent recruit in the four-year-old mare by Last Dart from Dark Marie. The Last Dart representative could not pace it with her stablemates in approaching the fence and was at first of a mind to buck. Eventually she was induced to face the timber, always to scramble over. Gaining an understanding of what was required of her, she put in three good leaps, her final one being outstanding. She betrayed very slight hesitation in taking off, rose Well clear of the wood, and got away promptly on landing. Eastern Chief invariably jumped and behaved like a good show ring aspirant, while Baitruin made steady improvement. Saturday’s flat racing tasks were not exacting in the great majority of cases as a number of horses forward in condition did not require strong galloping, while a number of others were being nursed with colds of more or less severity. Trainers have been worried almost throughout the spring season as the result of many of their pupils contracting colds of a lasting character. In a strong gallop with his stablemate, Milford, the tall gelding Trebleack afforded evidence that he was recovering from his exertions at the recent New Zealand Cup fixture, and a cold which he contracted at Riccarton. R. McLellan’s charges stepped out very attractively in the run home from the distance to conclude a seven-furlong gallop. ATTRACTIVE GALLOP

The two-year-old by Paper Money, who is to race as Spendthrift, Grey Seal (half-brother to Western Song), and Guste ran down three furlongs attractively, with the last-named galloping stoutly. Spendthrift was suffering from a hampering cold, while Grey Seal struck trouble by the way. The trio jumped out evenly from a barrier start.

Ocean Singer gave evidence that he is making steady progress in his preparation, when galloped over seven furlongs with Paladino. Hopes are now entertained that Ocean Singer will come back to something like the useful form he displayed before he mixed it with a motor-car when he escaped from an attendant on the East road some months ago. The son of Songbird is as tough as they are made and this characteristic should stand to a stout and chunky galloper who before the accident referred to included in his successes a Wyndham Cup victory in which he was attended to the judge by the unlucky mare Trivet. GAINSBOROUGH MARE SUCCESSFUL AT STUD (By SIR MODRED) It was safe some years ago to claim the handsome Otautau Stud mare Celerity II as the only imported English mare by Gainsborough owned in New Zealand, but nowadays she has a rival and a successful one at that in Bachelor’s Picture, owned by Mr E. Preston, of the West Derby Stud (North Island). One of her sons in Elgindale, by Shambles, was a promising galloper, but she has now to be credited with another son, a colt called Footmark, who recently romped home as the winner of the West Australian Guineas and is expected to go out favourite for the West Australian Derby on December 27. The New Zealand-bred colt is by Defoe (imp. and son of Hurry On from Daughter-in-Law) from Bachelor’s Picture (imp.), by Gainsborough from Bachelor’s Valley, by Bachelor’s Double from Moyvalley. This well-bred colt from the Dominion was disposed of privately and is raced by Messrs S. J. and N. V. Mills, of Fremantle (West Australia). The Southland-owned Gainsborough mare, Celerity 11, has only one representative in the field, the Invercargil-trained colt in R. McLellan’s stable racing as Boswell, by Balboa, who opened his winning account by scoring in the Novice Handicap (6fur.) on the opening day of the Gore Racing Club’s Spring fixture. Boswell displayed courage in beating off a challenge by Vanity Queen, by Weathervane, andPhilein, byPhilamor, in the closing stages of the contest. NOMINATIONS FOR GORE AND WINTON Nominations for the Gore and Winton Trotting Club’s meetings close tonight—Gore at 5 p.m. and Winton at 8 p.m.