ROYAL CHIEF TO SPELL

Southland Times, Issue 23793, 15 April 1939, Page 10

ROYAL CHIEF TO SPELL

Arctic King’s 'Record At Riccarton t, BEAULIVRE A DERBY PROSPECT Acceptances for the Clifden meeting close at 7 p.m. today. Jockey’s Fees For Black Banner’s treble success at Riverton, T. J. Boyle earned riding fees amounting to £72 9/-. Galleon’s Form Although he went off colour before the meeting, Galleon’s two seconds at Riverton were useful efforts and he may again return to his best. A Newcomer

R. E. McLellan is educating a good type of yearling colt by Nigger Minstrel from Miss Redowa, by Balboa from Redowa. Out Again

Cintilla, who was brought in from a spell last week, has been blistered and turned out again. Injured Jockey The cross-country horseman, W. T. Kittb, is in hospital with a broken leg and will have to miss the jumping season. Spelling Toro Koura was not asked to race at Riccarton on Tuesday, and he has probably made his last appearance for the season. Silver Sight’s Programme Silver Sight, who was the best of the hurdlers racing at Riccarton this week, will probably do a circuit of North Island meetings this winter. All Three Won s' An unusual feature of Monday’s racing was the success of the only three Of the progeny of the Paper Money mare, Passbook, so far to race. They all won, Dissipation and Deficit at Wairarapa, and Beaulivre at Riccarton. Allowance Reduced When he steered Triple Cone, a winner at Riverton on Monday, the Invercargill apprentice, W. F. Ellis, scored his eleventh win, and will now be able to claim only 51b allowance in races. Arctic King’s Riccarton Record ‘ Two years ago Arctic King finished second in the Great Autumn Handicap, and won it last year. On Tuesday he was narrowly beaten by Siegmund, and as he won the New Zealand Cup last November, Arctic King has a good record in important long-distance handicaps at Riccarton. Derby Prospect In winning both the C.J.C. Champagne and Challenge Stakes, Beaulivre has repeated the success of Royal Chief and Defaulter in the two previous years. The late R. J. Mason, who trained the' winner of either race on numerous occasions, used to declare that any stable which sheltered such a winner could look forward with confidence to the Derby in the spring.

Two-Year-Old Supremacy The question of two-year-old supremacy appears to have been settled at Riccarton, where Beaulivre gained two convincing victories over Beau Vite. Submission’s win at Ellerslie established her as the best of the fillies, and it is possible that she is superior to all the colts with the exception of Beaulivre.

Another Trip In View Royal Chief did not suffer any illeffects from his two hard races this week, and is now to be put aside for two months and then recommissioned to prepare for another trip to Sydney in July. The two-year-old Moorsotis was sore after his race on Tuesday, and has been blistered. His stablemates, Iceland Spar and Nightshift, are to be gelded. Settlement is to remain in training, and is likely to do well during the winter season. A Severe Loss Drachma, who had to be destroyed on Monday, was owned by Mr P. Curtis, of Christchurch, and was trained at I’rentham by T. R. George. Mr Curtis purchased Drachma at auction at Trentham in January, and soon got a return of his outlay by the. gelding winning on the following day, and later won two races as well as filling minor places. Drachma was a three-year-old gelding by Iliad from Countersign, and 'was confidently expected to develop into a high-class handicap horse. Trebor’s Next The extraordinary run of success of Trebor was continued at the Wairarapa Easter meeting, where he won the chief event on the opening day, but it was interrupted on the second day when he was beaten into third place. Trebor is very well, and if he continues to thrive he may race next at the Hawera meeting in May. This short pedigree horse from a successful Waikato family is bred to be a good hurdler, and probably it was for jumping he was acquired. His recent form warrants him a further trial on the flat. He has won seven of his last nine races—a ‘great record in handicap events.

Apprentice’s Success A feature of the Riccarton meeting on Easter Monday was the splendid riding of the Southland apprentice, R. E. Humphries, a brother of the betterknown jockey, G. Humphries, who this week intends handing in his licence, states a Christchurch writer. Young Humphries, who, in the ordinary course of events, would have been riding at Riverton (where he rode on the previous Saturday), was offered the ride on Cocksure a few days before the Great Easter Handicap, and the choice of a horseman was a happy one for the connections of Cocksure, who were at their wit’s end to secure a suitable lightweight to ride 7.1. Humphries handled the four-year-old to perfection, as he waited until the last possible moment before challenging, and when he did use the whip he did so in a manner rarely associated with apprentices. That was not all. In the next race Humphries showed excellent horsemanship in finishing on Grey Night, which had to withstand a strong challenge from Globe Trotter ridden by G. R. Tattersail. This, as much as his Great Easter riding, was favourably commented on from all quarters. R. E. Humphries now can look back on his first visit to Riccarton as a pleasant memory, and one which marked the occasion of his most important riding

success to date. The Invercargill apprentice, who is indentured to R. E. McLellan, has ridden many winners, but mostly in Southland. He should ride many more before completing his apprenticeship in October 1940.