ON INVERCARGILL TRACKS

Southland Times, Issue 24056, 21 February 1940, Page 11

ON INVERCARGILL TRACKS

Boswell Preparing For Easter ANOTHER TRIAL FOR SEA LADY Nominations for the Riverton meeting close at 6 p.m. on Monday next. Easter Plans T. E. Pankhurst may race a team at the Tuapeka and Beaumont meetings next month. A Walk-over It is a long time since a horse had a “walk-over” in New Zealand as Small Boy had at Wairoa on Saturday, but such incidents were common 50 years ago. For Australia , The Defoe three-year-old Lady Tinkle has been shipped to Melbourne in charge of her owner-trainer, W. H. Hume. She has won four races this season, all on the Trentham track. Ocean Singer It is unlikely that Ocean Singer will be raced again. He has been turned out for a spell and as he is unsound, it is possible that he will not be persevered with further. Back Again Although it was intended to put Sir Denis aside for a time, he is back on the tracks again, and will be raced at the Birchwood and Riverton meetings. He has freshened up during his short spell. After a Spell The Nigger Minstrel filly, Topspin, who went sore after racing at Wairio, is in work again. She has been nominated for the Birchwood meeting, but she has put on some condition during her absence. Looks Well Mondello was sprinted an easy half- • mile on the course proper at Invercar--1 gill yesterday morning. She has built up into a solid looking filly and she usually comes to hand quickly. Another Trial Sea Lady, who has not raced for some time, is to reappear at the Birchwood Hunt meeting. The Lord Warden mare went amiss early in the season, but she has been kept in light work and is to be given another trial. Well Related Surcoat, who has been nominated for the Birchwood Hunt meeting, is now a member of F. J. Boyle’s team. He has done a good amount of schooling and is a five-year-old halfbrother by Philamor to Shatter and Protector. Gay Deception I A newcomer to C. F. Low’s team is I the Rosenor mare, Gay Deception. She I has shown -some promise in the hunting fields, and appears to be possessed of more than average pace. Boswell Back Boswell has been taken up again by R. E. McLellan and he will next be produced at the Riverton meeting. He has been spelling since the holidays | but during his absence from the tracks I he was hacked about. I For Wingatui I Mr W. E. Hazlett will leave for | j Wingatui today with Milford, Sparkle ] and Spendthrift. Sparkle is in great order, while Spendthrift took no harm from his one race at Winton. He will be ridden by the apprentice, J. L. Strathem. Rider Engaged Providing he can make the weight, 7.3, G. Barclay will ride Sparkle in the Dunedin Cup. Barclay will also be on Pink Bond. | Frenchy in Work Frenchy was out doing easy exercise at Invercargill yesterday morning. He is a fine type of ’chaser, standing almost 17 hands, and although he lost some skin on his trip from Melbourne, he should not be long in producing his best as he was in work right up to the time of his departure. He is to make his first appearance at the Birchwood Hunt meeting. Doubtful Starter It is unlikely that Sailing Lady will be taken to Dunedin this week. She was sore after racing at Gore and in recent tasks has not put her customary dash into her work. She will probably be given a chance to freshen up before Riverton. Invercargill Work The course proper, with the poles out about 18 feet, was available for fast work at Invercargill yesterday morning. After being under water last week the tracks have dried reasonably well, although the going was dead. The best gallop of the morning was put up by King’s Chorus (Rowland) who beat Ardmayle (Preston) by several lengths over six furlongs in Imin 24 l-ssec, the last half in 57 2-ssec. King’s Chorus looks a picture after his recent racing and it was an easy task for the Nigger Minstrel gelding. He will be taken through to Wingatui today. King’s Chorus has two engagements on Thursday, but it has been definitely decided to start him in the hack sprint. As yet no rider has been engaged for him. j Sparkle (Strathem) and Mona’s Song | (Barclay) were together at the end of j a mile in Imin 52sec, the first three in 42sec, the half in 56 3-ssec and the last half in 55 2-ssec.’ Sparkle got through her task in solid style, but Mona’s Song has not done as well as expected and she is unlikely to be taken to Wingatui. An Easy Task Ortyx (Voight) and Heidelberg (Low) sprinted an easy six furlongs, taking Imin 25 2-ssec, the last half in 56 2-ssec. Ortyx looks a picture of condition and she is to be tried over a mile and a-quarter at the Birchwood Hunt meeting. Sailing Lady (Humphries) jumped off at the mile and was joined jay Ashaway (Barclay) at the five. The first three were run in 40sec, the half in 56sec and the mile in Imin 51sec, the last in 55sec. They finished together. Pink Bond (Barclay) sprinted half a, mile on her own in 54 2-ssec. A Great Family King’s Chorus, who has been racing in good form lately, is a member of a very successful Southland family which does not figure in the Stud Book. A : four-year-old chestnut gelding, he is a son of Nigger Minstrel and the Balboa —Golden Queen mare Queen Balboa, and he carries the colours of his breeder, Mr J. Graham, who has bean racing members of the family for nearly 30 years. Queen Balboa was a fine handicap performer, among her score or more wins being the Dunedin Cun.

and her full-brother, King Balboa, was also a very useful horse. The family is commonly known in the south as the Fairy Benzie family. Fairy Benzie was by Benzoin from Fairy Queen, by Perkin Warbeck from the Traducer mare Lapwing, whose maternal ancestry is unknown. Fairy Benzie, a small compact chestnut mare, came into the possession of Mr Graham many years ago, and she turned out to be a great investment. One of her first products was Golden King to Golden Knight, and Golden King was a prolific winner, a horse of the toughest metal. One of his achievements was to win successive races at the Gore Summer meeting in 1917, carrying 9.2 in the first of them and 9.7 (6.7 minimum in those days) in the second, and Golden Queen, the dam of Queen Balboa and King Balboa, was a full-sister to Golden King. Others of Fairy Benzie’s offspring were Fairy Herald and Fairy Tidings, who, disposed of by Mr Graham before racing, had very serviceable careers. Sweet Memory

Referring to the death of Sweet Memox-y, a Wellington writer' remarks: In her racing day% Sweet Memory was one of the fastest hacks in the country. Over short courses she was extremely brilliant, but she often found six furlongs far enough. She was heavily raced, and in what were practically her two first seasons on the turf contested 50 events. Before the end of the first of these seasons she had won with 10.4 on her back. She won in open company, too, but toward the end of her career her successes were few. She was a very fast mare and might easily have had a better record. Sweet Memory was by the Soult horse, Maniapoto, a great galloper, whose successes included the Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick in 1905, the year of the famous New Zealand “clean up” of the Sydney programme. Her dam, Pretty Helen, was by Sweet Simon from Lady Helen, by Phil Athol from Lady Fanny, by Barbarian from Lady Elizabeth from Sir Hercules. Her first foal was Membo, a good hurdler, who won the Grand National in 1932. Unlike his dam, Membo won his races through ability to finish on solidly. He was by Balboa. Later she produced Paladino to Paladin, • Remembo to Balboa, and Nightcalm to Night Raid. When she died she left a nine-weeks-old filly by Salmagundi. Sweet Memory had such great natural speed that it should never be surprising to find one of her female descendants produce something well above the average.