Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 6

Turf Notes

By

“EARLY BIRD"

RACING

Wellington Acceptances The Wellington meeting opens on Tuesday week. Acceptances are due on Monday night. Getting Them Ready R. Thorpe is giving a lot of attention to Haerera and Welkne, and this pair are moving along well. They have both been tried over the sticks and have shown aptitude for the jumping game. With the Hunt Master Noel has been a frequent competitor at the Pakuranga Hunt outings, and has been clearing the obstacles well. Promising Youngster The juvenile, Nankin Blue, is among the frequent visitors to Kllerslie, and has been performing usefully. Next season may see this youngster keeping pace with the good two-year-olds. Handy Andy There is a steeplechaser in the North Island named Handy. This name should not have been allowed, as it might be ton fused with Mr. L. C. Hazlett’s steeplechaser Andy. Promoted Penury Rose and Comical, the winners of the last two Grand National Hurdles contests, are this year entered for the Grand National Steeplechase. The former is giving his trainer some trouble. To Repeat the Attempt Tuki and Peter Maxwell, winners of the Grand National Steeplechase in 1925 and 1926 respectively, are both under orders to contest this event again next me nth. Protected Posts A race club’s consideration for horses was indirectly responsible for saving the jockey, E. Sounness, when he was thrown from Beryl Lady at Ascot, Sydney, recently. Padded leather protection is placed round the posts at the entrance gates to the weighing enclosure, so that horses striking them sustain no injury. It was against one of these posts that the mare crushed and threw Sounness. He struck it with considerable force, and, although he was too stunned to ride in the race, the padding saved him from serious injury. In the Purple The rising three-year-old Kilbroney —Fulsome gelding Excess may make the trip to Australia with Commendation in the spring. G. Jones stated last week that Excess was wintering very well, and promised to turn out useful. Excess is from the same family as Commendation his dam. Fulsome, being half-sister to Commendation. He had only two starts this season, but showed good speed on each occasion. Luck of Buying The day that the Australian sportsman Mr. A. P. Wade sold several horses prior to his trip to England, Mr. W. Pearson gave l,Boogns. for Amounis, and got a champion who has won nearly £IO,OOO for him. When Amounis had been led out of the ring the Valais filly Military Lady pranced in. Mr. M. Robinson eagerly gave l.lOOgns. for her. She has proved a dud, and so far has returned only £IOO. As she had not long previously run second in a nursery handicap at Randwick and was a. sister to Valais Queen, a useful sprinter, there was a keen demand for Military Lady. While in J. Barden’s stable she could not secure a place, and Mr. Robinson quickly sold her to Mr. R. F. Gardiner of Melbourne. At the last Epsom meeting, with the minimum weight, she managed to finish third in a field of five in her new owner’s colours. Comical’s Pilot Hawke’s Bay reports state that H. McSweeney will be on Comical in his Trent ham engagements. Comical has so far failed to complete a steeplechase course, but with his pace on the flat he has only got to stand up to

be dangerous. McSweeney may be the man to get him round at Trentham. Comical likes the Trentham track, and has always shown his best form there. His schooling efforts over the fences there with his new pilot will be awaited with considerable interest.

Hastings Juveniles The colt by Grandcourt —Amyrin Oge, who is under the tuition of L. E. Goodwin at Greenmeadows, moved along attractively in the parade at Hastings last week. He looks as if he is going to develop into a good sort, and he certainly should, on breeding lines, as he was sired by imported Grandcourt, his dam being a daughter of Birkenhead and Mavourneen. Mr. J. S. McLeod’s representatives were also stepped out and came in for favourable comment, more particularly Raasay, a half-brother to Runnymede and full brother to Ganymede. Cloyne, a sweetly-appearanced filly, who is a full-sister to Mixture, Director, Chairman and Secretary (the bunch all having been the production of Culross to Nassau), moved in first-class fashion, giving indications that she is possessed of pace of high order.

Racing Affairs On this page yesterday appeared a statement by Mr. J. S. Barrett on racing and gambling generally. A. Wellington writer comments as follows on the subject:—Most people will agree with Mr. Barrett in his remarks, and also generally in regard to the centralisation of racing, for it is only a simple fact that the huge number of racecourses kept up for a few days’ racing on each are a simple economic waste. If the better appointed and central courses were used it would be for the good of all. He will have plenty of objectors to his suggestion, however, that Riccarton should be pulled to pieces to form a trotting course. Racing and trotting could be centralised on their own courses without bringing two conflicting interests together on one course. Why not pull Trentham to pieces to accommodate the Wellington Trotting Club or Ellerslie for the Auckland Trotting Club? Toll of the Dead

The field for the Victorian Grand National Hurdle was reduced by two a fortnight ago, when Bernbanks and Mount Elsa were killed while compet-' ing in the Toolambool Hurdle at Caulfield. Mount Elsa was leading with Barigi, when Barigi made a poor jump, but got over safely. Mount Elsa clouted and toppled over. Unfortunately she fell right in the path of Bernbanks, who rolled over on top of Mount Elsa, and was spun a couple of times by the horses following. Both animals had their necks broken. As the race started the National favourite, Bombard, as a result of the Marlborough Hurdle at Flemington, was favourite in the open field. A solid commission was launched for Bernbanks, second favourite, and there were few in the field that were not backed. Bombard lost his rider two hurdles from home, when gaining in the leaders. The winner, Nobility, had failed in both of his previous starts. Nobility jumped splendidly, and finished full of running. Woolpack ran a fair race, finishing close to the placed horses, and Roisel was just behind him. and doing well. Fiscus was seventh, but Olbrook ran disappointingly. H. Masterton purchased Nobility for l,ooogns. a few weeks ago. On his form he looks to have an excellent chance in the National. Auckland’s Stakes

The Auckland Racing Club gives much the largest stakes in the Dominion, but does not pay to owners as large a percentage of its totalisator receipts as other metropolitan clubs, comments “The Watcher.” During the season now ending, Auckland Club gave away £66,950, on a totalisator turnover of £848,450. The Wellington Club distributed £38,310, the machine putting through £391,533; and at Dunedin the figures were £22,875 and £229,226 respectively. At Riccarton the stakes totalled £42,425, and the totalisator handled £461,148. The percentages of stakes to totalisator turnover were approximately as follow Auckland 8 per cent.. Christchurch 9, Wellington 9s. Dunedin 10.