Comments From Trentham

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 91, 8 July 1927, Page 6

Comments From Trentham

TRAINING WORK REVIEWED MUCH more detailed reports of yesterday's training operations it Trentham, together with a budget of comment from THE SUN’S special turf correspondent on the spot, provides interesting - reading for racing folk. (Special to THE SUE.)

WELLINGTON, Thursday. fJ'HE special horse train from Auckland arrived at Trentham shortly before midyday to-day. and as far as could be gathered at the time of writing the horses had come through the trip well. If the scheme works out satisfactorily both ways, no doubt more of the kind will be heard of. Proceedings at Trentham this morning were more lively than they have been for some time. There were horses working on the flat, over hurdles, and over steeplechase fences. The going was very soft everywhere, but the ground appeared to be di'ying quickly as a result of the sunny weather which has been experienced during the last few days. UNDER A PULL Carrigallon infused a lot of dash into a sprint task, and got to the end of three furlongs in 41 3-5. It was a very fair effort, and Carrigallon could have improved on it had he been allowed to, but his rider had a tight hold of him. This horse is a good track worker, but he has not done much good with the colours up. However, he looks a little better now than he has done in the past. Vexatious is a pretty good track galloper, but Gauntlet beat Her comfortably over seven furlongs this morning, in a manner which must have pleased his trainer. Gauntlet is an improved horse, and might win a good hurdle race later in the winter. He cut out the seven furlongs in 1.36 4-5, and could have done a little better. Oratrix went with him and Vexatious over the last five furlongs, and though she beat Vexatious home she had no chance with Gauntlet. There is this to be said, though, that Gauntlet carried less weight than either of the others who took part in the gallop. ANNOUNCED HIS COMING

Orchid could be heard on his way home from the half-mile post, but that did not affect his galloping, and he did half a mile very easily in 52 2-5, which was considered good, having regard to the nature of the going. Hyama and Outfit wejre galloped together, and Hyama was of no Lise whatever to his stable mate. Hyama had the worst of the weights, but over the last furlong of a seven-l'urlong gallop Outfit . went right away from him. The pace was not on all the way, and the gallop was not timed. Outfit is pretty well, but he is a big topped horse, and looks as if he will have-to be carefully handled. COMING BACK

Gaze has shown considerable improvement since arriving here, and he greatly pleased this morning in a run over the hurdles in company with Perle de Leon. Allan McDonald was on Gaze, and H. McSweeney on Perle de Leon, and the task they were set was to jump three hurdles and do a round on the flat. In both branches of the work Gaze showed to greater advantage than his companion, who, it will be remembered, won twice at Hastings and made such a good impression on the handicapper that he elected him topweight for the Vittoria Hurdles, to be run on Tuesday. On the other hand Gaze fell one day and jumped badly the other day at Hastings, and his improvement this week is very striking. Gaze will be right back in the boom again, as racegoers have n£>t forgotten how he won the Century Hurdles at Wanganui just a little over a year ago. MIXED DISPLAY

Comical was schooled over four fences on the course proper this morning. He gave a mixed display, but made some friends for his coming engagements. He slowed down when approaching the first fence, but McSweeney drew the stick and belted him into it. He cleared it all right, and after that jumped better. He was in the company of Hokioi and Omahu, whom he easily gathered on the flat, if he lost ground at the fences. Probably he will be schooled again on Saturday morning, as it is evident that he has not reached perfection yet. Hokioi jumped better than either of the others, and if he could only stay he would win a lot of money as a steeplechaser. He outjumped both his companions at the two first fences, but at the last two Comical did as well as he did. However, Hokioi’s was the most even and finished display, and it is safe to say that over short courses there are few better jumpers about. VETERAN GOES WELL As to Omahu, the old chap went very well over the first couple of obstacles, but he lagged behind at the next and seemed to tire quickly or recover slowly after landing. Possibly it is the latter, as that appeared to be his trouble when he was racing at Ellerslie last month. He fenced very safely, but it is clear that he has lost-a great deal of his pace, and that of course is only what can be expected in a horse of his age.

R. Miles is to have the mount on Omahu in the Wellington Steeplechase and in his other engagements at the meeting.

P. Mcßrearty will do the riding of Hokioi as usuel, and if Bonny Rill does not start H. Gordon will ride Sir Wai, who will be one of the outsiders in the Wellington Steeplechase. UNDER A CLOUD

Bonny Rill was on the course again this morning, but she moves tenderly, and her appearance suggests that she is very unlikely to be started in the Wellington Steeplechase. She is bandaged up and shows distinct signs of the knocking about she received at Napier Park. A good bold jumper of the small hurdles who is working at Trentham at present is Wailong. P. Mcßrearty popped him over one of the hurdles in the middle of the course twice this morning, and he flew at it like a bird. Certainly he jumped rather high, but the effort was/a most encouraging one and will induce his owner to go on with him as a hurdle proposition. Lady Passenger has done a great deal of work at Trentham. She looks a picture of fitness, and when she was schooled over the hurdles on Wednesday morning she got through her work in excellent style. She is a possibility for a hurdle race at any time now. THE GAY DECEIVER

One of the best gallops done at Trentham during the week was recorded by Deluge this morning, when he ran

halt a mile in 53 1-5, and was by no means fully extended. It is very clear that that is fast travelling on a dead track, and the Absurd gelding did it without effort. Whether he will repeat it in a race is a matter of doubt. He has always been a great track worker, but has not been a racecourse success, though he has shown some signs of doing" a little better under silk since he has gone into the stable presided over by H. Lorigan. Even if the company he will meet at Trentham next week is too rich for him, he should win a race or so at some of the smaller fixtures during the coming spring. The imported mare Joy Bird is looking very fit and galloped well at Trentham this week. She is expected to run prominently any time now. IN BEST FORM Banjuke has done all his work well since arriving at Trentham. He went over some of the steeplechase fences on Wednesday, jumping beautifully, and to-day he surprised many of those present by soundly defeating Great Day in a gallop over six furlongs, run in 1.24 3-5. Banjuke looks better now than he did when he raced on the East Coast a fortnight ago, and on what has been seen of him in his work he will be one of the hardest horses to b°at in the hack steeplechase events. H. McSweeney will be his pilot in his races. NGATA OVER STICKS Ngata is a horse that is looking particularly well and he was watched very critically when he went out to school and later to gallop on the flat. He schooled over several hurdles in company with Brigadier Bill, and he did ever so much better than his stable companion. His jumping was bold and last, and was a very pleasing piece of work, and it was evident afterwards that trainer Jim Morris was delighted with what the old horse had done. Brigadier Bill was disappointing. He bungled the first fence and only got over with a last moment effort, but probably he slipped into the obstacle. Even after that he did not jump as well as Ngata did. and on this showing will not increase in favour for his engagement in the Trentham Hurdle Race, for which he threatened to start one of the favourites. However, he might make amends in his next lesson. ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED Degage, who has had a lot of work put into her, was sent along over six furlongs this morning,* and came home the last four in 55sec. She was not kicked out and had a substantial weight in the saddle. The manner in which she did her work could not be found fault with by the most fastidious observer. Mr. W. Higgins’s pair, Kilperon andBronstell, have done a lot of good solid work, and are ready to be stepped out at any time. The Whyte Memorial candidate Black Mint did a very pleasing round of strong pace work to-day, and he will strip one of the really fit horses of the field. Though he was not extended, he gained a lot of friends, and is unlikely to be ousted from the position of first favourite. Indian Sage and Nadarino are both well forward, and to-day’s work-out showed that they can handle the soft ground as well as most of the horses they will meet. Indian Sage ran half a mile in 53 2-5, and Nadarino also went well. PETER MAXWELL OUT Peter Maxwell, who was by no means the outsider of the field for the Wellington Steeplechase, is not being brought to the meeting, and accommodation has been cancelled also for Rangitahi. One of the most improved gallopers at Trentham is Pantagruel, who is well built up and generally looks nicely conditioned. He has been doing pleasing work for some time, and this morning he very easily defeated Radion over half a mile. Pantagruel was going comfortably at the finish and his time for the distance was 53sec., upon which he could have considerably improved. He was a bit unlucky in some of his races last season, and might do a good deal better in the season which is approaching. RIDING ENGAGEMENTS There is some talk now about A. McDonald having the ride on Crown Coin in the Wellington Steeplechase, but it is a little indefinite. With Peter Maxwell dropping out and Bonny Rill is unlikely to start, there will be more riders to spare than at first seemed likelv to be the case. Probably when the field parades in the birdcage before the race for the Wellington Steeplechase it will be found that the number has been reduced to 14, a number, however, which will be quite large enough. The Bulls gelding Koauau is one of the latest to come into favour for the Trentham Hurdles.

Tresham went very well in his work this morning, and can be relied on to run good races at the meeting.