Around the Stables in the Waikato

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 445, 29 August 1928, Page 10

Around the Stables in the Waikato

HORSES FOR MARTON (Special to THE SUN) Among the lengthy string of performers on the scene each season from stables this way, none has a more lengthy list of appearances at the barrier than the Day Comet —Keep Watch gelding Dayguard. Oliver Twist-like, the Ngaruawahia champion always comes up for more. Sprint and middle distance racing have been intermingled in his galloping ration for several seasons, and he has thrived on it. Dayguard is now undergoing a let-up, but he never indulges in anything prolonged in this respect, so he can be looked for at the barrier before many weeks of the latest season are covered. Although the years are chipping some of the glint from Dayguard, the speeding mechanism still gives promise of operating in the direction of adding to the £1,240 he gathered in 1927-28. IF LOOKS COUNT ! On a pro rata basis, Te Awamutu can more than hold its own. There is an inmate of W. Stone’s team at that centre which has carried high award from the competent critics. This is a 22-months-old gelding by Chief Ruler from LuceUa, breeding which ranks the youngster as a full-brother to The Begum, also in the team. This youngster will be among the two-year-olds racing this season. While he is framed sufficiently to pass as a three-year-old, he is nicely proportioned, and a particularly attractive youngster. His connections evidently think something of his future prospects, as he has not been overlooked in the classics, including the Australian Derby race of a year hence.

In reviewing the season’s list of winning horsemen, I noticed that “Pat” Mclnally is credited with 14 successes. Mclnally, who is apprenticed to the Hamilton trainer, M. Carroll, was only in his first season as a horseman in public, and his total was very creditable indeed. The stable galloper, Macroom, was a prominent contributor to the success achieved. Mclnally sits a horse well, while “hands and head” are not idle. With the experience of the past season to stand to him and a good stable team to get astride of from time to time, Mclnally promises to continue his successful work as a knight of the mgskin. % A CHANGE OF DUTY Nothing has been seen of Gala Day in public since he raced at the Franklin fixture at Pukekohe in March. The Quin Abbey—Bell Crispin gelding was sold at that period by Mr. W. H. Wackrow to the Hamilton sportsman, Mr. Clive Matthews. The gelding went into Tinker’s stable, and the Te Rapa trainer has been educating him for a hurdling career. Although Gala Day comes of jumping stock, he has not been a very ready pupil, according to reports issued from the centre where he is trained. It is noticed, nevertheless, that Gala Day is nominated for the hurdle race at Marton, so it shall not be long before we get a line on his prospects in the latest branch to which he has been put. Once he does take to hurdling. Gala Day should give his class a hard task, unless he slows down materially on the pace he could produce on the flat. TOUGH NUT TO CRACK Despite the fact that he failed to strike form in the early part of last season, and had quite his share of illluck, Kingfield was able to run his earning account up to within £l2O of the £I,OOO mark. The King Lupin gelding can be loked to as a capable representative of Cambridge during the new season, as he has yet some way to go before he passes his best. Kingfield’s ability to jump out of the barrier smartly has more than once stood him in good stead #hen the alley has been of the double-figure order, which I happened very frequently last season. For the writer’s part, he will retain the greater preference for Kingfield when the tracks are on the spongy side. In the earlier stages of his career, Kingfield was inclined to shorten his step over the last pinch of a six-furlong journey, but age has tempered him against this drawback. Once he hits the rails he is a tough nut to crack. SEVERAL YOUNGSTERS The Matamata trainer, R. Mateer, has several of the juvenile brand of thoroughbreds under his care at present. Included under this heading are a gelding by Valkyrian—Queen Street; a gelding by Lucullus—Sports Queen (the latter a half-sister to Royal Abbey, Lord Star, Wedding March and Aberfeldy, all of which latter have been good winners); a gelding by Prince Merriwee—Lady Rewa; a colt by Valkyrian from a Conqueror mare; and a filly by Valkyrian—lrene Bruce are also being handled. Valroe, the three-year-old son of Valkyrian and Merry Roe, is another who is being trimmed up and will be in action in the spring. Town Bird is to form one of the team from this centre for racing at Marton. This descendant of Archiestoun and Lady Birdwood may be found more effective in his finishing efforts this season. "While he has pace to burn there were occasions last season when he failed to go on with it, despite being nicely placed when the whips were brought into action. Town Bird has proved effective in events away from his home province in the past, and there will be not a few this way at least who will be hopefully looking forward to history entering up what is familiarly termed “a repeat order.”

Good Ones in the Waikato Of late years the Hamilton trainer and clever steeplechase rider, J. F. Tutchen, has made his mark in connection with the. New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, by winning with Peter Maxwell, securing a second placing with the same horse, and sending Pouri out this season as his second runner-up, a notable record for a mentor not very long in the game writes “Sir Modred.” Despite the defeat of Pouri the Auckland provincial trainer was not downhearted and is already looking forward to his next venture at Riccarton, perhaps next year, or the following season. He contends that there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it, and in arguing from this point of view he is not speaking blindly, as he points out that there are young horses in the Waikato district just as capable as Peter Maxwell, Pouri and Wiltshire of furnishing into first-class steeplechasers. In his younger days Tutchen was a noted cross-country horseman, hence it is not surprising that he has made good as a mentor where jumpers are concerned, and at the same time he is qualified to prepare winners of the best events across the flat, races like the Auckland or New Zealand Cup, provided he can get the right class of material into his establishment at Frankton Junction.