Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 610, 12 March 1929, Page 10

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY ''EARLY BIRD

Reminders Acceptances for the opening day of the Oliinemuri Jockey Club's annual meeting on Saturday and Monday next close at 8 o'clock to-night with the secretary, Mr. H. Poland, at Paeroa. or with Messrs. Blomfield and Cov., High Street. Auckland. Feilding nominations are due this evening. Entries for the autumn meeting on April 6 and 10, of the Avondale Jockey Club, close with the secretary, Mr. A. J. Farquhar, at 5 p.m. next Friday. The autumn fixture of the Whangaroi Racing Club is to be held at Whangarei on April 18 and 20. All entries close on Friday week, March 22. To Ride At Tologa Bay The Avondale jockey, S. Bryce, intends to ride at the Bay of Plenty next week, and has accepted a mount on Lady Eustace, an Avondaletrained mare who will be racing at that fixture. Name Claimed W. Gough has registered the name Merry Mason for a six-year-old geldingr, by Prince Merriwee from Mason Bee. This representative of Gough’s stable will be taken to the Paeroa meeting on Saturday and will be ridden by S. Bryce. Still Shows Dash That old veteran of the turf, lloyal Blood, was noticed poking his way to the front for part of the journey in the Tuakau Flying Handicap on Saturday, and still retains some of his former brilliancy, if not at the right end. Green Bonnet is very speedy for a few furlongs and when he becomes more solid will win races. Two Extremes A late bracketing in the first division of the Bombay Handicap in the official race card for the Franklin meeting on Saturday was that of Atapai and Tliata. The latter looked a class above his opponents when they paraded and naturally was favourite his position being strengthened when it was generally known that Atapai was the second string. It looked as if Hiata was a good thing beaten. He was a long way back at the turn and finishing strongly decreased the disadvantage to be in behind the placed horses at the end. Just the extreme of Hiata was Atapai, who was out in front and looked like pulling backers out when Standfast headed him off 100 yards from the post. Atapai is not solid yet. and Hiata is inclined to greenness. Very Cosmopolitan The 43 horses nominated for the Auckland Easter Handicap, to be decided at Ellerslie next Saturday fortnight, are a cosmopolitan lot. The majority, of course, hail from within the province, no less than 29 coming from Auckland stables. Amor is the sole South Island representative. Taranaki entries include Reremoana, Bright Glow, Lady Quex and Seatown. Wanganui is responsible for one, Lysander, and Wellington has Joy Bird and Cimabue. There is a strong contingent from Hawke’s Bay, comprising Joy King, Gascony, Great Charter, White Fang, The Hawk and Merry Mint. Auckland headquarters at Ellerslie, have contributed Sir Archie, Lady’s Boy, Vallar, The Thorn and Golden Krist. For the Oaks The surprise packet at Pukekohe on Saturday, Kaiwanga, was not fancied to any great extent by the stable, for her gallops previously had little in them to recommend her. The daughter of Adjutant was always out in front, and given a breather three furlongs from homo she came away in great style over the last bit. This was Kaiwanga’s first attempt at ten furlongs and her owner, Mr. R. Lewis, has been encouraged to let her remain in the fillies’ classic, the Oaks, to be decided at Easter. R. McTavisli is the rider already engaged. Just at present Prodice appears to stand out alone in that particular event. String for Trentham

Due to leave last night for Trentham were trainers A. Tinker, with Mervette and Valuation; M. Carroll, with Glena Bay, Paganelli, Gay Duke and Macroom; and A. Cook, with Pegaway. J. T. Jamieson is expected to get away to-morrow with In the Shade, Eaglet, Refresher and Archieval. Ready For The Fray

Reports from Paeroa indicate that the course is expected to be in great order for the Ohinemuri Jockey Club’s annual meeting on Saturday and Monday. There is a good sole of paspalum, a grass that appears to be growing in popularity for racing tracks, for which it seems to be peculiarly suited. It only needs fine weather to enable the Ohinemuri Jockey Club to register a most successful fixture. Due Shortly

Ellerslie trainer W. J. Plawkins will shortly pick up a stake with Gay Cockade if that gelding’s running in the nine furlong hack race on Saturday was any criterion. Gay Cockade was never further back than second until the turn for home and though beaten in the run to the judge showed courage in holding on to officially be placed fourth. He looked really well when walked around in the birdcage prior to the race, and probably needed the outing.

Show Promise The two-year- olds, Helium, Bennie, Currajong and Motere showed sufficient pace in their engagement on Saturday to lead one to expect them to be fair stake-earners next season. Motere’s third was rather an impressive effort. By Lord Quex —Lovematch, he is a full brother to a winner on Saturday in Liaison, and races in the joint interests of Messrs. H. Pharazan and M. Greenwood, the former the owner of Liaison. Bennie came from a long way back, and though not too well served on the rails in the straight was finishing strongly until he petered out 50 yards from the post. Never Prominent

True Blood looked in capital order when saddled up for the Pukekohe Handicap on Saturday, but was always tailing near the end of the field. However, it was his first race for well over a year. The Thorn and Archeen were also disappointments in this event. The former was last half a mile from home and failed to decrease the disadvantage to any appreciable extent. Archeen was prominent early, but at the end of a furlong commenced to drift and was never sighted afterwards. Good Innings

The Franklin fixture on Saturday proved to be a good meeting for the Te Awamutu trainer, W. Stone, for of the four horses he saddled up The Begum and Liaison were returned winner, Motere third, and Schorr among the unplaced division.

Auckland Handicaps Weights for A.R.C. Easter Handicap and other handicap events on the opening day (Easter Saturday) of the Auckland Racing Club’s autumn meeting are expected to be announced by Mr. F. J. McManemin next Tuesday Busy Week-end

In addition to the Ohinemuri J.C. fixture at Paeroa next Saturday and Monday, there will be racing at Opunake (Saturday), Trentham (Saturday and Monday), Oamaru (Saturday) and Ot.autau (Saturday). They will be followed closely by Manawatu the following Wednesday and Thursday, and in the North by the Bay of Plenty meeting on Saturday week. A week later will come the deluge of Easter meetings. Riding Engagements

The following are the riding engagements announced for the Ohinemuri meeting on Saturday: L. Manson. Queen Arch, Te Money and Awamutu; E. Stanway, Highflown and Laws Road: S. Henderson, Uralla and Mangaiti; H. Dulicu, Star of the East and Waitu.

An Addition S. Tooman recently purchased a five-year-old gelding by Chesterfield from a Soult mare, and if reports prove correct, the newcomer knows all about the jumping game. He has been placed on the active list at Ellerslie, and will probably race under the cognomen of Chesterman. T emporarily

Included in J. T. Jamieson’s team for Trentham to-morrow night will be Archieval, who will be under the supervision of the Takanini trainer during the Wellington fixture.

Riding at Trentham Auckland jockeys 11. Wiggins and R. McTavish intend to be riding at Trentham on Saturday in preference to the Ohinemuri Jockey Club’s meeting. McTavish has a particularly good ride in Red Heckle in the New Zealand St. Leger, while he will also pilot Star Area. Wiggins is assured of a good innings, for he has been engaged to ride Royal Duke, Moa Bird. Valuation, Goodwill, Equitant and Refresher. The apprentice A. Ngakai will include the mount on Archieval among his rides at the Southern fixture. Bad At the Barrier

It looks as if Tea Time is becoming a bit roguish at the barrier. At Ellerslio at Christmas lie was not too good in this respect and a recurrence of the trouble was evident at Pukekohe on Saturday. But he went away well in the end, however, but never appealed as a possibility. He was near the rear for most part of the journey and although noticed putting in a dash over the final two furlongs failed to get anywhere near the leaders.

Too Much Weight There was a lot of money for Lorient II in the Tuakau Flying Handicap at Pukekohe on Saturday and not quite £3O separated him and the favourite, Liaison, on the machine. Backers looked jubilant too, when Goldfinch bounced him out smartly and inside of two furlongs had him in behind the pace-makers. But the punters wore a different expression when the imported gelding failed to go on at the right moment. Went a Good Race

Most backers wanted Sleepy Sol in the Puni High-Weight, and it appeared as if he would win at one stage of the race. He was always going kindly in third place and judiciously handled was allowed to gather in the pacemakers at the bend, and though hard ridden over the last bit failed to keep with Ivaiwanga, who finished very resolutely in that last 100 yards. The Marble Arch gelding did not relish the hard going either, and would have done better had the turf been a little easier. This is the first time Sleepy Sol has ever been placed over a mile and aquarter, and now that he has shown his ability with the weight on top it is likely that he will shortly be returned a winner if kept in such races. Luck of Sale Ring The luck of the sale ring is well exemplified in the case of the Newmarket Handicap winner, St. Ardent. At the dispersal sale of the Manningliam Stud in South Australia in May, 1926, a bay yearling colt by St. Anton— Probation and a chestnut colt foal similarly bred were sold under the hammer. The yearling colt realised 350gns and the colt foal 250gns. In March of the following year the colt foal figured among the yearlings sent up to auction at Melbourne by Messrs. L. F. Aldridge and D. C. Cudmore and he was sold for S2sgns. That colt is identical with St. Ardent, who led the field home in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington last Saturday. At two years old St. Ardent only managed to win one race, but he was not heavilv raced. At Caulfield on February 26 he won a good race over six furlongs, so that he was not without qualifications for justifying his inclusion in the field for the Newmarket Handicap. Parkwood’s Defeat

A first-class meeting wltliout at least one odds-on upset would seem unusual. The present meeting is, iheretore, relieved of that notoriety. Parkwood went out at odds-on for the Sires’ Produce Stakes and suffered defeat from a most unexpected quarter, Nedda, a New Zealand-bred and owned filly trained by the former Flemington mentor, J. Fielder, had failed in the mud and also on the top of the ground at Caulfield when expected to run well, comments a writer in the “Australasian. ’ There was therefore no inducement to expect her to down Parkwood at weight-for-age terms. Very few of Parkwood’s spring opponents took the field against him. Of the newcomers, Hebrus, on Alma Stakes form, was accounted his greatest danger. The result indicated that the lusty colt was not so forward as Caulfield form suggested. Parkwood immediately took command, and, as were the other events, the race was truly run—first furlong 0.13 J, next two 0.25 J, and last half-mile 0.47 J. Nedda and Ellesdee began slowly, and till less than half a mile from home they were many lengths behind the leader. Nedda must have covered the last three and a-half furlongs in extraordinary time. As Parkwood came around the turn Temoin and Samaden loomed up, but the effort was not sustained. Nedda, however, came around the field, and a furlong from home, it was abvious that she had the favourite beaten, as Daniels was anxious. Parkwood swished his tail ominously and rolled a bit. Nedda came straight on, and won by a length and a-half. The best of the others was Metaphor. This gelding was always fairly close to Parkwood, and gained third place. Parkwood's thick and thin admirers are no doubt perturbed. It hard to hold the belief that his condition beat him, as he has been going in fine style on the tracks, quite as well as he had done in the spi-ing. Parkwood might be a smasher, but, watching his running when the pressure was applied in the straight cn Saturday, and remembering that he just scrambled home by a neck from R.oc in the Maribyrnong Plate (Metaphor was a close fifth), there seems to me no reason to revise the suggestion I threw out in the spring, that Parkwood might not prove a genuine stayer, notwithstanding the stoutness of his sire’s breeding.