Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 690, 15 June 1929, Page 10

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY “EARLY BIRD

Waiting When the connections of Sleepy Sol put that horse to hurdling his prospects attracted considerable notice, and he was confidently expected to make a good showing in hurdle events at the Great Northern meeting. His initial start in the hack hurdles on the opening day resulted in a fall —he was in a good position at the time—and soreness was apparent subsequently, so that the Marble Arch gelding was prevented from competing again at the meeting. Sleepy Sol is in first-class order again, and his owner had visions of racing at Riccarton, but it is probable that those plans will be abandoned in favour of the Pakuranga meeting at Lllerslie in the latter part of August. Good Prospects The Southland owner-trainer, W. Stone, was expected to arrive at Riecarton at the beginning of this week with Silver Paper, Aspiring and two yearlings by Weatherwave and Tea Tray. Private advices from the South state that Silver Paper has built up into a very powerful looking horge since he was last seen in action, and as a four-year-old it is anticipated that he will take high honours. Aspiring is also doing well in her work. Stone holds a very high opinion of the daughter of Some Boy 11. and Silver Peak, and her form in the spring was so good that she will have to bo taken into consideration for the three-year-old classics. At her first start she spreadeagled the McLean Stakes field at Wingatui, and her time for that race was 1.1 4-5, equalling the race record held by Ghildsplay. Lost Confidence? Aberfeldy (E. Shaw) and Gala Day (I. Tilson) were associated in a round of the hurdles at Riccarton on Tuesday. The former gave a splendid exhibition, but Gala Bay, who had not been schooled since his fall at Wanganui, did not jump with much confidence. Well Bred Merry Court, the half-sister by Grandcourt to Wassail, Plain Sailing and Sylvan Bell, has made a start in her education at Waipukurau. She is a well knit filly of even mould, and on looks should turn out satisfactorily. Impertinence Sold Sir George Clifford has sold the three-year-old filly Impertinence to the Central Otago owner, Mr. R. Tohill. Impertinence, by The Ace from Miss Mimic, has not won a race yet, but she has been second several times this season, showing useful form, a repetition of which should enable her to win races for her new owner. Horsemanship An Australian writer thus describes ‘ horsemanship” as seen in South Aus-. tralia: “Tho standard of riding of the older school never was as high in Adelaide as in other States, and in a recent race at the Cup meeting in which a very big field started, and there were hardly sufficient jockeys to go round without reverting to the Tias-beens,* it was almost farcical to see the use of the whip. Some applied the leather twice to each stride the liorso took. As the field swept by, the noise of the whips sounded like a passing shower on a tin roof.'* Small Fortunes For the owner of a young thoroughbred that strikes good form early in its career there is a fortune to be won. The principal racing clubs throughout Australia offer plenty of encouragement to breeders and buyers, and, on the first Tuesday in Juno, an owner may nominate a yearling thoroughbred for events covering two seasons that are worth close on £60.000. And when the horses reach maturity there aro the Cups and other events worth much more. More than £120,000 in stakes will be distributed by the principal racing clubs in the Commonwealth next October and November. Colds Prevalent Colds are prevalent among the young horses at Riccarton at present,' but two that seem to have escaped the seasonal malady are Praise, the sister to Commendation, in P. V. Mason’s stable, and Limerick’s brother, Bunraven, in F. B. Jones’s team. Both these youngsters are nice movers, and, even though they do not turn out quite as good as their illustrious relatives, they should at least bo useful when put to the test. Bunraven resembles Ballymena more than he does Limerick, being lower set and more compact than Limerick was at the same age. Like Limerick, he is not likely to be tried till the new season is well advanced. By Special Trains Satisfied that Victorian atniopsliere and Victorian pastures were more favourable to the production of high-class thoroughbreds, Messrs. Aldridge and Cud more, of Richmond Park. Adelaide, shifted their stud to Kismet Park, near Melbourne, recently. One hundred and eighty horses were removed, and it took two special trains to carry the equines over that 600 miles. Yet leading Australian studmasters tell us that New Zealand elimato and New Zealand fodder develop Australian-bred youngsters, and when ono considers Gloaming, Ffiplane, Laughing Prince and others, it must be admitted that there is a great deal in the contention. Has a Few Horses! Australia claims many men engaged in the breeding of racehorses on an extensive scale, but ono citizen of New South Wales who holds a special place is Mr. John Brown, who simply breeds horses as a hobby, and lie does not send any yearlings up for sale. When it is stated that Mr. Brown owns no fewer than 450 horses at the two great stations he commands, and that 150 brood mares are included, it is probably not claiming too much, as “Pilot,” the well-versed critic of the Sydney “Referee,” contends, that Mr. Brown is the largest private breeder in the world. The stallions owned by Mr. Brown Include March Along, Air Balloon, Wallace Mortlake, Richmond Main and Wallace Isinglass. In pursuing his hobby of hors© breeding, Mr. Brown must have sunk a great sum each year. He is, however, a very wealthy man. and the cost would probably not trouble him in the least.

Two Out T. 11. Gillett is likely to be without the services of both Wliarneliffe and Charlatan during the winter, says a Christchurch writer. The former is suffering from a wrenched fetlock joint and Charlatan from a doubtful leg, and they are to be treated to a spell. Coming North J. Boyd, who trained some good ones, such as Sembric, and of late years has been quartered at Riccarton, intends to try liis luck in the North Island. He has bought the two-year-old Arrowhead, by Arrowsmith from Orango Blossom, and will shortly take up his residence at Awapuni. The light-weight, W. Brown, will accompany him. Still At It The Sydney “Bulletin” sporting writer is to blame for the following: “Pike, outriding the jockey on Crown Area, got Lord Eudorus home in the Casula Handicap. With the riders reversed the gelding from Maoriland would have won. Maoriland provides Australia with noble specimens of the thoroughbred, but it has never sent us a horseman like Pike.” To Indulge in Walking Tours When a breeder finds that his stud has reached the pinnaclo of success he usually looks round for other worlds to conquer. One studmaster not a hundred miles from Wanganui expressed the intention of going in for golf in the near future, so apparently the royal and ancient game is going to claim another devotee. At any rate, ho confesses to have one of the necessary qualifications in that he claims descent from Scottish blood. For Hastings Trial Included in the Trial Plate, one of the events to come up for decision at blastings next week, is Grattus, one of the stable chums of Toxeuma and Co. Ho was bred by his owner, Mr. Frank Ormond, being foaled by Earthshine to Lord Quex. He has been working in a pleasing manner on the test-out at Napier Park and good results are expected from him. Should his display at Hastings be up to anticipations, it is the intention of his owner to send him to Trentham later on to compete in the Trial Plate, which race last season saw Toxeuma win comfortably from Roscrea, the half-brother by Rossendale to Ballymena and Limerick. V.R.C. Grand Nationals Buring discussions on the Nationals in Melbourne last week, people in close touch with affairs spoke of Glendowie as a certain visitor from New Zealand. This seemed to receive confirmation later in the day when that gelding was nominated for the Australian Hurdle and Steeplechase. Wharnclift'e was also entered for those events. As no other New Zealanders have been nominated for these races, it must be assumed that these are the only jumpers from the Dominion that are to keep their engagements in the £5,000 National at Flemington. Nobody was tempted to support either for the big race on the strength of the rumours, but it was noticed that the operators kept them in what might be termed a safe position on their charts. Glendowie won the Great Northern Steeple twelve months ago. He has had a meteoric career, for ho was not heard of prior to last season. ,