Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 734, 6 August 1929, Page 12

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

EARLY BIRD -

A Blank There is no racing this week. The calm before the storm, so to speak, which is due at Iticcarton next Tuesday. However, there is trotting at Addington next Saturday. Going to Diacquenod The imported English mare, Lady Bede, owned by Mr. E. H. Cucksey, is due to foal to Whirlwind, and will then be mated with the Westmere sire, Diacquenod. whose earliest offspring are now two years old. Air King’s Dam Mr. F. E. Loomb's Queen Ripple, dam j of the speedy Air King and »Awamutu, | will be sent on a visit to Diacquenod shortly. Principal Lady, and the onetime brilliant Finelli, will also go South to this horse, whose services appear to be in great demand Reminders Handicaps for the Pakuranga Hunt meeting at Ellersiie next Saturday fortnight are due on Monday, and acceptances close with Mr. W. S. Spence at 5 p.m. the following Friday. August 16. Entries for the Hawke’s Bay Hunt fixture are due next Friday night. Dannevirke R.C. and Hunt Club entries close at 9 p.m. on Friday, August 16. Marton J.C. spring meeting ( to be held on September 4 and 5), nominations are due on Friday August 16, at 9 p.m. Entries for the two-year-old parade mus» be made on acceptance night, August 27. Acceptances for the Grand National Steeplechase, Hurdles and Winter Cup (also all other first-day events at the C.J.C. meeting), are due on Thursday of this week, .August S. Entries for the Avondale J.C. spring, meeting, also acceptances for the Avondale Stakes and Avondale Guineas close at 5 p.m. on Friday. August 30. Nominations for the Wanganui J.C. spring fixture close at 8 p.m. on Friday. August 16. Entries for the Taranaki Hunt fixture are due on Monday, August 12. Nominations for the New Zealand Cup are due on Friday’, August 23. Not Really Bad An impression seems to be abroad that Fabriano is a bad fencer. That is not a Dunedin writer’s opinion. Fabriano lands very heavily’ over bis fences, and takes a lot of riding. He is not sound in front, and gives the impression that he endeavour to land safely on all fours to save his front pins. Reasonable Limits In England the bookmakers have decided on following limits in connection with starting prices decided by' the totalisator. On minor races, win limit 33 to 3. place limit 10 to 1; on important races, win limit 100 to 1, place limit 25 to 3 : win double events, win limit 200 to 1, place limit 40 to 1; win treble events 250 to 1 place limit 50 to 1: and win accumulators 300 to 1, place limit 60 to 1. For Hunt Cup Winner The owner of the wiriner of the Hunt : Cup Steeplechase at next month’s Marton spring meeting will receive a silver cup valued at £2O. The trophy' has been donated by Mr. D. G. Riddford, the Master of the Rangitikei Hunt. Honour’s Companion P. V. Mason may' leave for Sydneysoon after the Grand National meeting, j Honour has gone on well in his pret paration, as has the two-y'ear-old filly' Praise, who is a very promising young- : ster. It is possible that another horse will accompany' this pair, as a working ! mate for Honour, and this duty may j devolve on Pride, who- has been gali loping quite a lot lately with the Derby' ! candidate. j Not an Ordinary Dog j The fact has been recorded that Mount Boa passed into his present ownership in exchange for a sheep dog. That does not means (says a Southern writer) that he was picked up for the,equivalent of a couple of pounds. The dog concerned in the swap was a good collie trial performer, and the value of animals of this description runs anything from 25 to 50 sovereigns. Irish-Bred Horses Successful j Horses bred in Ireland are playing I an attractive part on the English turf this year. Greglach (by’ My Prince — 1 St. Germaine) led the field home in ' the Liverpool Grand National SteepleI chase, and tlie other important winners ; bred in the Emerald Isle include the following:—Elton, by Esscxford—- | Twincat (Lincolnshire Handicap) ; Athford, by Blandford—Athas (Newbury Cup and Jubilee Handicap): Parwiz by Phalaris —Waffles (City and Suburban Handicap); Mr. Jinks, by Tetratema — False Piety’ (Two Thousand Giueans); Trigo, by- Blandford—Athsai (Derby); Royal Minstrel, b> T Tetratema—Harpsichord- (Victoria Cup and Eclipse Stakes): First Flight, by Courageous —Floraizie (Chester Cup) : Poor Man, by Achtoi—The Beggar (Manchester Cup). Is Overdue The next reform necessary to the success of winter meetings is the abolition of the nine stone minimum in flat races, comments “Sentinel.” They can do without it in Australia, and it retards the progress of clubs holding winter meetings in this country. In effect, it compels a horse to carry’ heavy weights when track conditions form an extra handicap. Furthermore, the handicappers in some cases raise a horse the same poundage for a win as they would under the seven stone minimum. Critic Confused This paragraph appeared in a Southern paper on the eve of the Christchurch Hunt meeting at Riccarton last Saturday, when Lord Ranald gave the field a good start and donkey’licked Fabriano, King’s Guard, Radiate and Young Thurnham in the Homeby Steeplechase:—“Some of Lord Ranald’s admirers are proclaiming him as a prospective Grand National winner. Possibly they* do not realise the task they wish to set a green ’chaser. The Masterpiece gelding had his first race over obstacles (and the second of his career) on June 22, and it will be miraculous if. six weeks later, he wins the most important event on the jumping calendar. Until he is beaten no limit can be placed on his ability, but it can be asserted with confidence that a couple of jumps he made in the South Canterbury Steeplechase would have spelt ‘finis’ over the Riccarton country.” This critic is just unlucky' in that the horse he “took on” is something of a freak when it comes to speed and jumping ability. Thrown Heavily At a country race meeting one of the amateur jockeys was thrown and “sat down” heavily. His mother went to his assistance, saying. “You plucky boy*. You showed no sign of pain.” “No.” said the rider. “I felt it beneath me.”

C.J.C. Scratchings Just John and Waitaunaha have been scratched for all engagements at the Grand National meeting at 3.45 p.m. yesterday. Debutante Stakes In framing the programme for its spring' meeting, the Wanganui J.C. left the distance of the Debutante Stakes (the first two-year-old race of the season) at five furlongs, instead of four and a-quarter furlongs, as was the case last year. The distance has now been corrected, and next month the journey will remain at four and aquarter furlongs. A Good Cause At Carlaw Park tomorrow there will be a benefit football match between teams of jockeys and representatives of the city’ hostelries. The proceeds will be added to the fund being raised for the family of the late popular horseman, E. Warner, who died through meeting severe injuries in a hurdle race at Wanganui. Such a worthy object should arouse tlie sympathetic interest of the sporting fraternity. Due to Retire For some weeks now the Avondale trainer, W. C. Woods, has had Transformer engaged in nothing more serious than roa'd work, but the old fellow was brought to the tracks this week, though nothing in the way' of strenuous exercise was asked of him. The Thurnham gelding is obviously far from being over-burdened with condition, and in addition his near foreleg is occasioning some trouble, so that things in general with this fine galloper cannot be deemed very satisfactory'. Now 11 years old, and having proved a splendid investment for his owner, Mr. D. Twohill. it would appear as if Transformer has already' earned an old age pension. Good Galloper To win five races and record three seconds in his first season on the turf was the commendable feat of the six-year-old Owairaka. And he promises to do equally as well this season, too, if not better. He is executing his work in a very impressive manner at Avondale, and will strip a very fit horse at his first attempt. Seven furlongs was Owairaka’s pet distance last season, while he also performed creditably over a mile, and that is the journey j which should suit him to a nicety. In Again Alonsoa is the latest addition to S. ; G. Lindsay’s active team at Avondale. She is in the rough, and the present season will be well advanced before it is again thought advisable to race her. Since the Bay' of Islands meeting in January', Alonsoa has been recovering from severe injuries received when she fell in the Kawakawa Cup, a race for which she was favourite. Left Him There At Avondale, trainer J. W. Catino. who returned from Sy'dney’ recently', is busy supervising the workouts of members of his team, which includes Mussie, Mauriaena and three two -yearolds. These comprise a brown gelding by' Hades —The Kettle, a bay gelding by Sir Dighton—Patrine and a bay filly by Valky'rian—Wairarapa. Trainer Cathro informed the writer that subsequent to winning a race on the other side with the maiden galloper, Mata, he disposed of him to an Australian sportsman. A Narrow Escape The remaining five of Moroney’s team for Wanganui arrived on Thursday night, but their journey up from Featherstone was not without sensational -incident, says the “Chronicle.” A couple of miles before train erached Eketahuna five wagons were derailed and rolled down a 35ft. embankment. The UG wagon containing Talisker, Count Palatine, Grecian and Banket came to rest at an angle to the line, with two wheels still on the rails, while the G wagon, just behind, in which King Midas was travelling,, telescoped into the UG and canted up on its end. also with two wheels on the line. King Midas was extricated with considerable difficulty', making a bound out of the box as soon as the door was opened, and he rolled down the embankment and lay in the mud for some 20 minutes before he could be persuaded to get up. On arrival in Wanganui it was discovered that he had injured his off foreleg and had lost a good deal of skin. The remaining four horses escaped with only minor injuries. Hawera Gallops The weather was fine on Tuesday morning, but tlie tracks were still very wet (says the “Hawera Star ’;. The sand track was in requisition again for any serious work. With the Taranaki Hunt meeting about four weeks away, trainers are anxious for better conditions to push horses intended for that meeting along in their preparations-. W. 3;'ine intends to take Denier to Auckland for the Pakuranga Hunt Club’s meeting, and he was worked the reverse way round, striding out freely. Silvermine and Bisox were companions in a gallop over four furlongs, when the former showed that lie is fast returning to a bit of form, by' beating Bisox by' a bead in 54. Benzora, Bon Eve and Clever Spear were given half-pace work. Benzora does not go well on the sand, bis work on the grass or plough tracks being more attractive, but his appearance shows him to be in robust health. I-artaga performed well, giving Calyx a start over half a mile, and beating him home in 57. Latakia continues to stride out nicely in his pace work and promises to shape well in his early engagements. Ross Ferry, the halfsister to Avola, performed attractively in a gallop over half a mile, beating Grand Marnia by a good length in 54. Pikimai did a couple of rounds at a good half-pace, and will be in good nicE for the Hunt meeting on August 31. Reremoana is getting through his daily tasks in good style. So far the old champion has not been asked to go at more than three-quarter pace, but he looks in excellent health. Royal Satin and Silent went together over half a mile with Silent half a length to tho good at the finish, in 56i. Coalbag’s portion was a couple of rounds at half-pace, and this sturdy' looking gelding should soon be in racing condition. A number of rising two-yeur-olds were out doing exercise work. J. Brown has an addition to his team in a rising two-year-old by' Bisogne from Pirouette, bred by' Mr. A. Alexander. She is a splendidly-propox-tioned youngster, well-grown and with a decided resemblance to Bisogne. RACING FIXTURES AUGUST 13. 15. I?—Canterbury J.C. 24 Pakuranga Hunt (at Ellersiie). 24—Hawke’s Bay Hunt 28— Dannevirke RC. 29 Dannevirke Hunt 4. 6—Marton JIC 31—Taranaki Hunt SEPTEMBER 4. s—Marton J.C. 7—Otago Hunt 12. 14—Wanganui J.C. 21—Ashburton R.C. 21—Napier Park R.C. 21. 23—Avondale J.C. 26. 27—Geraldine R.C. J 2S—Hawke’s Bay J.C.