TOPICS of the TURF

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5597, 26 March 1943, Page 3

TOPICS of the TURF

(By

“PILOT”)

TAURANGA RACES

PROVISION FOR DIVISIONS ♦ The Jack Tanner Memorial Handicap at the Bay of Plenty Racing Club’s Annual Meeting at Paeroa on Saturday has been divided into separate races. The field in the second of these races is still one over the safety-num-ber and provision has been made for divisions if necessary. Provision has been made for two divisions also in the Tauranga Cup and in the Alf. Brown Memorial Handicap and for two or three divisions in the Trial Plate and the President’s Hack Handicap. It is probable that only two divisions will be necessary in the Trial Plate and the President’s Hack Handicap. Under these circumstances it is not easy to make selections, but the following horses may be worth support:— Trial Plate Ist Division: TRANSCEND, ST. LEON. 2nd Division: MANORA, ICEFLOW 3rd Division: HUNTING MAC, ROYAL MELODY Tanner Memorial Handicap Ist Division: NEPETA, TAVERNSIDE. 2nd Division: SWEET BISCUIT, GENERAL BURLEIGH. Handicap Hurdles CONFLAGRATION, HUNTO, GINNO Tauranga Cup Ist Division: REGAL FOX, VOLIFOX. 2nd Division: HOGARTH, TE KAWITI Brown Memorial Handicap Ist Division: BOURNEMOUTH, ICEFLOE. 2nd Division: MTNKO, FOXBRAE. Flying Handicap SLEEPY FOX, KENTISH, DUNCANNON President’s Handicap

Ist Division: KOURAEKA, WATER VIXEN 2nd Division: SKYDONNA, ROYAL JAY. 3rd Division: QUINATION, WATERLOO BRIDGE.

Dual Acceptance Great Dray, entered for the Jack Tanner Memorial at Paeroa on Saturday, is also in the Nursery Handicap at Hawkes Bay this Saturday. The Auto pay filly should be prominent in which ever event she starts in.

A Stayer Virtuoso, the winner of the Sires’ Produce Stakes, was passed at 180 guineas at the yearling sales, being subsequently purchased by the Hastings trainer, J. H. Jefferd, who races him in partnership with his daughter, Miss Molly Jefferd, who has been a great help to her father since labour became scarce. Virtuoso has always run on well at the right end of his races, and this was what won for him on Saturday. He is‘ a brown colt by Vermeer from Rose Latour, and was bred at Te Awamutu by Mr W. Alexander. He is a half-brother to Bascule, and his dam is a half-sister to Eager Rose. It is a good winning family in the Auckland district, and Fearless Fox, a half-brother to Rose Latour, won the Queensland Derby. Rode Five Winners

Jockey J. Williamson rode with conspicuous success at the Ohinemuri Jockey Club’s autumn meeting at Paeroa on Saturday, winning on Great Draw, Ginno, Manora, Foxola and Kouraeka, and being second on Transcend. W. Ensor rode three winners and E. V. Dye two, and, therefore, three riders practically monopolised the programme, which comprised 11 contests owing to three races having to be run in divisions. The conditions for racing were excellent, the weather being fine and the course fast. Some close finishes were witnessed and the Takanini trainer, T. F. Verner, secured a stable double when he won the first division of the Ohinemuri Cup with Foxola and the St. Patrick’s Handicap with Sleepy Fox. Foxola won only by a nose, but Sleepy Fox scored very decisively.

Promising Form Foxbrae and Pohuka, who ran third and fourth to Theolateral and Waipero in the Tinakori Hack Handicap at Trentham, drew 24 and 21 respectively at the barrier, so their performances were above the average. Pohuka was always in the picture, but Foxbrae had to come from a long way back to reach third money. This half-brother to Beau Leon is making good headway and should be heard from again in the near future.

Good Easter Trial Prominent behind the two leaders for seven furlongs in the Thompson Handicap was Scottish Dale, who ran

a good race-. The last furlong found her out, but she was close up behind the placed horses at the post and the effort was a good trial for the Great Easter Handicap, a race she won last year by a nose from The Champ.

Horses Change Hands. Sales of two Matamata thoroughbreds have been recorded during the last few days. Great Draw, which won a division race at the Matamata meeting and again on Saturday at Paeroa, has been sold by Mr S. J. Brindle to Crabb Bros. (Maurice and Geoff), of Matamata, and it was given out at the Paeroa course on Saturday that Mr A. Stewart had disposed of Edna’s Birthday to a Mr Johnstone. This lattei* was confused with Mr G. Johnston, of Matamata, but it is understood that an East Coast man was the buyer. Great Draw raced in Mr Bindie’s colours on Saturday, but Edna’s Birthday was sold before the race in which it raced unplaced in the club’s colours.