TOPICS of the TURF

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5602, 7 April 1943, Page 3

TOPICS of the TURF

(By

“PILOT”)

FULL HAND

A comparatively modest winner in his first three seasons on the Turf, Full Hand has more than paid his way for his present owner, the Te Rapa trainer R. H. Meynell. Bought for a “song,” Full Hand has won £1670 in 14 months.

Although by that sire of stayers, Limond, Volimond, the dam of Full Hand, did most of her racing over sprint courses, and it was not till late in her career that she was tried over a distance.

As a six-year-old she won the Whangarei Cup, 11 miles, the Alison Cup, 11 furlongs, and the Thames Plate, 9 furlongs, but she had only one outing in the following term, and that was in a sprint event. The same error was made by Full Hand’s original owner in keeping him to sprint racing, and his successes were seemingly not frequent enough to encourage him to go on with the gelding fr he passed him on to Mr Meynell at what has proved to be a real bargain figure. Encouraged by the fact that Full Hand was by The Ace, who had sired such good ones as Waterline and Fast Passage, and not forgetting the breed-ingf-of Volimond, his new owner transferred the gelding to longer journeys. Although the initial win came in a seven-furlong event at Stratford on January 2, 1942, Full Hand has since definitely proved his worth over middle distances, as has his younger halfsister, Volifox. Peculiarly enough, all of Full Hand’s successes since the transfer have been registered at this end of the island, and of the £1678 6s 8d the gelding has won in the past 14 months, all but £260 has been garnered on campaigns away from his home province.

When he won the Hawke’s Bay Cup last year Full Hand’s stake amounted to £325. It was his best return to that stage of his career, but his repeat win at Hastings last Saturday brought him a stake of £3BO. The full hand he held was sufficient to take the “pot” in addition to the £3O cup which Mr Meynell now has to adorn his sideboard, and even though that hand will not always carry the day it should be good enough to score on other occasions.

ANCIENT HISTORY

All too frequently owners display a lack of originality in selecting names for their youngsters, and it is pleasing to note that the Wellington owner of the Phaleron Bay—Lady Bentinck filly in A. Sager’s care at Trentham has delved into ancient history to secure the name of Laurium.

Explanation of the meaning of the word has been forwarded by that enthusiast “F.K.P.,” who explains that a wily bird, Themistocles, was responsible for the Athenians using the wealth from the silver mines at Laurium to build a fleet and improve the defences, thereby putting Athens “into the lead.” At the time Athens was confronted by the equal, if not superior, power, of Aegina, and the danger of renewed Persian invasion also loomed large. However, Themistocles later came into disfavour with the people for “feathering his own nest” and he was given his “running shoes.” “No doubt the owner hopes the filly will turn out, if not a gold mine, at least a silver one,” concludes our informant. While the name has no association with either sire or dam it as least has a meaning, which s more than can be said of many. Further, it is composed of seven letters, the lucky number where equines are concerned. Showing Improvement The five-year-old Bronze Eagle— Micrometer gelding Bronze Meter, is now in the E. J. Murtagh stable at Te Awamutu. His third in the President’s Handicap at the Bay of Plenty meeting betokened improvement, and during the autumn he may be returned a winner. Riding at Ellerslie A. E. Ellis intends to ride at Ellerslie at Easter, his mounts including Olga’s Pal in the Champagne Stakes, and Lord Chancellor in the Great Northern St. Leger Stakes. Ellis will return to ride Royal Lancer in the Great Autumn Handicap. Put Aside

The two-year-old Trueway, brother to Serenata and Representative, has been turned out. He is not built on as big lines as his relatives, and the long winter spell should give him a chance to furnish. His trainer, F. D. Jones, now has only Scottish Dale and Burberry in work, and they are to race at Washdyke next week.

A Young Hurdler The North Islander Faultless has had some schooling of late over hurdles, and has. acquitted himself well. He is to race on the flat again at Washdyke next week, but is likely to be nominated for the hurdle events at Riecarton at Easter. Randwick The Sydney horseman, E. Bartie, who rode High Caste in most of his races and won many races for J. T. Jamieson, was suspended for two months at Randwick on March 20 for crossing. Bartie was to appeal against the sentence. If he does not succeed he will miss some important rides during the Easter carnival at Randwick. At the same meeting on March 20 M. McCarten narrowly missed winning a race with Goya, who was beaten by a speedy 1 two-year-old in MacArthur.

Becoming Common At some South Island summer meetings, delays of up to 10 and in some cases 12 minutes in balancing ■ the totalisator were not uncommon, but at the Hawke’s Bay fixture last week racegoers had to endure many such intervals, including a lapse of 161 minutes between the closing of the windows and the all-clear signal.

Getting Ready Two steeplechasers in Slayer and Dozie Boy reappeared on the flat at Hastings on Saturday. Slayer, who is now with A. Jenkins at Opaki, is in the hurdle race next Saturday, but unless there is rain during the week to ease the track, he will not be a runner. It is intended to get Slayer ready for the Great Northern Steeplechase. A similar programme is no doubt in view for Dozie Boy. Some Waikato Strains The consistent Theolateral has held his winning form well of late. This well performed three-year-old, who is trained by Mrs Alan McDonald at Awapuni, is by Theio from Princess Lobelia, who was bred in Princess Lobelia is by Day Comet from Miss Lobelia, by Quin Abbey from Lobqlia, who was by Albert, a brother to the Auckland Cup winner Leopold. Lobelia was also the dam of El Gallo by Spalpeen, and Modafn Lobelia by Bunyan.

For Riecarton The Champ, who was narrowly defeated by Scottish Dale in the C.J.C. Great Easter last year, will make the trip again next month and have another try. Another northerner in Daljarrock is also a likely visitor to Riecarton. Canterbury patrons are also to see the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes winner, Virtuoso, at Easter. He will make the trip for the Champagne Stakes on the first day, and the Challenge Stakes on the second day.

Northern Prospect Stock Exchange, the hurdle winner at the Bay of Plenty meeting, has not done much racing, but he is apparently a useful sort. He is a five-year-old gelding by Myosotis from Bourse, a mare bred by the late Mr O. S. Watkins, by Limond from Commerce, by San Francisco—Safeguard, by Maxim. It is a branch of Mermaid’s well-per-formed No. 14 family. Stock Exchange is trained at Ellerslie by G. Jenkins for Mr A. M. Branch.

Looking for Winners Says a writer in an Australian paper: “Any man who wishes- to retain racecourse friendships should, so far as possible, refrain from dispensing information regarding possible winners. He may be successful in as many as three or four races, but he will find that, as a rule, those wins will be outweighed by a beaten runner. He is likely to be told: “Well, I fancied So-and-so (the winner), but stood off when you said you did not like him.” Trainers are among those who cannot always avoid passing along possible winners to social lights (wpmen as well as men), and that, in the case of non-success, will probably cause them to be classed as “bad judges.” Naturally, some trainers resent being asked about what is really their employers’ business, and, while they cannot afford to be impolite, they would often like to make a fitting reply to questioners who would scarcely think them worth a nod of recognition away, from a racecourse.” Gynerium for Auckland

Owing to ill-health, Mr A. F. M. Symes, of Richmond Park, Hastings, has decided to reduce his stud, to a minimum, and it is his intention to send some ten of his mares to the win - ter sale at Trentham in July. In the meantime, his young imported sire, Gynerium, by Phararis from Figliastra, by Son-in-Law, has been leased to the Mardella Stud, Otahuhu, Auckland, for the next two seasons, through the agency of Wright, Stephenson and Co.. Ltd. Gynerium, who is himself a very commanding stallion of ideal conformation and wonderful quality, is having a very successful season, as he is the sire of the recent two-year-old winner at Trentham, Master Dash, while two more of his progeny in Walk Off and Note Raid were first and second in the Nursery Handicap at Hastings on Saturday last. Gynerium was a very brilliant two-year-old himself, winning three races at that age by big margins, including the May Stakes at Newmarket and the Coworth Stakes at Hurst Park. He was an unlucky runner as a three-year-old, as he was placed in important races without winning, but lateron he won the Falmouth Plate over a mile at Doncaster. Sent to Chatham Islands The three-year-old colt King Herod, who was retired from racing by Mi J. H. Grigg, owing to his having developed a wind affliction, is to be sent to the Chatham Islands to be used as

a sire. In bygone years some wellbred New Zealand horses have been shipped to the Chathams for the improvement of blood stock. Breeding in the Chatham Islands has received a big impetus by the importation of horses from New Zealand, the first well-bred sire to be sent there being Elderslie, who, by Stepniak from Madder, was a brother to noted performers in All Red, a dual Auckland Cup winner, and Munpeet, one of the most brilliant sprinters raced by Mr G. G. Stead. Elderslie was sent over by his breeder, Mr J, F. Reid, of the Elderslie Stud. In later years Sir George Clifford sent to Mr A. J. Wishart, a stalwart of racing in the Chatham Islands, the well-bred Purple Spur (Antagonist—Heatherbrae), on condition that he was sent back to New Zealand after two years’ service. Long Range was another sent over by Sir George. Racing in the islands is controlled by tfre Chatham Island Jockey Club, which holds its annual meeting every Boxing Day.