TURF TOPICS TERSELY TOLD

Taranaki Daily News, 25 June 1931, Page 15

TURF TOPICS TERSELY TOLD

Wcstbrokc —down! ■# ♦ # * The Bailiff is still knocking at the ; door. i ■ * ' «> * * Pakitere ’ has been packed off down ' South. • d ■ # * * * Even in .winter our jumpers prepare for the spring. #’* # ® Even the best of junipers seem to fall foul of hen-coops. e ® ® Tlie shortest day finds punters shorter than ever each succeeding year. • * » • • Jockeys who always- wait for openings generally find something to fall into. ■ .. .. . • « • » The Turf .Register would be just as interesting to a kill-sport as a book of fiction to.the Income Tax Department. # # # • When a squib goes to the front and carries the field along for a couple of furlongs it is only a case of taking the good with the bad. * # • * The cost to racing of stipendiary stewards last year was £4077 Is lOd, and the racecourse inspectors £3337 19s 4d. « * # * Mr. \V. Scholium has sold Little Gift in Sydney. 1 This is one “gift horse” which the purchaser can look in the mouth. • • o It is reported that the C.J.C. Challenge Stakes winner Cricket Bat was priced at 500 guineas more than the 1500 guineas offered for him. • # * 0 That fine middle-distance mare Prodice is standing up to her -work ■well and she has only to keep .sound to win some goof races in the spring. • • • • The ex-New Plymouth mare Broxt has not been raced for over twelve • months, but she is reported to have been put into work at Awapuni. • • • • A little while ago it was stated that Pegaway had been retired, but the fact that he has been recommissioned at Te Awamutu indicates that this supposition is not correct. 0 • • • Aspian’s half-brother by Limond, who is named Tout le Monde, has attracted attention by his freedom of action in the few sprints he has been given. Racecourse detectives tell us that they have cleared the courses of all bad eggs. Politicians arc wondering if they are merely saving them up for November elections. « « o • Struck another optimist the other day. He was a down-the-line Native who forwarded his nomination and acceptance fees for two horses—on general entry night! .• \ * * * The Archery gelding Starshooter has been unlucky in his recents starts. He is a big-striding customer and should be more at home on a roomy course. His winning turn looks to be not far off. 0 O • • Heard at the stables. Lady visitor: “Do your dear little apprentice jockeys often have fatal accidents?” Hard-boil-ed trainer; “Only once, mum; they ’ave ’em only once!” • • • • Valsier is a Gisborneite ‘who has shown fairly good form over a middle distance. He is being qualified and, being a well-built sort, he should soon emerge from the hunters’ steeplechase class.. tt ♦ « ® Hampden and Peter Jqckson, who paid their way this season, are reported to be looking well at Hawera. This pair are confidently expected to do well at the early spring meetings. # # # # The Thurnham gelding Thurina bad his first race over “country” at Washdyke on Saturday and had outclassed the field until he dislodged his pilot at the penultimate . obstacle. It was really bad luck, and the half-brother to Gay Jim should be heard of before long. ♦ # « * The Christchurch Hunt Club will not hold a meeting' this year. The decision is unfortunate inasmuch as the gathering has always . been regarded as a splendid preliminary for the National meeting the following week and the fixture has always 'been a popular one. *«. ' • • Volume 1 of the “New Zealand Stud Book” in 1900 showed a small credit balance, but since then the cost has had to be borne by* the Conference. The last volume (XI) cost £1366 9s lOd, and sales amounted to £545 19s; The Stud Book is an indispensible adjunct to racing, and many clubs and Others interested, are lax in their recognition of ■ this .fact. ' Mollison Dead. ... The racehorse Mollison died at Mel- ' bourne on Friday night. As a two- 1 year : old-Mollison had an unbeaten record, and won over £17,000 in stakes. Mollison’s total winnings in stakes up to the time of his death amounted to £31,000. He was by the imported horse Seremond, and was bred in Queensland nearly six years ago. Up to 12 months ago Mollison was owned and raced by Mr. E. M. Pearce, of Melbourne, and was then sold at auction, being bought by the owner-trainer, Mr. W. Tindall.

[ Interlocutor will be heard of again, o * * */ Ace of Hearts hasn’t taken a trick lately. 0 0 0 0 A horse that's sure to win soon: its Inevitable. 0 0 0® The Smuggler seems to “land” regularly in the South. 0 0 0 ® Hawke’s Bay trainers are shaking down into their places again. 0 0 0 0 It is said that the owner of Aladdin has his “lamps” on the G.N. Hurdles. # # * © . Early morning workers reckon that the weather lately has been a regular frost. « * 0 0 The beaten favourites are responsible for putting the ‘‘gnash” into National week. 0©«0 Mister Gamp was blistered after the Great Northern meeting, but he is reported to be a certain starter at Trentham. 0 ® 0 0 The Taranaki-owned Isa raced at Timaru on Saturday, and, after showing a lot of pace to the straight entrance, stopped badly to finish last. W 0 «■ * First and last entries for the Ladies’ Handicap at Hastings were False Scent and My Folly. Now we see what handicaps the ladies. 0 0 0 0 When asked to put a price on Cricket Bat Sir Charles Clifford asked 2000 guineas. Yet you can buy a Bradman for 47s 6d. 0 0 0 0 Vandyke has been schooled at Takanini and gave a very satisfactory display with Hector Gray in the saddle. At least, schooling may improve Vandyke’s atrocious barrier manners. S • ® « A doubtful leg has been keeping Lancer on the easy list at Ricc..rton. But for his leg trouble there is little dou'bt Lancer would have developed into a good class hurdler. 0 0 0 0 Amorist has just come in from a spell after being blistered, but he is standing up to solid work at Riccarton, and it°looks as if he will be on hand for the Grand National meeting. 1 Paddon was still very gross when he raced at the Waikato meeting, but his recent gallops should bring him along a lot. He is a great mudlark and there may be a different tale to tell before long. * * * * .Supremacy and the Auckland Cup winner Motere are on the active list again at Te Awamutu, but they will not be required io race until the spring meetings. 0 0 0 0 A mishap in schooling prevented Mountain Heath from starting at the Great Northern meeting, but he is quite right again and should be heard of before very. long. # 0 « « A bad knee kept Vali off the scene for most of last season, but he has been hitting out freely at Takanini and promises to be in good fettle for the early spring handicaps. • 000 That smart sprinter Gold Day has been recommissioned at To Awamutu, and is reported to have thickened out since she was last raced. She should strike her best form next season. 0 * #.« High Comedy has come in well after his brief respite. If Ammon Ra and Bronze Eagle go to Sydney in the spring, High Comedy should take a hand in the decision of the early three-year-old classics. « 0 0 © The coming two-year-old full-brother to Royal Routine (Hunting Song—Merry Moment) will race as Slippery. In his earlv tasks he has- indicated that his appellation is appropriate! 0 0 0 0 Desert Glow is now in the South Island. He started in the hurdle race at Timaru, but was very lame and pulled up last. The veteran looks a doubtful proposition and has surely earned a definite retirement. 0 0 0 • The ex-Taranaki Troilus outjumped the hurdlers at Washdyke on Saturday and owed his win to his clever fencing. Troilus is a good sort in the shorter hurdle races, but unfortunately he docs not stay too well. 0•0 # • Catoma emerged from the hack class when he won the. Carbine Plate. Like Chromadyne, who won that ra.ee last year, Catoma revels in the mud and must be respected in any company. A race like the Winter Cup should suit him. Hard Worked. Royal Saxon is one of the hardest racpd horses in the Dominion. At the South Canterbury meeting he won the mile race, carrying 10.6 in a hard finish, and was saddled, up again in- the concluding event with 10.13. He raff a good race into fourth place. Murtagh For Marton. Trainer E. Murtagh reached Marton last week, and has taken the stables vacated by Fred Ehrho.a. Murtagh’s team, to commence with, will comprise Habit, and youngsters by Weathervane and Shillinglee respectively. Mrs. McDonald’s Team. Elicit has peen turned out, but Mrs. McDonald has her hands full with Red Fuchsia, Birkbeck, Llyn Du and others, including a good sort in Warzone. The first-named trio have been unsound lately, but with the tracks softening, they should soon get into form. Warzone jumps very boldly, and will win more races over hurdles shortly. Otneo at Awapuni. “Doe.” Knapp, whose success with cripples, particularly with jumpers, is well known, is now looking after Onico. Knapp had a good innings with Otairi, and another Dunean-owned juniper now under his care is Llandudno, whose bold fencing suggests that a gooa hurdle race will fall to him before very long. Overhaul Doing Well. The report from Wingatui that Overhaul is fining down nicely and showing no signs of a recurrence of his leg trouble is pleasing to all lovers of a good jumper, and there is a chance lie will be fit enough to compete at the Grand National meeting. Overhaul camo sensationally into the limelight at Trentham in 1929, but leg trouble prevented him from showing his best form in the Grand National Hurdles and he was put away for a long spell.