FROM TRACK AND STABLE

Taranaki Daily News, 11 March 1932, Page 3

FROM TRACK AND STABLE

HUNTINGDON IMPROVING s- > POOR MELBOURNE YEARLING SALE. NEW PLYMOUTH TRACK WORK- . ' A (By “Hurry On.”) Nominations for all events on the programme of the Feilding Jockey Club s Easter meeting close with the secretary (Mr. E. G. Goodbehere) at 9 o’clock tonight. The club has drawn up a very attractive programme and is sure to attract quite a number of Taranaki horses. Huntingdon is reported as being a much improved horse as the result of his recent racing and his effort with Bronze Eagle on Tuesday morning at Takanini was a good one. He has been accepted for the open six at Trentham. on Thursday, and is confidently expected... to make a very bold showing in that event. The Marton Jockey Club has put a steeplechase on the programme for its autumn meeting, to be held on Saturday, April 30. It carries a stake of 80 sovs, and the distance is two miles and a-half. This should be appreciated by owners of winter racing. . Owing to the small number of nominations received the Opotiki Jockey Club has decided to abandon its meeting this year. There are plenty of permits going a-begging at present, but no dubs appear to have the courage to apply for them. A meeting in these times is too often a liability. .The Chief Ruler three-year-old Aga . Khan has'been accepted, for quite a . number of times of late but has been scratched just as often, and many are wondering if this much boomed maiden .is ever going to face a barrier. There is one thing certain, and that is when he ? is really produced there will be no trouble in picking the favourite. Mrs. MacDonald, the Awapuni train-, er, has paid up for three horses—lnflation, La Modem and Chief Marionette —; in the two-year-old event the first day at Trentham, and with three such proved, performers certainly holds a strong;' ■ ' hand, even though there are several promising sorts, including the Woodville winner Might, engaged. Prices at the Melbourne yearling sales were very poor. The highest prices were' realised by the Gothic-Tassel colt and , > the Herioc-Pot Pourri colt. Pot Pourri is a Bezonian mare. Only a very small percentage realised over 100 guineas. A half brother to Middle Watch, Ammon Ra’s conqueror in'the St. Leger, brought 200 guineas. The Heroics generally sold best, though one or two of Windbag’s progeny evinced, spirited, bidding. Nevertheless the general level was much below the Trentham sale. , ' In the long list of Australian Cups which have been run, one stands out for a truly remarkable result. In the race of 1872, Saladin and'Flying Dutchman ran a dead-heat for first. Although the distance then, as now' was two miles and a-quarter, they ran off and again a - dead-heat was recorded. Those were the “good old days,” so the horses were saddled up for the third time, and this time Saladin won. . . L’Allegro, a five-year-old gelding by Day Comet, was one of the most improved hacks that raced at the Waikato meeting, where he scored an impressive win over seven furlongs. He is a very resolute galloper and much more solid looking than he was last season. He is stated to be a capable jumper and if raced in that department later on he should develop into a good hurdler. He is an ideal typo for the business and it is helpful to know that many of the progeny of Day Comet have done well as jumpers. G. Murfay-Aynsley is having a very successful experience with his team this season, having won eleven races. With the exception of Spoon, he bred and owns all the horses he has turned out They are Meprisant, Riri, Kahara, Muff, Silver Scorn and Berate, all of whom have been winners. Arrowhead, who has won in the North Island, and Chide, who has picked up some stakes in Australia, are other winners from the select stud of the Riccarton'owner-trainer. I In compliance with the wish of a num- ) her of its members, the Poverty Bay Turf Club has convened a meeting to discuss the question of amalgamation with, the Gisborne Racing Club. The meeting will be held on March 16 and will be confined to members of the Turf Club, but the project will be taken up with the Gisborne Racing Club’s executive in due course, should the meeting favour the proposal. The amalgamation of these two clubs was recommended several years ago by a commission which toured the Dominion and investigated racing administration. New Plymouth Track. Both the plough and the outside of the course proper, with the flags about 15 feet out, were in use on the New Plymouth track yesterday morning. Royal Bengal, Green Patch and the Ruapapa three-year-old went twice round, the second time at three-quarter pace, all moving freely. Easter Time, Orapai and Gibraltar went six furlongs on the plough. Gibraltar soon tailed off and Easter Time led Orapai until about a hundred yards / » from home, when the latter drew up and beat the three-year-old by a neck in Imin ISJsec. Orapai did his task well' and is undoubtedly a very fit horse. Easter Time did not finish on well, and Gibraltar was fully half a dozen lengths away at the finish. Sparkling Morn was no good to Gold Dawn over six furlongs on the plough, the Opunake Cup candidate running right away from her companion at the/ finish. The last five furlongs took Imin 3 3-ssec. Gold Dawn is in great order for her engagement on Thursday. Lady Quex with a lightweight up was not extended to run seven furlongs on the grass in Imin 31 4-ssec. She took 28sec for the first two furlongs and 39sec for the last three. She finished up her task in good style. She is to bo sent to Trentham by train on Monday morning.