FROM TRACK AND STABLE

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1932, Page 4

FROM TRACK AND STABLE

LORD RANALD VERY LAME AN, IRISH SWEEP INCIDENT. ROYAL .VISITOR GOING 'SOUTH. (By “Hurry On.”) Though Lord Ranald won in good stylo at the South-Canterbury Hunt meeting, he was very lame when he pulled up. This .is not unusual with him as .he. is more or less sore after every work .out that he has. The next few days will doubtless disclose whether this trouble is really serious, rln the meanwhile backers are leaving him alone in. the National. - In one of the Irish sweeps on the English Derby Spenser was drawn by an airman, who was killed six days earlier. This was Pilot Officer Jackson, of Rhodesia, who lost his life when two aeroplanes collided over Shoreham (England), while taking part in air manoeuvres According to a To Rapa report, it has been decided to send Royal Visitor to the Grand National meeting, and he was to have left for the south on Saturday in charge of his trainer, A. P. Brady, so that he might have full opportunity of adequate schooling at Riccarton before the meeting. His usual pilot, J. H. Mcßae, will ride him ip his; engagements. Speedmint, who. accounted: for six rac&s last season, including the Great Northern Oaks and the Te Kuiti Cup, is again in steady work at Takanini. - She may reach good handicap:class this season, as she stays well, while she can act in any kipd of going. . The two-year-old La Moderns, in Mrs. A. W. McDonald’s stable at Awapuni, is suffering from the, effects of a slight mishap. It is only a minor injury, from which a quick recovery is anticipated. There still is a possibility that the speedy Lord Quex filly will find a new owner before long. i. New Zealand racing officials were very slow in forwarding the scratching of Nightmarch from the Metropolitan Handicap, \ says the Sydney Daily Telegraph. The withdrawal was lodged at Wellington on July 7, but. the A.J.C. received notification only on July 18.- A small amount of dead money has . gone into bookmakers’ bags, but doubles entered with Nightinarch. since July 7 are automatically wiped- off. Nightmarch was left in the Melbourne Cup. * . 1 There appears to be a good deal of doubt concerning Normandy’s . gramme. He was quoted as .an unlikely starter in the Winter > Cup, but. the latest report from Trentham is that, he will compete in the mile race, with K. Voitre as his rider. . ’

T. Metcalf, who.was seriously injured in a fall at Riccarton last November, has been about for some time, but though he has made great progress lately he is not yet fit to resume riding. In the meantime he has taken service wjth G. J. Pine, and it is hoped that he will soon be well on the way to complete recoveryGrampian came in for some support in the Novice Stakes at the combined meeting at Riccarton. He never became prominent, but he will do much better early in the new season, as he is a smart galloper. He is a well grown and goodlooking two-year-old by Robespierre, his dam, Watermint, being by Greyspear from Waterspray, the dam of Pilliewinkie (by Winkie) and Arikiwai (by Paladin). He showed useful speed in the autumn and his breeding suggests that he will stay. - / One of the latest additions to F. Gilchrist’s stable at Ellerslie is. the rising three-year-old filly Caliente, by Polazel from Fortune’s Wheel, the last-named being a full-sister to Phar Lap. This filly, who has never been tried, is a bit ou the small side, aud this may handicap her to some extent when she begins ' ■ . Shred, one of France’s best three-year-old colts of this season, is by Teddy from Shrove, who is a half:sister to Silverado (son of Polymelus), who will be located near Bathurst during the coming season. In fact, in blood relationship Silverado is even closer than a halfbrother to Shrove, the latter being by Pommera; a son of Polymelus. According to latest exchanges from England, Orwell was still on the easy list at the end of last month as a consequence of the lameness he contracted in, the Derby. The same message states that Orwel’s owner, Mr. W. M. G. Singer, who had been very seriously ill, was mal.mg satisfactory progress, and proposed to go to Newmarket for a prolonged stay. Presented to the Kiqg.

The presentation to the King of the owner of the Derby winner at Epsom every year is the usual thing, and Mr. Toni Walls, owner of this year’s Winner, April the Fifth, received the customary honour last month. Discussing the Derby incidents afterwards Mr. Walls paid: “I was pleased when the King asked me about my stables. He also asked many practical questions,. on how I trained my horses and how. the Epsom air suited them. He was so interested that he kept me talking for some time. It was the first time I had been presented to the King. The Queen has. often been to toy theatre, and after she had congratulated me she asked how the -work .was going on there.” Tom Walls confessed that after his serious illness last year he would have shut up his stables entirely but for his faith •in April the Fifth. Many people hhve been wondering how April the Fifth got his name. Tom Walls states that it was because he was foaled on April o, and that was his breeder’s birthday as well. . Betting on Australian Races.

Latest quotations from Sydney show that Chatham is favourite for the Epsom Handicap, at a short double-figure, price, and that Silver Ring, Legislator, Rogilla, and Gallantic are equal second favourites at two points easier. In the next group are Autopay, Burwood, Greensea, Gold' Digger, and Myles-la-Coplen, with Cylinder, Croupier, Gaine Carrington, Hunting Cry, High . Disdain,. Johnnie Jason, Lady Quex, Old Ming, Peter Jack/ son, Rondalina, Sir Christopher, Stephen, Ticino, Viol d’Amour aiid Waterline best favoured among the rest. ■ The Metropolitan favourites are Agincourt, The Dimmer, Peter Jackson,. Veilmond, Pretzel and Rogilla. i In the next groi x > are Admiral? Drake, Concentrate and Cylinder. Colonel Cygnus is at a comparatively long figure, the merchants having taken more liberty with him than with Croupier, Historic, Hunting Cry, Lavington,’ Oratorian, Tregilla, Silver Ring and Star Stranger. None of the New Zealand horses in the Sydney double, however, have been allowed to drift.

For the Caulfield Cup, no New Zealand horses are placed on the first or second lines in the latest lists. Joint fav« ourites are Baba, Great Idea, Induna, and Royal Barb, with Kuvera, Johnnie Jason and Veilmond in the next group, and Compris, Gaine Carrington, Nightmarch, Peter Jackson and Silver Ring in the third group. Short-priced favourites for the Melbourne Cup are Kuvera, Middle Watch, and The Dimmer. These three are clean away from the rest of the field. The favoured New Zealanders are Night march and Concentrate, then in the large

next group are Admiral Drake, Cylinder, Croupier, Compris, Gaine Carrington, Peter Jackson, Silver Ring, and Star Stranger. The; Admiral Drake-Night-march Cup double is a four-figure proposition. •

An Old-time Trainer.. The death occurred at Auckland on Sunday of Mr. John Norman Thorpe, who was associated with racing in New Zealand and Australia for about 75 years. Mr. Thorpe was in his 97th. year. He was a well-known figure in tho Ellerslie district, where he first took up residence about 60 years ago. With his brother, the late Mr. Robert .Thorpe, also a prominent horseman, trainer and owner, Mr. Thorpe was apprenticed, from •1846 to 1852, to the then Marquis of Exeter, at Newmarket; England. Several years later he left England and lived in Tasmania for a time. He came to ; New Zealand about 1857, and, arriving in Auckland’after a period in Dunedin; he was iniptediately engaged in racing. Mr. Thorpe both rode and trained horses in Auckland, and, with Mr. Robert- Thorpe, who followed his brother to New Zealand in 1864, ho quickly rose to prominence' in tile sport. He rode and trained' Lonehand, an Australian horse which played a conspicuous part in thi early years' of racing'. About 47 years ago he' visited India, and he_ subsequently was prominent as a trainer in Sydney for some years, returning to Auckland 30 years ago.