TRACK AND STABLE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1934, Page 4

TRACK AND STABLE

FORM OF TWO-YEAR-OLDS VINTAGE A GOOD HORSE. BREEDING OF PAKANUI.

(By

“Hurry On.”)

Pakanui, who won the two-year-old event at Hastings on Saturday, is another of the successful Hunting Song tribe. His dam Love Token is an imported mare by Santry from Amorosa, a mare by Love Wisely, who was brought to New Zealand in 1919 and is now 20 years old. So far her progeny have not been of much account, but Pakanui won his race in a style that suggested he will be a useful galloper. Promising Maiden. ■ The Hawera-owned and trained Friesland has started only twice, once at New Plymouth and once at Waverley. On both occasions he has been unlucky in the running. This was most marked at Waverley, where with anything like a run in the straight he would have troubled Harvest Moon. He has shown a fine turn of speed on the tracks and should not be long in winning a maiden event. Though, he shapes like a sprinter his dam, the Demosthenes mare Fluency, was a good stayer, amongst her successes being victories in the Summer Cup and the Anniversary Handicap at Randwick. Likely Filly. Silver' Sail, who defeated Symcony at Riccarton on Monday, was bred at the Elderslie Stud and sold as a. yearling at Trentham to her present owner-train-er, T. Hobbs, of Oamaru, for 140 guineas. Tea Kettle, 'dam of Silver Sail, was never raced, but was bought at the Sydney yearling sales especially for her blood. She is by Tea Tray from Nuit, by Absurd from Afterglow, by Demosthenes from Sunglow, a sister to Otford, dam of Manfred, and half-sister to Boniform and Martian. Silver Sail can thus claim some very high credentials, and as there is no doubt regarding her pace and gameness she looks capable of winning many more races this season. Veteran Reappears. Among the acceptors for the Bunny Memorial at Carterton on Saturday is Vertigern. This son of Rossendale is now well in the veteran class. He won the Wellington Cup as a five-year-old in 1929, and so is now rising eleven. It is hard to bring an old horse back, even though the old fellow did run two good races last season. Many would consider he has fully earned retirement, but Vertigem is one of those horses who are far happier when they are in active work. The Hawk was another. J. M. Cameron told the writer that turned out in the paddock the Martian gelding just moped about all day, but once -brought back into training he was a different horse. Apparently there are horses to whom a life of ease makes no appeal. Fine Performance. His victories in the Metropolitan and Fendalton Handicaps at Riccarton last week stamped Vintage as easily the best handicap horse racing at the meeting. Despite the fact that he was carrying top weight in the Metropolitan and that the pace was on all the way, he outclassed the opposition at the business end. Vintage showed great promise last autumn when after a great run of successes in hack events he won the Dunedin Cup in good style. He jarred a tendon on the eve of the Easter meetings and was off the scene for a while. He was in action again at the Grand National meeting but has taken time to reach his real form. From the easy manner hi which he disposed of Gold Trail on Saturday it would appear fortunate for the connections of Steeton that Vintage did not take his place in the Cup field. He is a five-year-old by Shambles from the Clarenceau—Lady Majestic mare Quality. No Champions. When two-year-olds are continually beating one another it is certain that they are not all champions; they are only moderates. This is the position with the youngsters seen out this spring Certainly Galilee has won three races on end, but she just scrambled home in front of Fairfax at Ellerslie. Severe has won twice, but her wins have not been impressive, and the same applies to Symcony. If a youngster is really good he goes to the front and makes an' exhibition of his opponents. Nothing of this sort has occurred so far this season, so it is safe to conclude that if there is a really good juvenile in the country he has not raced yet. The Christmas and autumn meetings may alter the position considerably. Great Stayer. Two years ago Mr. H. L. Spry, the well-known Melbourne owner, informed the writer that he considered Peter Pan was a better stayer than Phar Lap. At the time this appeared to be a bold statement, but the recent form of the son of Pantheon at Flemington will doubtless rouse many discussions on the subject. Certainly Phar Lap carried 9.12 to victory in the Melbourne Cup in 1930 as a four-year-old, but the opposition was not to be compared with the field that faced Peter Pan last Tuesday. Yet with only two pounds Jess Peter Pan settled his opponents just as decisively as did the famous Red Terror. However, the pair never met. There is one thing that is pleasing, and that is that Peter Pan is an entire. He is without doubt one of the greatest horses the Australian turf has seen, and he is sure 'to have every chance of making a name for himself at the stud. He will probably retire at the end of this season, and there should be no lack of demand for his services. Fast Mlle and a-quarter. It is not so many years ago that the running of a mile and a-quarter in 2m. 45., which was done by Vintage in the Fendalton Handicap at Riccarton last Monday, would have created a sensation. The first occasion on which 2m. ss. was broken in either Australia or New Zealand was in one of the most memorable races ever run at Randwiek, and one also notable because it was the first time that Desert Gold ever finished out of a place. That race was the Craven Plate, run on October 9, 1918. Cetigne won by a head from Wolaroi with Estland half a length away, just ahead of Desert Gold. The time was 2m. 41s. Three weeks later Magpie won the Melbourne Stakes in 2m. 4Js, beating Desert Gold by a neck, with Wolaroi third and Cetigne fourth. Cetigne’s Craven Plate time, which was equalled by Greenstead in the same event two years later, remained the record for Australia and New Zealand until Winning Hit registered 2m. 3 l-ss. at Riccarton in November, 1921. Nine years later, Bawn-na-Glas equalled Winning Hit’s time at Wagga (N.S.W.). In the Craven Plate at Randwick on October 7, 1931, Phar Lap caused a sensation by winning easily in 2m. 21s. Bronze Eagle got very close to this and created a New Zealand record when at Riccarton on November 14, 1931, he won the G. G, Stead Cup in 2m. 2 4-ss.