Tuuf Notes

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19641, 8 November 1933, Page 12

Tuuf Notes

On and Off the Track

A BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS. FIXTURES. Racing-: Nov. 8, 11 —Canterbury J.C. Nov. 9, 11—Whangarei R.C. Nov. 11—Hawke’s Bay J.C. Nov. 15—Dannevirke R.C. Nov. 18—Carterton R.C. Nov. 18, 20—Waikato R.C. Nov. 25—Levin R.C. Nov. 30, Dec. 2—Takapuna J.C. Nov. 30, Dec. 2 —Feilding J.C. Dec. 1, 2—Winton J.C. Dec. 2 —Ashburton C.R.C. Trotting: Nov. 9. 10 —Metropolitan T.C. Nov. 23, 25—Forbury Park T.C. Dec. 9—New Brighton T.C. Dec. 26—Gore T.C. Dec. 26 —Ashburton T.C. Dec. 26, 27—Wairarapa T.C. Dec. 26, 27—Westport T.C. Dec. 27, 29, 30—Auckland T.C. Dec. 29—Winton T.C. Dec. 30—Reef ton T.C. Oaks Day at Riccarton. New Zealand Trotting Derby tomorrow; Free-for-All on Friday. The C.J.C. meeting will be continued to-day and concluded on Saturday. Great Star has started in live Stewards’ Handicaps at Riccarton. The Canterbury Cup to-day will be run over a mile and a half. Last year the distance was ten furlongs. The investments on the New Zealand Cup were £ISOO in excess of the sum pooled in the race in 1932. Gold Knight looked a winner at Riccarton on Saturday when he bungled the last hurdle badly. The Waimatetrained gelding may make amends today. A number of people who presume to advise the investing public, fail to realise the difference between hacks and horses. Quite moderate hacks are at times recommended for races which it takes a good performer to win. Chrysology was mainly responsible for the fast time registered in the New Zealand Cup, but he was well beaten half a mile from home, and looks a hopeless proposition for a two-mile race. When A. Eastwood won on Silver Streak on the first day at Dunedin, he did not wait to dismount before bespeaking the ride on the Waimate gelding in the Stewards’ Handicap. Results proved that his judgment was good. Red Shadow, six years, was the youngest horse in the Trotting Cup, the ages of the other starters ranging up to 11, claimed by Harold Logan. The winner consequently is most likely to improve more than the others, and if Red Shadow and Royal Silk both start again to-morrow, the bracket is likely to be a warm favourite. Gay Round (Gay Lad-Prayer Wheel) half-sister to Entreaty, has foaled a colt to Nightraid. The youngster is a three-quarter brother to Phar Lap, and it is interesting to relate that he is a chestnut. Since Phar Lap, Entreaty has not produced a chestnut, and the new arrival is the first of that colour of Gay Round's stock. There seemed no reasonable excuse to offer for the failure of Golden Wings in the Stewards. He drew an inside position, got a good run in the early stages behind the pacemaker Kerbside, and was apparently on the box seat when the straight was reached. He may make amends before the week is out, but in the meantime the conclusion seems inevitable that he’fe not a horse for Riccarton.

Epigram and Eminent have been sent home, and they will not run again at the Cup meeting. Eminent has been a disappointment to his backers, as he has not been distressed after his defeats, and apparently is not genuine.

It was not on form that Minerval was made fourth favourite for the New Zealand Cup. In his only two starts this season he was eighth in the Timaru Cup, beating two broken-down horses, and last in the Akaroa Handicap.

Harold Logan raised the hopes of his supporters half a mile from home in the Trotting Cup, and at the two furlongs mark they had visions of a hat trick for the little champion. He could not darry on in the run home, however. and was actually nearer Red Shadow 7 at the end of six furlongs than at the conclusion of the two miles. Optimism would be a mild term to describe T. Hobbs’s view of Silver Streak’s prospects in the Stewards’ Handicap. Seldom has a trainer appeared to be so supremely confident as the Waimate man, and results completely justified him. Silver Streak’s winning margin was only half a length but he never looked like losing once he hit the front a furlong from home.

The time record for the Oaks is 2.33 2-5, held by Korokio That is convincing evidence that in racing time is not the whole essence of the contract. The Australian-bred mare was a long way removed from the class of Cruciform, Gladsome, Desert Gold. Gold Light, Razzle Dazzle, Silver Scorn, and many others that could be named among Oaks winners.

W. H. Jones, who steered Palantua in the New Zealand Cup hat been a resident of Timaru for some time. He has been ascociated with Palantua in many of her wins, and was on her when she won the Islington Handicap at the National fixture. Jones, who can ride 7.1, is old enough to use his head, and his Cup win will cause more demand for his services. He was on Chrysology when that horse won the Timaru Cup.

Mrs W. Mackenzie, of Tapanui, owner of Palantua, is a patron of the trotting sport as w r ell as galloping, and her colours are well-knowm on Southland courses in light harness events. At present she has one smart pacer there in Sure. Her colours—royal blue, white and red sash, white cap—were registered in the name of her late husband, Mr J. R. Mackenzie, until his death a few years ago. Pallas was among the horses he raced.

Sports King, who was brought from the Waikato over a year ago by Mr T. Lister, was a disappointment in this island, winning only one race soon after his arrival. A few weeks ago the brother to Prince Val was sold to a Riccarton man who experienced wretched luck with him. At his firststart in his new owner’s colours Sports King was brought down by Captain's Gift at the first fence. His next and last appearance was in the Spring Hurdles at Riccarton, when he appeared to become unsighted through Kapuna toppling and broke a fetlock.

Silver Streak started eight times as a two-year-old, for a second and a third. Last season he was a hard-worked three-year-old, contesting 28 races, for 6 wins, 7 seconds, and a brace of third placings. That he thrived on racing he has shown this season, in which he has never been out of the money in five starts. He commenced his four-year-old career with a win under 9.7 in a hack tace at. the Kurow meeting. He won an open event at Wingatui, and was unlucky in being relegated to third place on the second day through being caught in the tapes. He was second again at Washdyke after getting away badly, and at his next start he accounted for a hot field in the Stewards’ Handicap. His consistent form is a tribute to the care and skill of T. Hobbs, who has had a great run during the last six months with Mount Boa, Gold Knight and Silver Streak.

Gold Pit is in work at Riccarton having joined A. S. Ellis's stable.

A. E. Ellis will be riding again at Riccarton to-day. his reduced term of suspension having expired last night.

Palantua was passed in at the Mantua stud sale at 80 guineas, and was purchased by Mrs Mackenzie privately.

The Seadown-bred colt Wonderful has been racing very consistently and has been in the money four times this season

Chrysology did not last as long as usual in the Fendalton Handicap on Derby Day. and his essay in the Cup may have taken the edge off his form.

Some Shamble gave his admirers a poor run at Riccarton on Cup Day, but it may be wise to give him another chance—with a good rider up—before condemning him.

A sister to Cricket Bat has arrived at Chokebore. When Equipment died at Stonyhurst recently she left a filly foal by Winning Hit, and the orphan has been sent to Riccarton to be reared there by hand.

Red Manfred appeared to slip about a bit when called in for a final effort in a bit when called on for a final effort in front of Nightly half .a mile from home and the Nightraid colt appears to be the better stayer.

Whenuakura's defeat at Ellerslie came as a shock. Probably it was mainly due to the muddy track, but it is becoming usual for the early two-year-old champion to be dethroned before the season is far advanced. When Kerbside beat Silver Streak at Washdyke last month she was receiving 151 b from the Waimate gelding. Putting up 31b overweight in the Stewards, she was lib above him. Punters w 7 ho backed the mare were optimists.

Mother Superior, w 7 ho brought about the downfall of Whenuakura at Ellerslie, is a sister to the Oaks winner Eaglet. She is by Chief Ruler from Dovelet, and is trained by the veteran F. Tilley at Fordell.

Silver Streak found a rise from 7.2 (his Stewards’ weight) to 8.5 in the Criterion too much in the heavy going and he w'as never near the front.

This has been a ladies’ week so far as Cups are concerned. Horses owned by ladies finished first and s econd in the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton, and Mrs Hair all owned both first and second horses in the Trotting Cup.

Red Manfred was foaled and reared at Hororata, though sired in Australia, and the same circumstances surround the upbringing of Carefree, who won the Cantala Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.

The times registered at Addington yesterday were a tribute to the recuperative powers of the track. A feu 7 years ago heavy rain soaked a foot deep, but the low T er strata has become consolidated by racing, and rain now 7 leaves only a skin of mud w r liich dries rapidly under sun and wind.

Louis Bingen’s best two-mile races at Addington have been trotted after he had had a pipe-opener in the earlier trot. He w 7 as not given the usual work out yesterday, and did not fulfil the confident expectations of his army of backers.

Hall Mark, in the V.R.C. Derby, avenged his Caulfield Guineas defeat by Palphar. and showed that there was nothing in the theory that he could not gallop left-handed. Hall Mark alone promises to repay Mr C. B. Kellow for the 16,000gns he was reputed to pay for Heroic.

Croupier staged the most marked reversal of form on the first tw 7 o days of the Cup meeting. He stopped as if he had choked in the Stewards’ Handicap, and over an extra furlong in the Criterion he scampered away from the field. As he was rumoured to be suffering from w r ind trouble, this was unexpected on a wet day, and it seems that his ailment had been w'rongly diagnosed.

Red Shadow 7 failed to secure a place in the “Cup Trial” at Wei- j lington, but he was credited with breaking 58 for the last half mile of a j mile and a half in 3.15 3-5 at Adding- j ton last Saturday, and he show’ed far too much speed for the other cracks over the final circuit of the Trotting j Cup. He will make things very interesting for Roi l’Or and Harold Logan j in the Free-for-All.

Copyist, whose easy win in the Linwood Handicap came as a surprise, may win more important events later on. The stable formed a fairly high opinion of him some months ago. and he looks at last as if he is in a fair w 7 ay to justify it. Irish Lancer ran a respectable race in the Criterion Handicap on Monday. He could not get near the runaw'av Croupier, but after standing the field up four lengths from the outside position at the barrier, the Irish stallion defeated all except the w 7 inner. Mantua, dam of Palantua, is now at Gladstone Park, Orari, where she was mated with Lord Warden. She was bought al Mr A. G. Hill’s death by F. Shaw, w 7 ho gave her to Mr R. Greenslade on condition that he received her first colt foal. This Mantua produced to Iliad a few weeks ago. The Smuggler s second to Silver Scorn in the last Dunedin Cup was a better performance than some of the New 7 Zealand Cup field had to their credit over a distance, and it was no fluke that the Balboa gelding finished so close up. Southlanders collected most of the place dividend on the southerner. A .H. Eastwood has the best New Zealand Cup riding record from the time-making point of view 7. He was on Chide w r hen the Paladin gelding reduced the race record to 3.23 3-5, and on Fast Passage last year when a cut to 3.23 1-5 was made. This year he was on Rocket, only a length behind Palantua when the southern mare registered 3.22 1-5.

While there has been ample evidence | that the present allocation of the : “place” pool is not assisting country ; clubs, an examination of the figures for Cup Day indicates that the system is 2 satisfactory at metropolitan meeting# r w 7 here big fields are the rule. What is • required is not, as some people imagine, abolition of win and place betting, but more elasticity in the fixing of percentI ages on the place machine. (l At the end of the New 7 Zealand Cup, Palantua, Rocket, The Smuggler and : Ramo had drawn right away from the J rest of the field. Minerval failed to run on, as was to be expected of a horse which had done so little racing ■. in the preceding twelve months; Jaloux ran a bad race: Epigram was boxingout of his class: Tout le Monde is not genuine; and Eminent. Inflation and Chrysology appear to be non-stayers. When the weights appeared. Polydora. Palantua and Rocket w 7 ere selected as I the three most likely to see out the long journey, and this estimate was pretty ' accurate. The Derby winner Nightly, who has won five races this season, is held on lease with a purchasing clause, the • amount involved being £SOO. After he j had won in a good field at Geraldine it ! w 7 as generally supposed that the option j would be exercised, but Nightly is still I the property of his breeder, Mr R. j Acton-Adams, w 7 ho now 7 resides in Wesj tern Australia. It appears that the breeder's percentage under the lease is ' a small one. and that it pays the lessee j to race under the present arrangement. Nightly was first leased by Mr S. D. McDougall, of Martinborough, but on this owner’s death he was taken over j by a brother, Mr J. A. McDougall. ! The Cup winner Palantua was bred 1 by the late Alf. Hill, who owned both tier sire and dam. Paladin and Mantua. Mantua, who w 7 as much smaller than I her now 7 famous daughter, w 7 as the first | of Solferino’s stock to win as a two- . year-old. She was bred by Mr J. F. Reid, and at the outset of her racing career was owned and trained by F. D. Jones, w’ho sold her to W. Stone. After winning several races for the Invercargill man she was purchased by Mr Hill. Mantua was a particularly courageous little mare, and it is not surprising that Palantua is a solid finisher. It w 7 ill be surprising if the best has vet been seen of the Cup winner, as It is a characteristic of the Solferino tribe to improve w 7 ith age. The Canterbury Cup is the oldest weight-for-age race on the New Zealand calendar, having been established in 1866. In its first ten years it was won twice by the Waimate horse Knottingly, and the famous mares Lurline and Peeress, Peeress’s second win being gained after running off a dead-heat with Knottingly. The tabulated list of winners contains the greatest aggregation of champions in any one race in [ the Dominion. Starting fifty years ago, the names run: Welcome Jack. Stonyhurst, Artillery. Maxim. Manton. Tirallieur. Crackshot. Freedom, Stepniak, Skirmisher, Prime Warden. Euroclvdon, Lady Zetland. Multiform. Seahorse, Advance, Menschikoff. Cruciform. Treadmill. Noctuiform. Multifid. Elevation. Signor, Elysean, Stepniak, Vice-Admiral, Goldfinder, Cherubini, Reputation, Warstep, The Toff, Estland, Snub, Mascot. Duo. Amvthas, Gasbag, Ballymena. Gold Light, The Banker, Rapine, Limerick. Laughing Prince, Chide, Nightmarch. Silver Scorn. Scarcely a bad horse in the lot, not more than half a dozen moderates, and some of the truly great.