CAP & JACKET

Observer, Volume XXXVI, Issue 48, 5 August 1916, Page 14

CAP & JACKET

[13y the Eakly Bird.]

With the weather much better than usual during the last week, most of the local trainers were stretching out their charges with a view to the Pakuranga Hunt Club and Avondale meetings. Dan Caster and Westerley put in a nice schooling lesson over the big battens. The pair's names may be found among the P.H.C. candidates to-day. Kawhakahaere, after the strenuous work put in at the hunting field, does not require too much schooling. On Thursday his trainer was content to let the long-named one brush over a couple of the big schooling battens alone. The Extractor gelding is a finished fencer. The South Auckland Racing Club will in future be knoAvn as the Hamilton Racing Club. The Auckland Racing Club are still working on the lines of progression. The wages sheet showed the expenditure of over £8,580 for the past season, including various improvements. On Saturday morning Sir Rosa and the Maniapoto gelding, Fisher, put a round of the big battens past, both fencing in an improved fashion. With the set-back which Ngatoa got through the fall at the W.R.C. meeting, he seems to have gone quite out of favour with the local double punters. News comes from Sydney of the arrival of the AJ.C. Derby colt from New Zealand, and it created a favourable impression. During the past racing season the Auckland Racing Club proved a profitable institution to the Government Treasury, paying over £25,289 in taxes. A buyer could not be found for NgatiwereAvere when submitted at auction last week. The Soult horse, Soultikoff, went to Mr J. Patterson somewhat cheaply, realising 30 guineas. Mr W. Patterson, the owner of another fine Soult horse, Santa Rosa, intends letting horse owners have the use of the Auckland Cup winner of 1911 as usual. The handsome black horse is in fine condition. While giving his stable mate, Waimai a lead over the steeplechase fences on Saturday morning, Inspector, by Conduc-tor-Lady Mons, crashed into the stonewall, injuring himself so badly that he had to be destroyed. After the first payment fifty-one horses remain in the Avondale stakes. The number and quality seem better than usual. The race gives a line among the local candidates for the A.R.C. classics. The nominations for the Pakuranga Hunt Club meeting close on Friday, and are fully expected to top those received by the Club last year. We are very strong in candidates for the maiden hurdle division. Thirty-five colts, fillies and geldings have made the first payment for the Avondale Guineas of 300 soys. The O.J.C. acceptances for the principal events are to hand and are quite satisfactory. Twenty-three in the G.N. Steeplechase, thirty-one in the Winter Handicap, and twenty-three in the G.N. Hurdle Race. All the best in the Dominion are among the number. The Auckland horses are| quite the fancy in the jumping. Waimai has quite a big following in the National Steeple, and Te Onga, Master Regal, Marconi, Tararua Jack and Tenacious all have numerous followers for the National Hurdle. P. Jones's Bardolph-Carmine filly is rounding up nicely, and will step out one of the prettiest juveniles at headquarters when facing the barrier in public,

The Avondale Jockey Club programme is out for the season 1916-17. The Club has catered for the most popular class of racing, that appeals to both the horseowners and public alike. Mr Bill Glasgow has sold his favourite trotter, Captain Rosier, at a satisfactory figure. Mr W. Kemp i 3 not the luckiest horseowner in the world. He is keeping his Charlemange 11. gelding at good healthy toil, and also the two-year-old Robert the Bruce- Miss Ethel filly. The latter looks slippery on the tracks. Mr J. Patterson, who purchased the Soult-Hipporina horse, Soultikoff, at thirty guineas, could have made a quick turnover with the horse, but elected to try a season with the handsome brown horse. There will arrive at Ellerslie in the near future a couple of useful two-year-olds from the Waikato—Elysian Crecy and Flagfall. Both are well grown, and look like furnishing into useful handicap animals. Mr W. McKinnon, who. has business interests in Frankton Junction, Waikato, is preparing a quartette of equines for the new season. They have all wintered well and should be ready for the spring. Quite a number of the new sire Demasthene's progeny have been entered for the Avondale Stakes, run on September 13th. There are four fillies and three colts, which are nicely furnished and look like coming to hand at an early date. Mr J. J. Preston is keeping Monotour (General Latour-Monorasde) going on Saturday in company with Mr W. Kemp's youngster. The pair run along nicely on the two-year-old rink at top for three furlongs. Mr E. A. Price's two young ones—full brothers—Wiri, a three-year-old, and Ghent, a two-year-old, are putting in useful tasks. Both are engaged in the classic races at the Avondale spring fixture. Mr L. B. Harris, jun., has Homeric (Achilles-Paphia) in the Avondale Guineas. The colt is very well, but the track aiders take exception to his style of moving over the ground. Mrs A. E. Lindsay is the only lady owner with a colt in the Avondale Guineas —Uncle Ned, by Marble ArchLady Gladys, which is in work at Avondale. Mr N. B. Lusk, the King Country owner, has no less than three in the Avondale Guineas. By Knocklaya, General Latour and Elysian—two fillies and a colt. At the Avondale racecourse there are ten horses in work. They work on the outside of the course on the grass, where the going is good. Mr Alf Lowe is keeping his team of trotters and pacers going, and will have them ready for the coming Auckland T.C. meeting. Mr Jas. Muir, junior, was in town last week, and reports that the rising three-year-old by Bunyan-Folly colt is a big one, and is built in proportion. It will want time, but looks like being useful in handicaps. Mr W. J. Ralph, who intended making a trip to Sydney last week, has changed his mind and did not go over. Mr Jas. Muir has a fine-looking filly by Marble Arch-Waitairuru. The latter is a daughter of Folly-Hotchkiss—a two-year-old that shows plenty of quality and is well-grown. Sportsmen watch this year's crop of Desmathenes in Auckland. There are seven engaged at the Avondale spring gathering. Those who have been on the tracks have been looked upon favourably and are a well-grown lot, and have shown that they have an average amouut of the gift of getting over the ground.

(Continued on Page 23.)