Topics of the Turf

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 62, 14 March 1931, Page 12

Topics of the Turf

ytyoTES AND NEWS FROM EVERYWHERE

RACING NOTES. Weights for the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicaps are due on Wednesday. * * sjs * At their sale on Easter Tuesday, to be held at the Addington Show Ground, Pyne, Gould, Guinness, Ltd., -.vill offer a number of horses on behalf oi the estate, of the late Mr J. S. Barrett. They will include the brood mare, Dame Straitlace, by KilbroneyDiscipline, along with three of her daughters, these being Corsetiere, by Solferino, five years; Mistress Quickly, by Solferino, years; and the yearling filly by Shambles. Another likely sort, is the two-year-old, Tres Sec, by Gainscourt-San Pluie. * * * * Straightcourse has been doing useful work during the past week and he looks bright and well after his winning performance in the Peninsula Cup. It was his first experience at a mile and a quarter and he registered an attractive performance, leading from start to finish. He will have his next outing in the Waimate Cup, and though the field looks a trifle stronger than the one he beat at Motukarara, Straightcourse will be a hard horse to beat. * * * * Minerval seems none the worse for his race in the Peninsula Cup and he is putting plenty of dash into his training gallops. He can be relied on for another good effort in the Waimate Cup, in which he will have a chance to avenge his Motukarara defeat by Straightcourse, whom he now meets on 91b better terms. _** * * Topere is booked for a trip south, to contest the Waimate Cup. He has been a disappointment since he won at the Dunedin meeting and he will need to improve considerably on his latest form to win. A heavy track appears to suit him. * * * * Miss Mercia looks in the best of order at present. She has two engagements at Waimate, and though the Cup journey of a mile and*a quarter may trouble her, she shoula take a lot of heading off over seven furlongs in the Stewards’ Handicap. * * sf* * Charmeuse has been sprinting in brilliant fashion lately and after her decisive win at Motukarara, she will require to be seriously considered in any race she contests at Waimate. This is a mare who has not yet reached her limit. * * * * Some Acre, who was beaten over six furlongs by his stable mate, Tray Bond, at Motukarara, is due to race over a mile at Waimate. He is in good fettle, but the length of the journey may trouble him. The opposition does not look very strong, however, and he may battle on. * * * * Giggleswick has been responsible for two useful performances lately. He looks none the worse for his racing and he should be in the money over seven furlongs at Waimate. * * * * Thorndale is qngaged in the High Weight Handicap at Waimate. He is gradually getting back to his best and he should start to pay his way again very soon. * * * * Owlsflight has been working well on the tracks and he may show improved form before long. He has not done much racing but he has shown some promise. He is a high-weight candidate for Waimate, where he may show up, as seven furlongs will suit him. ***'*■ Pangolin will have his next race in the High Weight event at Waimate, where he may be a possibility if he produces his best form. He will be accompanied by Gay Nita, a novice, who is to be tried out over a mile.

Night Recital has done some smart sprinting since he joined D. Campbell’s team and he looks nearly ready to show good form. He is engaged in the Trial Plate at Waimate and unless there is a smart unknown in the field, he will be hard to beat, as he has some useful place form to his credit. sfc * * Flaxbird is working along steadily. He may be sent to Waimate to run in the Trial Stakes, but he is not quite ready to show his best form vet. * * >;< * Star Stranger will be on hand on Tuesday for another try at the Trentham Gold Cup, a race he has already won twice—in 1928 and again last year. He is expected to put up a good performance, but his chance of success will depend on the track being firm. Apart from that, of course, Nightmarch will be in the way. * * * * When the two-year-old, Ammon Ra, was shipped to Sydney, he was accompanied by Havaspot. This Australianbred four-year-old has shown some good form this season and he may win a decent stake for J. T. Jamieson before he returns home. * * * * Latest reports from Sydney state that Chide is showing slight evidence of throat trouble. His trainer is doubtful if the Paladin gelding will be forward enough by Easter to run out two miles in the Sydney Cup. * * * * Waterline is one of the most discussed horses in Australia at present. At the Victoria Racing Club’s meeting he was narrowly beaten in the Newmarket Handicap, won a division of the Bourke Handicap and then beat Phar Lap over a mile in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes. As a result of that form he is monopolising the attention of early backers in the Doncaster Handicap, to be run at Randwick on Easter Saturday. In this mile race he has 9.2, no penalty attaching to his two wins in Melbourne. * * * The Rotorua Racing Club has made application to the Minister of Internal Affairs for a special permit to hold an earthquake benefit meeting, and if permission is granted a date in May will probably be applied for. ❖ Sfc sjs * The Franklin Racing Club has taken over the vacant Waipapakauri permit, and its application to hold a meeting on May 9 has been approved. >}* * * The Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club has accepted the offer of the Wellington Racing Club for the use of the Trentham course for its autumn meeting on Saturday, April 18. * * * * Wiltshire is in steady work in the Waikato ,and another Grand National winner, Beau Cavalier, is undergoing a preparation at Ellerslie. It is to be hoped that both stand up to strong work as 'chasers of their class are not numerous. TROTTING NOTES. Nominations for the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's Easter meeting will close at noon on Thursday. * * * 4* The next meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club will be held on April 27 and 29. It will be run for the Earthquake Funds. In all the races a portion of the stake will go to the fourth horse. * * * * F. J. Owen is working a well grown gelding by Rey de Oro from Coral Queen, the dam of the fast, but erratic Bing Boy. The pacer has not been long in work, but he can show a good turn of speed. He had to be eased in his work for a few months, owing to being troubled with splints, but he is now almost well again. * * * * After a work-out during the week Wilma Dillon did not look any too sound and the ex-Southland pacer may require a spell. The pacer Rey Logan is looking in fine order at present. He does not, however, seem to retain his form long, and he races best on a right-handed course. * * * * Brentlight is going along well in his training. The little Matchlight pacer, when at his best, is a very brilliant beginner and he should win a race shortly over a sprint course. * * * * Russell Pointer, after showing good form in his races about a couple of months ago, seems to have trained off and he raced badly in his last effort. * * * * The Kaikoura owned and trained pacer Lomar, who raced particularly well at Kaikoura at the end of last, month, has been nominated at the Manawatu Trotting Club’s meeting. Lomar, who is by Lord Althorpe, is a useful two-miler, who may race well at the North Island fixture. * * * * The Abbey, who has recently joined W. J. Tomkinson’s stable at Addington, is doing useful training work, but has not been asked to do fast up to the present. Stanley T. looks in capital order, although he has not done much fast work. The sensational trotter seems to be much more docile on the track, and he may in his future races go away better than formerly. He is now on a mark which will require him to make a good beginning to have a chance of success. * # * * Richore, who lias not Avon a race for two years, and was recently sold for a modest “ fiver,” is in work at Auckland.

Scotty Bingen showed race-winninj speed in her races at Invercargill, bu did not move away smoothly. Th first time she leaves with the field sht will be hard to beat. * * * s*« The report of a sub-committee of the Forbtiry Park Trotting Club, which was appointed to consider the question of handicapping, stated that the present system, as a system, would be very hard to improve upon, but the subcommittee suggested that (1) the Trotting Association should supply handicappers with the correct times of all placed horses at every trotting meeting; (2) that conference should give a lead to handicappers in respect to the penalties to be imposed on horses which run a dead heat; (3) that conference should issue as a guide to handicappers a uniform table of gaits for horses in the different distances. The report was approved.