TOPICS of the TURF

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20296, 4 May 1934, Page 10

TOPICS of the TURF

and news from everywhere

Q.ENERAL ENTRIES for the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meeting on June 2, 4 and 6 close at 5 p.m. to-day. * * * * Nominations for the Ashburton County Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday, May 19, close on Monday at 8 p.m. * * * * Acceptances for the first day of the Southland meeting close at 5 p.m. to-day, * * * * The “ finest ’chaser of the century ” was London “ Sporting Life’s ” description of Golden Miller when he won the Grand National at Aintree on March 23. * * * * One of the mounts of A. E. Ellis at Wanganui next week will be Pladie in the Borough Handicap. CHANGES IN TEAMS. S. Barr has turned out Courtyard for a spell. His place in the team has been taken by Don Jose. F. D. Jones is giving Shatter and Dollar Prince a month’s holiday, but he will put Imperial Spear into full commission again soon. Joyous, who injured one of her legs when being unloaded from the float after racing at Amberley, will require a good spell. Million, winner over hurdles at Hawera on Wednesday, is trained by H. Martin at Gisborne for Mrs R. 11. Biggar. * * * * TRUE SHAFT AS A JUMPER. True Shaft in the Tongahoe Hurdle race at Hawera on Wednesday jumped badly early, but was right up in the bunch at the end. He would only have to improve as a jumper to be a formidable proposition at the minimum in the Great Northern Hurdle race. SPLENDID CONTEST. The Tongahoe Hurdle race at Hawera on Wednesday is described as one of the most spectacular contests of its kind ever seen in New Zealand. There were a dozen starters, and two furlongs from home eleven of them were bunched. Seven or eight horses rose almost simultaneously at the last hurdle. A great race to the finishing post ended with a veritable “ blanket ” finish, not two lengths separating the first eight horses. SHORTER DISTANCE. The distance of the Great Northern Champagne Stakes has been altered from seven to six furlongs. From 1887 to 1929 this event was run over six furlongs, but in 1930 another furlong was added. There were only five starters in 1933 and four this year. PAHU BACK TO FORM. It was remarked by a Wellington writer that Pahu would have won the Tongahoe Hurdle race in another couple of strides. He was beaten a head by Millifcn. The latter was not a runner in the Manawapou Hurdle race at Hawera yesterday, and Pahu won from the outsider Don Erma and Esteem. Pahu was amiss last winter, but in the New' Zealand. Grand National Hurdle race of 1932 he was going great guns when he fell at the last jump. QUALIFYING AS HUNTERS. Ellerslie-traincd horses who are following the Pakuranga hounds this season for the purpose of becoming qualified hunters include Haakon, Neil, Sir Val, Zane Grey, Grant’s Opal, Darrywell, Town Beauty and Superfine.

HOUNSLOW COMING ON. Hounslow was never far away from the leaders in the Tongahoe Hurdle race at Hawera on Wednesday. The Wellington “ Evening Post ” remarks that on this effort one more run should see Hounslow at his best. His stablemate, Tea Garden, was given a run in Manawapou Hurdle at Hawera yesterday, but lost his rider at the second obstacle. PEDIGREE OF COLOMBO. Unbeaten Colombo, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas, is by Manna from Lady Nairne and belongs to the No. 11 family. Manna is by the Polymelus horse Phalaris from Waffles by Buckwheat (son cf the Bend Or horse Martagon) from Lady Mischief by St Simon from Vain Duchess by Isinglass. Lady Nairne is by Chaucer (son of St j Simon) from Lammermuir by Sunstar (son of Sundridge) from Montem by Ladas (son of Hampton) from Kermesse by Cremorne (son of Parmesan). FOUR ST SIMON STRAINS. Colombo has four strains of St Simon. Three come through his sire. Cherry, granddam of Phalaris, was by St Simon. Waffles, dam of Manna, and Buckwheat, sire of Waffles, were both out of St Simon mares. Lady Nairne, dam of Colombo, was a granddaughter of St Simon. Owing to an accident, Lady Nairne never raced. She was a half-sister to Ellangowan, winner cf the Two Thousand Guineas of 1923. LordRosebery bred her and she was sold as a yearling for 360 guineas, an injured leg keeping her price low. After she had bred a few foals she came in the sale ring as a six-year-old and this time brought 6200 guineas. Sir Alec Black was the purchaser, and he sent her to his Comptcn stud. At the sale of the Compton yearlings at Doncaster in 1932, four ran well into four figures, but the Lady Nairne colt now famous as Colombo was not one of this quartet. Mr G. F. X. Hartigan bought him for 510 guineas and passed him on to Lord Glanely. COLOMBO'S RECORD. Colombo made his debut as the Lady Nairne colt at Newmarket on April 25, 1933. At his second start at York in May he raced as Colombo. His record to date is:— At Two Years. Won First Spring Two-Year-Old Stakes, Newmarket, five furlongs. Time, lmin 4 4-ssec. Value to winner, £592 15s. Won Scarborough Stakes, York, five furlongs. Time, lmin 5 4-ssec. Value to winner. £360. Won New Stakes, Ascot, five furlongs. Time, lmin 2 4-ssec. Value to winner, £2630. Won Fulbourne Stakes, Newmarket, five furlongs and 140 yards. Time, lmin 7 4-ssec. Value to winner, £7OO. Won National Breeders’ Produce Stakes, Sandown Park, five furlongs. Time, lmin 2 2-ssec. Value to winner, £7016. Won Richmond Stakes, Goodwood, six furlongs. Time, lmin 14 2-ssec. Value to winner, £1289. Won Imperial Produce Stakes, Kempton Park, six furlongs. Time, lmin 12 3-ssec. Value to winner, £4543. At Three Years. Won Craven Stakes, Newmarket, one mile. (Value to winner in 1933 was £800). Won Two Thousand Guineas, Newmarket, one mile. (Value to winner in 1933 was £9037 10s). CALLAMART INJURED. Callamart, winner of the last Great Northern Steeplechase, had been doing well in his preparation, but he recently injured one of his legs through contact with a wire fence. It is not known yet whether the injury will prevent Callamart fulfilling his engagements at the Auckland winter meeting. * * * * Mrs A. W. M’Donald has taken in hand at Awapuni a four-year-old gelding by Acre from Mildon Hall by Gold Soult. The newcomer is solidly built and shows speed. USEFUL TEAM, The Wcodville trainer 11. E. Russell has Lack, Red Rufus and Jayson engaged at the Wanganui meeting, which takes place next week. After racing at that fixture the three horses mentioned will be taken to Ellerslie for the Great Northern meeting. Lack, who is the mainstay of the team, has been showing good form recently, and as he is reputed to be a good galloper in soft going his prospects of winning some money on the northern trip appear bright. AINTREE CASUALTIES. Ten horses finished in the Grand National at Aintree this year, including Gregalach, who broke down in running. Eleven horses fell in the race. Six were pulled up at different stages, including one who had a bleeding attack. Three horses baulked. INVERCARGILL ENGAGEMENTS. A. H. Eastwood now has a full book for the first day of the Southland Racing Club’s meeting next Friday. He will be on Signaller, Lady Kate. Enwood, Rowlands, First Seng and Night Maid. G. H. Humphries has accepted an engagement to ride Master Anomaly. C. E. Eastwood, W. 11. Jones and A. Messervy will also be riding at this meeting. COMPLETE FAILURE. In the Egmont Steeplechase on Tuesday, Royal Limond tailed eff early and then ran off at the third fence. He was taken back and carried on to the sod wall, which he refused. After several more attempts to get him to jump this obstacle had failed, he was not persevered with. NEW ’CHASER'S SUCCESS. Brown Abbey followed up his second to Riotous in the Egmont Steeplechase on Wednesday by winning the Adamson Steeplechase yesterday. These were only his second and third starts in steeplechases. He is not engaged in the Great Northern Steeplechase, but has 9.4 in the Great Northern Hurdle Race. He is trained at Ellerslie.

UNLUCKY ACCIDENT The successful Auckland apprentice, N. M’Kenzie, may be seen in the saddle again in a month or so, but it is doubtful if he will be fit enough to ride at the Great Northern fixture at Ellerslie four weeks hence. M'Kenzie had his left leg broken under unusual circumstances at the Ohinemuri meeting seven weeks ago. He had a mount in the two-year-old race, and as the horses were walking in to the barrier another horse bumped into M’Kenzie, breaking the leg above the ankle. The rider had to be assisted to the ground, and while he w r as being placed in the ambulance another jockey was sent for to take the ride. This accident came at a most inopportune time for the Te Awamutu apprentice. The week previous to the Ohinemuri fixture he had won on Jonathan at Te Rapa. But for the accident at Paeroa M'Kenzie would undoubtedly have had the mount on Jonathan at Ellerslie. Jonathan not only won the Easter Handicap, but he also captured the chief sprint at that meeting, and, going on to Avondale, captured the principal handicap on the opening day with 9.12 in the saddle. The amount won in stakes in these three races totalled £llsO, the jockey’s percentage of which would be £46, so the broken leg was an expensive one in every sense of the word. GREAT ’CHASER RETIRED. Gregalach ran his last race when finishing seventh in the Grand National on March 23. Mrs Gemmell has de- v cided to retire the chestnut. Winner of the National in 1929 and runner-up to Grakle two years later, Gregalach was an ideal type of Aintree fencer. It is singular that he went into retirement a few weeks after Grakle, his onetime stable companion at Hednesford. RIVAL FOR BROWN JACK. Brown Jack, one-timfe hurdler, and for years the idol of the English flatracing public, is likely to be opposed for the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Ascot by Golden Miller. For five years Brown jack has won this Ascot prize. The event is over two miles six furlongs and 85 yards, the longest flat race in England, and none has seriously challenged the supremacy of Sir Harold Wernher’s great stayer. Now the Grand National winner is to enter the lists. lie will rival Brown Jack in point of popularity, and conceivably in racing merit. Miss Paget’s horse has abnormal speed for a ’chaser, and there can be no doubting his natural stamina.