NOTES AND COMMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 278, 24 November 1931, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

By 4 •Kestrel.’’ »Vith the Feilding Jockey Club ae-eif-canees before them, keen followers c.f the racing game will now concentrate on the opening day of the fixture. which will be held on Saturday cay. On the same day the Takapuva meeting opens. Both meetings will oe concluded on Monday next. Taumarunui Meeting. The Tanmarunui Racing Club’s an r.ual meeting will be held next week, being set down for Friday and Saturday. Acceptances are due to ekue on Fi’day next. Easy for Arvada. The Wanganui owner-trainer Mr L. G Pau: would be one of rhe many phased to learn that Arvada had won The Hokio Hack Handicap at Levin on Saturday, for he purchased the daughtci of Lackham and Tigritiya at the T’entham year’ing sales. Arvada was leased to H. Johnson, of Wanganui, in whose colours she won at Stratford last New Year’s Day, but since then she has* been off the scene for a time, finally entering the stable of R. Johnson at New Plymouth. Carrying the colours of Mr F. N. Sampson, Arvada was better backed than anything else but Interlocutor in the Hokio Hack Handicap at Levin, and when her supporters lined up to receive their divideonds they must have been agreeably surprised at the nice price they received. In the running Arvada was always handy and at the finish was bowling along fairly easily when the others were hard at it to keep their places behind her. The filly has developed into a fine type and as she seemed to possess more stamina these day's she should win good sprints. She is another of the successful gets of Lackham, while her dam, Tigritiya, a Railway Handicap winner, she gets a good share of her pace.

Won Decisively. At the Carterton meeting a month , ago the three-year-old Limond filly Ly- ' rical got on the winning list, and her forward running on that occasion prepared many shrewd judges for her success at Levin. It was a fair field of hacks which Lyrical met on Saturday, the distance of the race being seven furlongs, and the presence of Fairway, who was backed down to odds-on, enabled supporters of the Limor.d filly to secure a sweet price. Lyrical was in front all the way and won decisively, while Fairway was hard put to it to finish second. As Fairway was among the winners at Waverley and is regarded with high favour by his connections. his form makes Lyrical’s performance all the more impressive. Disappointed. The success of one of the winners at Levin was apparently well anticipated in Wanganui, for stay-at-home bettors invested heavily. The “good thing” duly materialised at a fine price, but supporters were in some degree disappointed when they ascertained that there was such a thing as a “limit” to the dividend paid out on events in the category cf that won by the equine in question. Taxation of Racing. During his campaign last week a candidate for election was asked his opinion on heavy racing taxation. In reply the candidate said that people required a reasonable amount of pleasure and racing was one of their pleasures. He pointed out the fallacy of over-taxa-tion as a means of raising revenue and said that if people wanted sport and the Government wanted revenue he would reduce the taxation and make it possible for the people, to pay it. Brilliant Equitant. The brilliant Equitant registered her best performance to date when she scored in the sprint at Levin. She did not begin with her customary brilliance and several others headed her off out of the barrier, but at the end of a furlong she was nosing out Acora in the lead. Equitant carried on the good work and she went on to score rather easily from a useful field, for once she hit the front she was never in danger of defeat. The daughter of Paper Money is now at her best, and if her owner-trainer, Mr S. J. Gibbons, can keep her up to the collar she is a possibility fo. the sprints at Awapuni next month if that meeting will see her in action.

Balloon Unlucky The Gasbag gelding Balloon was bred bv Mr. W. Kirkland, who races Tenacre, but for the three seasons ho has been raced Balloon carried the colours of Mr. J. Hardwick, for whom he won two hack cups and the Rangitikci CupBalloon is now raced by his breeder and promises to develop into a useful sort of handicapper, while as ho is able to lump he mar do well over the battens. On Saturday Balloon was placed in the rogue’s pen at the start of the Levin Handicap, but ho was quiet ami got away very well. However, he had but one horse behind him at the halt mile, and he was still well back at the home turn. Then he put in a fine burst and was a bit unlucky in going under bv onlv half a head to Spear Lad. Balloon’is in fine form at present and he should do well in the next few weeks, for he looks a much-improved horse.

About Briar Boot In most of her recent races Briar Root has tailed the field until the last few furlongs comes to be traversed. It was so in the Levin Handicap, and she was a bad last three and a-half furlongs from home. Then she simply flew, but she was asked to do the impossible, for she had to go round the field and was out about four horses crossing the top, and was actually up with th© leaders at the turn. This took too much out of aer out she finished a fair third, so it was a fine performance to get in the money. Her turn will come during the holiday fixtures, if not before. Out of Hacks

On paper Leisure looked a good thing for the Mako Mako Hack Handicap at Levin, for though she had 9.6 to carry the distance was only six furlongs and the class was not extra strong. A linecan be taken through Fiji, who beat her at Trentham last month and then went on to Riccarton to win on the opening day of the C.J.C. meeting and finish second to Bronze Eagle in the Derby. At Levin on Saturday Leisure was always travelling smoothly, and it is evident that she is a long way from being done with. It will not bo long before she is forced to race in open company, although she may be able to score twice (weight permitting), before running out of hacks. The daughter of Lord Quex ran out of the hack class when she won last Saturday, although, of course, she will be able to run out her nominations in this class at Feilding.

When Sabatini Failed Not a few racegoers at Levin on Saturday had a greater financial interest than usual in the Mako Mako i Hack Handicap. It appeared as if Sabatini was expected to be one of the prominent contestants and the Arausio gelding was supported to such an extent that he carried only £3 10s less than the favourite, Leisure, who proved the eventual winner. The many supporters of Sabatini did not get a great run for their money. The Greenmeadows hack missed the jumpout and had to go fast to get near the leaders over the initial stages of the journey. Ho was handy at the turn, but failed to run on in the straight, finishing well back. Sabatini is a very likely-looking sort, and he will not lose any friends by his failure last Saturday. With any luck in the running he may prove a hard horse to beat if started at Feilding this week-end.

Drawn Off the Conroe Although drawn right off the course in the Hokio Hack on Saturday at. Levin, the three-year-old Hampden ran a very fine race indopc to finish not so very far away from The winner, Arvada. Last season Hampden was a promising youngster, and it is evident from his latest display that he goin" to win more than one race before the season ends. He is still trained at Hawera by O. Cox for the Wanganui sportsman, Mr. Frank Bristol. This owner appears to be in for a good time during the present rar' * term, for he has ft. good team now. presided over by A. F. Neale (Bulls) and O. Cox ' Hawera ;;

Has Never Raced. The Ellerslie two-year-old Morehu, who is due to race at the Takapuna meeting on Saturday, was given barrier practice at Ellerslie on Thursday morning and acquitted herself well. Ihis filly has never raced, but she showed plenty of speed in a two-ycar-■dd parade at Ellerslie earlier in the season. She has improved a good deal since then, and it will be interesting to see how she shapes the next time she appears in public. On the Easy List. Since going to Ellerslie Croupier has been having an easy time, and so far lie has been doing walking exercise only. Croupier has had a lot of racing since the spring, and the respite from hard work will do him no harm. For Feilding Stakes. The Irish-bred Aston may have his next outing in the Feilding Stakes. This horse, who has never been better than at present, has demonstrated remarkable speed over short courses, and is quite capable of running out five furlongs with the best. Royal Stable Economy. Every possible economy is to be practised in the Royal racing establishment at Egerton House, Newmarket, states the Sporting Life. It has been decided to get rid of one or two of the brood mares, but up till the middle of October only one of the horses in training had been sold, that being the .four-year-old Cook’s Mill, who had failed to win a race during the season. No successor has yet been appointed to Major Fctherstonhaugh, the King’s former racing manager. It is unlikely that such an appointment will be made, as the duties of both racing manager and trainer are being carried out by W. R. Jarvis, who has trained His Majesty’s horses for a number of years. Has Speed. When being entrained for Te Rapa on Saturday morning King Win showed a decided disinclination to entering the horse box, and in doing so fell over the loading bank. He was somewhat knocked about before being boxed, but in his race at Te Rapa the same day displayed a rare dash of pace entering the home turn, ultimately finishing fourth in a fast run race. The King Lu gelding has speed, and has only to be got right in the matter of racing condition to win races. Since running at Te Rapa he has been leased to a Te Kuiti sportsman. Royal Artist.

Royal Artist, who ran second to Croupier in his last start in the Wainui Handicap at Wellington, is a much-im-proved horse since competing at that fixture, and the dash he is displaying in his work lately suggests 1 that he will make his presence felt in middle distance events in the future.

At Takapuna. Knight of Australia is not contesting the Takapuna Plate next Saturday, but he has been going along pleasingly in his track work. As a two-year-old he gained a minor placing at Te Rapa, but since then has not had a great deal of racing, his only outing being when he ran fourth in a hack race at the recent IDargaville meeting. He is a hack that should prove a useful proposition from now on, states an Auckland writer.

It was generally accepted that the Held for the first division of the Maiden Race at Levin was the vveaker of the two, but it is highly probable that had the race been run without the necessity for divisions Gold Gleam would have still been the winner. Of course, one must concede that he would have had to secure tho favourable barrier position which he got in his division, for he was on the rails. He jumped out brilliantly and gave nothing else a chance, finishing on well after being given a breather half-way through. Gold Gleam, who is owned and trained at Wanganui by Mr. B. C. La Pouple, had started in three races prior to making his successful appearance at Levin. He showed up at Marton and Waverley, though not so much as to lead one to expect that ne would be found beating the likes of Granado. He has disclosed the fact that he has sufficient pace to beat good hack fields, especially as he is still low down in the handicaps, and therefore his next appearance, probably on tho second day at Feilding, will be awaited with interest. Gold Gleam is a four-year-old brown gelding by Acre from the Campfire mare Red Gleam, and was bred by his owner.

Consistent Tenacre One of the most consistent of Acre’s numerous progeny is Tenacre, who carried 11.10 to victory in the Manakau Hack Hurdles at Levin on Saturday. No doubt the fact that a turning course is not the best of places to race a heavily-weighted horse counted a good deal with investors, for they allowed Tenacre to go out paying a false price in view of his performances. Over the last half-mile he was the only horse in the race, for he was always going better than Whisogne, who was alongside him. Perhaps the fact that they did not have to jump the last wence assisted Tenacre, but it appeared as if he would have won anyway. Saturday’s success marked his thirteenth win for Mr. Kirkland in 41 starts, while he has been seven times second and a similar number of times third. As a result of his win in the hurdle race at Waverley and Levin, Tenacre Has neon assessed at 11.13 in the hurdle race at Feilding on Saturday. Son of Diogenes

Racing in the same ownership as Haulbowline, the three-yar-old Beaconsfield beat all but Gold Gleam in the first division of tho Maiden Race at Lovin on Saturday. Ho put up a fine race for a green horse, and his display was indicative of better things to follow. He is one to wait for. Beaconsfield is one of tho few offspring of Diogenes (a son of Cynic) to have raced, and will be one of the few to be seen on the race track, as this sire died after doing his first season at the stud. He is a three-year-old bay gelding from the Crown Imperial 11. mare Imperial Molly, and is owned and trained at Awapuni by G. W. New, who formerly also trained Diogenes. He was twice produced recently at Otaki.

A Genuine Stayer Judging by the manner in which she finished on in the Lake Hack Handicap, run over a mile and a distance, at, Levin on Saturday, Joie de Vai may go on with her winning way if started at Feilding. The Kilbroney mare did not escape trouble in tho running of the race, and she had to be good to win after encountering interference as they crossed top. Joie de Vai finished very resolutely and actually worried Gay Court out. of the big money after the latter had given one of his best displays. In spite of being re-handi-capped Joie do Vai comes in very favourably in the distance hack event at Feilding. and such a genuine stayer must be seriously reckoned with in rtf f.b’a 4 Dt