NOTES AND COMMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 188, 12 August 1941, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Royal Star II ran so indifferently at the Rangitikei Hunt Club meeting, where he was fancied for the Riddiford Handicap, that it was not surprising to find linn missing from the Winter Cup field. He will not race again till the spring. The Avondale race meetings this season will probably be held at Ellerslie, as the Avondale Racecourse will be occupied by the military authorities for some time. Two spring meetings and one autumn meeting are set down for the Avondale Jockey Ciub, and it locks as if there will be plenty of racing on the Ellerslie course for Auckland enthusiasts.

St. Cloud will be ridden in the Winter Cup by H. Hibberd, who rode Treasurer in the latter’s success at the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting. * $ * * A. E Ellis will ride The Dozer in the Grand National Hurdles, but is not qualified to ride him in the Jumpers' Flat to-day, as he has not completed the required number .of jumping races in the past year which qualifies him to ride m highweight events. When Foxiana was unable to start in the Longbeach Hurdles last week, L. G. Morris, doubted whether he would be lit enough to compete at the Grand National meeting. He has shown quick improvement, and most likely will now be I produced in the Jumpers’ Kat toI day ' . I j It is not often that an apprentice I has a mount in a Grand National Steeplechase, but J. J. Sirathern is hkeiy to be seen up on Astral Flame in to-day's race. Strathern is apprenticed’ to W. E. Hazlett and .has shown marked ability both in jumping and flat races. With Wild Talk out of the Winter Cup, C. T, Wilson has been booked to ride Treasurer. Other engagements for this race include: L. J. Ellis, Haughty Winner; J. Jennings, Gay Parade; W. Ellis, Merry March; 11. Hiberd, St. Cloud; T. Kilgour, Sunny knight; W. Broughton, Gayest Son; P. Atkins, Noble Fox.

The Colonel Cygnus gelding Astra! Flame carried 10.13 in the Lawlord Steeples and won by staying on. He is engaged in the Grand National Steeples with 9.2, or 251 b less than he carried in the Lawford Steeples, which he won in smin. 28 2,-osec., or 3 2-5 sec. slower than Ballybrit took in the Homeby Steeples. Astral Flame has won four out of the six steeplechases he has run in. He fell twice. He was got by Colonel Cygnus from Illume, by Kilbroney from Simper, the dam of Gold Light, Razzle Dazlle, Beacon Light and Affectation, so that on the score of breeding Astral Flame may be quite as good as those who have to give him considerable poundage over three and a-half miles of the Riccarton countiy. Astral Flame started 12 times last season, and so should be fairly well seasoned for the Grand National meeting.