GOSSIP FROM ALL PARTS.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17412, 26 May 1928, Page 19 (Supplement)

GOSSIP FROM ALL PARTS.

The Auckland Winter meeting will be commenced next Saturday at Ellerslie and will extend over the following Monday and Wednesday.

The Great Northern Hurdles and the Cornwall Handicap will be the leading events on the first day at Ellerslic.

On King's Birthday, Monday, June 4, the Great Northern Steeples and King George Handicap will be the chief events at provincial headquarters.

On the concluding day's programme at Auckland the Winter Steeplechase and the York Handicap will be the main items.

The Otaki and Dunedin Clubs will open their Winter programmes next Saturday and will conclude them on the following Monday.

A. E. Ellis, who was injured while riding at the Ashburton meeting has sufficiently recovered to be able lo leave hospital.

Good Sport is a Hawke's Bay hurdler who is being looked to to show up in the near future.

Merry Damon is in steady work at Hastings, but the former Ellerslie I rained candidate has shown no striking ability on the track so far.

Bcrnera, a two-year-old by Lord Quex from Perplexity has joined L. Wilson's team at Hastings.

Wiltshire', has continued to make pleasing progress with the work he has undertaken locally for his Great .Northern .meeting engagements. The Day Comet —Lady Lobelia chestnut is in some favour for the cross-coun-try events. It is only a case of him jumping correctly to he one of those to keep Beau Cavalier company as a pacemaker on the long journey. While Wiltshire lacks the- experience of many of the opposition this young jumper is showing marked promise.His trainer, R. Symc, will pilot him at Auckland.

''Vedette," the Wellington Post writer, has ihe following:—Maunga finished- so well in the Grandstand Steeplechase at Wanganui on Saturday that he may prove a Northern possibility. His ability to stay and gallop is undoubted, but his efforts at some of the easy brush fences were not too reassuring, and it has to be remembered that at Ellerslie he will be jumping out of inches -of mud. He is one that cannot be discarded yet be recommended.

Paitonu did not start on the first day at Wanganui because an interest which his trainer, J. Fryer, has acquired in him had not been registered. On the second day Paitonu started and won. Evidently, he is better now than formerly, hut only a good horseman is likely to get the best out of him.

Front Rank," who was owned by Sir George Clifford, has been sold for 250 guineas, and in future will carry the colours of Mr G. Webb. The Autuni-nu-s marc has run some good races in important handicaps this season, and, judiciously placed, she will win races lor her new owner.

Bright Gluvv, who made something of a name for herself as a good class handicap mare in the autumn, is due to finish towards the end of June, and then she will rejoin ,1. Fryer's active brigade at Hawera. This mare should be a really good stake earner next year, for she should come up stronger and more solid than last season.

Pendavies, who is m the same stable at Te Rapa as Wiltshire, has been displaying tenderness in one of his legs. With the object of affording the Archiestown gelding every chance to mend, his preparation is 'not being hurried. While he will miss his Great Northern engagements there will be an opportunity to give further of his ability over the Ellerslie country before the' season runs out.

Reputation is a wonderful thing, writes "Carbine" in Ihe New Zealand Referee, Aberfcldy carried over 1700 tickets 'in the Century Hurdles aL Wanganui, despite the fact that his condition suggested that he would be unlikely to finish in a place. There was little excuse for on-ilhc-coursc speculators backing him, as he was obviously short of work. No doubt, he will be more forward by the time of Ihe Great Northern Hurdle Race, and he will need to be. He is a good jumper and a nice galloper, but, unless he thrives on a light preparation, he will need,a good deal of work to fit him for the 2A-mile trip over the big hurdles at' Ellerslie. Judging him on what was seen of him last winter, he is the, makings of a good hurdler, and if he is thoroughly wound up by the day of the race he must he hard to beat in the Great Northern with the handy weight of 9.1 i-

Mount Marta was originally owned by Mr H. L. Russell, of Te Awamutu, from whom he was purchased by Mr Eric Riddiford. After trying him for a while, Mr Riddiford gave him away to Mr J. R. L. Stanford, for whom he has been running this autumn and winter. In hurdle races at Raugitikei, Awapuni, and Egmont, Mount Marta ran both prominently and consistently, and he deserved his reward in the May Hurdles at Wauganui. He was turned out in first-class condition by his trainer, F. C. McKay, and was always dangerous. He is a big upstanding gelding, Who should be able to carry any weight, and it is possible that lie may again be seen to advantage before long.

Frisco Jack's showing in the Wanganui Steeple-chase left no other impression except that he is not good enough for that class of company. When the real business commenced he soon dropped a long way astern, and gave an inglorious display, cantering in behind the field. He will win' steeplechases yet, but not in the best company, if the show ho made at Wanganui was his best, and there is no reason to doubt that it was.

New Zealand horses have been racing prominently in Australia recently —Loch Ambus won in West Australia, and Reremai (Romeo —Taiamai), and The Furrier (Absurd —Pelt) won at the Rosebery pony meeting in Sydney early this month. At the same meeting Tripod (by Surveyor), and Little Mart ran into minor places, Absurdum won in Queensland, and Quixotic and Predominate filled minor places at the Ascot pony meeting in Sydney.

V. H. Colello has a habit of producing winners at Wanganui. He won two Wanganui Steeplechases with Braeman, another with Landbird, and last week won the Hack Steeplechase with Mixed Heather. Last winter he

had a winning turn on the flat when he won the Connolly Handicap with Bcnnanec. His latest Wanganui winner, .Mixed Heather, by Heather Mixture from Jade, is quite a promising sort, despite the fact that he was somewhat lucky to win at Wanganui. Improved by his race among the hacks on the first day, he came out in open company on the second day, and ran a thoroughly creditable race to Puwhero in the Grandstand Steeplechase. Mixed Heather jumped proficiently, and was staying on at the end of both his races.

Beau Cavalier is likely to retain his position as favourite for the Great Northern Steeplechase. Despite the fact that he has a greatly increased weight to the impost he carried successfully over Ellerslie country in the race of twelve months back, the Chesterfield gelding has improved so fmuch in the interval that his many a-dmirers are confident that he will be equal to the important task with 12.2 on top. S. Henderson is again to ■guide his destinies and no one knows the mount better than the pilot who steered him to victory in the latest Great Northern, Wellington and Grand National events in a row.

The recent successes that have attended the running of the four year old Limond gelding, Menander, in Australia recall the fact that his dam, Farce, who is returned as by San Fran or Absurd from Cowl, and is now in her eleventh year, was sold last year in Sydney by her breeder and owner, Mr Geo. Currie. Though in foal to that studmaster's recently imported sire Pombal, a half-brother by Pommern to Limond, the best bid the auctioneer could get for her was 15 guineas, at Which price she was knocked down. Should the Pombal— Farce foal turn out to be anything like as g'oo-d as Menander the purchaser will have made a rare bargain. At the same time as Farce was sold, Mr Currie also parted with the -ten year old Absurd—Roscommon marc Tivoli. In foal to Lirnond, she was quitted at 40 guineas.

Pour! failed so badly in the Century Hurdles at Wanganui that unless some good excuse can be found for hirn lie does not read like a Great Northern proposition. Discarding his form in the May Hurdles and 'taking the Century Hurdles as a test, he will have to make a great improvement between now and June 2 to beat Perlc de Leon. Pouri will meet the Hawke's Bay gelding on 41b better terms than he did at Wanganui, but that will not be sufficient to make up for the five lengths beating he received last week unless he is a much better horse than he was at Wanganui in the opinion of "Carbine" of the New Zealand Referee. "

The cross-country jockey A. McDonald is riding at present as well as ever he did, and he stands out prominently. Of course, In some exlenl he can pick his mounts, but at the same time his ability in Ihe saddle, even so far as the jumping season has progressed, has made all the difference between winning and losing on more than one occasion. At Wanganui he not only won the jumping double, the Steeplechase and Century Hurdles, on Brigadier Bill and Red Fuchsia, but also scored on Puwhero on the* second day in the big steeplechase event. He had a fall on Mister Gamp, a defeat on Royal Heather, and two defeats on Peneus, this being his record at the meeting. McDonald keeps himself in great trim, and can always be found ready to school any kind of horse on the track. His physical fitness is an object lesson lo many of the younger riders. McDonald will ride Brigadier Bill in the Great Northern Steeples and Mister Gamp in the Great Northern Hurdles.

The ex-Australian Stanley Wootton has proved himself, not only a master hand with horses, but a great trainer of jockeys. A youthful apprentice of his made an unusual start for the season by winning the first flat race at Lincoln. The Sporting Life comments: "Fame that may lead on to fortune came to a boy jockey at Lincoln. L. Gordcll, one of Stanley Wootton's boys, .steered Pandora's Box to victory in the first race of the season, the Trial Selling Plate, and later in the day won the Halnton Plate on Beau de Ghent. Both horses started at double-figure odds, and both were numbered thirteen on the card. Cordcll is a stripling of sixteen, who went to Wootton's place in 1926, when he rode three winners. Last season he had five successes in a total of fortythree mounts. A London lad, horn in the Old Kent Road district, Cordell was at a local school when the desire to be a jockey became the ruling passion of his young life. The L.C.C. authorities gave him his first chance by releasing him before the schoolleaving age. His old schoolmates who cheered him lustily on the day he left to begin his great turf adventure, would be -thrilled by the news of his triumphs at Lincoln. Cordell has made good, and his future progress will be keenly followed."

The sale of Town Bank has been completed, Mr J. M. Samson, of Dunedin, having purchased the Archiestown —Lilybank gelding from Mr R. T. Rcid, of Hamilton. Town Bank, who will have his first race in the colours of his new owner in the Cornwall Handicap, at Auckland, has been working well at Te Rapa. Ellerslie is a course on which Town Bank has raced best and he can be looked to give a good account of himself next Saturday. Medusa, the promising 3-year-old trotting representative of Man o' War and Miss Rolfe, who carried the colours of Mr Rcid and Mr A. J. Julean, has been purchased by Mi- R. H. Montgomery, of Auckland. There were several racing enthusiasts from the Waikato who attended the recent meeting of the Egmont Club at Hawera. They all speak in glowing terms of the unbounded hospitality extended to them by the president and other officers of this progressive Taranaki racing institution.

"If Moa Bird could jump out and go with her field in the early stages she would take some stopping for some time in open sprint events," writes "Vedette." "Horses who do not get out with the leaders seldom win even middle distances races at Wanganui, and it is the hall-mark of a sprinter to come from the rear and win in that short straight. On Saturday Moa Bird again dawdled to the barrier, but not to such an extent as on the first day. She was still a long wayback with two furlongs to go, but once in line for home she appeared to run through her field in a few strides, and came on to win in great style. It was a very impressive performance, and, although she has a great record of second day performances, she will be in grcait demand on any day from now on. She looks like being one of the finds of the season for short distance handicaps." Moa Bird is one of the Lord Quex stock of which there are several in the Walkato district.

Tuki looks like winning another good steeplechase this season. He is a real old dog for a hard road. Wanganui did not suit him as the jumps there are easy, but he was finishing fast in second place at the end of the journey. When the fences are difficult and the journey is long, Tuki is seen at his best as he is a wonderful and economical fencer, and-stays well. He looks really well; better than he did this time last year, ari'd it should not be overlooked that he won a race at the Great Northern meeting, another at the Wellington meeting, and one more at the Grand National meeting last season. However, another point is that when he won at the Wellington meeting he was lucky to beat Zircon, and at Riccarton should not have beaten Pass-in' Through. Tuki has only 10.7 in the coming Great Northern and' with bis .jumping and staying abilities he cannot be left out of consideration.

Since his successes in the Egmont and Wanganui Steeplechase Brigadier Bill has so strongly increased in favour for the Great Northern Steeplechase that he is now nearly as good a favourite in Wellington as Beau Cavalier, writes "Carbine." He will be a very fit horse cm the day, and will have the services of Alan McDonald, whoso ability in the saddle should he of great assistance to him. There is a doubt, however, as to Whether Brigadier Bill will stay, and up to the present he has never struck one as a good horse over a long journey. How the three trips over the hill will affect him remains -lo be seen. Mr Bull has always maintained that Brigadier Rill is -a good horse. It seemed for a while that he had overrated the All Red gelding, but lie must have been well compensated Col slicking lo him, as already Ibis wintci he has won a hurdle race and uV'O steeplechases.

i Mi- N. Devlin, chairman of Ihe sti- ! pendiary stewards at Wagga (N.S.W.) severely lectured one or Ihe jockeys, ! who appeared before him recently, on j a question of interference. The ste- | wards called the jockey before them { on their own initiative, but did not find ! sufficient evidence to penalise. Mr ! Devlin, however, said he would not on any account tolerate interference, : and any rider against whom a charge | was sustained could expect no I leniency. Maorila-nd's stipendiary offl- | eials are advised to read, mark, learn ' and inwardly digest the words and intention of their Australian cousin, who, by the way, can be depended upon to keep his word, is Ihe summing up of | "Sir Alodred' 'of U***- Southland Times.