RACING.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 19 (Supplement)

RACING.

FROM TRACK AND STABLE (By “Martian.") DATES OF MEETINGS. April 12, 14—Westport. Aprii 12, 14—Waikato April 19 —Tuapeka. April 19, 21—Walrarapa. April 19, 21 —Feilding. April 19, 21—Auckland. April'l9, 21, 22—Riverton. April 21 —Beaumont. April 21—Waipukurau. April 21—Kumara. April 21, 22—Canterbury. April. 23, 24—Westland. April 26, 28—Greymouth. April 26, 30—Avondale. April 30—Reefton. AUSTRALIAN MEETINGS. The following are dates of coming meetings in Australia:— New South Wales. April 19, 21, 23, 26—A.J.C. Victoria. April 15—V.A.T.C. 24—Moonee Valley. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “Breeding,” Waihou. — Charmaine, ■ who stands his ground in the Champagne Stakes at Riccarton, is by! Some Boy II —Fair,form“Reader,” Matamata. —Courtesy, who raced at Hastings yesterday, is a full sister to Honour. Mr T. H. v Lowry paid 1500 guineas for her as a yearling. “Earnings,” Hamilton.—Pegaway, to the present stage of the season, has won £llOO in stakes; Vertigern’s tally is £1025.

GOSSIP FROM ALL PARTS.

The Waikato Club’s Autumn meeting will be concluded at 'Te Rapa on Monday.

The Westport ■Club will hold its concluding day on Monday.

Tuapeka, Wairarapa, Auckland, Feilding, and Riverton Racing Clubs will be in session next Saturday.

There will be trotting at Addington and Hawera on Saturday next,

Meadow Lark, according to private advices from Riccarton, promises to go well in the C.J-C, Easter Handicap,

Commendation, "who had a permanent break down in Australia recently, has been brought back to the Dominion,

Principal, who is on the scene with the members of S. Hodge’s team from Takanini, will be a starter at Te Rapa on Monday,

Although he was unplaced in the Autumn Stakes at Timaru on his first appearance, Taragona (Thurnham — Madrid), a three-year-old brother to Paquito, is likely to improve.

The most prominent Dominion stake earners to the present stage of the season are: Hunting Cry, £4985; Concentrate, £3875; Eaglet, £3490; Historic, £2935; Chide, £2920; Gesture, £2435,

The two-year-old, Appledore, was brought north to Hamilton by the Featherston trainer, W. D. M-oroney, in company with Vertigern and Count Palatine. Appledore is for racing at the Auckland meeting! next week-end.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald Concentrate was not officially scratched for the Sydney Cup by Mr R. J. Murphy’s cablegram last week. The gelding remains in the race until the receipt of the forfeit money.

The table' of winning sires in the Dominion for the latest season show: Chief Ruler, £17,015; Paper Money, £10,952; Day Comet, £10,576; Lucuilus, £9365; Lord Quex, £8762; Yalkyrian, £8598.

The Gold Cup (two miles and a half) promises to attract starters from English, French, Italian and Australian stables next month. The Ascot Gold Cup has already been 'credited to an Australan performer, as Merman was the winner away back in the year 1900.

The admirers of Hoy Lake take a lot of convincing that he is not a real •horse. All manner of excuses were offered for his defeat in the Tirnaru Cup, but the real one—that lloylakc was not a trier —seemed to be generally overlooked. It is no use the owner, trainer and rider being keen to win if the horse is unwilling. In any case, it is doubtful if lloylakc is capable of conceding weight to Pink N(ote. —N.Z. Referee.

Leaders among the winning owners to date are: Messrs R. J. Murphy, £5440; A. B- Williams, £5373; T. Fraser, junr., £4995; F. Earl, K-C., £4695; V. Riddiford, £4335. Roulston Bros and R. Hannon head the Auckland list with £2645 and £2567 respectively.

Some people in Sydney are finding fault with Chide because of his stifllegged action in front. This will not stop him winning in Australia if he is good enough, says a Dunedin writer. ' He galloped in the same fashion in his treble at Riccarton.

Belle Star is given more than an oatside chance by many in the Great Northern Oaks, where the Lucuhus fillv is asked to meet a very weak field the best of which to be My Own and Eaglet. Belle Star is common-looking, but nevertheless she is solidly built and at Awapum she finished on in great style.

The South Island gelding Amor, with R. Reed in the saddle, was sent out an equal favourite for the highweight Handicap at the Hawkesbury meeting on the same day that Nightmarch met with defeat. He finished a close fourth after striking trouble during the race through the careless riding of another candidate by an apprentice, who was later suspended for a month. According to Sydney critics, Amor should pay his way.

Dutch Money still occupies her box at W. G. Hobbs’s stable, but she is to be turned out for the winter months (states “Argus” in the Christchurch Star). She will be accompanied for her spell by the Irish bred filly sent out by Mr G. and subsequently sold to Mr G. Gould. The filly has been broken in by W. G. Hobbs, and she will be given time to mature before she is put into serious training.

The aged Absurd gelding Preposterer, out of First Class, bred by Mr W. G. Stead, has been doing well in Sydney lately. At Kensington on March 31 he won the Kensington Handicap in the under 8.0 by two lengths and a half in linin 43secs., and at Ascot three days later scored in the Ascot Handicap, nine furlongs and 50 yards, carrying 8.7, and winning by a short neck in lmin 5 9i sec- He started at a satisfactory price in both races, and secured in all 450 sov3. stake money.

W. G. Hobbs has just taken in hand a couple of youngsters for Mr G. Gould. On-e of them is a two-year-old gelding by Paladin from Wink by Winkie from Judith, and the other is a yearling gelding by Jericho from Palestrina. The future of the /yearling wall be followed with a good' deal of interest as he represents a daring experiment in breeding. Jericho (by Archery) and Palestrina (by Clarenceux) both claiming the same dam, Judith, by Martian, from Hebrew Maid.

Cavedweller, who beat Nightmarch by six- lengths in the Hawkesbury Handicap, run on the Moorefleld course a fortnight back, putting up a 10-furlong time record for the track, is a wonderful example of the “horses for courses” axiom. He now holds the mile and the mile and a quarter time records at Moorefleld. 1-Ie has won seven races at Moorefleld, and has been placed second once, and has been third on three occasions. He has won there something in the vinicity of £3OOO in stakes.

At the monthly meeting of the stewards of the Woodville Racing Club, Mr M. O. Grainger, in recommending that the Racing Conference be asked to stipulate a uniform colour for stewards’ passes and to change the colour each year, stated that he knew of several instances where members’ privileges had been abused. “It is not fair to the clubs concerned," said Mr Grainger. “Some members, on receiving their new passes, passed their old ones on to friends. There were four or five cases at our last meeting where expired passes had been used. Stewards who do these things should be barred for life from holding a pass.” It was decided to write to the Racing Conference on the matter.

The Absurd gelding Mime has made a remarkable improvement in his form over hurdles and followed his win at Oamaru with another runaway success at Timaru, which was - materially assisted by the very lenient rise of 51b on the minimum (says a southern writer). On the second day at Timaru Mime.went up from 9.5 to 10-10, and so Mr J. E. Henrys went from one extreme to the other in his adjustments. Mime met Heisler on the second day at 20 * lb, and Antrim Boy on 221 b worse terms. Nevertheless the same tactics were adopted with the Absurd gelding, and he was rushed out :o the front with the object of carting the rest of the field off its legs. Heisler, however, was disputing leadership to the first two furlongs, and rushing tactics brought Mime to giicf.

Thurlstore, winner of the V.R.C. Sires’ Prodice Stakes, will be returned from Sidney to Melbourne, and will probally be treated to a long holiday (says the Herald)- Trouble developed n a knee when the gelding was work/d at Randwick on Tuesday mornhg last week, and as it would be (xtremely risky to persevere with liU ,reparation, especially with little, or up assurance of getting him at his best, it was deemed advisable to with dr iv him from both his engagements! j S un fortunate for his trainer, J. Mulcahy, who was more or less coiflcient of the ability of his charge follower the colours of the best of ojr two-year-olds: In this he was balked by Thurlstone’s record, for, in m, starts, the son of Thrice has won q three occasions, and was placed at Le other two attempts.

Punehefown is recorded as being respopsibl f o r an impressive-perform-ance in Wining the Trial K mdicap at Timaru oi Saturday. Vlor jumping out well ,q met trouble and drifted back to soond last. He started a good run dej n g round the turn, about three fu r Ags from home, and he was one of'.th leaders when the straight was reaetVi. Re finished on well, having th' race ; n safe keeping a furlong fror\iiome. This gelding has not done‘ great deal of racing, and he looks-;e being more than useful. It will be o surprise if he does well as a jump. lie is a half-brother by Thurnim to Charlatan and last week .Mr , Spry, of Melbourne, was negoliatinjfor his purchase. As a maiden he^ ou ld have been particularly wellniaced round Melbourne, but 'Saturq-’g w in may break off negotiation

The Paladin gelding Arikiwai won the Timaru Cup in such convincing style that he at once sprang into favour for the Great Autumn Handicap, in which he has 7.6 and cannot be rehandicapped. Prior to his recent races, Arikiwai had been off the scene for about two years, and as he seems to be fairly sound may train on into condition that will enable him to show a further improvement in fornL Arikiwai is a hallf-brother to Pilliewinkie and was got by Paladin from Waterspray, by Glenapp—Puawai, by Reflector—Neroli, by Artillery—Nenuphur, by Apremont—Watersprite, by Traducer, and so belongs to the Mermaid family. Glenapp belongs to the same staying taproot as Martian, Roniform, Positano, and Limond, and as Paladin is the sire of Chide, Arikiwai should not find any journey too long, provding he stands up to his work.

New Zealanders were prominent at a meeting held by the Western Australian Turf Club at Perth on March 29. Prince Paladin (P.aladin—Lovelorn) again proved himself in the Armidale Handicap, six furlongs, by carrying 10.5 and wanning by a length and three-quarters in lmin 13Asec. from another New- Zealander, Bonny Note (Paper Money—Bonny Helen), to whom he conceded three stone and three pounds. Prince Paladin started favourite, and his form lately indicates very substantial improvement. He is now a five-year-old- and early in bis career he was raced here by Mr John Taylor, of Wellington. On the ‘same day Agrion carried 8.12 and was beaten over a mile and a quarter in 2min Bsec by a horse to whom he conceded two stone and three pounds. The Tea Tray filly Pure Blend (8.3) was third. Agrion started favourite. The Kalamunda Handicap, one mile, was won by Bondi (Boniform —Secret Link), who carried 9.1, and won by three-quarters of a length in lmin 40isec .

The outstanding moves in discussions on the Doncaster Handicap and the Sydney Cup in Sydney last week were in support of Soulton for the mile race and Star Gold in the Cup. Both transactions had a convincing ring, especially that associated with Star God, who was coupled with First Arrow for an appreciable amount in doubles, and was also supported straightout. Star God has always been prominently" placed in the Ust of popularity for the 'Gup. A technicality prevented him from running in the Metropolitan, and his second in the Brisbane Cup after meeting with considerable trouble indicated that he would have made his presence in that field felt. After his return from the north he unexpectedly won a race in suburban company and, although on form he looked to have a great chance of winning one of the summer handicaps, he failed to show' his best. Star God has only 7.13 on his back in the Sydney Cup. He is a brother to Star Stranger, but when racing here in the same colours he performed, by comparison, in every mediocre style. He did win one good race at Napier Park in the spring of 1928, but it is safe to say that J. H. Jefferd has no regrets that he is not now' a member of bis team.

In almost every season there are exceptional horses in all departments, both on the flat and over jumps. It is the superiority in what is rightly termed “class.” No one could explain (says “Fernhill”) why one horse should be so much better than the general body of thoroughbreds, or why there should be so many moderates in the ranks. Taking advantages in breeding and other matters into consideration, far more of them should possess outstanding qualities. Those who witnessed the racing at Flemington recently must have been struck with the wide gulf between the really good horse and others lower down the scale. In the Governor's Plate, and again in the King’s Plate, Phar Lap made the opposition look like slowcoaches-. 'The horses sent up against, him could not hold him for a yard, and the longer the distance the more pronounced was his superiority. The King's Plate especially' afforded ( almost a laughable exhibition, so far did Phar Lap led the others. Yet among the lot struggling labouriousty behind was some useful, material, including an Australian Cup winner, an Oaks winner, and two others that had paid their way in ordinary handicap company. They were simply outclassed, and therefore rendered almost helpless.