TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1245, 26 February 1914, Page 12

TURF TOPICS.

The Hon- W. H. Herries, M.P., was an interested spectator at the South Auckland meeting.

Mr. J. Pohlen, owner of Excavator, has taken his horse home to Matamata, and will probably give the Extractor horse a run at the Te Aroha J.C. meeting next month. * * * * A radium institute in the North Island is wanted, and the Manawatu Racing Club propose to make a donation of £lOO towards the cost. m * * * The champion hack Lonely is to be exhibited in Australia next season. Lonely has cleaned up the best we have, and his owner is looking for fresh worlds to conquer. J. Roach rode three winners at Ngaruawahia, piloting Glenspire in the Cup and Flying and Celebrity in the Maiden Plate.

The consistent little Soult mar Lady French, who formerly ran in Mr- A. Kelly’s colours at Hamilton, has a fine Bunyan foal at foot, and will visit the same sire next season.

Mr. J. M. McCarty, the Hamilton sportsman who owns the champion hunter Gaiety, has turned out the yearling (Bunyan — Scotch Thistle) purchased at Alexandra Park. The colt was emasculated.

Jerry Wilson, the well-known crosscountry rider, has done very little riding since a bad motor car acciden. nearly two years ago. Wilson rode Royal Patron when the son of Patronus —Diana scored at the Ngaruawahia meeting. Wilson also looks after the smart pony Manurere, who put up a good showing at the South Auckland meeting. # ap * * Goldsize has developed staying qualities that his best friends did not think he possessed a few months ago. Mr. Walters has had would-be purchasers for his little favourite, but could not be tempted to sell him, and his Taranaki Cup and South Auckland Cup wins are rewards for keeping him. ? ? * ♦. * * Mr. J. Barakat’s Revelat'on, Gluten — Good Day, looks like being useful ever hurdles, and the Ngaru<awahia owner-trainer had the geldin?: in very nice fettle. He was fancied for the District Hack at the South Auckland R.C. meeing and showed some pace.

Lady Penury is the first of the progeny of Penury to win in New Zealand. Her dam, Lady Gwen, is by Leolantis from the Cyrenian mare Lady Flora, whose dam, Paulina, was got by Cuirassier from Woodbine, bv imported Sword Dance from Woadnympth, sister to Martini Henri — breeding good enough for anythink.

Mr. Tow Stewart, of Mount Albert, has put his three-year-old colt by Salvadan —Castorette into work. The successful young Aucklander, J. Williamson, is educating the colt.

The mare Vic, who formerly raced in P. Jones’ stable, was among the starters at the South Auckland J.C. summer gathering, but the sister to Black Northern seems to have lost the bloom of youth and her dash as well.

J. Chaafe, Jun., trained Maxwell last year when that gelding won the South Auckland Cup, and his success with Goldsize was pleasing.

Spalperion, who was in winning form on the flat at Hamilton, c n

of a jumping line- His sire Spalpeen could go fast over the battens, and his dam had some experience in the line. Jenny, the ’chjaser, was one of them.

The racing track was probably never quite so fast before at Claudelands racecourse, and all the events were run in exceptionally fast times, five furlongs being run in 1.2, and a little over the half-mile in 49 3-ssec In the Cup 2.8 2-5 was registered, and three-quarters of a mile was left behind in 1.14 2-5, and a maiden hack hustled over seven furlongs in 1.29 1-5

Tattoo was the only gelding that won at the South Auckland meeting ma., won there last year. Positive ran best of the. others that gained places last year at ihe meeting.

In the District Welter Handicap at Ciaudelands Tarukino was the name of one of the well-backed candidates. Tarukino means noxious weed, and one facetious disappointed punter, on learning as much, said he thought the name most appropriate.

McCarten, who was unfortunate enough to be called before the stewards and fined £5 at the Stratford meeting for not making the best use of Smilax, the top weight, who was so sore at the time that he has not been raced since, incurred the displeasure of another stipendiary at Taranaki, it is said for carelessness.

It seemed quite in order that the Fireaim gelding Hammerless should be ridden at the South Auckland Rae ing C.ub s meeting by rigger. It wa: ing Club's meeting by rigger. It was a coincidence all the same.

Owners, trainers and course watch ers were equally in a dillima in the early mornings of Thursday and Friday at South Auckland. A dense fog completely obscured the tracks and did not lift till after breakfast when most cf the sprinting tasks were done

Altoar, who was purchased out of a selling race at the Wellington R.C. summer meetiig, has repaid his owner well since. The Hying Handicap of 200sovs. fell to him at Dunedin on Saturday.

Bedford, by Bunyan from Miss Dix (dam of M,aster Dix), is an improved sart, but is not very big, though he will be big enough when he has another year or two on him. He gallops attractively, and the greenness is wearing off.

J. O’Shea has actually gone through a meeting without being carpeted. He rode a number of winners on Friday and Saturday, and performed the “hat □nd Saturday, and performed the “ha" trick” on the concluding day on Otaria, Lady Penury, and Admiral Soult.

Cur Ellerslie representative was table mate to some of the members of the dry toast and tea brigade during the recent South Auckland Racing Club’s meeting, aid says it was quite amusing to hear the good-natured banter going on between the hungry ones at each pretence to meal-making.

At the South Auckland meeting the Soult horse Glen Gowne claimed his first starter in Laird O’Gowne, who ran Kitty Bellairs to a short head in the Pioneer Handicap, the second race for two-year-olds ever given by the club, and got the stake in consequence of interference on the part of Kitty Bellairs. He was receiving lllbs from the Obligado filly, and next day received only 61bs and the filly beat him again. He claims a Freedom mare as his dam, and is a wiry sort.

The programme of the Feilding Jockey Club for its autumn meeting appears bi this issue and is one that owners will find favour with, as the club caters for all classes, hack and open-company runners, both in flat and hurdle events, being provided for.

The race for the jockey premiership is beginning to assume interesting proportions. The riders are entering upon their last mile now, and Berry is leading, but there is plenty of time with a bit of luck for some of those who are not far behind to catch him, especially should his luck not continue so good. All the same, Berry looks to have a short-priced chance of coming out on top.

It is pleasing to have to record a further brace of wins for Mr. Harvey Patterson’s horses during the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting last week. Trainer Scobie set the ball rolling when at the Auckland Racing Club’s simmer meeting he captured a race each with Silver Shield and Fabrikoff. This success he followed up by winning a race at the Wellington Cup meeting wiTi Fabrikoff, while Silver Shield annexed a double at the Dunedin gathering last week. Mr. Harvey Patterson’s horses are likely to prove a big acquisition to the New Zealand turf, and all sportsman will welcome his successes in this country.

Mr. Sol Green, the well-known Victorian bookmaker and stud master, has just bought a station in Queensland with 52,000 sheep and some cattle. It is 1200 square miles in -extent. * -IThe weather continues dry, and a spell of wet weather would be welcome. * * » The Sydney “Referee” says the day is getting closer when a field entirely composed of English horses will be seen at an Australian meeting. C • * The Wanganui Jockey Clubfs autumn meeting bids fair to be a big success. * * * * The connections of the South Island hurdler Gangway, who is racing in Victoria, are reported to have won £lOOO over a recent win he had there. ;• •? * m Mr. John Corlett, editor of “The ■Pink ’Un,” is in indifferent health, but states that the doctors say he is to see another Derby run.

Flora McDonald was not a profitable mare to the Dunedin Jockey Club. She won the Cup and did not start again at the meeting.

Robinson, O’Shea, and Hector Gray are New Zealand horsemen that have each done the “hat trick” during the present month at meetings m the Dj minion. O’Shea’s treble showed z. big profit.

The positions of the cross-country jockeys in France for the year’s racing just ended are:—Parfrement, 87 wins; Alec. Carter, 71; W. Head, 62; Powers, 60; Berteaux, 50; F. Williams, 4’; A. V- Chapman, 32; R. Sauval and C. Hawkins, 26; Lancaster, 25; A. Kalley, 24; E. Hardy, 21; Maurice Barat, 20. The most successful gentlemen riders over jumps have been: —M. d’Arexy, 25 wins; Comte L. de Couret de Villeneuve, 20; M- A. de Fourna, 18; M. M. Bossut and de Rivoyre, 15; L. le Cerf and Comte de Saint Didlier, 10 each.

Mr. R. E. Wright has in Guenspire a very useful gelding. The son of Gienapp and Remorse only started once last season, but this year, on Boxing Day, opened with a double win at Pirongia, and went on and landed another double at Whata Whata, and ran two seconds at Te Kuiti, and followed these performances up by winning twice at South Au ok and and running a good second in his last essay carrying 10.10 to the 7.7. on Otaraia, who paid the best dividend of the meeting. Mr. Wright originally paid £2B 10s for Glenspire, so report says.

On Saturday afternoon at Warwick Farm, Sydney, the Jumpers’ Flat Race Was won by the bay gelding Rajah, who was purchased on the second day of the Whangarei races from his breeder, and shipped to the other side a week later to Mr. Binks, his present owner. There were ten starters. A private wire received on Saturday says that he started at ten to one, and that the Flying Handicap was won by Protection, a three-year-old filly bought by the same owner from Sir George Clifford, and she started at five to one. * * * * Toatere has gone into enforced retirement in Taranaki, and Rewi Poto, another son of Maniopoto, it has also been announced, is to have a spell until his trainer, R. Johnson, completes his six months’ disqualification. Toatere started off at Marton and was expected to develop into something out of the ordinary. There was an enquiry in Wanganui at the spring meeting over certain happenings, which led to a tangi, but there Toatere paid a dividend unexpectedly. The disqualification of Mr. Curtis, his owner, and C. Price, the rider, together with the horse and trainer, caused a bit of a sensation on the West Coast of the North Island, where all are best known.

Mr. John Morrison leaves Auckland this week to take over the United Service Hotel in Christchurrh, and like all public men who have identified themselves with city enterprises and with sport he will be missed from amongst us. Mr. Morrison has been a member of each of the local racing clubs and a steward and committeeman of the Auckland Trotting Club for a Jong time past, and will take with him the good wishes of the sporting community and of the travelling public in his latest venture.