TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1365, 22 June 1916, Page 10

TURF TOPICS.

Nystad has been added to the list.

* * * * The Brackenfield Hunt race meeting will be held on July 27.

* * * * The Tuapeka Jockey Club has nearly enough money to pay off debenture holders. The V.R.C. handicapper does not appear to have been hard on El Gallo in the National double.

Spalpeen should be in request this season by owners who wish to breed jumping horses.

Murray Hobbs and his team of horses will be missed this winter from Riccarton.

Thrax is one of the first of the Martians to be put to the jumping business.

The Auckland Racing Club’s employees are to receive a war bonus of 10 per cent.

Braeburn followed up his Wanganui form by winning the Gisborne Steeplechase.

Marconi and Captain Lock were the only Auckland winners at the Gisborne meeting. * * * *

Marconi’s hurdle win on the first day of the Gisborne meeting was his most important to date. * * * *

For the Demosthenes colt from Gold Thread the name Simonides has been claimed.

Statuette is an appropriate effort at nomenclature for the Marble Arch —Seatonella filly.

The name Central has been claimed for the colt by Antiphone from Decoration, dam of Decorate.

Gwent is the name claimed for the Marble Arch —Gweniad colt in D. Moraghan’s hands at Ellerslie.

Toki, by Multifid, seems to race with a good deal of bad luck. Two more seconds at Gisborne.

Stakes to the value of £1250 will be given this year for the Pakuranga Hunt Club’s meeting.

Flagship is the name W. Tozer has applied for for his Monoform —Little Mabel filly.

The United States has supplied the Allies with six million pounds sterling worth of horses.

The New Zealand-bred pony Rose Soult was a winner in the 14 hands class at Kensington Park recently.

Influenza is prevalent at Ellerslie. A number of horses have it or are getting over the fever.

The old hurdler Slaney, by Dirk Hammerhard, got kicked and was destroyed recently.

Grand Idea, the second hack race winner at Gisborne, is a six-year-old by Multifid from Gemini. ?[: * * *

Dust Cloud, who ran second in the Hopetoun Steeplechase in Victoria recently, beating Tim Doolan a head, is as likely to improve as any of the competitors, according to the opinion of one who witnessed the race.

J. McCombe, a one-time crack horseman in the south, has been granted a trainer’s license by the C.J.C.

Emergency colours are kept handy by the Moonee Valley Jockey Club to be used when an owner may neglect to bring his own.

The Winton Jockey Club were not favourable to the Winton Trotting Club’s proposal for holding their meeting the same week.

The Duke of Portland has again been lending his countenance and also his support to racing in England.

Last year the best ’chaser in Australia was considered about 211 b better than Tim Doolan after the National meeting. El Gallo is only asked to concede him 81b in the big race at Flemington.

Pictures of El Gallo, his owner, trainer, rider and friends were screened during last week at the Princess Theatre, Auckland.

Lord Ainslie, by Gazeley from Lady Ainslie, a useful mare herself, got his name on the winning list in the Flying Handicap at Gisborne.

The New Zealand Cup winner Lady Lucy was one of the mares that visited Demosthenes and her 1915 filly has been named Star Lady.

Koiwi is the name by which the

coming yearling filly by Demosthenes from The Boyne (dam of Rewi Poto) is to be known. » * * -F

The coming two-year-old sister to Gold Lac and half sister to General Latour, by Marble Arch from Merry Nif, has been named Shower of Gold.

Royal Rufus, by King Rufus from Liquify, has been brought back to Wanganui to his birth place at Kohatonui.

The list of imported horses engaged in the Melbourne Cup is a lengthy one. There are over 30 for which a nomination has been made.

Soldier was a disappointment to Auckland punters last week, as were most of the horses that went south for the Gisborne meeting.

War Tax, who scored in the Maiden at Poverty Bay, is bred to make .a jumper, being by Strowan from Romany Girl.

In addition to Friar Marcus, His Majesty King George’s Sir Dighton, a colt by Bayardo, was a recent winner, and another, Lucknow, ran prominently.

The Auckland Racing Club has donated £5OO to the Navy League North Sea Relief Fund, £lOO each to the Auckland Aeroplane and Blue Cross funds.

Sleight of Hand’s scratching following the death of Morning leaves Mr. F. Armstrong without a representative at the V.R.C. Grand National meeting.

Kilboy is mentioned as likely to be sent to Australia for the A.J.C. Derby and perhaps the Melbourne Cun. If he stands a preparation sufficiently solid he may win a good race next season. He has been out spelling for some time, according to a southern correspondent.

It is understood that the nominations taken for the classic races of the Auckland Racing Club on Friday night are very good.

Marconi, with his increased poundage, outclassed the hurdle opposition he met at the Gisborne meeting on the first day, but it was not a big or a strong field that lie beat.

Captain Lock had some luck on his side when he won the Tramway Hack Steeplechase on the opening day of the Gisborne meeting, as the three unplaced horses made mistakes.

Berg, a New Zealand pony, by Signalman, has been disqualified for a second time in Australia. Her connections, who went out this time for 12 months, are not New Zealanders.

Empire, the name given to the General Latour—Lady Musket colt in D. Moraghan’s stable, was used for a useful hurdle horse in New Zealand some years back.

A trip to Gisborne without starting was Cardrona’s owner’s misfortune, influenza having developed en route, preventing that horse from completing engagements.

Pursefiller, if more seasoned, would have a good chance of winning the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race at her weight, so far as can be judged from the weights of those cabled to us.

The V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle handicap has been started on a light scale, with Grand Fleet at the top with 11.13. El Gallo has 11.4, Merrimax 9.12, Pursefiller 9.7 and Sleight of Hand 9.6. The minimum is 9.0.

Covercoat, winner of the Liverpool Grand National in 1913, ended up by breaking his neck at Punchstown, in Ireland, where the squires at one time used to ride their horses “for glory or renown.”

Gazette, who won on the second day of the Gisborne meeting, is a really fine stamp of horse, by Gazeley, and is at his right game now — jumping—and if he stands may win good races.

F. McDavitt, the well-known horseman, was on final leave during the week in Auckland. C. McSweeney and L. Mcßandall, southern horsemen, have recently enlisted. The “Macs” are doing their share.

Fagot, who won the Gisborne and Te Hapara steeplechases last year at Gisborne, ran second in the firstnamed event and won the other last week. He was operated on for a throat trouble two years ago.

Taihape and Gwalior, who are booked to race at Hawke’s Bay, are both good jumpers and are well, but neither can stay, and both would be more at home in hunters’ races than in open company.

The Chef, winner of the Turanganui Steeplechase at the Poverty Bay meeting on Saturday, is an aged son of San Remo and Lady Cuisine. He was second in the same race last year.

Multifual must have been produced at Gisborne fitter than ever before. He is a four-year-old by defunct Multifid from the Nelson mare Flag, and ran very consistently last season, but was not at his best at the last Easter meeting at Ellerslie. He won the last race each day in good style at the meeting last week. His trainer, P. Malone, has been in hospital with a bad leg for some weeks past.

William Ashdown, who has been under the ban a long time, had his disqualification removed by the Auckland District Committee at their meeting on Thursday.

Soldier was favourite for the Winter Oats Handicap at Gisborne, but he, Signo and Worcester, the other Aucklanders by Soult were unplaced. Two of defunct Multifid’s progeny in Multifual and Toki led the field home.

The Summit, by San Fran, has run some good races at Gisborne, but went all last season without an actual win, though placed in his last five engagements there. His win on Saturday in the chief flat race was deserved.

Braeburn could only be produced once with safety at the Gisborne meeting, and he won the chief steeplechase there in good style. A second race there might have necessitated missing engagements at the Napier Park or Hawke’s Bay meetings.

Winners at the Gisborne meeting are subject to penalties for Napier Park. Flat racers get 101 b, but hurdle or steeplechase winners 101 b for one win or 141 b for two, subject to the condition that those handicapped at 10.7 or over only receive half the penalties named.

There are indications that quite a number of Auckland-owned jumpers will be taken to Riccarton for the New Zealand Grand National meeting. Master Regel, Te Onja, Marconi, Waimai and Ngatoa are amongst those to be nominated.

Chelloma, who is likely to race this week at Napier Park, is another of the fillies by Llangwm (a successful young sire in England) that Mr V 7. G. Stead imported at New Year time. Shrill, who has won a race for her owner, is by the same sire, and has some pace.

The supposition that Bullawarra, who is one of the few horses sent to England and brought back to Australia again, would head the list for the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase has proved correct. He has been awarded 12.9, El Gallo 12.5 and Tim Doolan 11.9.

Colonel Soult is as light-hearted as a sand boy, and has come back after his spell since the A.R.C. Easter meeting fresh and ready for any tasks that he may be set. He was not beaten in a single, gallop in private during his preparation for engagements in the current season. He is a free worker and as he always took plenty of exercise in the pad dock can be got ready quickly, and

should win more races for his owners.

It was bad luck for .Mr. F. Armstrong to lose his ’chaser Morning shortly after that gelding’s arrival in Melbourne. We never saw this gelding quite at his best. Pleurisy caused Morning’s Reath. The son of Sylvia Park had won on the flat once only and that a couple of months ago, showing he still retained his pace. He had a New Zealand Grand National Hurdle Race to his credit in 1914, after winning in the Trial Hurdle Race at the same meeting, and in June last year won the June Steeplechase at the Hawke’s Bay J.C. meeting, won the Beaufort Steeplechase on the second day of the C.J.C. New Zealand Grand National meeting last August, and, carrying 12.3, the Lincoln Steeplechase, beating Tim Doolan (11.13) by four lengths, Bonny (9.9) a hundred yards away third, with Ngatoa (11.2) fourth.