WAIRARAPA.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1469, 20 June 1918, Page 13

WAIRARAPA.

Torchy in Good Fettle—Local Candidates Engaged at Hawke’s Bay Meetings—Lady General on Easy List —A Generous Sportsman—Livland Again Changes Hands —Mr. W. R. Kemball’s Trio for Napier Park and Hastings Fixtures. MASTERTON, Friday. Torchy has gone on the right way since coming back from Wanganui, and will be ridden in his Hawke’s Bay engagements by Stan. Reid. Multaine has quite recovered from her recent accident, and will take her place in the Stewards’ Handicap field at Napier, in which event she has 9.11. Hydrus is engaged in both the Hack Hurdle events and the open events at Napier, and, judging by his good displays over the jumps at Opaki, he will probably be given a race over the hurdles before the meeting closes. Stan. Reid has been schooling him here. Brown Joe has gone into J. Cameron’s stable at Feilding to qualify for hunters’ events, and will not be brought back to Masterton until after the Hawke’s Bay meeting. T. Higgins has Lady General on the easy list, and it will be the spring before she is asked to race again. There are few more generous racing men in the Dominion than Mr. A. McDonald, of Masterton, owner of Torfreda, Multicipal, Hydrus, etc., when it comes to benefits for soldiers. “Ngokonui” is never idle in his endeavours to improve the conditions of returned men, and last week when

a site was mentioned as being wanted to build a soldiers’ ward at the local hospital, Mr. McDonald generously guaranteed the amount (£450). Livland (Finland — Cantata) has been sold out of the Kemball stable, and in future will be trained by H. Eva, at Featherston. Mr. McConkey, caretaker of the Masterton Racing Club’s course, has been granted a month’s leave of absence, which is being spent at Rotorua. He is accompanied by his wife, who has not been in the best of health recently. Gladful (H. Stockley), Hydrus (Stan. Reid) and Master Boris (Wyett) were given another school over the fences at Opaki on Saturday last, and the jumping of the first-named pair was very good. Gladful is fast coming back to his best form over the hurdles.

Most of the rising two-year-olds in training here have been given a brush along over a couple of furlongs at Opaki, and there should be the makings of some fine gallopers among them. A particularly fine mover is the Kilbroney—Simper colt in Jamieson’s stable.

Mr. A. Brightwell, owner of Master Boris, has been passed as fit by the Military Medical Board, and goes into camp shortly. Really speaking, Mr. Brightwell could have claimed exemption from active service on the

score of age, but the examining doctors said they would be sorry to lose a soldier of such fine physique,. and put him through. Judging by the schooling which has taken place at Opaki recently, locally trained horses should hold their own well this winter. The latest purchase of Mr. W. R. Kemball, of Masterton, is the Demosthenes— Kautuku filly Impediment. It will be remembered that at the New Zealand Cup meeting Nanna finished second to her in the Oaks, just after the former had been purchased by Mr. Kemball. Thirteen hundred guineas is the price mentioned as having been paid for Impediment. Messrs. V. and E. Riddiford, of Te Awaite, Martinborough, Wairarapa, have telegraphed to the secretary of the Auckland Racing Club instructing him to allot £3OO to the Auckland fund in the “Copper Trail” contest, and £3OO to the Wellington fund, out of their winnings at the recent winter meeting. W. Hawthorne left for Napier on Wednesday last with Gladful, Wishful and Multaine. The reason for this trainer’s early departure was to get plenty of schooling in company for his pair of jumpers. Wishful has been given top weight in the Hack Hurdles, and the two races he had on the flat at Otaki should have been beneficial to him. Now that Gladful is all right again, Mr. Kemball should not be long in winning his first hurdie race. Mr. Harold Brown, who purchased Form Up recently and who has just added Livland to his team, intends having his horses trained at Tauherenikau in the future. H. Eva is to ook after the team. Mr. W. R. Kemball, of Masterton, has entered the following horses for Australian engagements: —Australian Jockey Club: Epsom Handicap, Hymestra and Nanna; Metropolitan Handicap. Nanna and Snub: Champagne Stakes, Vasilkov; Derby. Vasilkov; St. Miss Gold and Vasilkov. Victoria Racing Club: Melbourne Cup, Snub: Ascot Vale Stakes, Vasilkov and Miss Gold; Derby. Vasilkov and Miss Gold: Oaks. Miss Gohl. Victoria Amateur Turf Club: Caulfield Cup, Snub: Toorak Handicap, Nanna; Caulfield Guineas. Vasilkov and Miss Gold: Futurity Stakes, Hymestra and Nanna. Although the above list is a formidable one. nothing at present has been definitely decided about taking the team across, and it may be the autumn of next year before W. Hawthorne goes over. A meeting of the Ground Committee of the Masterton Racing Club was held on Thursday last, when it was dec’ded to make extensive alterations to the dining-room on the course. For some time past the accommodation on race days has been taxed to its utmost, and when the proposed alterations are completed it is expected that there will be no cause for complaint as to crowding. It was also decided to top dress the racing track, and teams are at present engaged in carting sand from the adjacent river beds.