WAIRARAPA.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1500, 23 January 1919, Page 10

WAIRARAPA.

Opaki Course Almost Deserted at Present — Wishful Rejoins Active Brigade—H. Eva’s Team —Lady Black in Work Again — Locally Trained Horses Engaged at Taranaki Meeting—Mishap to Vasilkov —Mr. W. R. "Kemball’s Team for Australia. MASTERTON, Friday. Th e lad, C. Holmes, an apprentice in W. Hawthorne’s stables, who broke his leg while riding Missland home from the Opaki course, is making good progress in the Masterton Hospital. W. Garrett is only taking one horse to the Wellington meeting. This is Red Ribbon, who is engaged in the Cup. Mr. Dorset’s mare was second last year to Nobleman. Among the drafts of returned soldiers to reach the Dominion this week is Private Harry Pritchard, who, before enlisting, -trained Chillies and Black Lake at Masterton. Snub has been allotted 9.9 in the Pahiatua Cup, which is 91b. more than he carried to victory last year. The stable has also Scornful and Multaine entered. ! With most of the local horsed away at Trentham and Foxton, the Opaki course is quiet at present. This will

giv e caretaker McConkey a chance to do some top-dressing and other improvements to the training track. The only local candidate to get into the money at the Feilding meeting was Zabism, third place being the best T. Higgins’ mare could do. Zabism was well fancied locally after her good showing at Marton. Wishful is again one of the active brigade on the local track, and the son of Boniform and Drought is looking a picture of health after his spell. He is to be given a run in flat events before taking on the battens. Torfreda has quite recovered from the ailment which laid her aside after the Manawatu meeting, and is going along nicely under J. T. Jamieson’s car©.

H. Eva, the Featherston trainer, is not expected home with his team for some time, and they will probably compete at Takapuna, Taranaki, Egmont and Wanganui before returning to Featherston.

Lady Black has been taken up again after a lengthy spell, and Mr. A. Cameron’s mar e is nice and big to start her preparation for the autumn meetings. T. Pritchard still trains her.

Wairarapa-trained horses engaged at the Taranaki meeting are Rose Wreath, Murihiku, Snub, Scornful, Form Up, Cyrisian, Hydrus, Multicipal, Wishful, Railand, Hymestra and Nanna.

Local trainers who ar e at present assisting at the Wellington meeting are: W. Hawthorne (Rebuff, Snub, Scornful, Hymestra and Nanna), J. T. Jamieson (Murihiku, Rose Wreath, Torfreda and Affectation), T. Pritchard (Damien and Galore), W. Garrett (Red Ribbon), R. Knox (Penury Rose), T. Higgins (Zabism), and P. J. Daly (Hytinas). Scornful has built up a lot since coming to Masterton. He was in rather a bad way for a while after the New Zealand Cup meeting, but now is looking fresh and well. Lady General had not sufficiently recovered from her recent accident to be taken to the Wellington meeting. She is having an easy time at present. Vasilkov, the half-brother to Sasanof, had bad luck on his visit to Auckland, and unable to start at the meeting. At the New Plymouth railway siding the black gelding fall, but did not sustain serious injury. At

Ellerslie he ricked his shoulder while out doing exercise, and this necessitated his withdrawal from his northern engagements. On his return to Masterton Vasilkov was gelded, and will not race again until next season. It is indeed hard luck for Mr. Kemball to lose the services of this promising horse without having a race in public, especially as a large figure was paid for the son Autumnus and Ukraine.

Providing shipping accommodation can be secured, trainer Hawthorne will take Mr. Kemball’s team across to Australia at the conclusion of the Wellington meeting. The horses to be shipped at present are Hymestra, Nanna, Snub, Scornful, and Rebuff. Wishful and G-ladful will go across later, in time for the jumping season. It is intended to race Snub in longdistance weight-for-age events in the autumn, and later on he will be tried over the hurdles. Several of the above horses have been nominated for the Taranaki and Egmont meetings, and in case of transport difficulties arising they will be taken up to compete, pending fresh arrangements.