Turf Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1501, 30 January 1919, Page 16

Turf Topics

A. J. McFlinn has ridden ten winners this season.

Nineteen horses have been nominated for the Te Kuiti Cup. All Over and Master Lupin have arrived to fulfil Takapuna engagements.

The prize money for the autumn meeting of the Australian Jockey Club has been increased by £3400. R. S. Bagby rode three winners on Saturday at the Wellington meeting. H. Gray rode two. The Alisons (father and sons) have nominated their horses freely for the Te Kuiti meeting. Another record by Gloaming—a Trentham five-furlong course and Wellington Stakes achievement in 58 3-5 sec.

The restoration of racing days on a pre-war basis means an additional thirteen days of racing for the Auckland province. Nunerrant, who won two races at the Bay of Plenty meeting, is the third winner by imported Quin Abbey this season. Mr. Harold Cotter, who went to Australia a week before the ill-fated Wimmera, on which he lost three horses, returned to Auckland last weeK.

The scratching of Gazique for the Takapuna Cup .was due no doubt to the Gisborne gelding going sore. He was withdrawn at 5.15 on the 20th inst.

Splendid nominations have been received for the Te Kuiti meeting, which is to take place on February 15th.

Kilflinn, by Kilbroney from Gamlode, won the Welter Handicap at the Epsom meeting, near Melbourne, on January 10, beating 16 others. Mr. Alf. Dickson, a member of the “fourth estate,” has been appointed judge at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s -meetings. The Hamilton R.C. have put forth a very attractive two days’ programme for March 1 and 3—lndeed, it is quite the best any club outside of the Auckland metropolitan area has ever issued. ?

Red Signal, who was got by All Red, beat Retard and Risingham nicely in the Mungaroa Welter Handicap, the opening event on the second day of the Wellington meeting. Comment is a six-year-old mare by Provocation from Wailethe, who could have been placed no doubt. to better advantage last season. She won at Trentham on Saturday. It is pleasing to note that the Government have asked the presidents of the Racing and Trotting Conferences to prepare a scheme of dates to avoid clashing of interests for the remainder of the season. Palm Oil. a double winner at Trentham, is a three-year-old by Maniapoto from Largesse, a descendant of the family that provided us with some good performers in the years gone by. Largesse is by Seaton Delaval from Keepsake, by St. Leger from Bangle, by Musket from Locket. Palm Oil is a suggestive name for one so bred. Hiero, who has been on the invalid list for several days, has put in a reappearance on the Riccarton tracks and appears to be benefited by his spell. Mr. R. , B. Lusk, of Auckland, officiated for the first time at Trentham as judge in the place of the late Mr. W. H. Hartgill. On the opening day he had a very close contest for the Wellington Cup to decide between Red Ribbon and Rewi Poto. They ran a dead-heat, the first at Trentham for that race, or, indeed, in the history of the race, which dates back getting well on to fifty years. Lady Simmerless, Lady Mercer and Lady Elysian were winners of successive races at the Rosebery meeting, New South Wales, on January 10. The daughter of. Elysian keeps on winning, and this makes her second recent success. She ran 24 yards short of six furlongs in Imin. 14sec. All Over, winner of th e Foxton Cup. is standing up to the racing and travelling he has been getting. The son of All Red won in good style for Mr. Bull, carrying 8.13. He has been paid up for in the Takapuna Cup. Melee, who won the Wellington R. C. Handicap on Saturday, claims an engagement in the Dunedin Cup also in the D.J.C. Publican’s Handicap. The son of Martian, had previously

only one success to his credit as a three-year-old, this being his victory in the Amberley Cup in September last. When Desert Gold won the Wellington Stakes in 1916, Hyttus, who won the Anniversary Handicap at Trentham on Wednesday, caused her to make her record for that event. At that time he showed a great burst of speed, and still has form enough to win races. The ex-New Zealander, Kilhope, is reported to be galloping well on the tracks at Randwick, and the other morning caused some surprise by badly beating Kennaquhair in a gallop over six furlongs. The latter, however, turned the tables on the New Zealander in their next trial over a similar distance. Speaking very highly of the racing stock he had seen on New Zealand courses, M. Corbierre, .a member of the French Mission, stated the other day in Palmerston North that on hi» own estate in France he had some l of Carbine’s stock. A notable performer on the turf in France was Spearmint, a son of Carbine, whd; very closely resembled in appearance 1 his famous sire. Mr. J. Williamson has been awaiting word from the Old Land from Dr. Ring about some young thoroughbreds —two colts and two fillies — which it is hoped will be secured for Auckland in the near future. There is a disposition on the part of a few Aucklanders to try and secure some fresh blood from England, and a chance, let us hope, of some of the Elderslie lots being purchased next week. Such opportunities cannot surely be allowed to pass,. The five-year-old Elysian—Powder Puff mare, Lady Elysian, continues to prove a paying proposition at the various pony races in New South Wales. At the Rosebery Racing Club’s pony meeting in Sydney on January 11 she added another victory to her credit by accounting for the principal event, the Flying Handicap, of six furlongs. There were thirteen starters, the daughter of Elysian being sent out an odds-on favourite. At the bend for home Lady Elysian ran to the front and easily held her opponents in the run to the judge’s box, scoring very comfortably by two and a-half lengths from Lord Mooltan, with Duchess Marie a length away, third. A protest entered against the winner was subsequently withdrawn. All bets on the protest were declared off, and it was ordered that the money should be returned. From an all-round point of view the Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting compared more than favourably with any two-day nieeting held in the Dominion this season. The weather was good on Saturday, and the winding-up day in a racing sense was just as interesting as the first. The fields were of fair average dimensions, and some good-class handicap horses, two-year-olds and three-year-olds were in evidence, The course was in good condition, and all the races were run fast, but the only one that was actually a course record with th e weight for a three-year-old was Gloaming’s Kelburn Plate effort, the four furlongs taking 46 2-ssec. Fluency, who is an extremely nicelooking 'filly, was backed on the first day of the Wellington meeting by stay-at-home punters, who were at a loss to account for her not starting. Quite a lot of people were relieved to find they had not lost their money. Some reinvested on Saturday, but others reckoned that if she was not thought good enough the first day they were safer to leave her alone on the second. Affectation is evidently a pretty useful colt by Kilbroney from Simper, and the pair left the rest of the field badly, and Affectation showed his superiority over the filly. He has a race or two more, which is sometimes a help. His form at Masterton and at the C.J.C. spring meeting suggested his usefulness. Mr. McDonald’s winner was well received. When an owner like the Taranaki sportsman Mr. Alexander wins a race it can be styled popular. Silver Link met with her second success this season on Saturday at Trentham in the Metropolitan Handicap, run over six furlongs, which distance she covered in Imin. 11 4-ssec. If the. daughter of Achilles had had a race at the Avondale meeting, or before the A.R.C. Railway Handicap was run, she would have been much harder to beat. Still, she ran very well. Kipling, who was second, has by now satisfied some people that he is just a bit better than he has been estimated, and by next season he should be a useful miler, as he has plenty of pace and time should make him more solid.