Turf Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1542, 13 November 1919, Page 33

Turf Topics

The brush hurdles were a success at Ellerslie cm Saturday.

Martian got another big lift along through the success of Vagabond in the New Zealand Cup. J. Conquest had not ridden in a race for over twelve months when he rode Bedford third in the Mitchelson Cup.

Anyone analysing the two-year-old form this season must admit that it is very consistent, both north and south.

Mr. J. D. Kemp bred General Advance, and was well enough to see him win the Hobson Handicap, though he had been laid up for some time after the Avondale meeting.

Rose Wreath, whose name appeared in the list of those left in the Auckland G-uineas, won the Spring Plate at Riccarton, run on the same day.

The Pallas mare Hesione, who is now located in the North Island, failed to produce to Balboa, and Mr. R. L. Begg has had her mated with the imported English horse, Hallowmas.

With the minimum at 7.0 in the Hobson Handicap there were nevertheless thirteen of the runners figuring with overweights ranging up to 171 b.

It is reported that the owner of Lucullan offered 1000 guineas for Weary Willie prior to the A.R.C. spring meeting.

Recently Rock Diamond lost her foal by imported Thurnham, but had a bad time, and the services of Dr. Glover were called upon. The mare is now doing all right. Including Blue Book, who ran a dead heat with Aborigine, and the two wins of Hymettus, the Caulfield Cup has been captured by chestnut horses 11 times in the last 21 years. The well-known Victorian jockey, F. Bullock, has booked his passage by the Orvieto, which will leave Melbourne for England on December 31. He will ride for Messrs. Robinson and Clark, owners of the Caulfield Cup winner, Lucknow. It is estimated that more than £30,000 was distributed among backers as a result of the victory of Lucknow in the Caulfield Cup. One of the earliest bets paid was at the rate of 59 to 1, and £2600 was secured at that price.

The Christchurch trotting mentor, K. H. Smith, has brought Peter Mac, Mykot, Harold Devon and Peter McMillan north for the Otahuhu Trotting Club’s spring meeting, which opens on Saturday next.

The Liverpool Cup fell to that good and consistent four-year-old filly, My Dear (Beppo from Silesia), winner of the Oaks, who beat the three-year-old, Alasnam, by Alpha 11. — Sunny Lass, and Sir Birkley, in the race in question last week.

It is said that 2000 guineas was refused for Uncle Ned. Five hundred a leg seems a big price for a gelding which, on his appearance, to most people would be considered well sold at a score or less. Uncle Ned is a freak, but a bit over-rated.

The galloping ability of Lord Kenilworth was very pronounced when he was three years old, and he showed a glimpse of his form last year. He is a class above most of the horses he met on Saturday, but was not handicapped on his good showings, but on the poorest of them.

The time registered by Crenides in the Great Northern Guineas is a record for the race, which was for a second time won by a son of imported Demosthenes and for the first time by one owned by a lady. Mrs. Perry’s father, the late Mr. G. P. Donnelly, bred Crenides. Hetaua, who was second, is also by the Desmond horse. Moorfowl gave Sir George Clifford his fourth win in the C.J.C. Welcome Stakes, in which, we are told, Humbug was unlucky to miss. Moorfowl is the third Sir George bred himself, and he bred both sire (Autumnus) and dam (Kirremuir), with each of which he won good races. Autumnus was quite in the first class and has a fine list of successes over short courses and under weight, and looked the sort to make an ideal sire. Moorfowl is a consistent filly, and evidently the best seen out this season of her sex.

J. T. Jamieson took Affectation, Rose Wreath, Murikihu, Strategy and Torfreda to the C.J.C. meeting at Riccarton, but the two-year-old Kildee was sent home after competing at the Wellington gathering. Sixteen yearlings bred at the Waikanae Stud have been shipped for Lyttelton and are to be sold at the Christchurch sales on Thursday, November 13. Amongst the number are a half sister to Weary Willie and a half sister to Chakwana, both by Boniform.

Following his efforts at the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s meeting, where he won the Spring Handicap, the principal event on the opening day, the Great Northern Hurdle Race winner, Cynic, is to be given a spell from racing, and is not to be raced again until some time in the New Year.

While riding a green filly, a sister to Partisan, at the barrier at Riccarton last week, F. Cann, an apprentice in F. Christmas’ stable, was thrown, and had the misfortune to break a bone in his shoulder. A doctor was procured at once, also the ambulance, and the youngster was conveyed to the hospital. The field for the Hobson Handicap on Saturday numbered 31. In answer to a correspondent we must refer him to the list of starters, and he will there see whether the horse he sent his money out for was a startei’ or not.

It is with regret that we have to announce the death on Saturday through an accident of the nine-year-old son of Mr. H. Eva, the wellknown trainer, who fell from the gun stand at Newmarket on to the concrete foundation, fracturing his skull. He was removed to the hospital and received every attention, but did not regain consciousness. Much sympathy is expressed for his parents. Mrs. Eva was present when the accident occurred, while Mr. Eva was summoned from Ellerslie, where his duties had taken him.

The bracketing of horses in the Hobson Handicap led to more than one backer meeting with luck. Two who each had £1 on Arab King collected on General Advance, formerly in the same ownership. The luck of Husband, the rider of Arab King, as a bid dividend finder has been remarkable. This time, however, it was on a coupled mount, who was not in the hunt. Revenue, who twice returned big dividends when ridden by Husband, being one of his lucky mounts.

Though Kennaquhair was solidly backed for the Melbourne Cup, in which he failed to show up prominently, some good judges would not have him for the big two miles race at Flemington, on the ground that he has had about a fortnight’s spell in two years. Some few days prior to the Melbourne Cup Kennaquhair was worked in a very light saddle, and in consequence a big patch of skin was chafed off his. ribs. It is an ugly sore, and very irritating to the chestnut.