ELLERSLIE ITEMS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1570, 27 May 1920, Page 15

ELLERSLIE ITEMS.

Ajthough . there were heavy southwest squalls blowing on Thursday morning the Ellerslie trainers did not spare their charges on the sand track. The horses which were intended for the Waiuku meeting were tried out at top. Gladwin, Savoureen, Koura,- Hamlet, Seaport, Southland, Merry Prince, Goldcatcher, Mentmore, Totara. Jack, Royal Irish, Novation, Jocular and Salvaless were all among the active division. •Jocular and Goldcatcher had a rough up in company over a middle distance, the pair being well in line when finishing. Cynic and Hessian were fully extended over six furlongs after medium pace work. The mare had the best of the run home. The 1919 G.N. Hurdle winner showed signs of lameness. Dunrobin, the hurdler and hunter, is back again at headquarters, and is at present on the jolly side. f The brothers, Messi’s. E. and E. AV. Alison, junr., were present to see a brace of Australian rising two-year-olds put in easy exercise. The Beragoon colt, although on the small side, is a beautifully turned youngster, which should ripen early. Totara Jack easily settled the pretensions of his stable mate, Koura, at the end of a middle distance. Mentmore ran clean away from l.’tu over about six furlongs. l.’tu, however, has shown much improvement . over the timber of late. Royal Irish, with a companion, skipped over seven furlongs. The old Souit gelding had his pacemaker well beaten at the finish. Thrace and Glen Canny were against the watch over seven furlongs. The latter bad the pace on at tlie finish, registering Imin. 21 l-ssec. over the last six furlongs. Mr. G. Green was out' during the week to see. Prince Charleroi cover the last four of six furlongs in 54sec., without being extended. Phillips,- who has left J. E. Thorpe’s stable, is now a free lance. On AVeclnesd; y last he rode seven different horses in the pouring rain, and probably. the same number on Thursday. On AA r ednesday, Merry’ Prince was tried over five of the small schooling

battens, and never put a foot wrong, handling himself like an old horse. Mr. Charles AA’alker turned out the jumping gelding Signature this week for an extended spell after being blistered. This gelding, it will be remembered, strained one of his ligaments last spring. R. Hannon has purchased the property owned by N. Cunningham near the Harp of Erin Hotel, containing an up-to-date training establishment. The ’ rising two-year-old by Marble Arch —Monorosa in H. Eva’s care is a good sort, and looks like coming to hand early. He is one of the nicest turned colts at headquarters. He does not carry any lumber. Quite a lot of interest was taken in the track work on ’Saturday morning, when the No. 3 grass track was open, the course watchers being treated to some attractive schooling work. Meltchikoff and Gladwin, two of E. J. Rae’s charges, put a lot of life into a run over four big battens, finishing in the order named. The nuggety little three-year-old, Merry Prince, alone, flew four of the little sticks, and seemed to revel in the task. Pendoon, alone, put up a very attractive bout of schooling- over the big battens. The AVaikato gelding, Glenspire, registered a like task. Oakleigh and General Stephen were sparring partners over four of the big schooling battens, both coming through the ordea.l without mishap. Utu, the hurdle candidate., flew four of the big battens, piloted by R. Conway. The mare fenced rather high. She was followed by another novice named Colour Sergeant, who, after stopping, got over a couple safely. Mentmore gave one of the best exhibitions of clean fencing over the big battens in company with Lady Energy. The stable horseman, AV. Keepa, will ride No Surrender in his Great Northern engagements, while W. Rennie has been engaged to steer Garryowen. The latter is in very fine racing condition. The AA r aikato-owned and bred, Hamlet, .went over six of the big schooling hurdles with St. Carl. The pair finished soundly for maiden candidates. Dunrobin, alone, jumped a round of the schooling battens, and has not yet lost his cleverness over the timber. Guerre a Mort, assisted by Mary Bruce, cleared four big hurdles in fine style. . The big black gelding by Rohepotae —Revere, who. is over 17 hands and was brought' from the Waikato recently •by F. Tonge for a.n Auckland patron, acquitted himself well over the steeplechase fences in the centre, going alone. The big fellow, who has been named Dellopin, has plenty of good blood to recommend him. AA r hon Garryowen. Maira, John Bunny, Sir .John, Mist.ee, Tenacious and Slowcoach made their way to the sod wall they were keenly watched. Tenacious and Maira took the water, and then the sod wall. The other quintette' streamed over the double brush fences, and then negotiated the fence which has replaced the old water jump, and went over the hill, some taking the water and the rest the stone wall. It was the best schooling lesson seen for some time, as none of the contestants put a hoof wrong. Tenacious and Maira went over the hill a second time, and were all out when finishing. The first round took 2min. 54sec. Garryowen, John Bunny, Sir John and Mistee finished in the order written. Tenacious was a few lengths ahead of his stable companion, Maira, upon completion of the second round, the full journey taking 6min. 56sec. Southland finished up the schooling work in company with Lady Salvadan over the sod wall water jump and stone wall. The latter was pulled off, subsequently jumping four of the schooling battens satisfactorily. R. Hannon's team, six in number, arrived from the AA’aikato on Friday, all looking well. They were restricted to easy pace work in the centre on Saturday morning. Demoiselle was brought from Mount Albert on Saturday morning, and never gave her track mate, Senlae, a look in over four furlongs in 53sec. Mr. AV. Paterson was present watching his two rising two-year-olds, Orangi and Thurnley, by Royal Souit and Thurnham respectively. The juveniles shaped, pleasingly. J. Anderton arrived from the AA’aikato with Rockfield and Paratu. The pair look well. The old grey gelding. Bluestone, is back at headquarters. He looks all the worse for wear, having turned quite white. The following were the leading times recorded on the flat on Saturday morning. Demoiselle ran away from Senlac over a sand four furlongs in 53sec. K. Heaton's pair of juveniles, Sunny River (Sunny Lake — Orange Pippin), and Silver Rain (Markhope — Grand Rain), are both looking well. Tabasco and Llansannor sprinted four furlongs on the sand in 52 3-ssec. Hessian ran clean a,way from Ohoreka and Cynic over a short course. The last-named was still a bit tender when he cooled down. Princess Charming and Scottish Knight sprinted half a mile in ylsec. Glen Canny and a mate put in a similar task. Crowhurst and Salvaless went a couple of furlongs further. Comedy Prince easily settled a pacemaker over a few furlongs. Monocrat beat Pentagram over a short course, while Prince Charleroi and a companion worked usefully. Marconi got a leg poisoned through a box thorn while at Egmont, hence his scratching for the winter meeting of the A.R.C.

A. J. MeFlinn. B. Deeley. and S. Henderson were riding, work on Monday morning. Henderson sent Thrace over the big schooling hurdles twice. The Australian-bred gelding gave a pretty exhibition of clean fencing. Rennie sent the two AVaikato mares, Mill o’ Gowrie and Rekanui, over four of the big schoolers. Thev fenced faultlessly. It is quite pleasing to chronicle a couple of wins for J. Preston at the Egmont and AA 7 anganui winter meetings. This lad has got more hard knocks for his age than any other at Ellerslie, but is still cheerfully going- on’ with tlie game uncomplainingly.. AVhen at headquarters, Preston’s services were always in big demand for schooling work. R. Hannon has no intention of leaving the old lucky roof tree at Hautapu (Waikato). He has taken over N. Cunningham’s balance of lease, originally a 99 years’ one, with the option of renewal every 21 years. It is Hannon’s intention to use the new premises as a kind of central depot for the metropolitan and suburban meetings.' J. Anderton had both Rockfield . and Paratu at the tracks on Monday, riding the horses himself. Both Lochella and Stirrup Cup were on the tracks on Monday morning, using the sand and the tan respectively. They are a well conditioned pair. Scrubber opened the schooling- work on Tuesday by jumping six hurdles, alone, well. . . . Deviation and Middlemark gave a good exhibition over four flights of hurdles. Seaport and Hypothesis jumped four small hurdles nicely. Totara Jack and Koura ran a circuit over four of the big hurdles. General Stephen and St. Carl covered the same ground, assisted by Mary Bruce. Kereone followed the trio over two hurdles, and then pulled off. Garryowen (Rennie), Oakleigh (AVarner), and No Surrender (Conway) jumped off at the five furlongs post, ■ and Garryowen, when leading at the -first fence on the hill, fell, this being his second fall while schooling at the same fence. The other pair went on, completing the fence, leaving out - the double. Cantering round, they took the sod double and stone wall. 'lt was a very good school. Garryowen, remounted, jumped tlie fences on the fiat alone. Deloopin and Sir John jumped . the sod wall double and stone fences, and afterwards the water, repeating over the double and stone wall. Lochella, looking well, covered two rounds on the grass. His brother, Graftella, who is big, did useful pacing. Pendoon and a companion ran a circuit on the grass. Thrace left six furlongs on the sand behind nicely. F. Loomb arrived from Gisborne after a slow passage, and will finish Cynic up for the meeting.