TURF GOSSIP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1598, 9 December 1920, Page 18

TURF GOSSIP.

The committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club has appointed Mr. W. F. Dpnne to frame the handicaps for the second day of the summer meeting.

The Auckland horseman B. Deeley had a great innings at the Feilding J.C.’s spring meeting, riding five winners and one second out of ten mounts. An investment on each of Deeley’s mounts would have returned over 75 per cent.

A good-looking horse that competed in the Maiden Race at Ashhurst was Weird (Mystification—Eland). The bay gelding is a five-year-old fullbrother to Cervulus, and was bred, by Mr. George Hunter, M.P., but was sold some time back to Mr. R. Grant, in whose colours he now .races.

. Mr. C. P. Nash tired of Birkenvale, and recently made; a present of him to a member of the clergy, who will use him as a hack. The Palmerston North owner has in work a good cut of a t.wo-year-old filly by All Red — Melologue (dam of Spare Moments) named Redlogue. He also, has Glorify, with whom he intends to try -and win a hurdle race.

The South Canterbury trainer F. E. Jones intends racing a portion of his team at th e Auckland Trotting Club’s summer meeting at the end of the present month. Those making the trip will .be Rangitata Lass, who may contest the Auckland Trotting Cup, Royal Step, Doraldina, and the three-year-old colt Wild Thyme, who is engaged in the Great Northern Derby.

The Auckland Cup candidate Tenterfield was one of the five contestants in the St. Andrew’s Handicap (11£ miles) on the opening day at Feilding, but failed to reproduce the form for which he was responsible at the N.Z .Cup meeting at Riccarton, being last to finish. Tenterfield also contested the Manchester Handicap (1% miles) on the second day, and was the last of the seven starters to finish.

H. Gray rode Dignity, Marqueteur, American Beauty, Hurry Up and Amberine in their respective engagements on the opening day of the Feilding meeting, and was only on one occasion in a place, this being when Amherine ran third in the Fitzroy Hack Handicap. On the second day Gray rode Prodigal to victory in the Rongotea Hack Handicap, was second on 'Marqueteur in the Manchester Handicap, third on Sweet Memory in the Oroua Stakes, while his other two mounts (Festive and Amberine) ran unplaced.

Red Ribbon, who won the St. Andrew’s Handicap miles) on the opening day of the Feilding J.C.’s meeting, figures in the Auckland Cup ( two miles and the Manawatu Cup (1% miles). Red Ribbon, it will be remembered, filled the position of runner-up to Fiery Cross in the 1917 Auckland Cup, on which occasion she carried 7J2 and was ridden by the Auckland horseman J. Conquest. The daughter of Elevation —Blue Ribbon is now in her eighth yea,r, and with 8.4 to carry in this year’s Auckland Cup she is confronted with a difficult task. /

After the payment of the forfeit, the following horses remain in the Fifteenth Palmerston North Stakes, of 500sovs., six furlongs, w.f.a., to be run on the second day of the Manawatu R.C.’s summer meeting, which takes place on December 27, 28 and 30: —Mockery, Demand, Blackmail, Toa Taua, Taipairu, Aureate, Princess Pat, Warplane,: Panache, Dunedin, Tommy Rot, Koodoo, Strategy, Prince Martian, Affectation, Soldier’s Love, Ennea, Munus, Red Band, Roset, Edendale, Little River, b c Wolawa — Float.

Nursing Sister (Solferino — Miss Dalrymple), formerly an inmate of the Highden establishment at Awapuni, but now the property of Mr. D. O’Reilly, is proving a great asset to her ownei\ her success in the Flying Handicap (six furlongs) on the opening day at Feilding making her third consecutive win in the space of a fortnight. Nursing Sister won the McDonald Memorial Handicap (six furlongs) at the Horowhenua R.C.’s meeting, and also the Raumai Welter Handicap (seven furlongs) at the Ashhurst-Pohangina R.C.’s annual fixture, thus crediting her owner with £535 in stakes for the three abovementioned races. She was ridden in each of her successes by Ashley Reed.

A number of Auckland horses were nominated for the Manawatu meeting in addition to Uncle Ned. The weights are due on Friday next.

The Otahuhu Trotting Club’s meeting was got through in fine weather. It rained hard next day, and no trotting meeting could have been held then. Friday, however, proved fine for the Show, and the rain had laid the dust nicely.

H. Robinson was riding at the Feilding J.C.’s meeting, but experienced' no success. He piloted the Great Northern Derby winner, Listowel, in the Feilding Stakes and the York Handicap, the son of Absurd finishing outside of a place in both events. Robinson also had the mounts on Te Kaha, Empyrean, Glenmai and American Beauty, none of which ran into a place in their respective races.

Mr. W. R. Kemball had no less than sixteen representatives carrying his colours at th e two-day fixture of the Feilding Jockey Club. On the opening day he failed to secure a win, though Hymestra ran second to Gloaming in the Fifteenth Feilding Stakes, while Missgold was third in the Flying Handicap, in which race he stable had another representative in Dunedin, who failed to run up to expectations. Lord Nagar, Tenterfield, Weldone and Raceful all ran unplaced in their respective engagements on the opening day. On the second day matters looked the reverse of pleasant for backers of the Kemball stable, for after Missgold (who was bracketed with Trespass, the pair being favourites on the machine) had acted as runner-up to Chimera in the York Handicap (the second race on the programme), Tenterfield, Bonetter, Hymestra, Weidone and Rebuff all ran unplaced in subsequent engagements. The last race, however, gave the Kemball establishment a change of luck, for Raceful, who was fourth favourite, placed the event to his credit, returning a fairly good dividend.

For winning the St. Andrew’s Handicap at the Feilding meeting Red Ribbon had her Auckland Cup» weight raised 21b. by the A.R.C. handicapper, Mr. F. Macmanemin, making it 8.4.

K. Bracken has been offered riding at the A.R.C. summer meeting, and in the event of him coming to New Zealand this month should have no difficulty in getting a number of mounts thereat.

Recent reports as to the condition of the 1919 Melbourne Cup winner, Artilleryman, who is still at Bacchus Marsh, are much more satisfactory than they have been since he was sent out. The swelling in his hind leg has subsided considerably, and he now moves about much more than he has been doing.

When Gloaming won the Fifteenth Feilding Stakes last week he returned one of the smallest dividends on record. A much better price was obtained about The Welkin gelding in the Oroua Stakes on the second day of the Feilding J.C.’s meeting, and he again defeated his half-dozen rivals in decisive fashion. Gloaming’s next appearance will be in the Islington Plate (one mile) on the sec-

ctnd day of the Auckland R.C.’s meeting, an event in which he has been on the last two occasions. Desert Gold registered three consecutive successes in the Islington Plate, so that there is every probability of Gloaming equalling her record at the forthcoming meeting at Ellerslie.

8.-Deeley headed the list of successful horsemen at the Feilding J.C.’s spring meeting, being responsible for. five winners (Gloaming twice, Jutland, Chimera, and Red Ribbon). Con Reed came next with two wins (Minsk and Hallowroz), while the following each rode a winner:—A. McDonald (Mattock), W. Blanche (Beloved), A. Reed (Nursing Sister), H. E. Ryder (Namur), P. Mcßrearty (Vigilo), H. Goldfinch (Depredation), W. Young (Borealis), H. Gray (Prodigal), and J. O’Shea (Raceful).