RACING Fieldmaster And Palisade In Cups

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 4

RACING Fieldmaster And Palisade In Cups

Palisade, the top handicap horse of the season, and Fieldmaster, winner of the last New Zealand Cup, are among the South Island entries for the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups.

Fieldmaster, a six-year-old gelding by Someo from Bottine, is trained at Washdyke by B. T. Jones for Mr W. Engelbrecht of Waimate.

Jones said at Wingatui at the week-end that Fieldmast, ' er would resume racing in the near future. He has not run since he pulled up lame when finishing sixth in the Auckland Cup in January. Also in the Melbourne Cup is Royal Estate, which scored a double at Riccarton over Easter, running close to the track record for a mile and a half in one of his winning runs. Royal Estate is trained by A. N. Didham for Mrs H. G. McLeod. A. E. Didham has three in the big two-miler, Bastille, Mon Amour and Ski. All four have been entered in the Caulfield Cup, also, along with Bellition, another of A. E. Didham’s team. Fieldmaster and Royal Estate have also been entered for the Goerge Adams Handicap over a mile, four days after the Melbourne Cup, and Ski, Bastille, Bellition and Royal Estate have been nominated for minor events at the Cup carnival.

Eiffel Tower, which was earlier entered for jumping events in Melbourne, has also been entered for the Melbourne Cup. Lucky Rider G. A. Walter, the rider of the Great Northern Hurdles winner, Macdonald, had luck on his side when he was given the mount on Thursday night. He also had luck in his pocket throughout the two and a half miles and 10 fences on Saturday.

Last Christmas Walters gave Miss S. Daw, his fiancee at the time, a good luck charm. Miss Daw, who is now married to Walters, has worn the gift ever since. But on Saturday, just before the big hurdles, she gave the charm to her husband for “good luck.” Walters carried the charm in the fob pocket of his riding silks. “It has certainly been a good luck charm for me,” he said after his winning ride.

Walters, who served his apprenticeship at Ellerslie under R. G. Stenning and who rode his first winner at Thames six years ago, was having his first ride in the Great Northern Hurdles. “But for Norm Crawford’s gesture in letting me off Monoceros I would not have been able to ride Macdonald,” said Walters. “It was a terrific thing for him to do. He could easily have made me ride Monoceros.” 42 Wins .

Walters has ridden 42 winners to date and 12 since he completed his apprnticeship last September. Besides the Great Northern Hurdles he has won a Waikato Steeplechase, a McGregor Grant Steeplechase, two Whau Steeplechases, at Avondale, and has been placed in’ a Great Northern Steeplechase and Wellington Steeplechase. Walters said he was confident he would win with about a mile to run. “He was going so easily at that stage and jumping very well.” G. R. Bell, the rider of Jumping Joe, the runner-up, said his mount had every chance. “Macdonald just had too much stamina over the last couple of furlongs.”

None of the other riders could offer any excuses. J. H. Hely, the rider of Khoringa, said his mount had every chance. “The ground did not seem to suit him though.”

Record Stud Fee

The stud fee for Kurdistan next stud season will be a record for the Southland area at 200 guineas. A number of North Island mares had again been booked to Kurdistan for the next season, Mr W. E. Hazlett said in Auckland at the week-end. Joining Kurdistan at Mr Hazlett’s Chelandry Stud will be Hawa, which served last season in the North Island.

Another recent acquisition, the English J bred Royal Stu-

dent, will not be available to the public this season. He may be mated with a few of Mr Hazlett’s own mares. Markable Hurt The good galloper Markable has a cracked canon bone in his near foreleg, but it is thought that he will be able to race again. Although his form this season had not been impressive as last, Markable won once and was placed on several occasions.

Last season as a three-year-old he won six races against top class and proved one of the best of his age over shorter distances. New Stud

The former Wanaka studmaster, Mr H. W. S. Faulks, who stood Royal Chief and Paper Money at his Mount Barker Stud, has bought a property at Hamilton where he will establish a new stud. Mr Faulks recently sold his Mount Barker property and will begin his new operations with the English-bred Macquario.