THE RACING WORLD

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1926, Page 5

THE RACING WORLD

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By

“The Watcher.”)

The animal race meeting of the Levin Racing Club will be held at Levin today. A special train will leave Thorndon at 8.45 a.m>, returning after the races. Backers have one or two tough problems to solve during the day, the fields generally being large, and in many cases it will be difficult to unearth the Winder. ‘ Itacing will commence wish the Manakau Hurdles. Bonecto, who heads the handicap, has 21b. more than when he won the same race last year. He has not had a great deal of racing so far : this season, putting in one appearance tt Otaki, and another at Waverley, both in hurdle events and both unplaced. However, ho has been up long enough to be ready to show form. Gauntlet and Matu may be the most likely of those trom Trentham, and on Matu’s form at Hastings he should run well. Gauntlet, however, has only got to run a good race to bo hard to beat. He schools well in private, and on the flat when in the humour is the equal to anything in the ,race. There are possibilities in the others, and nothing is better bred to jump than Tempean, the half-brother to Highway. Some of the runners in the Weraroa 'Handicap claim subsequent engagements. Our Jack and Bronstcll represent the best recent form, and amongst the lightweights Petal may run well. Black Mint may carry the bulk of the support in the Mako Mako Handicap, and his form is easily the best, while his size precludes the possibility of the weight troubling him. Vivo may meet with better luck than at Clareyille. There is an excellent field in the Levin Cup. Diogenes, ridden by L. G. Morris, may start favourite, and he appears to have bright prospects, though he failed to run up to his Wainui Handicap form in subsequent events at the Wellington and Masterton meetings. Indian Sage finished in front of Diogenes in the Pearce Handicap, giving him lib. Indian Sago did not start at the Masterton meeting, where Diogenes was twice third, but Mr. Coyle now places Indian Sage 31b. above Diogenes, an indication that he expects Mr. Kiddiford’s lioroo to show that his Wellington form was wrong. It is quite on the cards that his estimation will prove correct. It should not be forgotten that as the result of good form Indian Sage was made favourite from Beacon Light in the Wellington Handicap, and although he did not win he was in the firing line at a mile and a quarter, and finished fifth close to Clarinda, who was fourth. Tins is better form than that of Diogenes, and in the meantime Indian Sage has had time to freshen up, which Catmints quickly do. He has plenty of paco to get an early position in the race —a big consideration on the Levin course, and of the top weights he may do the best. Nukumai is in order at the present time, although it may be a little late now m the season for hurdlers to do well against seasoned flat horses. Rouex has only got to run up to his recent form at Riccarton to be well to the fore, and Kilfairo on the handicaps should show up. The field in the Lake Hack Handicap is not a particularly strong one. If No Favours and General Wai run up tothe best form they showed at Trentham last month they should be well forward at the finish. . , , ~ , The McDonald Memorial should be an excellent race, as more than half the runners have first-class prospects. Modern is particularly well placed in this event on her Trentham running, but First Acre and Misgovern may be troublesome. last-gained is a probable starter in the Cup. On form the 'hardest to beat inav prove to be Epistle, who raced so well at Trentham last month. Post positions and riders will have a big bearing on the result of the Hokio Handicap, which is run over five furlongs. ’ Royal Land, Jazz Baby, and Argue should run well, while Royal Game (R. Reed) will carry a lot of support. ' The maiden field is not a good one. Kilmezzo has fair form and Humoresque should run well. Propeller has shown fair form at earlier meetings this season. .

When the Trentham horses left for Levin yesterday no decision had been reached as regards Modern’s engagement. Sho is in the Cup and McDonald Memorial. Misgovern will probably start in the Cup and be ridden by S. Wilson. C. Pritchard has returned to Trentham and will resume training. At present he is handling a youngster purchased in Christchurch last week by Mr. W. H. Ballinger. A. Goodman has got Printemps in commission again. During the New Zealand Cup meeting S. Reid disposed of Note to West Coast sportsmen. On his return he had a cable message from Sydney awaiting him offering a price for her which was lOOgns. in advance of what she was sold for.

Mrs. M. A. Perry experienced a bad slice of misfortune this week when the colt foal by Tea Tray—Miss Girons died. He was a full-brother to Silver Tray, who last season, as a two-year-old, showed attractive form. The Martian gelding Battlement was out working at Riccarton on Thursday morning and moved well in a short sprint. He has got over the slight trouble that prevented him from racing at the Canterbury Jockey’s Club’s meeting, and he should be ready to show some form shortly. His holiday programme has not been decided on yet, but if all goes well with him he may be a visitor to Auckland.

The Gay Lad three-year-old, Young Lochinvar, has been sent home for a spell. He was very sore on the eve of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting and was unable to start. Commendation’s next appearance will be at the Auckland summer meeting, when he will be again pitted against Lysander in the Great Northern Derby. The pair are also engaged in the Royal Stakes, over six furlongs, at the .same fixture. Each will have to carry a 101 b. penalty in the latter event, making their imposts 9st. 101 b, J. Beale is making a good recovery from the accident which prevented him from riding at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. His ankle is stilt under treatment but he expects to be in the saddle again at the Methven meeting, early next month. The Welcome Stakes winner Cimabue will next be produced at the Auckland summer meeting, and in all probability a trip will be undertaken with him to Sydney in the autumn for the A.J.C. Champagne Stakes and Sires’ Produce Stakes. Cimabue has been under offer to an Australian buyer for 3000 guineas and it is quite possible now that the sale.will eventuate. A rumour is current in Christchurch that the three-year-olds Limerick and Battlement have been. sold. But F. D. Jones, the trainer of the horses, has no knowledge concerning the reported deal. Limerick was blistered before he left Australia on his return trip to New Zealand, and since his arrival at Riccarton ho has had a dose of physic. He will now have a good spell, to allow the injured foot to grow down and completely heal. This means, says a southern writer, that he cannot be at his best for the Great Northern Derby on New Year’s Day, and it can be taken as pretty certain that no attempt will be made to race him seriously until the autumn. Then, if all is well with him, he may pay another visit to Australia, where he has St. Leger engagements at Flemington and Randwick. Everything will depend, however, on how his injured foot progresses during the next month or SO. The question of Limerick being a nonstayer through his sire Limond, which wqs raised by Dr. Stewart McKay in his Melbourne Cup letter to the “Australasian,” and which brought forth a reply from Mr. Ken Austin of Sydney, is again touched upon by Dr. McKay in a further interesting letter; "Let' me admit without a moment’s hesitation (he says) that my old friend Ken Austin has ■•'orgotten more about pedigrees than I ever knew; but I don’t think that he has put his case for Limond as well as he might have done. He says: 'Only a few Limonds have been tried to date, and in Limerick, Commendation, and Lady Desmond he has thus early shown us that he is likely to sire stayers.’ I am stupid enough to fail to see how this works out. Commendation and Lady Desmond, as far as my records go, have only just entered on their three-year-old careers, and I haven’t heard of their winning at a distance yet [Commendation subsequently won the New Zealand Derby], while Limerick, poor fellow, was not able to do himself justice in the Cup from the pain in his foot. If my friend had fired Mask at my head he would have done better, because Mask won the Great Northern St. Leger (N.Z.), and actually beat Star Stranger, who later won the New Zealand St. Leger, and the Metropolitan at Rand wick. Mask then had a shot at the Trentham Gold Cup, w.f.a., two miles, and ran third to Rapine, but the time was bad, 3.31 J- Now, if we ask how Mask, from Cowl, came to run two miles, the answer is that Cowl’s dam was Monkshood, and this mare was halfsister to Insomnia, whose dam, Nightmare

was a sister to Commotion, a great stayer. I need hardy mention that Insomnia was the dam of Wakeful. Thus we come by a side path to the very point that I have insisted upon in my cup letter, when I say, 'Limerick is by Limond, wno in my estimation is not bred to get horses that will win beyond 12 furlongs, unless mated with mares which come from a very strong staying line, and Medley does not fulfil that condition.’’ I wish to again direct attention to the fact, as some of my friends have made merry at my expense because I said Rampion was not a stayer, that horses that win a Derby and St. Leger are not necessarily stayers. I have laid it down as a rule, for my own guidance, that a stayer must be able io win at two miles with a decent weight up—say, Bst. —in time not far off 3.26. Even this may prove fallacious, and when one sees horses bred like Lingle and Erasmus running second in a Melbourne Cup we may be inclined to dub them stayers; but such horses never win at two miles. Lastly, I stated in my letter: 'Limerick is at a short quote for the cup. Rampion is also short, but I cannot think that either of these horses will win.’ 1 consider that it was foolish to run Limerick; the horse was in pain with his foot, and that pain would act on his nervous system and increase the harm done by the overexertion of a two miles strenuous struggle on a heart and nervous system which has- not been evolved on the castiron lines that helped Spearfelt and Naos. The cup, I may add. was a very beautiful demonstration of my heart theory from two points of view. I wrote about Pantheon: ‘He must possess that particular kind of heart that if you hurry it too much in the first stages you will deprive the horse of his chance.’ He was hurried too much; this horses’s best distance is a mile and a half. Tne second point is, that the first five horses have the proper brand of heart inherited from Carbine through Spearhead. Martian. Tracery, Comedy King, and Kilbroney. I think The Banker failed because the course was a little too hard for him; had it rained it would have been better, as he no doubt suffered because he was sore, and that would be the same as the effect of over-exertion, and would tend to tire him, for ho only failed in the last furlong, failed at the very moment when he was expected to shirv»-a sure sign that his heart is not qui'fb as good as it was: his long races in New Zealand have told their tale."

IMPROVEMENTS AT WINGATUI Dominion Special. Dunedin. November 18. Plans for the ntw stand at the Wingatui racecourse, prepared by Mr. Wales, were considered bv the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Committee’this afternoon. Several improvements to the appointments of the course will be seen at the summer meeting next month. Seventeen new loose boxes are being erected, and a better sand roll and wash-down will be available. The motor paddock is to be finished off bv gravelling the roadways, etc., and the' gate arrangements are to be amplified bv providing three more entrance tunistiles and separate exits.

TAKAPUNA ACCEPTANCES BI TE&EGBAPH.—PBESS ASSOCIATION, Auckland, November 19, The following acceptances have been received for the Takapuna races on HANDICAP, of 275 sovs. One mile and three furlongs.

FIXTUBES. November 20—Levin R.C. November 24—Ashhunst-Pohangina R.C. November 27, December I—Takapuna J.C. November 30, December I—Feilding J.C. December 4—Methven R.C. December 4—Taumarunul R.C. December 8, 11—Wellington Trotting Club. December 8, U—Woodville District J.C. December 10, 11—South Canterbury J.C. December 11—Waipa R.C. December Id. 18—Dargaville R.C. December 27—Walpukurau J.C. December 27, 28—Westland R.C. December 27, 28—Taranaki J.C. December 27, 28—Du 'din J.C. December 27. 28. 30— Manawatu R C. December 27. 29. January 1. 3 —Auckland R.C. , „ December 31, January 1 4—Grey mouth J.C. 1927. January I—Waikouaiti R.O. January I—Wyndham R.O. January 1, 3—Hawke s Bay J.O. January 1, 3—Stratford R.O. January 1, 3 —Marton J.C. January 1. 3—Wairarapa R.C. January 3, 4—Southland R.O. , January 7. 8- P.eefton J.C. . January 8 or 15—Waipapakaun R.C. January 8, 10 —Vincent J.C. January 15—Wairio J.O. January 18. 20—Wairoa R.O. January 20. 22, 24. .Wellington R.C. January 21, 22—Foxton R.C. January 22-Bay of Islands R.O. January 26, 27—Pahiatua R.C. January 29, 31—Takapuna R.O.

Black Oruiser . 10 12 Kamehameha . 9 1 Wedding 10 4 Ilatiawera Sea Comet ... 9 0 Royal Form .. . 10 0 Lord Bruce .... 9 0 Pentagram .. . 9 6 Fair Abbey .... 9 0 Pouri . 9 5 BOROUGH HANDICAP, cf 400 sovs. . furlongs. Le Ohoucas ... .. 8 It Ring th* Bell 7 7 7 3 Charlady Mosaic Archibald . 8 0 Mu scar! 1 1 . 7 10 Gold Fern 7 0 Arch Amie %... . 7 6 Curraghmoro . 7 0 Tall Timber .. . 7 6 New Moon ....... 7 0 Naiiiutere . 7 4 Thursby 7 0 ALISON CUP. t of 800 sovs. One mile and hree furlongs. Master Doon . 8 9 Lord rtar 7 1Z Desert Glow .. Town Bank .. . 8 7 Princess Ron- . 8 3 nie Treeham . 8 3 Spoony Transformer . i 0 . 8 1 7 0 Nippy ' . 8 1 Boomerday ... 7 0 CAMBRIA 1 I HANDICAP, of 500 sovs. Tve furlongs. High Finance 9 Chins 8 3 10 Quaver g. Exalted 7 7 7 0 Ti Tree . 8 7 Golden WedAuricalus — Whakarite ... . 7 10 dine 7 0 . 7 7 • Carinthia ..— 7 0 Standfast . 7 7 PONUI HANDICAP, of 275 sovs. One mile and 1 one turiong. Golden Krist . . 9 4 Air Queen Y Id Wen day . 8 13 Blue Sky 7 10 Quondong Schorr Judge’s Box ... . 8 . 8 . 8 4 2 0 Bracken Abbey 7 7 7 Nassock 7 7 Maveelish . 8 0 CHELTENHAM HANDICAP, of 500 8OV8. Six furlongs. York Abbey .. Le Choucas .. . 8 13 „ 8 12 Merry Damon Tea Bell 8 0 7 13 King Merv ... .. 8 11 Archeen 7 10 .. 8 9 Heisler 7 .. 8 3 Aurumavis 7 3 Nancv Lee 8 3 Tutankhamen . 7 0 Hoariri - . 8 3 Value 7 0 MELROSE STAKES, of 250 sovs. Seven furlongs. All 8.0. Anolo Abbey Day Kyngzone Star Comet Town Bird Charis Queen Rewa Ballachulish Cantab Modest Boy Creation Royal Picture Alonsa. Dimmer King Enald Arch Queen Te Kawana Cynelli Sir Gilbert Wonder Star Harbor View Bahama Corinax Ototoa Miss Astrod Ambrosia TAKAPUNA PLATE. of 600 bovb. Seven furlongs. Delightment Ballachulish Valkon Ruffles Te Koroke War Officer Jemidar Adjuster Rahepoto Dimmer Joy Germ Bold Front King Selwyn Tinoiti Luxurious Tinokoa Salamander Ned Kelly Dobbin True Blood Newbury Quinsilia Quondong Clarus Winsome Boy