A NORTHERN SLANT

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 31, 6 February 1935, Page 8

A NORTHERN SLANT

ON TARANAKI PROSPECTS

(Special frotn "Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, Tina Day. Recent form m the noith may be a, \aluable guide to the inst d.i}'s> lacing at New l'lj mouth "tomorrow, toi quite a number of those engaged have .performed with more or -less distinction in their cl}oitt> of lute weeks. At the Takapuna ispung Meeting Illuminate was, good enough to win both hmdlc laces, and then he wus hailed as> a coming champion over the sticks, a claim that »aa by no means t«i fetched, lor the mound m which the' TaianaUi jumper scoied impiessed gieatly. 'Then'ho was taken to the Royal Welcome Meeting at Tientham and was galloped, on badly in the big flat race, hib futuie being viewed with misgiving. However, he innde a'lcmaikable lecoveiy, and dloven days later he was taking ou the hurdlers again at Ellershe. He went a couplo ot, good laces too, consideiing that his mjuiy caused him to be given,a let-up in his woik. With the benefit of a five weeks' lest flora actual racing over the sticks he should come up nice and fiesh tomoirow, and as ho is a class hurdler he dominates tho Waitara Hui dies field. One of the most piomismg two-year-olds seen out in the spring wat> Link Divine, one of J. Biown'a Uawera team. She has had only one lace to date, when she ran Triune to half a head in the handicap event on the opening day at lakapuna two months back. At that tune Tnune represented excellent noithein juvenile ioim, since when, however, he has slipped badly. Link Divine lav veiy gieenly in that contest, and she appeared lather unlucky to lose. The juvenile event tomoirow has drawn together a fine field of two- and three-year-olds, and Link Divine, based upon her lakapuna effort, must be hard to beat indeed. This filly may lepresent the stable at New Plymouth, while it is possible that her stablemate, the bainer-shy Fan fax, will be left to contest similar events at^ the Egmont fixture next week. Lady Kyia is only one of many smart fillies in the Flying Handicap, but on hei illershe showings last month she may be a hold one to beat. She dead-heated with Kelly over .the mile the fust day, form that was first class, and although she failed subsequently at the meeting there was a contributing factor, that of distance for she appealed on her Auckland mnnmbetter served by a sprint distance. Lad? Ayra should do well at both Xew Pl- ymouth and Hawera. True Measure is a noitliein hope for tho Motuioa Electiic. He is" smait, and if given the chance will be a piospect m the maiden class, which, does not appear to be "over stiong. The Taranaki Cup will servo to iiitroauce two fresh middle-distance peiformeis in Cherry King and Pomp, both of whom raced at Fllershe during the Summer Meeting. The former's foun is now better known in the southern pait of the island; he appears to be a second-day hoise, but as ho- performed so well in the good class up noith, and subsequently at Tientham, he looks a fine liiopo.sition, unless he is definitely a second-day horse, or alternatively finds the turning Taianaki course a bit too much for him. Pomp ran a couple of good races at Elleishe, and except for getting left the fust day at the mile he might have won. He was then tried over a mile and a quarter, in which his rider appeared to fail to make the most "use of his pace and light weight, with the result that heVas well beaten. Still, one would not like to say thatJPomp is not good enough to win the Taiatfaki Cup, for he isfciobably quite up to that standaid. Royal Secret? engaged ii} the hack sprint toniorrow, ran^two good,races in<foir Aac^ class at Matamata last \ week, finishing fourth the first*'start and beating all except First Lap and"Royal Dash in the second run. \On these showings she has moie than an 1 outside chance at New Plymouth. She is also engaged at Rotorua, and no definite anno'unrement has yet been made as to. her programme. It is quite probable that she will'do tho Taranaki and Egmont Meetings., * TURF NEWS IN BRIEF ". The grounds at Hutt Park are in excellent order xn spite of the recent xlry spell, but the going on the course proper on Saturday is likely to be very fast. Autopay has not been 'down to^ the tracks since the Wellington Meeting, co it does not seem piobable now that he will lace again till next month. Acceptable is impiovmg all the time now at Trentham, and when he next races at the smaller meetings he should be capable of collecting some of the spoils. Although he is not to race again till after Easter, Chile does his daily tasks with the rest ,at Trentham, and he. should be a fit horse when the jumping season comes. ' The hurdler Verdeu has had an easy time since the Wellington Meeting, and he has not yet returned to the tracks. He does not, however, require a long preparation, and he will be seen, in action again a& soon "as tracks are easier. The usual etarter at Matamata, Mr. J. C. Potts, was suffering on Saturday from an injured hand caused through cranking a car, and after dispatching the field in the first race he had to relinquish the duty to Mr. R. H. Skipwilh, the, Auckland Racing Club's starter, who officiated for the rest of the day. In these days when so many horses are conveyed to race meetings by float a loading-bank has become a necessary facility at courses, and such a bank is now being constructed by the Woodville District Jockey> Club, which hopes to have it ready for the meeting at th.c end of the piesent month. Hounslow, who was badly shaken when he fell in his second hurdle race at the Auckland Meeting, has made good progress lately, and T. H. Gilletthas him in work again. He will be kept going steadily, and he may be a competitor in brush hurdle events at the Canterbuiy Jockey Club's Easter Meeting. ■Gay Blonde has had a comparatively easy time: since racing at the Auckland Summer Meeting, and has just been given sufficient work at Takanini to keep her in a healthy state. No definite plans have been made,as to when she will next racej but if is more than likely that she will .again sport silk at the Te 'Aroha Meeting on February 23 and 25. Rebel Chief is-back on the track .at Riccarton: after being off the scene for moie than a month. lie looks big and well, as a result of his spell, and he will resume fast work soon. It is possible that v he will- be given a race! at Mbtukarara next, month, but the Great Easter Handicap is the special mission for which he is to be prepared. Coll has joined D. O'Connor's team at Ricearton, and he: will be prepared for hurdle racing in the autumn and winter. Eailicr m the season, when tiained by J. J. Lewis at Ashburf.on, he showed some, promise, and he will not need to improve a, great deal to^ win races. He will have one advantage in his present quarters, as O'Connor has few supeiiors as a rider of jumpers. W. T. Waggoner, one of America's greatest Turf men, died recently at the age of 82. Mr. Waggoner did things in a big way, and spent a tremendous amount in the1 purchase of English, as well as American, horses. He built the Arlington Downs race track in 1929 at a cost of £400,000. Four yeais later, chiefly through his untiring efforts, the Texas Legislature ratified the measure making racing with parimutuel wagering legal -in" that State.. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. : "W.W.'^-L.D., £2 5a.K^1 ':/•'■ ':'■':<:- Y "Doubtful"-.(Keiburn).4j.K.; llsj 8., £1 ■7S. , ■■ ■:" . ."■ . ' ... . \.:. ■~ ' "Doubtful" (Lower Hutt).—(a) Modern ■•"■ ". practice all over the world is to'feature according'to importance. It is left to the intelligence of readers to place the chronoloßy, and it is clear that this v" .is nbdifficultyto you. (b) The Trentham racecourse may be inspected on any day.