COURTCRAFT FOR SYDNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 24, 29 January 1938, Page 22

COURTCRAFT FOR SYDNEY

Courtcraft is to be returned to j Australia for the Autumn Meetings in Sydney. Mr. W. H. Gaisford stated at Pahiatua yesterday that the colt would be shipped to Sydney at the middle of March. In the A.J.C. St. JLeg-er he will again be meeting Hua, Avenger, and A jax. The former has not made any appearances over the past two years and he has been a big disappointment, not having performed anywhere near. expectations, having regard to his breeding. Golden Spahi was expected to race well over the brush obstacles at Thames as a result of good schooling, but he was never in the picture and improvement will be necessary if he is to won on, Monday. « ' Dragon Moth was expected to make good last season alter having won her first race, a two-year-old event at the Auckland Summer Meeting, over a year ago. S Her last outing was at Te Rapa, when she finished second to Farlarid in the hack sprint on the opening day. This-filly is due to make her next appearance at Ellerslie on Monday, when she is engaged in the hack six furlongs, and, as the company is not actually first ■ class, .it would not occasion surprise df she was to at ! least pay a place-dividend, for she has a lot of,pace. '. .\: .-■.:. •./,■'• BUILDING UP A TEAM. Takanini trainer W. Townsend, who did well when training Messrs. Roulston horses, and more recently had a good run here arid in Sydney with Silver Jubilee, is gradually building up a promising team. He produced the two-year-old Pocket Venus at Thames, and on Monday he expects to step out another youngster, Royevrus (Surveyor—Desert Fire), -at headquarters. With the very speedy maiden Poker Dice also to represent him, it is only a.matter of a short period before this trainer will be in the limelight again. ' .. . [ The Hauraki Plate,-.'.the valuable mile "hack classic" on .Monday's Takapuna programme, is to be contested |by probably the worst' field that has ever made the final payment for this type of race on the club's programme. Romani, Jack Tar, and Privy Seal have the pace, if rather lacking solidity, and High Sea may be found sticking on a bit better than the majority. Much i depends on ' Play Qn's.. showing , the i i first day as to whether he will be a runner, for success today will render - any horse /ineligible for Monday's race. Trainer R. S. Bagby has three horses engaged, Privy Seal, Glen Abb, and Jack Tar, all running in different interests. However, the issue seems to rest between Play On and High Sea, whichever is eligible. • Fresh- blood in the open sprint on Monday is confined to Airam, Crooning, and Sir Abb, all of whom showed up over seven furlongs at Thames, the best of this trio perhaps being Crooning, whose two efforts there were firstclass. However, if Royal Bachelor, who was stood down for his stable mate Rollicker in today's ' open six, is produced there may not be any need to look further for the potential winner, for this smart three-year-old has only to get back to his best spring form to beat any field over this distance.