NOTES AND COMMENTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 9, 26 January 1937, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "The Barb.") There went from this _ part of Hawke's Bay strong teams to attend the Wellington and Ashhurst race meetings, but only one raee per meeting was credited to them. Minor placings aplenty came their way but, taken ail round, the form displayed was below expectations, • • • Mr A. W. Meikle'a four-year-old Lord Quex — Charlady mare Charade was the only winner that went from here to Trentham. She paid over a score, straight out, so that her constaut followers would get substantial cousolation for previous disappointments. Still, she has not reaehed the grade that her breedlng or her early two-year-old promise suggested, though perhaps she is paying her way. • • * Peter Beckford was started Ihe flrst day at Wellington but never threatened the place-getters, racing decidedly below reeent publie and private form. The middle day he did not i'aee the starter, but on. Saturday beat all but the brilliant three-year-old filly Laugking Lass. Peter Be.ckford, early in his career, was seleeted to furnish into a top-liner, but does not now look like coming up to expectations. , • • • His stable companion Soho on the first day ran a very creditable third but in his ne^t start was tailing tho field ^all the way. His in-and-out form is difficult to explain and maybe he is not too genuine. So far, at any xate, tne Defoe gelding has rather belied his good looks and perfect racing condtion. • * • How many brilliant two-year-olds have come from the Chokebore Lodge? Undoubtedly more than any other racing establishment in the Dominion has turned out. Haughty Winner, the latest to prove her mettle, appears to he a good deal abovo the average and, bred as he is, likely to furnish into a Derby candidate. The late Sir George ClifEoid stuek pretty closely to colonial-bred sires and with ontstanding results. Now his son, Sir Charles, carries on in like manner. Haughty Winner, like many other turf successes, traces back to an old "Karamu" (H.B.) family founded by an Apremont — Martyr mare. • ' * # Gold Boa looka like the sprinting find of the season. She commenced racing only last spring and at the first attempt ran second to Autumn Wind in a maiden event at Wingatui. Since then she has gone on from victory to victory, showing a record standing now at eight wins and two seeonds in as many starts. She also has "Karamu" blood in her veins, both sire and clam tracing back to that stud. * * . • Martara was one of the outstanding performers at the Wellington meeting, winning the Douro Cup and the chief handicap event on Saturday last, his only starts. In the Auckland Derby he was . plaeed fifth hehind the winner Essex. These two met again last Saturday over a quarter-mile shorter distance, with Essex giving away a few pounds, and Martara cleared riglit away, giving nothing else a chance and winning by half-a-dozen lengths, with Essex well back beliind the other plaeart horses. Martara is owned by Mr C. W. Boyd, who hefore the war was in business in Hastings both as a baker and as a hairdresser. * * * ' Tiger Gain just missed malcing the grade among the first-elass handicap horses at Wellington, running good races in hoth his starts hut just good enough to miss a place. Useful he undoubtedly is, but hardly good enough to taske ou the best. Nothing stripped better than he did for the Wellington Cup.

Lady W essex was also out of her element. although on the middle day she ran quite a f air race. Round the smaller meetings this Mercian King mare should account for middle-distance events as she hangs on well and can carry weight. » • Mr Frank Armstrong's two-year-old colt Francis Drake must now be given the palm as the best youngster of the year, as his wins inclu.de the A.R.C. Weleome Stakes, tho W.R.C. W ellesle j Stakes, the C.J.C. Weleome Stakes. the A.R.C. Royal Stakes and now the Wellington Stakes,. carrying the full penalty. When finishing second to Royal Chief in the G.N. Foal Stakes ha ran about a good deal, which may have cost him the race. Not many, if any, have won the five events that have fallen to Francis Drake and it is good to see him winning in the colours of so fine a sportsman as Mr Frank Armstrong

A two-year-old that suffered loss of reputation at Wellington was Mr Frank Ormond 's Geira. On the traek she has pace to burn and it is even said she can beat Francis Drake. She seems another instance of an Arausio filly being a swallow-catcher in training' trials but failing when it comes to the tasks. • » • Huntette ran fair races at Trentham, but the little Hunting Song mare found her weight in the company she had to meet something beyond her. She hau speed, but not suuicient to take on tbe "town hall" cla&s. • « • Oratory is not producing the form expeeted after her fihe displays in tho autumn of last year. This . well-bred daughter of Gainscourt and Oratress is not always runnii'g poor races, as minor places are coming her way in seleet eoniauy. Mares are frequently at their poorest in their fourth year, so that next season, or even this autumn, ma', find Oratory relurning tc form,. # * • Jazz Boy was a big disappointmetit. down in the windy centre. At Hastings on New Year's Day he won with lutle to spare, but next day showed u big improvement, winning by half-a-dozen lengths. It was then tliought that next timo he was saddled up he would be a. 50 per ceuc. better horse. At Trentham on opening day he jumped away smartly and piloted the field to the three-furlong post, where he gave out, finishing well out of the pieture. | There was no explanation forthcoming

for this poor display and on Saturday he was given a chance - to redeem his character, but with little better xesult. Jazz Boy can and will do better than this, whatever the cause of his Trentham failures.