NORTHERN TOPICS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 29, 18 February 1937, Page 8

NORTHERN TOPICS

■Own Correspondent.)

The Approaching Provincial Meetings HORSES T0 REMEMBER

(By Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, This day. Carrying 9.0, Dark Shadow revealed a lot of pace to be one of the leaders into the straight in the Rotorua Cup, and he then failed to run on, finishing fifth. This was not a bad effort undcr the circumstances, and with a drop in weight he should be ready to go well at the eoming provincial meetings, where stakes are excellent. _ Oonsidering that he defeated Brunhilde at Ellerslie some weeks earlier, J Trilliarcu was at fine odds when he won the two and three-year-old handicap event at Rotorua on the opening day. He appears to be improving still, and it should not be diffieult to place J hina to still further extend his record in the next few weeks, for the fields in I the juvenfle - events or the provincial circuit are certain to indle down, A Stmart Hack. Jack Tar's task in winning t>9 Waimangu Stakes, a maiden race at weight-for-age at Rotorua on Saturday, was not made very diffieult, and he seored j easing up. This hack is well above the class of the average maiden winner, and it should not be long before he adds to his reputation, for he is good enough to hold his own in good hack handicap company. Ho is likely to be a good horse to follow through the pro-' vincial circuit, for he is still on the up erade.

Huntsman's Chorus ran. his best race to date when he fllled the rol& of run-ner-up in the maiden handichp event on the opening day of the Takapuna meeung last month, and on the s&cond day his chaneys were . not enhanced when he was forcedi to cover a lot oi extra gropnd. He is to have a short . tour to take in the important provincial 'meetings and, as he will favour the rqomy courses, he looks like being a payable ^ proposition. Huntsman's •Chorus is rapidly approaching his best ahd he is going to prove a useful galloper in the company he will be meeting in the next few weeks. Velocipecle's Return Yelocxpede was taken to the Rotorua meeting for the handicap event on the second day, and so far as looks are concorned there appears to. be little the matter with him, for he is well forward and appears to have recovered fr,om the laxneness that c'ame against 'him after winning the Avondale Cup in the •spring. On tliat form the Rampion horse was regarded as.one of the best handicap performers in the province, for the field was a big one, jrepresentative of the best class. Velocipede had not raced since, but he is to undertake the big events on the provincial circuit and with a race or two he.will be back to his best. His owner looks upon him as a stayer and so he entered him for the last New Zealand Cup, lameness preventing the engagement being fulfilled. Two speedy hack sprinters trained at Takanini that may have to be taken into.account for coming events are Palustre and Surella, The former won at Thames last month in impressive, style, and on that form ehe xs a cixt above the average sprinter in this class, so that she may do well in her next engagement. Surella is really brilliant, but for some time there has been h doubt as to his courage. When allowed to have matters his own way he is always hard to beat, and this was the case when he won the open sprint at Whangarei in the spring. Surella is coming down in the weights and so should at least earn place ' xnoney shortly. / ~ An Eaxly Winner. A promoted hack that appears to be nicely placed in the second rate' handicap events at the coming big provincial meeting is Loombination. He carried 8.12 to victory in the inile and a quarter hack race on the second day of the Auckland summer meeting, form "which usuaily i's very reliable judged on subsequent results. On New Year's Day Loombination was started in the A.R.C. Handieap with 7.7, and he finished third to those good horses Flood. Tide and Scotland, so that he is now well placed to go on with it. He may . be an early winner, for his owner appears to be placing him right. Golden Sheila is working well again at Te Aroha and she is going to be a force to be reekoned with in her early sprint engagements. Her only success this term was in the sprint at the Waikato meeting last November, when she spreadeagled a smart field. At her best Golden Sheila is- very fast and, as she will appreciate the roomy courses she will be having her next few races on, she xs likely £0 be diffieult to beat. In her next start this filly will have .81b, more to carry than she won with last time, but this rise is offset by the fact that under the weight-for-age. scaie she is expeeted to improve 51b. from November to February. As the filly failed in the Great Northern Derby it is certain that 'for the rest of the season sne will not be asked to race beyond a rniddle distance, although she may be the type for the Auckland Easter Handicap. liay .Talkie. ran such an improved race on the second day at Takapuna that he is certain to show up in his next few engagements, for he had been off tne scene for several weexs prior to his last appearance through an injury received on the track. In the spring this three-year-old revealed great promxse by winning the Whangarei Cup wxth 8.0, after being most unlueky in the handicaps at Dargaville, and his efforts to mn third on the second day at Whangaraei under 8.10, after his xVder had too literally taken his. instructions to ride in behind -was impregsive. Gay Talkie 's appearance in coming provincial raees will be awaited with interest in view of His good form i in the spring.