DIVOTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 68, 7 April 1937, Page 8

DIVOTS

' ' The Delver. ' ')

(Dug by

The two-year-old Scai'f Dance, fullsister to that great racehorse and now suceessful sire • Veilmond (Limond — Veil), is at last beginning to show something like her real form. She began well at Feilding, only to be squeezed baek to the 'tail of tho field in tho first furlong. When she did gst clear in the straight she finished very fast. # * * Just over 12 months ago the Australian Sun gelding Aussie Ra was being hailed at the coming New Zealand Cup winner. That was after his brilliant successes in the Taranaki and Egmont Oups. Aussie Ra was then spelled, but this season he has consistently failed to reproduce anything like his real form. He ran.two more bad races at Feilding and has his trainer soreiy puzzled- # # • • When W. Rayner returns from the Manawatu Racing Club's autumn meeting says the Chronicle, Ihe will bringi in three yearlings from Mr G. M. Currie's Koatanui stud to comanence ■ their education for next season' s juvenile events. Rayner will also take out to Koatanui the three-year-old filly Missal, who is being xetired to the stud, and the six-year-old horse Spiral, who is to take the place of his sire, the defunct Limond, at Mr Currie's stud.

W • V W According to Christchurch reports Argentic lias been in a bad way since his fall at Riccarton -on Easter Monday and a veterinary examination has revealed a broken jaw, which. will take some time to rnend, aud it is not likely that Argentic will be seen again in pilblic for a long time. Acording to G. Humphries, Argentic was going exceptionally well when Top Notch fell over the fence in front of him, and the geldingj could have gone up to the leaders at any time. Argentic had never been as well as he was before last week's meeting and his nnfortunate aecident came at a time when he looked lilrely to earn some good stake money. * # It was generally thought, after Polydora's failures last week, following several during the preceding six months that her -lessees would not feel disposed to go on with her, but it was decid-

ed last week to give her another chance \ to make amends, this time over country. She is such a brilliant jumper over hurdles that thex-e is no reason to doubt her ability over the bigiger fences, and she is to commence a course of schooling in the near future. * # # The New Plynxouth horseman, L. H. Clifford, who rode four winners, a third and a fifth in as maixy rides at Feilding on Easter Monday, has an even better record to his credit. At stratford on New Year's Day last year he did not ride in the maiden event or in the hurdles, but in successive flat races he won on Refresher, Clessamor, Windsoreen, Refresher (completing a double) and Contract. In the final race of the day he rode Prince ReUo, who had no chance apd was xxnplaced ; £1 invested each way on Clifford's mounts would that day have shown a clear profit of nearly £49. « * » Cerne Abbas won both the three-year-old classic events at tho Aixckland meeting, but the fields were anything but strong. In the Oaks slxe was well back till entering the straight, and then commenced to move up to the learers, and had little difficulty in outstaying them in the heavy going. On Tuesday she had a much harder task in the St. Leger- She was handy at the turn, and then Mandamus and she drew out, and it was oxxly in the last stride that she got the verdict. # # # Concertpitch was suceessful in the Great Easter Handieap at Riccarton a year ago, and in wixxniixg again last week equalled the record. established by Nystad, who scored in two successive years in 1917-18. Concertpitch was never far from the leaders and always looked a winner from the time he ranged up alongside the leaders at the distance. After annexixxg tho Craven Plate at Riccarton, last year, the gelding failed to act up to expectations in his races at Trentham recently, and it is evident- that he did not show his best formi." Up to a mile he is a very solid galloper. # # • . Concertpitch, says a Christchurch wxiter, has never been able to stand up to as much racing as the averagje racehorse, and his trainer, T. H. Gillett has had to exercise much care and patience to keep him up to his best standard. Although he will not be put aside he is to have an easy time about the tracks for the next few months, and present intentions are not to put him into serious work again until he is to be prepared for the Grand National gathexdng in August. # ' # • The best handieap performer at fche Auckland meeting was the Tidal gelding Flood Tide, who was conceding a lot of weight to his opponents in both races that he contested. In the Presicent's Handieap on Monday he beat t ex exai horses that had recent winning torm V> their credit over a middle distanoe, and taken all round his victory was fiill of rnerit. Carrying the solid impost of 9.13, Flood Tide again ran a great race in the H. O. Nolan Han- ' dicap on the second day, finishing a ciose fourth and giving away two stone I and upwards to the three-place-getters. s — Auckland Star. * * * 1 No one is likely to hegrudge Kelly ! the long dejayed success he gained at j Avondale on Monday in the Autumn Handieap, for he has been running very consistently of late. Although he failed to win, Kelly was responsible xbr two very sound efforts at the Auckland meeting. On the first day he went ' under to a good one in Flood Tide in tiie President's Handieap, after making the pace practically throughout. On. tho second day he was less than a iength in third place hehind Gay Talkie , and Day Wind in the H. O. Nolaxx Handieap, after being lxandily placed all the way. A win for hinx was well deserved. '

• # # Prior to the Canterbury Jockey Club's autumn meeting .at Riccarton this week Red Sun, who won the hurdle race each day, had only contested a couple of races on the flat for some considerable time past. However, on this course last year be won the Spreydon and the Styx Hixrdles at the Grand National meeting and then showed what a good fencer he was. On Easter Monday he was always in a handy position in the Kildare Hurdles and stayed on in fine style. while in the Peerswick Hurdles next day he won much more easily than on the first day. He revelled in the soft track, and his performances were good, and he should be a force to be reckoned with in some of the big jumping events during the winter. — Pr'ess.