HASTINGS TRACK NOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 109, 25 May 1937, Page 11

HASTINGS TRACK NOTES

[The Barb.'1)

(By 1

Since the Hawke's Bay Coronation meetingi the Hastings tracks have seen little fast work, bnt, with the Napier Park and Hawke's Bay winter meetings in close view, trainers are now busy again. On Saturday morning the most interesting tasks were the following. • • • Mon Ace, who appears to have improved this last few weeks, was given a working gallop oyer six furlong|s in which he could have bettered the 1.21 registered. He will not race until the Napier Park meeting. # « • % Cotsfield was not extended when taking three seconds longer to .traverse the same distance. This gelding wiD have to raee at Napier over hurdles as he has won inore than enough over country to put him out of hack steeplechases. * » • Seyfried has made full recovery from the slight; mishap on the eve of the iast Hawke's Bay meetingi but he does not appear to caxry the same condition as a couple of months back. * * * Joe Louis ran about the fastest gallop of the morning, registering 50 seconds for the half-mile. This Psychology gelding has not been. here many weeks, but has improved considerr»,ily and must ber now carrying at least a hundredweight more condition than when arriving. He is aa orthodox gjalloper and properly. placed may pay his way. # «= * Another improver in looks since coming here is Taro. A few weeks back, after the Dannevirke meeting held at Woodville, he looked jaded, but not so now, having freshened up considerably as well as bearing a bigger middle piece. He moved very freely in his working gallop and can he regarded as at worst a first class "hack." * * * Two more of trainer S. J. Reid's chargjes, a brace of two-year-old fillies, by Arausio and Gainscourt respeetivev ly, _were given a couple of short sprints, the first time running three furlongs in 39secs. Both are well grown and impressiva movers. # . # * Brunhilde was given but slow work. During her spell she has thickened out. Thougli sii© made the grade last eeason in the best company, she is not what one could deseribe as a good looker, but the old saying "handsome is as handsome does" seems applicable. * ,* * Mercian Prince and Journet were given a couple of rounds of solid paea work, both moving with plenty oi dash. Journet continues- to please and looks like having plenty of Hawke's Bay supporters in the Century hurdles at Wanganui. On Thursday morning, along with Padishah, he gave a finished display over seven hurdles. » ♦ # Marching On, full-brother to Marching Song, and Tres Sec were given brisk work over a few fui'longp. Tres Sec is now in J. E. OJse^'s stable. • » * Sir Nigel pleased by galloping seven fuiiougs in 1.30, the first four taking 49. This was a good galJop, though somewhat discounted by the very ligul weight carried. * * * Wykemist (W. Hephnrn) and Royal Bengal (E. Deslandes), with plenty of paee on, were schooled over a few brush hurdles, both pleasing. A rather uncommon mishap occurred when Wykemist, at the second fence of the double, screwed and slightly unseated Hepburn, who had his left spur caught in the saddle, thus keeping his right knee rather high in the air and causlng acute oramp. He pulled np in great pain and it was only when he was released from his predicament and rubbed that the pain was abated. This accident could very well have resulted more seriously as Hepburn was nigh on being fired ofi: and in that would probably have been dragged. * *- # Sir Nigel's three-quarter hrother and Pa-nerua were given a working gallop. Altbough on the plain side, the former appears in action, while Panerua also moves well and should win races when more seasoaaed. * * • Pukehou dashed over half a mil© in 51seos. Her ownei -trainer, E. A. Jones was unfortunate last Wednesday when Tycoon, running ont in a small section, got tangjied up in a wier fenco and had a tendon cut through. The Mei'cian Iiing gelding will not raco again, » # • The following horses will in all probability be leaving her later on in tho week for the Foxton meeting next Saturday, for which good nominations have been received : — Contact, John Charles, Iddo, Red Jtufus, Sir Nigiel, Pladie, Royal Banquet and Helios. « 4 The ^wo recent races Contact had at Hastings have brought him back to something like his best fotm and hf> should soon put up a hold showing if judged by his schooling the other morning in company with Red Rufus. The latter is more or less always sore, but is otherwise in excellent order. He xs also improving iix his jumping. * * "« John Oharles has been givingj brilliaxxt displays of hurdling of late at Greenmeadows and will keep the best hot xxnder the collar on Saturday, though he may requiro a race to he iu his best form. At any x*ate, Johfl Charles Will not be lolig ero lie is on the Wilxiiing liti again-. He looks fortunate xix getting in at'41bs. less than Contact, as he has won inore hurdlo races than the Oockpit gelding, and has scored at Riccarton * * * # Iddo has not been on the track oi late, having been eased on aecount of injury received through being galloped on when winning at Hastings. It Will therefore not be surprising if Iddo does not make the trip. * # # Sir Nigel appears to have henefitted somewhat by his two races earlxer in the month. He will contest the sevenfurlong open event at Foxton and then , will not be surprising to see him take

go on to Wanganui. There -he will be tried over a middle distance and it an active part in the decision of the Connolly Handicap. # # • Royal Banquet was nominated for hoth the Foxton Cup and the Hack and Hunters' Steepfechase, but the latter event will most likely he his choice. HeN has certainly been galloping well enough to he given aix oetside chaaxce in the Cup, but as he has also been schooling over country it oloks like his being destined for crosscountry events in the future. m * * Helios may be one of G. W. B. Greene's team for Foxton. This Colossus gelding has been disappointing, having won only one race and that at Foxton about 12 months back. * « * Many were no doubt suxprised to see Passion Fruit's name figuring arnong the entrants for Foxton, as last season he was reported as retired from the turf as being a hopeless case. For some months now he has been in work at Dannevirke and is reported to be moving soundly and likely to race again, though many will have doxxbts on that point. « * * It was recentlv reported in this column that in the Hawke's Bay Cup Passion Flower had run her last race, and was to be retired to the stixd. However Mr Nelson has now modified the decision thus communicated by him to the writer and his mare is to be kept in training xxntil after the Napier and Hawke's Bay winter meetings. • # * Captain lurst continues to show improvement in his work at GreenmeadowS^and track-watchers from that quarter are already selecting him as the winner oi' the Conrolly Handicap at Wanganui. He may win that event, but middle-distance races at this time of the year are generally won by sear soned horses and that description does not just now fit the "Captain," who has raced only three t?imes since tho early spring. * » ♦ "A budding cx'oss country champion"- is how a Cockpit-Sinella four-yeax'-old owxxed by two young Napier sportsmen is heing heralded. This gelding|, as yet untried. in puhlic, has recently been out with the Hawke's Bay pack . qualifying. Beau Oavalier, Glendowie, Valpeen and many other brilliant jumpers have coxne from tho hunting field, but, if all one hears is correet about this fellow, then these classy jumpers would appear po.or in comparison. e * * The team of four from hero tha\ did fadrly well, as Huxxting Spy won, competed afi Cai-terton on Saturday Wasteland and Wananga each ran a second and First Chapter finished fchird. Wananga will now go into F. W. Siowe's stable. # * • Peter Beckford succeeded in winning the sprint at Hamilton on Saturday, this being his most ixnportant victoxry to date. It was a little surprising to see Mr G. D. Beatson' gelding made favourite, as the opposition represented some of the best class ot sprinters in the Auckland district. Possibly the condition in which he was produced had its- influence among back- ' ers. * 9 * The olose second of Jolly Beggar with 12.4 in the Waikato Hurdles shows the Nigger Minstrel gelding to be in fine fettle, so that he will quickly come into favour for the Great Northern Hurdle Race. * * • Black Marline last season was being selected as the maldngs of a good winner over country and his win at Te cullus — Mata Kaianga eight-year-old Rapa on Saturday points to the Lufulfilling expectations. The progeny of Lucullixs have nearly all proved px-ofi-cient jumpesr, while the big mapority favour winter gaing * » w « • Free Air, though tenth down the machine bettingi, finished a fairly close third to Blck Marlin, so must be coming back to form and worth keeping seriously in milid for forthcoming cx'oss-'oountry races. Oi » # Oonsistency marked the running of qnite a few horses at Carterton on Saturday. The "Okawa" bred Dorado ma gelding Galteemore; Southern woxx a double, as also did the MartarBlood ran a first and a second, and The . Sandwichman was twice second. # * » The "Otatara" bred gelding Wino, ( Cockpit — Inoe), who woft the C.j.C. Winter Cup at the heginnixxg of the followed up last week's win with anseason, is again etriking form, as he other on Saturday, when he beat a fair field of handicap horses at Timaru. * « • The nouxixiatiolis received for the winter meeting of the Napier Park Racing Club mxxst be considered satisl'actory, especially when it is takexi ixxto considei'ation that the meetiixg clashds pi'actically With that at Wanganui.