NORTHERN NOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 113, 29 May 1937, Page 15

NORTHERN NOTES

Preparing for Ellerslie Meeting PETER BECKFORD'S PACE (Special from "Early Bird.") AUCKLAND, Friday. One of the most promising flat gallopers seen out for some time is Du Maurier, who at Te Hapa the second 4ay haf his first race. More judiciously ridden he might have defeated tiie more experienced Bass, so that this maiden is one to' ke'ep in mind for the coming season. Du Maurier, a three-year-old gelding by Surveyor from Muria, is engaged in hack eyents pt Ellerslie, and is a prospeot. He races in the same colours as Silver Brier. Although he is still a maiden, Gay Rebel is getting high in the weights among the hack class, thanks to pomp good efforts in bandicap events in this grade. He has 8.9 in the Jervois Handicap at Ellerslie and is close to soirie useful winners, A feature of Gay Rebel' s two seconds at Te Rapa was the gameness with which he fought out the finish, and it was unlucky for his oWner that he went under by a short head and a nose respectively at the rpeeting. From Powerful Quarters. Four out of the seven races at Te Rapa on Monday were won by Gisborne hofses, these being Smali Boy, Collision, De Eriend and Hunting Star each of .the first trio being at double figures on the straight-out macliihe, vyliile Hunting Star was not far below tbat price. This success of East Coa-st Horses brought back memories of the c|ays when there used to be regular invasions of Auckland fixtures by fiorses from Poverty Bay, a poor name fpr a district that has produced so many fine gallopers. Hunting Star pulled up lqme on Monday. ' The best Cornwall Handicap candidate's performance at Te Rapa was qndoubtedly that of Gay Rose and, while she is a bit on the small side, she hfts the puce and sb© won brjlliant-" iy on the second day under 8.5. For her successes she will go up 141b in the Cornwall Handicap, bringing heu vyeight up to 8.7. Still, on the acore of this lmpost, she qannot be ruled out of the big Ellerslie flat race, for she now has only a couple of poiinds ipore than she carfied on Monday. Figures Tfystt Tell. In many of her races Gay Rose has proved to be too sluggish in the early part, so has had a difficult task in the final stages. If was so again last Monday, yet' she pulled her supporters through in dashing style, the rim she put in on, ihe centre pf the track from the bottom of the straight having the crowd on its tpes. Despite her rp-han-dicap this mare has a second to none chance in the Cornwall, for she ia to meet Scotland again on the sam© terms ps last Monday, and Tyb.alt ' even one pound better. On the pther hand King Rey now meets her at 10Tb. better and Horpwhenqa a* stone, so tb? latter may be Gay Rose'a most dangerous oppontbps© she defeated pn Mond.ajRoyal Appellant xvas an interesting runner in "the sprint pn the opeqing day of the Waikato meeting aua He went a fine race under difficulties. He was one pf the p.rincipal sufferers through the interference hoticed after the field had gone tW° fiirlongs, and as he then finished ' close" up to the place-getters, it cofild be taken as a good effort fof a Cornwall Handicap aspiraot, and h© wifi bp bptten suited by the longer journey. Royal Appellont toi10' 6.ome kis outstanding races at Ellerslie headquarters and as there %re to suit him on th© Great Northern programme he* mav bp one to'follow. • » ;/ * Nptium was an expensive failure in thp short ppen rapes at Tp Rapa, for he was well beaten each time". He did npt get away well the first day, but on Monday he had fvery opportunity, as ++7^ j06 °! tiie ®arly leaders and settled down in a good position, but f.nallyT Passed the post in eighth posiI t1Qn. In the latter race Whirling, who InLr 5-ffl fau°uritep ran a g^at tace S difficulties, for he was forqed .plong all the way and it was therefore the enTwl^r*0 ^ WeakeP at ^rngrnay be very difficult to beat in his Rllerslie engagemepts. Up With The^ Best. For his success in the surint at Waikato, Ppter Beckford -iVnfw veS high nl 11 l6 7llsh^ a5d ia the short mce on the first day. at Ellerslie he is witfiin a °t -Pounds "q| the top-weight, » Thps he will have to do a ev«P than at his last success to fiold his own, for he will be ppposed by several smart six-fqrlong horses. Ppter Beckford impr.es?ed by "the mann©r in whiqh he won last weqk, for he hung on brilliantly after having fprced the pace from barrier-rise. " A failure among the sprinters at the Waikato meeting was Erince Acre and, while he went good races on the soft tp-ack, he was not quito good e aough f°r the opposition. Trndespian is anpther fare mudlajk that per.fofmed at T© Rapa, and his. third piacing at a milp snggeits possibilities for hini at Ellerslie. Both these good winter performers arp best snite'd by the worst tcapks and, while this week the outlook in this conneetion is a hit brighter ?han it was- a ¥aw days b,ack, there is litiU plenty of Ume for suflreient rain ro QQme to make, Ellerslie a qnagmire. Tradesman has won up to ten fnrlongs and in the past he has run many good races at Ellerslie in Juue.