ALLEGRETTO'S CHANCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 119, 5 June 1937, Page 14

ALLEGRETTO'S CHANCE

Has Schooled Well Again RETURN OF THESPIS -(Special from "Early Bird'') 9 AUCKLAND, Last Night The rapid rise in stakes at Auckland meetings js well* illustrated by the £400 prize money being allocated to each of the Takapuna Jockey Club's "hack classic" events next season. These are run over seven furlongs and a mile at each fixture, in November and January, and the qualification is the same as this season. H. Rama is to fulfil the programme lie mapped out earlier in the autumn, when he stated that he was going to pay a visit to Australia with a team, and this week he entered Tooley Street and 'Horo whenua for the big flat events at the spring carnivals, while Free Air has been nominated for the Australian Hurdles and Steeplechase, so it looks as if she will not be on hand for the C.J.O. Grand Nationals. Will He Come Back? When at his best a couple of seasons ago, Kiltowyn could always be relied upon to gallop every morning a bit faster than any other horse at Ellerslie and, even after an absence from ra'cing of eighteen inonths, he is still capable of doing this, He is going along hicely in his trials and if he obtains any benefit from his outing at Ellerslie to-morrow he may be a bard horse to beat on the final day. He has not been too good on heavy tracks hitlxerto and this may tell against him. It will be remembered that Paiquet, after racing at Woodville last month, was taken on to Hawera, but, as the indications there made it certain that the track would be soft, she' was brought back to Takanini before the meeting opened. She is uotv on the list and will be taken in hand again shortly, for it is intended to race her over the sticks if she takfs kindly to jumping when schooled. As she stays well hnrdling may see Parquet come mto her own, for she will not lack opportunities during the spring. Ready for the Classics Sigus are uot waufcing here that- ihe spring racing will soon be at hand, for already some of this season' s good youngsters liaye finislied their spell and are being put into wor1. again in view of the coming three-year-oid races. One of these is Bachelpr King, who may have to he reckoned witli in a race like the Avondale Guineas, the first classic up this way, and that is only three months away. He has the pace and wil] probably stay, while the higher scale of wei'ghts in the classics will suit him, for he went several good races this season under welter imposts. Among tlie visiting horses here and not engaged at Ellerslie to-morrow is Tail Light, whose objective is the Carbine Plate, the mile hack rtice which

is confined to gentlemen riders. On the work he has done since his arrival from the south Tail Light may take a lot of beating in this oontest. He has registered good times and has done even better than many well-performed northern hacks, so that he must be taken . into consideration if he is produced on the later days of the Great Northern meeting. Jumpers Over Country Thespis participated in a schooling bout over the country a.t Ellerslie on Thursday morning and he got round safeiy and, what is more to the point, he pulled up well, despite the fact that he hit the stonewall. A couple of years ago this gelding was in the first flight of hurdlers and 'chasers and he tlieai proved diffieult to keep going and was »ent into the paddock in the country for a good spell. He lias come back in nice shape, though whether he will get back to his best remains to be seen. ' Thespis is not engaged on the first and second days of the current meeting, hi3 only entry being for the Winter steeplechase on the concluding day ^ Don Erma has gone on the right way since running second to Black Mar* lin in the .Goronation Steeplechase at ■ Te Hapa a fortnight ago and he will etrip a ht horse in the Great Northern Steeplechase on Wediiesday. None of his opponents will have anything on the Taranaki Jumper for condition, for he lias don© a lot of racing in the last five months and has always been in the money. Don Erma has proved himself a very smooth fencer over country and in this respect the Elderslie obstacles wiii] suit him admirably. If he can stay the distanoe he will go close to winning on Wednesday • it will be remembered lie was weakening at tbe end of the three milps contest at Te Hapa. Allegretto has done more schooling at Te Hapa since he won there last Monday week and, according to eyewitnesses, he never made a mistake. This further jumping experience, plus the long work he has done in between cimes, will make tbe big chestnut a very hard horse to beat in the Great Northern Steeplechase. If Black Marlin has not reeovered from his knock by then, his task will be much simpler, for the Ellerslie jumper seemed to be thfe potential victor after his Te Hapa performance. Allegretto is an effortless jumper and this will assist him next week.