AUCKLAND NOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 162, 27 July 1937, Page 10

AUCKLAND NOTES

(Speci.il — From "Early Bird.")

Programme for Mazir AVONDALE CUP £600

AUCKLAND, Last Nigbt. Tbe Avondale Cup will next season be wortb £600, and tbis sbould attract a good few soutbem borses for tbe spring meeting six weelcs bence, at wbicb tbis event is staged. For tbe two days tbe total stakes offered amount to £4190, and for tbe second fixture, a montb later, tbe stakes are £2840. Tbis second spring meeting is tbe permit received from tbe Dargaville Club, wbdcb was able to quiekly liquidate its assets wben it was permitted to race under tbe wing of tbe Avondale Jockey_ Club. Mazir, one of tbe best performers in tbe provmce, bas bcen taken up again and be is in very nice order to begin a preparation for late spring bandicaps, so tbat be will be at bis best. in tbe middle of tbe season. He is not to be burried, for it may not be before Takapau, four montbs bence, tbat be is produced, for by tbat time tbe traeks sbould be firm again. Tbe Wliirlwind gelding bas only to keep sound to win a ricb bandicap or cup in tbe coming season, for be ds now staying better. Will Do Better, A back tbat revealed a lot of promiso earlier in tbe season and tnen seemed to lose form was llingsbot, a gelding that can stay a middle distance and so is a prospect wben tbe journey is beyond sprinting rauge. Judging by present appearances tbis fine looking cbestnut sbould be able to sbow considerable iiuprovement during tbe new season, and ne will not lack opportunities during tbe spring fixtures at Avondale, Raeroa and Ellerslie, for be promises to be very lit for bis coming engagements. It is interesting to learn from Te Aroha tbat Master Brierly is back m work again after the forward sbo\vings be made on a couple of occasions last autumn. His win at Te Aroha in tbe £1000 Cup contest was very meritorious, for be had to pass almost tbe wbole of tbe large field in tbe long straight. Master Brierly followed tbis r.p by oue or two good raees and be sbowed delinitcly that be was by - no means a spent ligbt. He may not be forward enough for tbo early spring Uandicaps, but he sbould be a likely candidate fox .tbe next Auckland Cup.

Novice Jumper. Tbero appears to be plenty of activ ity ainong tbe ranks of bunters in view Oi tbe Pakuranga fixture at headijiuarters a montb bence. One of tbose m tbis eiass tbat displayed a lot of paee aiid jumping ability at the Great Nortbern meeting waS Lochiel Lad, of whose prospects little was known, but Iie soon brougbt himself into tbe limelight. His best effort was bis second to All Irisb in tbe Hunt Cup, and in view of tbe latter's form at Trentham it made Lochiel Lad out to be very promising indeed. Lochiel Lad, wbo is a half-brother to the Great bJortbern and Winter Steeplecbase wiuner, Irisb Comet, will be well placed in tbe two cross-country events next montb. Mention of Irisb Comet briiigs to mind tbe continuation of bis Grand National Steeplecbase engagement, so it is reasonable to expect tbat be will make tbe trip soutb. In tbe meantiine be bas been indulging in some furtbet cross-country galloping and jumping on his owner's property, wbere be was trained for tbe Great Nortbern, and be appears to have got over his cold eompletely. Irisb Comet 's fencing at ellerslie left notlting to be desired, and he may be able to give a good account of himself over the Riccarton fences, the only factor against hiin being liis lack of size, and it must be recoguised that where tbe fences are b g they are more foi'midable to the smaller jumper. His scbooling at Riccarton tberefore sbould be interesting. Injury Mending. A disappoiutment siuce be was rolurned from Australia by J. T, Jamicson nearly two years ago, Hing Musk uevertbeless revealed some form tbis season aud but for minor cujuries he might have done even better. He is again being tried at Te Aroha and tbe wounded leg is yielding well to treatuient, so it may not bo long before he is produced once more. A fair stayer, King Musk shouid not find some oi the provineial huudivaps and cup couteBt.,» beyond hiiu if he can only sland up ,o his work. A coni'ereuce oi' delegates i'rom most of the Auckland provineial clubs was lield last vveek at Hamilton to go into the matler of totalksators to be usecl at their meetings, the suggestion being chat an eieetric maebine of the portable variety be xiurchased by tbe clubs 'Uiterested and bo used at eacb meeving, tbus sharing Lhc cust uud reducing tlie jutlay by cach club to a minimum. Tbis ulea was mooted by some supporters a long time ago, and the rceent circdlnr issued by the conference urging clubs to run their own totalisators brought Lhis move about. At present, with the sole except.on of the Auckland Racing Cup, whic.h bas its own totaJisator (electric), every racing and trottiug club avails itself qf the services of an Auckland iirm of totalisator proprietors, this firm supplying the totalisator faces showing the better and the complete staft'. Now that such big returns are being recorded in the province many clubs are in urgent ueed ot' better facilities, hence the conference at Hamilton. An electric totalisator would save much time, sbow eleetrieally the dividends in accord witb the investments, and generally assmt in expeditinc tbe running of a raee meeting.