NOTES AND COMMENTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 174, 10 August 1937, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS

The Barb.")

(By "

It appears a fair anticipation to make that Trench Pight will this afternoon : start favourite for the Winter (Jup, j but had~he,not bolted before the start i of the Brabazon Handicap at the 1 Christchurch Hunt meeting for about ! three miles the son of Winning Hit land Scrimmage would have etarted one \ of the hottest favourites that ever con- ■ tested the mile handicap. Many raee : followers have been wondering the I cause oy the reason of thq iour-year-old ; ^he was three when he did this bolting ' act) taking charge pf such a strong | horseman as the hurdle jpckey E. Beale : and getting out of command for such a i long way. He has always been a hard 'puller and seldom does a preliminary with the colt. He is a high-strung i liorse, and looking th rough his pedigree ! it is no wonder that he is high strong. ; at. Simon'e idescendants have always ' been noted for being high strung. Now, Trench Pight is greatly in-bred, through Bill of Portland to St. fcSimon, and, again, his dam, Scrimmage, was also ; in-bred to the Galopin-St. Angela horse, through the same channel. Anyone who has been closely connected with horses of the St. Simon blood knows that they have to be carefully handled ws, being fiery and high strung, they are easily put ont. So, with the double in-breeding to St, Simon it is not difficult to reasoh why Trench Pight might take it into his head to bolf. Some stydents of breeding will try to explain that the above is "linebreeding" but "The Barb" calls it in-breeding and nothing else. ♦ * * The 1937 N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase will go down in history as one of the most expensive to anti-post speculators for many, many years. After his forward running in the Wellington steeplechase, with his heavy weight and «nd6r adverse track conditions, Tudor was sorted out as having a capital ehance. Yalpeen was another baekers went after, and out he goes, too. Then followed Manawatu, Polydora, Santoft and Black Banner, all of whom had been backed in doubles and trebles. # • • A very enjoyable afternoon 's sport was witne'ssed at Takapau last week when the- Dannevirke Hunt hleld a Point-to-Point meeting. Hard Gold, well known in these parts and a winner of a H.B. nteeplechase, won the main event with Sabatini seeond. • * • The Sherwood Steeplechase was anliexed by Martini, the Coekpit gelding referred to last week as one that next season should win good cross-country events for Mr. O. Nelson. This was his first outing and ridden a capital race by R. (Diek) Nelson, he won very easily. There were a l'ew that queried his breeding, they maintaining that if his name is " Martini," then he was not by Coekpit but by "Coek-tail. The matter will have to be referred to Mr. Nelson. # * * THe spring programme ' for the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club has been approved by the Distriet Committee. The stakes have beenlincreased by approximately £200, and on the programmc is tho Gloucester Cup, which

will be run over ten furlongs and be open to any horse eligible under the rules of racing, Tt^ . up takes the place of the Glenaray Handicap, a middle distance hack event that has been run this last nine or ten years # » « The nomiuations recexved for the * committee of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club exceed the vacancies, therefore an election will be held which is down Lo take place at the Hastings Assembly Hall on Priday, August 27th. The list of nominations will be published later. • * • The Poverty Bay Hunt on Saturday enjoyed a satisfactory meeting despite the very small helds that contested tlm uiajority of the "races. # « • The scratching pf Kahunoke and Pubcini robbed the Pergusson, Gold Cup Hunt Steepiechaee of a fair amount of interest. The race was won by Grantham., who previously had acted as run-ner-up to Hunting Star in the Hurdles, from the Wairoa pony,; Mitzi. As far as I know, Grantham, an aged gelding by Peramorz from Theorem, • had not previously won a race and his last appearance on a racecourse was a coupie of years back. There is hope yet for Kahikatoa to stage a come-back. » • • Hunting Song headed the list of isuccessful winning eires in the season just closed and started well again by siring the first winner, Hunting Star, of the 1937-38 season. # * # Hunting Star was not opposed by very stift' opposition in the hurdles, but he could do no more than win. it is common property that this halfbrother, by Hunting Song, to Collision, is unsound, but, if he was otherwiee, what a clinker he would make. • • • Skyway had little difficulty in winning a double at this meeting, but had litlle to beat, He is a qualified (?) hunter and if he can jump shouid make a handy little hurdler as he js sound and can stay fairly well. • # * On Sunday afternoon the bay gelding Eoyal Peastt by Mercian King from the Boniform mare Morning Gift, the property of Mr H. Jones, was taken suddenly ill, and despite the efforts of L. Goodwin, who is in charge of the gelding in Mr Jones 's absence at the National meeting, and his willing helpers, the animal died on Monday afternoon. The cause of death has been diagnosgd as inflammation of the bowels. # / * • Singing Gold, one of P. J. Wormland's team, was thought unbeatable in the Scurry, but seeond was his best to the seeond choice, Gay Mimic. » ' « • Hunting Cat continues to please in his _ preparation for spring events and easily ran six furlongs' in I.lg on Saturday morning in company with Kahiakato, who is also brightening up.