NOTES & COMMENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 182, 19 August 1937, Page 15

NOTES & COMMENT

fhe Barb ' ')

Some Recent Form Reviewed NATIONAL MEETING

(By

Another National meetings has gone down in history with one of the poor* est National Steeplechases _ever staged, only two getting round wihout mishap, while to gain third money one of the contestants .had to be remounted. From a iinancial aspect, however, the meeting was quito a success which lends hope for an increase in prize money next yoar. Hawke's Bay horses had a very poor innings, the only representative to get any prizc-monoy being JOurnet, who won the open hurdles on Saturday in record timo for the Dominion. Journet ran a sOlid race" in the National hurdles, and had the big hurdle event been on the last day, instead'of the second, the ehestnut soii of Arausio and Conekita ' would have been one of the toughest to beat. Owing to tho heavy state of the 'frentham track this geldmg was not started there, but a couple of races might have iitted him to wm the National hurdles. This gelding has always impressed as a likely winner of an important hurdlo eveut, but last Saturday ivas his best to datc. It will bo rcmcmbercd that a few ycars back he was so unruly that the stipendlary Stewards had no optiou but to place him on the scbooling list, so .his then owner, Mr Frank Ormond, turned him out on his farm at Woodville. It was there that Mr W. Henderson, of Waipukurau, proeured him and for about twelve months hacked hira about, eventally placing him in work himself' and occasionaliy on the trailer bringing him down to the Hastings traeks. After this he' was handed , over to his prcsent trainer, W. C. Grifiiths and, tliough occasionaliy he has shown a little of his old wildness, it .s to this trainer that credit must be given of overcoming these nasty ways. Palcanui left Hastings a picture., but nevcr at tho Christchurch Hunt or the O.J.O. meetings did he iiatter his condition or his supporters. The brown son of Hunting toong and Love Tokeii galfops as well as ev.-er in private, but, ueing entire, it would seem as if he has turned cunning after a rather heavy racing career Over a shoi't period of years. Blue Tige'r, after his forward runnilig in the Junlpers 1 Flat llace at Riecarton, whcn he came from a long wayback to oceupy iifth berth in a blanket iinish was considercd a likely lightweight in the National Hurdles, but he ran -a very poor race, being a long way bekiud tne winner at tne finish. This gelding must have the going with the sung out of it to produce his best. • _ 2 .. The W.R.C. meeting la'st* moritli saw J'ohn. Charles take the hurdle honours, bul at Riccarton on a di'y track he never flattered and, aB more than once pointed out, the Cyuic gelding is of little use in good cumpany on top of the. ground. Many have wondered how thc. iiame of "Jolm Oharles'' was oestowed on him. It is said to have been taken froin that of his breeder, Mr John Charles Newman, of Gisborne. This reminds the writer that many years "ago there was a ehestnut geldmg irom Gisborne who used to race round these parts as 1 ' A.B.J.N " the initials of his breeder naiuu, Mr. A. B. Newman, who, I thmK, ' is tho father of tho brooder of Jonn Charles. Hawke's Bay can tane the credit of breoding Cataiogue, the winner of the Winter Cup, also his trainer, Mrs. Macdonald, was born in Hastings, while the owner,. Mr. E. (Ted) Barnes was for many years residont in Napier, »,o that there "was quite a H.B. liavouf about this success. Cataiogue was bred at the Flaxmere Stud by tne lato Mr. VY. G. fcstoad and, as a ro al at ioot, was sold with his dam, Cataiini, at tne dispersal sale of Mr. Stead's stud. His win adds another to the long Iist of important xaces won by gets oi his sire, tne Lemberg horse, Lord Quex, easily the best, as so far proved, of Hawke's Bay stud horses sinee Demosthenes. Nothing suceeeds like success and inqnirics from outsido tho. district are being made as to the chanco of getting a mare to Lord Quex f.his season. but as so muif? local breed-

ers are in lirst there will be but a limited opportunity for outsiders. Cottingnam, winner of the National Hurdles, had previous to that win accomplished little of note over hurdles, but on the flat was quite a lair performer. ' Ho is well come, being by Boiazel (by Polymelus) from bwect Beauty, by Greyspear from Sweet Smile, by ban Franciseo from Winning Way, by Cannie Chiel from Lady Wayvvard, by Bill of Portland from Elusive, by Trenton from Elquses (imp.) by Bercaldine. Pcrhaps this ia tho most aristocraticaljy. bred winnor of the G.N. Hurdles can boast of. Many owners and iraincrs hero wero of tho opmloiL that tho steeplochase ovents at the Wanganui spring meeting were for liacks and huuters, but it novv appcars that same aro for hunters alouo. Had it been as at first understo'od at least half a dozen from here would have been nominated. Cotsfield is back in active work and is being prepared for the 'chaseis at Wanganui. He is held on lease only, being owned by a Taihape sportsman, who, aftor the Wanganui nieoting., will again take over this bay gelding. Old Slippery is going great guns at present On the Hastings traeks, in fact it is safe to say that the black has searcely ever workod with taore frfeedom. Another "old 'un" in Kahikatoa is also working impressively. This eleven-year-old gelding was in the paddoek for just on iivo years and, wlien again piaced in vrork, tlm great majority of tacliig folk said lie was a LopelOss ce-e. y. J. lteid lias in his slablo rather a ueaL lllly by idieglricd from Poionaise,

the property of Mr. R. H. W. Holden. She is a full sister to the so far disappointing Wagner, who is'at present reported as going well under the charge of Luke Wilson. at Awapuni. - ■ ' The Gascony — Lady Makere two-year-old colt, Merry Simon, is a local • ' baby ' ' that : looks like furnishing into an early winner and one that will not take a great deal of galloping to ltnow all abotlt the business. On Tuesday morning he was given a spin over a furlong and a-half, showing distinct galloping a bili t-y. G. W, B. Grreene's promising Laughing Prinee — Moa Bird youngster, unfortunately knocked himself receiitly and is now eased tip. The knock is not serious and the letmp at this stage of his career is more apt to go goo.d than harm. . • The Hawke'a Bay Hunt, has this season staged two most successfui. poini-to-point race 'meetings but have iri a way been unlucky in- the dates selected. Whcn the Mangateretere meeting, was on a very wet week-end was expeiiemv' ed, and last Saturday . the Natiohal meeting and the. Eugby Test game ha4 a decided effect on. the attendancm Still each meeting: xesulted in' a proiit tp the H.B. Hunt.,, The events at Tikokino were well contested and.. thrills aplenty • oceuri'Od, Ihe attendance eiijoying a perfect afternoon's sport. . A sx3eeial feature of the two meetings was the Tiding in the majority of the steeplechase events. Oft times at the last fence, with their mounfs licked to a frazzle, thiis did not deter the riders, who with whip and spur never let up for a moment antl, tired as the horses were, they jumped without a seniblance of a mistake,, which conlirms tho old English advice that when on a tired horse at the last. fence give him the works if you wish to land safely and without mistake. ■ Apparently the attention of owners has to bo drawn to their responsibilities at theso point-to-point meetings, for which Ministerial permits have Lo be obtaincd and which are supposed to •be eonducted in conformity with the •rules of racing. Novv at each of tho H.B. Hunt meetings not a few owners were ahsent altogether when the xidfets were being Weighed-out, sb that they had no idea how their "jockeys'' were getting on for the correet weight. Oue rider had great difficulty in getting his 13st. and at the ^finish was a few pounds light, but, thinking he had no show and unable to hau. the oWner, left it at that with the result that he was robbed of a tropby, finishing in the money but unable to draw the weight by half a stone. Another cifse .a rjder did not weaght-oub. at all, going to the post well satislied that he could easily draw iist. 7lb. meing over-weight. He did not win, but was in the money also, but nothing was said, although technically spoaking he should have been .disqua'lified, as overweight must be declared. While on the subject of hunting and with the evergreen question of ".aro steeplechasers what they used to be?' ' I am of the opinion that the present qualifications for a hunter are not drastie enough. Most hunters' races in the Dominion are for horses that have followed the bounds from three to five times before obtaining a qualification ticket. How often have these races been won, especially hunters' flat races, by a horse that could not be relied upon to negotiate a three-foot six hurdle? If the qualification of a hunter was such that a horse had to follow the bounds for a whofe season ft would tend to greatly improve ' the steeplechaser in New Zealand. One has only to attend a point-to-point meeting to learn the cleverness of the eontestants. such cleverness only being obtained in the hunting field. I admit that there have been many clever fencers that have meyer, been hunted, but such was ofaly after quite a few years' experience in racing in cross-country races.