DIVOTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 190, 28 August 1937, Page 19

DIVOTS

"TheDelver.")

(Dug by

Any chance that Valamito possessed in the Dunedin Handicap at Ellerslie last Saturday^ says the Auckland Herald, was extinguished when he struck trouble early and was.sent right back. Valamito is carrying a very bright appearance, and he will disappoint if he fails to do some good service for F. Smith this eeason. ■# * «= The Hastings joekey P. Atkins, so it is reported, will accompany F. Davis to Sydney to do the riding of the team there. Davis will leave next' Thursday with Courfcr'aft, Francis Drake, Homily

and Aiwai, and all going well Court- " erafl- and Francis Drake will have their first outing in Australia in the Hill Stakes, a weight-for-age event run over a mile, at Rosehill on Saturday, September 18. # • , m The race Ringshot had at the Pakuranga meeting has benefited the Lackham gelding a good deal» He ran a good race, though the distance was a bit short for him, and the first time he is seen out over a longer journey he is likely to prove troublesome. Ringshot will make his next appearance at the Avondale meeting and should be worth keeping in mind at that fixture. — Auckland Star. Consistency has been a feature of the latest form of Enge and last Saturday at Ellerslie he ran another fine race when^he finished third in the Jellicoe Hanaicap with 9.4. As he was giviug a stone to the winner and was only about a neck away, the honours were clearly with him. Enge lost form completely last season, uut since being operated upon for respiratory trouble has recovered his dash in remarkable fashion, * * # Records compile.d ' for the English racing season up to mid-July show that Solario, chiefly through Mid-day Sun and Exhibitionnist, had distanced the other- leaalng sires, his figures being 10 winners of 14 races worth .£38,381. Fairway, relegated tto second position, was responsible for seven winners of 14 races worth £15,121.. The deceased Foxlaw Was third, with 112 winriers of 14 xaces' valued at £i0,374. Bo'swprth's itotal of £10,351 was gained by five winners, each having won onbe. Gainsborough, with 13 winners of 18 races, was cxedi.ted with £10,302; the deceased Blandforo, with seven winners of ,11 •races and £10,169, and the defunct Hurry On, with five winners of eight races worth £9989. * #

If, , says an Auckland writer, The Vamp had behaved. pr-operly-at-frhe barriersand had jumped away smartly in the Auckland Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday she would"1 have about won. She lost sevexab -lengths at the start, but .when she went away she soon made up a lot of her ground.and was lying about the middle of the field when half the journey had been covered. "From then. on she gradually improved her position, and, finishing on resolutely, was only beaten by a head. It was easily her best performance, and if she goes away properly the next time out she should soon break her maidOn status. * « «

In winning the hack sprint evem. at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting, the Sylvia Park Handicap, Captain Bruce strengthened the impression that he made at the Great Northern fixture, when he was very unlucky to be beaten cn the final day. La'st Saturday he began fairly well, and, kept up to his task by H. Wiggins, the chestniut was in a handy position as the field rounded the turn. From that point On he responded very resolutely, though he had to be kicked out to overhaul Palustre. As Captain Bruce shows distinct signs of possessing staying ability it would not surprise to see him racing well in middle distance events later in the season. * # * Awhiowhio, who won the Ladies ' Braeelet at Ellerslie on Saturday, was having his first race, and, according to a northern report, judged by the manner in which he won, he should be hard to beat if started in the same class of race at the Waikato Hunt meeting on Labour Day. He is an aged gelding by Whlrlwind from Lady Penury, by Penury from Lady Glen. Lady Penury is a half-sister to Marabout, the dam of Danae. As Awhiowhio is a duly qualified hunter ne should show to adv-antage in jumping races, for he is the ideal type to make good in this department. Further, he is trained by F. Tutchen, who does well with this class of horse. * * =» The 7000 guineas paid for Maia was the second highest price ever given for a New Zealand-bred horse— 13,000 guineas for Carbine was the highest — but a bigger offer was once refused. Nigbtmarch was under offer to an Australian before the opening of the Australian Jockey Club spring meeting of 1929. The prospective buyer was prepared to pay the 10,000 guineas asked, but would not agree to Mr. A. Louisson's stipulation that A. McAulay was to continue to train the horse. Luck was with the New Zealand owner, as Nightmarch went on to win £27,600. * * * A four months' holiday has ended for Silver Ring, who is now eight years old. He is in work at Omoto under J. Stewart, and it is thought he will be in action by November. So far, it has not been suggested that Silver Ring will pay another visit to Australia, where last spring he won the Hill Stakes, one mile, at Rosehill from Lough Neagh and Sarcherie, the A.J.O. Spring Stakes, 1| miles, from Lo-ugh Neagh and Sporting Blood, and the aRndwick Plate, 2 miles, from Oro and Lough Neagh. This happy venture into weight-for-age events by an aged horse yielded £2475 in stakes, which is a large portion of his total winnings. He was twice unplaced when he raced at Trentham in March.

=* * * The 10 horses left in the Wanganui Guineas, the first three-year-old classic of the season, represent good class, and a Iceen contest is in prospect. The absence of Smoke Sereen is regrettable, but with suph horses as Haughty Winner, Rival Hit, Royal Chief. The Crooner, and Lickem. still in, to say nothing of the fillies, tlie race looks like more than justifying its retention. Rival Hit, having been sold for Australia, will probably be an absentee, but Haughty Winner will well uphold the reputation of the Chokebore stable. It was anticipated that Mr. Russell Grace's Limond gelding Smoke Sereen would be ineluded in the field, but he was withdrawn. It is pleasing to learn, however, that there is nothing wrong with him, and he is progressing favourably in his spring preparation. Star Lad. who appears in the Guineas field, is a gelding by Captain Bunsby from Lady Star, owned by Mr. W. Henderson, owner of Jouroet.