RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 4, 27 August 1931, Page 5

RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

"The Judge."

. — ; Specially Written for the Chronicle by

REVIEW OF PAKURANGA.

It was with an irresistible run that Malahat won the big Handicap at the Pakuranga meeting at Ellerslie last Saturday. He was nearer the tail ' of the field for most of the journey, 1 and at the home turn was still well hack. He collared the leaders at : the distance, and a little farther on he went away in brilliant fashibn. It looked like being an easy victory at this stage, but over the last bit he weakened a trifle, nevertheless to ■ score handsomely. ! On the score of weight Malahat was handsomely treated,~and it was ob- | vious that the handicapper had underi rated the value of his Gisborne peri formances, although the presence of Valsier in the field made the official's task an easy oiie. The way Malahat won indicated that he will be well cared for in future, but despite this he is a likely improveri He is a different horse since last season, and it should not be difficult to place him to advantage in the near future. In his present form he is capable of winning a pretty good handicap. Torrent of Speed. It was with a veritable torrent of speed that Biddy's Boy hit the front early in the sprint at Ellerslie last Saturday, and thereafter the race was always in his keeping. There were ten horses inside of him at the lineup, and despite the fact that the rail sitters began brilliantly, Biddy's Boy was clear in front inside the first half furlong, taking up the inside running. It was a rare exhibition of speed, with the Illumination gelding getting the early advantage that helped him to get to the judge first. Biddy's Boy is still eligible for the Avondale Plate. His trainer considered that Biddy's Boy might be just short of a gallop, and to take this opinion at its face value one must naturally look f orward to the four-year-old taking out a rich sprint or two this term. Indeed, an event like the A.R.C. Railway Handicap might well he within his compass, but in the interim there will be some decent stakes to be picked up. A, Cook has wrought a vast improvement in Biddy's Boy, and the owners ought to reap a rich reward for this mentor's patience, for his charges are never over-raced.

It was only last month that Cook J was successful in winning a double | at the Taumarunui meeting with Red ' Lion, a gelding that cost a thousand guineas as a yearling, and thereafter j always seemed to turn it up when he I looked like winning more than one I race. Taurau is another he has been successful with first pop. The latter had up to recently been one of Jamieson's team, but he turned out disappointingly after holding out some promise as became a full brother to Te Monanui. On Saturday at Ellerslie Taurau began well and was always in front, to finish on determinedly under punishment when ehallenged hotly by the unlucky Wild Country. Bjg Secontl Price. The surprising part about the result of the Jellicoe Handicap at Ellerslie last Saturday was the price Catoma returned for second. It was thought that he would be one of the fancied division, therefore his supporters were very agreeably surprised to find that they were getting nearly a double figure return for a win. The 'Catmint gelding was always handy, in fact for such a big horse he surprised by outsprinting the field to the first turn, then to be s.teadied after Gay Coekade had pulled himself to the front as usual. The last bit of the Jellicoe Handicap saw Catoma coming again at the winner, Malahat, to whom he was conceding 171b, so it is possible that the big Ellerslie chestnut will be seen to advantage over longer journeys this season. It looks as if Catoma is going to take some beating in his next run, which will be the hack classic, the Avondale Plate, at Avondale next Saturday four weeks, which is confined to hacks at time of starting. Croupier jnay be one of his opponents, if he does not run out of the class at Wanganui. A fine sprint at Takanini a eouple of days before the Pakuranga fixture brought the three-year-old Royal Artist into the limelight, with the. result that he and his bracketed eompanion, High Comedy, were heavily backed. Royal Artist ran a fine race too, only to find Biddy's Boy too speedy. The three-year-old is in nice shape to contest the spring sprint events, although he is not in the Avondale Plate. Last season Royal Artist was not a great deal be.low the best juveniles, and he looks like going on improving still further. An Unlucky Runner. The unluckiest runner. at Ellerslie last Saturday was Wild Country, iri. the Auckland Handicap. She. was lcnocked back in the first furlong, and half a mile from home she got it again, being.- second to last. She was still a long way back malcing the home turn, and then when she looked like getting through to win she ran foul of Grand Spirit, to receive two hefty bumps when the latter left the rails. Even then Wild Country ran Taurua to half a length, and riders of the favourite must have been grateful that H. Gray was aboard, for it was only his most vigorous stick work that enabled Taurua to hold' of? Wild Country. There is little doubt that the relative to Taneriri and Manawhenua has improved considerably of late, and- that she is far from being the "poor relative" than some critics claimed. Until Gay Coekade gives up his tearaway antics it is going to be bard for him to get another stake. It was the same old story at Ellerslie last week, for he and his rider were having the usual good old tussle for superemacy out in front for most of the way, and his backers lost; Nevertheless it was a fine performance after making the solid pace to get third place. Perhaps a course

of schooling would tend to make Gay Coekade more amenable to reason in his reason. Taken all through he has been an unlucky horse in handicaps. Taneriri's Downfall. The big field and a bad marble brought the downfall of Taneriri in the sprint at Ellerslie ,last week. He had some ground to make up in the early part, and finally finished well out in third place. Taneriri has had some hard races this winter, but he has stood up to his task well, and in the spring and summer months, if he can be kept going on the harder tracks, he ought to make his presence felt in the riched handicaps. His sprinting days can be regarded as over. It is comparatively easy to become over-enthusiastic when commenting upon the early two-year-olds, for season after season the best juveniles do not make an appearance until about the middle of the racing year, and sometimes later than that. Still the early parades serve a useful purpose, for they give an indication of' the two-year-olds' condition, and this is at least important as having a bearing on the spring contests confined to the babies. A Good Youngster. Easily the best of the youngsters seen in the parade at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting at Ellerslie last Saturday was the Tea Tray — Epitaph colt Tea Trader, a particularly well grown chestnut with two white stockings on his hind legs. He is all size and quality, one of the best grown two-year-olds seen out at this time of the season, and he is well forward in condition, the Avondale Stakes a month hence doutbless being his mission, with other classics to follow. Tea Trader has an easy style of galloping, getting over the ground very smoothly. In the parade he was always in the f orefront over the three furlong sprint from the barrier, and he could easily have put daylight between himself and the rest of the field had it been required. For such a big fellow the colt is very forward indeed, and he looks like playing a prominent part in the early two-year-old contests. Epitaph, the dam of Tea Trader, was the best two-year-old of her year, but like all daughters of Absurd, was

not much account on the turf when she passed that age. She is one of the progeny of that prolific mare, Eulogy, who gave us such other brilliant customers in Pennon, Humbug, Fulsome, Homage, Commendation, Eulalie, Praise and Esteem. Epitaph herself has not been a wonderful success as a stud matron, although her first foal, Endorse, was exceedingly fast, but not sound. Howe-ver, in Tea Trader she has given the most promising twq-year-old probably ifi the Auckland province. Lucullus' Youngster. Another well-forward youngster that took part in this parade was the filly by Lucullus from Fabriquette, the dam of fair performers in Whakarite and Valquette. She was always in the sprint and with Tea Trader finished in the van. Her trainer is noted for his extraordinary patience with horses, but in this filly he- has a performer that will be fit to race next month. A lot of speed was exhibited by Morehu, a filly by Lapidary from Hnephano, a mare that is not in the Stud Book. She was wide out all the way, and considering the gronnd she was asked to eover by her heavyweight rider she did very well to finish almost up with the leading pair. How-e-ver the Ellerslie youngsters were not so forward in their preparation as those from Takanini. On looks alone, Rippling Waters, by Chief Ruler from Boynette, could very well have been given the booby prize. But good looks do not always go hand in hand with extreme pace, and in this instance Rippling Waters deceived greatly. -The filly was left many lengths at the start and w-as then right up in the bunch, not far behind the leading trio. Apparently the Te Rapa trained youngster has all the family pace demonstrated by her full brother Ruling Chief, and ought to do well this season. Rippling Waters was bred by M. R. J. Matthews and is owned by Mr. C. Matthews, who raced Ruling Chief and the defunct Pouri. Boynette (Kilbroney-The Boyne, by Merriwee from The Shannon, by Torpedo), the dam of Rippling Waters, is a half sister to that good handicap performer of many seasons back, Rewi Poto, winner of the Egmont Stakes, Napier Cup, Rangitikei .Cup, Wellington Cup (dead heat with Red Ribbon) and other good handicap events. Watched with Interest. The youngsters by Musketoon and Whirlwind seen out in last week's parade were watched with interest. There was only one of each, a filly from the Absurd mare Lady Ridicule (dam of the speedy Click Clack) by Musketoon, and Whirlalong, by Whirlwind from Lucena, (the dam of the promising three-year-old United). It was disappointing that Lady Whirlwind was not in the parade, for reports of her were enthusiastic. Unfortunately this filly, by Whirlwind from Cione (a full sister to Prodice and half sister to Ammon Ra)' injured a leg wliile being shod and will probably be sent back a bit in her preparation. Mrs. R. T. Reid owns Lady Whirlwind, and her husband owns Tea Trader. A half brother to Catoma, who beat all but Malahat in the Jellicoe Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday, was also seen in the parade, this being tlie Kilbroney — Loloma gelding Jewelled Girdle. This youngster is not a bad looking sort, although he is not so far forward as many of the others paraded. Catoma, Cliamour and Lomint were not rushed in their preparation as two-year-olds, and apparently the same policy is wisely being adopted with this latest progeny of Loloma.