RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

Rotorua Morning Post, 29 August 1931, Page 6

RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

"The Judge."

— 1 1 ^ TARANAKI HUNT AND AUCKLAND TROTS TO-DAY

Specially Written for ''The Morning Post" by

The Taranaki Hunt Club's annual race meeting eventuates at New Plymouth on Saturday, and with nice even fields engaged there is every prospect of some interesting contests. Several three-year-olds will he seen in action, and one of them, Eastertime, who is to come north to fulfil bis engagement in next month's Avondale Guineas, was not f ar removed from the best of them last season. Callapat goes very fast for a mile and a half, so it will be seen that Moerangi, Day Lass and Star Girl will have to go some to keep with him in the opening event, the Haek and Hunters' Hurdles. Goldzone, Gibraltar, -Cornerman. Psychologist and Tavora, engaged in the Opunake Scurry, can all go fast. and of this quintet the best perhaps' may be Psychologist, Gibraltar and Tavora. The last-named pair have aad the advantage of racing during the winter. Considerahle interest will be taken in the Cappearance of Eastertime in the Memhers' Handicap, and as he is pretty well forward, despite a check in his preparation nearly three weeks back, he ought to run a good race, especially as those above him may be troubled by their lack of condition, or alternatively by the short journey, seven furlongs. Seatown may not be altogether at home over the journey, although he out-sprinted the handicap-. pers at Stratford three months back. Richfield will be hard if ready, and Little Doubt has another . chance, everything being in his favour. Callapat and Gold Dawn read best, of the remainder; the latter has been doing brilliant work. Eastertime, Seatown, Gold Dawn and Little Doubt may be the best backed. There is very little fol'm to go upor in the Hunt Cup. Day Lass, Gueress and Haeremai have the pace, with the last-named the best jumper, for he has been at it for some time, whereas the other pair are noviees over country. Michael Shimose and Nimblefoot have jumpers' chances. They are an even lot in the Waihi Hack, Tentcall, Kissl'ess, Singer and Silver Fern all reported as being well forward, while Royal Finance, on her form in open sprints, is not weighted out of it. Tentcall, Singer and" Silver Fern are the pick. There are only five in the Stratford Handicap, and it is doubtful if the two topweights, Lady Quex and Orapai, are at- their best yet. However Orapai is galloping well and he would not need to be at top to account for those below him. Gold Dawn, a rare track performer, may head him if she condescends to give of her best. All those paid up for in the Hunters' Flat are engaged in earlier races so that fprm will be disclosed. Day Lass, The Author, Moerangi, Little Wonder and Puawhato have some pace, and the best may he Little Wonder, The Author and Moerangi. This event is not eonfined to amateur riders. Moatoa and Peter Jackson were winners l&st term, and with Singer, Silver Fern, Kissless, Miss Chatter and Goldzone should he prominent. Moatoa, Miss Chatter and Peter Jackson are the most likely to get the big backing. The stage is well set for the August race meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club, to be held next Saturd.ay at Alexandra Park, Epsom, and with fine fields engaged there is every prospect of the fixture being every bit as successful as could be expectcd these days. The course is in good order, although a bit dead after the winter rains, and some exciting contests will be seen. The presence of several South Island horses adds interest to the gathering. The first event is the Introductory Trot, in which a big favourite will be seen in Bessie Parrisb, whose form in the late autumn indicates that she js certainly going to be hard to head off on her present mark. Carl Mack, Zanzibar (who defeated Bessie Parrish at Claudelands last May), Win Huon and Windchat are others that will go well. The Derby candidate Bismuth will be one of those sent out for the Mount Eden Handicap, but he is only one of the 21 accepted for. Jackie Thorpe wound up last season in good shape, promising better things this term. Moko Chief, Cleao, Oliver Thorpe, Jersey Thorpe, Kewpie's Triumpb, Whakahihi and" Peter- Lloyd are all nicely placed, but in an open race the fancies may comprise Jackie Thorpe, Cleao, Kewpie's Triumph and Moko Chief. There are nine engaged in the big contest, tlie August Handicap, and of them there will be one bracket of three — -Hal Chimes, Trustworthy and Starmoor, the lastnamed being a possibility. The first two are on the front, with the recent Addington Ayrmont Cbimes, and the latter certainly seems to have it heavily on thelocal representatives. Bryce's pacer has only to go to the post to be a big favourite. Auto Machine is a local hope, but both Enawah • and Meteor

j ought to account for him. Enawah has yet to win over two miles, but she is very well and will be suited to the conditions. Enawah in turn may be safely held t by the Southland hope, Meteor,- whose form here last June was very impressive, and he did not lose friends by his good displays at Addington. On the actual time figures Meteor has -it on Ayrmont • Chimes, and as he has proved capable of going well on the Epsom course he might even head Bryce's "borse. Gold Treasure cannot be quite ready for such a serious task, and be may be seen to more advantage at the next meeting a couple of months hence. The issue appears vto lie between Ayrmont Chimes and Meteor, with Enawah and Stanmoor threatening to he handy over the concluding stages. s Kewpie's Guy and Dan Direct will probably be seen fighting out the Onehunga Handicap, which is not a difficult race to win. Dealer and Tumatakuru are good enough, but the latter has been sticking his toes in when undergoing his preparation. Another small field will conteSt the Royal Oak Handicap, and off the front Valloden reads best, especially as he will be bracketed .with that old stager Winnera King. Explosion is not reliable, and Etta Cole and Jack Bingen may be the pair to offer the most stubborn opposition to Valloden. The sprint, the Massey Memorial Handicap, has drawn a fine field of fifteen, and the winner is not going to be easy to find.. Ayrmot Chimes is one that impresses, and if escaping a penalty after the big race ought to he a pronounced favourite. With a penalty baclcers would probably lo,ok elsewhere. On the front form and trials point to Carnui, Dad's Hope, Hohoro and Kewpie's Guy, especially the lastnamed if she is reserved for this, in which she will he coupled with Great Parrish. Dan Direct sprints well, and Master Huia improved with every race he had here at the winter meeting. Benefice is gett'ng through her preparation brilliantly, and Daytime is in form to give of his best over his favourite distance. Ayrmont Chimes, Carnui, Benefice and Kewpie's Guy may he the best. Most of those ip the Grey Lynn Handicap will be raced earlier in the day, but Prince Pedro is an interesting newcomer, and he may be the hardest that Jackie ' Thorpe, Cleao and Some Dillon have to beat. If Our Peter leaves the mark in the saddle event, the Orakei Handicap, he will be a hard one to catch. However he is not a good one at going off the mark. Jersey Thorpe, Dad's Hope and Hohoro are likely with the we:ght 011 top, but it is an open -affair, unless earli'er events give a good guide. Takanini track watchers consider Tea Chat one of the fastest sprinters tralned there — Bronze Eagle always excepted, of course — and therefore they were very much impressed when Biddy's Boy left the Tea Tray three-year-old standing when he ran past him in the sprint at Ellerslie, last week. Tea Chat trailed the pacemaker to the home turn and then faded out in most disappointing fash'on, finishing well back. However it will not do to take this form at its f ace value, for Tea Chat is good and later on will be found wimrng races, • although he will never be anything but a sprinter. Form indicated Billy Boy as the -potential winner of the Pakuranga . Hunt Cup, and he gave his supporters a fine run for their money, going under to the very much improved Nukutere. The latter had failed to show any form at the Great Northern meeting, but then he was nowhere ready, and he was a different horse last Saturday. Rennie rode one of his best judged races, and coming down the hill the last time he passed the fa~t vourite. Billy Boy is good, but he is not good enough to concede a good one Pke Nukutere 171b. and give him a beating. Prince pf Orange ran a surprisingly good race in the Jellicoe Handicap last week, finishing fourth, a little over a hngth behind the winner, Malahat. Indeed, although the latter scored a clear cut victory, the rest of the field, with the exception of True Blood, were in a heap. Prince Val failed to stick -on under his big impost, and Flying Prince failed to run It right out.-, Standfast was beaten by the distance, and a mile can be taken as being his "best, distance. There were several three-year-olds seen out in the hack classes at the Pakuranga meeting that can be ticked off for future reference. Two of them," Exaggeration and Amber Link, turned on a lot of pace to lead the field to the honie turn in the hack seven, the former surprislng hy hanging on to finish close up.. Kingsway also showed up at the half distance in this contest, and in trainsr A. Cook's skilful haxids he ought not to be off the winning l:st very long. A popular win at Ellerslie at the Pakuranga meeting on Saturday was that of Domini'can in the Ladies' Bracelet. The, grey was very judiciously handled, being last out of the stralght, while the other riders were at it hammer and tongs to prevent •the speedy Dawn getting too far away. Mr. Morris was very patient, and after moving up very quietly at the f our furlongs he actually eaught the pacemakers at the bottom of the straight, to finally win easily. Te Hoia was an odds-on favourite for the Jell'icoe Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday, and two furlongs from the post he looked like pulling his backers through. The horse' had met with trouble when the field ran round him half way through the piece, with the result that he was last in a rather hunched field. Gray moved quickly on the home turn and came round on the outer, being five horses out into the straight, and while he. was with the leaders at the distance he failed to run on. To make up the ground he did wafe asking too much, and bis' chances were not improved when Gray took him on the outside. Te Hoia would not lose any friends hy his failure.