HORSES AND HORSEMEN.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 April 1932, Page 3

HORSES AND HORSEMEN.

COPEY DOING WELL The jumper Copey has been getting through some solid work at Hawera since competing at the Auckland meeting, and his latest schooling efforts are stated to have been very attractive. Copey is a reliable fencer and sound stayer, who should perform well in important steeplechase events this winter. Last winter he scored a very meritorjous win in the Lincoln Steeplechase on the third day of the .C.J.C. Grand National meeting. Brother to Gold Ruler. Royal Bengal, who annexed the Woodhey Handicap at Manawatu, is a four-year-old by Chief Ruler from Tigeroy. and therefore a full brother to Gold Ruler. He showed ability at Christmas time, when l\e accounted 1 for the Trial Stakes at Stratford, while at the last Wellington meeting he finished third in the Tinakori Handicap, six furlongs, to Eminent and Normandy. Royal Bengal is trained by R. Johnston at New Plymouth. Telford's Shar.e of Phar Lap. Melbourne reports state that H. R. Telford secured his half interest in Phai* Lap for £4000, which is considerably less than the sum an outsider would have been called upon to pay. Not Unaniicipated. The success of Riotous was not hy_ any means unanticipated at Awapuni. The son of Birkdale has raced con--sistently recently, heing placed on four occasions, including two seconds at the Feilding Easter meeting. He is a well bred gelding, for his sire is by Birkenhead, while his dam, Cross Words, is by All Black from Wordy Warfare, by Camp Fire from Palavar, who, among other races, won the Great Autumn Handicap at Riccarton for Mr. E. J. Watt. Riotous will dn better in more select company. Moroney in Melbourne. The intention of W. D. Moroney is to stay indefinitely at Caulfield with Vertigern and Tenterden. . Prior to launching out as a trainer in New Zealand he was attached to 'V. O'Neill's stable, where he learned th» rudiments of his profession. Evidently Vertigern is an unreliable custom er (says a Melbourne writer). H^ gallops splendidly on the track, and runs poorly in races. After failing badly in the Easter Cup at Williams town, Vertigern ran a mile on the. steeplechase grass in 1.45. At no stage did he appear to be flat ourand the time was extra good, on account of the track being slow. Verti gern and Tenterden may be raced at the Adelaide Cup meeting next montb. Tenterden was beaten in a race at Epping Park last week. Regarded a Sprinter. Gold Dawn, who accounted for the Prince of Wales Handicap at Awapuni, is a full sister to that good mare Bright Glow, who won among other races the Easter Handicap at Auckland for her owner, Mr. H. Cleland, who also races Gold Dawn. Some months ago Gold Dawn was looked upon as a sprinter, but at the Taranaki meeting in February, after running unplaced in the Stewards' Handicap, six furlongs, created a surprise by winning the Paul Memorial Handicap, one mile and a quarter, later in the day. Recently, at Feilding, Gold Dawn showed that she was at the top of her form by beating a good field in the Manchester Handicap, ten furlongs. It looks as though Gold Dawn is going to uphold the family reputation. Araunah Recovered. Mr. D. H. McLeod, who took Araunah and Lady Alert to Melbourne recently, writes to say that Araunah has completely recovered from his recent indisposition. He picked iip a weed while grazing, which caused poisoning, but veterinary attention brought him "round all right in a few days. Araunah has done well since arrival. Lady Alert was' to have started at the Epsom meeting on April 20. Mr. McLeod saw Simba while in Sydney, and he says that he was so poor in condition "that eveiv Luke Wilson couldn't recognise him." Standing Up Well. Magna Charta has been a daily attendant at the Riccarton tracks for some weeks past, and although he has not been put to a severe test he has got through a large amount of strong work, and appears to he standing up to it satisfactorily. He has been nominated for* the Amberley meeting and his effort there will give an indication of his prospeets of a preparation for winter racing. It is to be hoped that the big gelding will he able to make his reappearance as a hurdler, as there is no doubt aboufc his class if he could be thoroughly wound up. How Night Raid was Bred. When in the rostrum at the Elerslie sale recently, Mr. Ken Austin related the story about the breeding of Sentiment, the dam of Night Raid. Both Spearmint and Flair were in the same stable when being trained for the Derby of 1906. Flair was superior to Spearmint, and regarded as a good thing for the blue riband, but unfortunately he went amiss. Luckily Spearmint trained on well, and proved equal to winning the Derby and Grand Prix de Paris. The one-time stablemates were then mated, with the result that Flair produced Sentiment, hence the name. Sentiment in turn was bred to Radium, and hence we have Night Raid, the sire of Nightmarch and Phar Lap.

Paris in at Ellerslie. Last Season Mr. W. Hazlett sent Paris and Apache from Invercargill to compete at the Great Northern meeting, and Paris won the Tamaki Steeplechase on the last day. His • next effort was at Trentham, where he won the Wellington Steeplechase, beating Nukumai and Copey. Paris has again been entered for the Great Northern Steeplechase, and with th« experience he had last year of the Ellerslie country he will be a bette-" hor'se this year. V *"• ; i; '£ . >' Always Shown Pace. Midinette won the Sires Produce Stakes at Awapuni in good style. She has always shown a lot of pace, and in the Great Northern Champagne Stakes just weakened in the last bit, heads dividing the placed horses, with her in third position. She jumped away smartly and was never afterwards headed, beating Tea Trader brilliantly. The latter ran a very solid race, and evidently did not show any inclination to bore_out at the turn as he has done in several of his races in Auckland. This was due to the fact that he was running left-handed, going which seems to suit him much better.