RACING FORM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 219, 10 May 1932, Page 2

RACING FORM

OVER THE STICKS CALLAPAT'S OWNER SECURES RARE BAGAIN FOR £15 GOOD HACKS FOR ELLERSLIE

(Special to the "Post" by "The , Judge.")

Soid only a few weeks ago for £15, Callapat gave a good return to his new owner by winning at his first' aitempt in the new eolours. After tiring of him, his previous owner, Mr. P. Bluett, decided not to persevere with the horse and quitted him cheaply. The lucky purchaser was the Taranaki sportsman, Mr. W. Simson, and he handed Callapat to trainer W. C. Grindlay to train for the Egmont nveeting, with happy results to all concerned. It was a good hurdles field that Callapat met at Hawera last We' nesday, class Deing a feature, and yet he left them standing at the finis i, although, of course, he was matsrial ly aided to victory by an unfortunato aft'air. at the last obstacle. Hitherto Callapat had been trying to win his hurdle races by being in front all the way, and he had gainp a reputation both on the fiat and over the batt'ens of being a non-stayer. On W ednesday/T'idden by his trainer. 3e was ridden in behind, and he did no make a forward move until two furlongs from home, when he was talcen up and lay just to the rear of the leaders. Made For The Gap When the leading division got mixed up at the. final hurdle, the way w ' made clear on the inner for those following, and Callapat and Otairi at once made for the gap. The former finished with remark^ble speed anvl won comfortably, Otairi failing to concede the Hawera jumper 391b. on the fiat from the last fence. Callapat was running on strongly passing the post, so that it is just pos"10 might have won in any case. On Thursday the bargain horsc was agaln a contestant in the Hurdles, and ridden a similar race he farba badly, never managing to get n^ir the leaders at any part. His win might have been a mere flash in the pan, but it indieated that he is a possibility for mile and a half hurdle events in the lesser class. It is possible that he will get back to haclc company at next week's Wanganui fixture and so his chances may ne better there than at the Egmont gathering, for he was taking on the open hurdlers at the latter place. Cailapat's Breeding Callapat has now won two or three times over the sticlcs, his best performances prior to this week being ir very modest hack company. If he cav carry weight he may go on with hi ~ winning career. . He is young so far as jumpers go, for he is a six-year-old. He is by Callaghan, a horse imported from England by the Wellington sportsman, Mr. W. Higgins, and was by Fairy King (by Desmond from Queen Fairy, by Oberon from Lady Lothian, a daughter of Exchequer and Daffodil), his dam being Penny Forfeit, by Forfarshire from Pennywise, by Westminster from Bonnv Mary II, by Wisdom. Callaghan was raced in this country with indifferent success before being retired to the stud. Another of his progeny, Call Again, was a success over hurdles, winning four races at this branch of the game, so apparently the Callaghan breed may be better over obstacles than th-ey wero on the' fiat, despite their speed. Callapat may never be a top-notch hurdler, but he will always be a possibility over short courses. And for £15 he was a rara bargain.

even if his success last Wednesday brought in a stake of but £60, for it _ must not be forgotten that although he was fifth favourite his divideno was a very solid double figure ona. Otairi's Condition. Otairi was sore after finishing second to Callapat in ths Tongahoe Hurdles at Hawera the first day and consequently he was sent back home without waiting for the second day. In that race Otairi made a gallant attem.pt to win, but he had no chance to concede weight to the winner. Nevertheless his form was good, for it was only his second outing of late. In his first, the Marton Steeplechase, he had gone about six furlongs when he fell, so he should be a much better horse for his Hawera run. His fencing was as good as ever and he managed to keep within range of the pacemakers throughout, holding out indications that he has but to keep sound to win soon. Otairi is the top-weight in both the Great Northern Hurdles and the Great Northern Steeplechase and it is not known yet whether he will be sent to Ellerslie to fulfil those ergagements. Weight stops the brsc of them in the usually bad ground experfenced at Auckland during the Great Northern meeting, and «en allowing for a horse being partial to this sort of going the fact that he is heavilv burdened must tell the tale in tbs end. Chances In G. N. Steeples One has to go hack to Coeur de Lion's victory as far hack as 1901 to find a horse winning with 11.5 or more, and Battleaxe, Fisher and Kohu are the only ones since to carry over ten stone successfully. That. will give an idea of the task confronting Otairi in the Great Northern Hurdles on the King's Birthday. On the figures Otairi's chances are a shade better in the Great Northern Steeplechase, for in the last 20 years E1 Gallo 11.5, Waimai 12.0, Lochella 11.0, Coalition 12.5, and Sir Roseherry 11.5 have been victorious under the impost shown. It is significant, however. that the last half dozen contestants have fallen to the nine stone division, ranging from 9.0 to 9.8. Otairi has had one race over the big fences, this being at the recent Marton meeting. He had gone the best part of seven furlongs when he fell, and up to this time he had jumped very well. The owner of Otairi, Mr. K. McK. Duhcan, has plenty of time to make up his mind in connection with the Auckland trip, for although the handicaps for the big treble have been

Otairi has got over his soreness, hc may he raced at Wanganui. Good Hacks for Ellerslie. There are two good hacks in Taranaki, namely, The Tiger and Royal Bengal, and quite apart from their undoubted brilliance, their enthusiastic admirers in that province are expeeting them to take Auckland by storm next month, for their missions ahead are the hack races at the Great Northern meeting. These take some winning, too. The going at Hawera was not very bad the first day, being slightly holding, and both The Tiger and Royal Bengal handled it all right. However, if they are to succeed in the north they will have to be able to handle real muddy tracks, for if they get a bit more rain in the north the Ellerslie country will quickly become converted into a quagmire. In addition to that, the handicapper is almost eartain to take good care of them on the score of weighi. Royal Bengal has not as yet the aehievement credited to The Tiger, but he is more susceptible to improvem'ent, taking into consideration his present position in the handicaps, than the big New Plymouth horse. In addition, he may stay better, for he has not the tearaway antics of The Tiger. which makes it doubtful if the latter would run out seven furlongs or a mil'e among the northern hacks in had ground. In those races Royal Bengal may he The Tiger's master. May Be Promoted Of course, it is more than probable that The Tiger will be promoted ro open sprint company at Ellerslie and that may he a different matter, for on wliat he has shown to date he .:s capable of winning in that class, for he will be set to carry a eomparatively light weight. On the other hand the state of the track will have to enter into caluculations. In point of size, The Tiger has it a bit on Royal Bengal, but both are big horses. • The breeding of these hacks is of interest. The Tiger is given as being by Sheffield, a horse imported from Australia by Mr. E. Allison, of Auckland, for whom he raced successfully, an injury while racing bringing about an early retirement from the turf, and he was sent to' Taranaki for stud duties. Sheffield was by Bright Steel from Liane. The dam of The .Tiger is returned as being an unnamed mare hy Gazeley from G'leam, the latter being by Reflector from Argon, by Medallion If the programme as planned is car^ijg^vn|Jj|T^Afffrrts(^Rov^L^ngal